Liverpool stroll to title as Tottenham stutter and Arsenal take solace: 10 things we learned this weekend
Ten things we learned this weekend: Nigel Pearson’s Watford continue to flourish, Pepe Reina made a marvellous comeback and there was a bittersweet reunion for David Moyes
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Your support makes all the difference.1) Wasteful Manchester City rue same mistakes
It was a result which epitomised City’s season. The exhilaration of Sergio Ageruo ruthlessly chalking up another milestone and the frustrating sting in the tale as Fernandinho’s own goal saw Pep Guardiola’s side drop yet more points. It’s ultimately wasteful results like these, City contriving to leave themselves three against three at the back in the closing stages against Crystal Palace, which have helped hand Liverpool safe passage to the Premier League title this season. Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne have been the brilliant exceptions to the rule, and the side could still collect domestic and European trophies, but there’s no hiding from the fact that City are operating far from their best. (Richard Jolly)
2) Resilient Watford hold uninspiring Spurs
It’s now been three games since Tottenham last scored a Premier League goal, as if the reality of Harry Kane’s absence – and lack of any adequate replacement – was not already being felt. Ultimately, in a scrappy game of will-power, Spurs showed few glimpses of the outfit Jose Mourinho promised they would become. The club are in desperate need of a striker, trapped between generations of players and hamstrung by injury. Despite Mourinho being dealt a tough hand, that well of positivity he filled his players with seems to be running dry rather quickly after just two wins in their last eight matches.
For Nigel Pearson’s invigorated Watford, though, who are now unbeaten in their last seven games, it’s a breath of fresh air above the relegation zone. A revolution built on sweat, basics, bread and cheese has produced an organised regime in defence and attacks that filter dangerously down the wings via the pace and trickery of Gerard Deulofeu and Ismaila Sarr. Unlike Mourinho’s early charge, it’s hard to see Watford’s head of steam running out of puff any time soon. (Tom Kershaw)
3) Martinelli provides solace for stuttering Arsenal
In August, few would have predicted Sheffield United to be four points ahead of Arsenal past the halfway stage of the Premier League season. But the newly-promoted club’s rise has been as dramatic as Arsenal’s fall. They were the better side for much of the 1-1 draw at the Emirates, strangling their opposition in midfield and effectively using long, direct passes to get into dangerous positions in the final third. John Fleck’s late equaliser was fully deserved for Chris Wilder’s side in the end, and they remain above Arsenal. At this point, though, that is not a surprise. There is plenty to be positive and optimistic about for Sheffield United supporters.
For Arsenal, the improvements are there under Mikel Arteta, although the cracks are still so visible. One source of continued inspiration to hold onto, though, comes in the form of 18-year-old Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli, who was charged with the almighty task of replacing suspended captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the starting line-up.
The striker, signed in the summer from Ituano, has without doubt been one of the highlights of a dismal season. His return of nine goals in all competitions, given his relative lack of game time, is hugely impressive, and he took his goal well, too, latching onto a deflected cross and reacting quickest to convert from close range. Everything suggests Martinelli, in the coming years, will be one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers. And even at this nascent stage of his career, he is proving to be a very useful addition to Arsenal’s squad. (Callum Rice-Coates)
4) Canaries sing in feisty basement battle against Bournemouth
It was a battle between two sinking ships and ended in a flurry of debris as both sides finished the match with 10-men. But with everything at stake as the Premier League’s bottom-two met at Carrow Road, it was a game settled by a moment of mindless stupidity. As Ondrej Duda’s shot flighted towards Bournemouth’s empty net, Steve Cook flung himself across the face of goal and palmed the ball away with his hand. Cook received the first red card of his career and Teemu Pukki subsequently scored the penalty that would bring Norwich a revitalising three points. It was a moment of absurdity that characterised the panic sweeping through Eddie Howe’s side. They are trapped in a downward spiral, having lost eight of their last 10 games, and what was for so long such a reliably peaceful mid-table force now seems destined to clatter into the seabed. (Tom Kershaw)
5) Back-to-basics Newcastle profit against Chelsea – but what next?
There is nothing exotic or innovative about Steve Bruce. He would likely admit that himself. His teams have, for the most part, always been functional, organised, resilient: sides built in the image of their rugged, hard-nosed coach. Many tipped Newcastle for certain relegation. But Bruce, who would be forgiven for feeling slightly smug, has so far confounded his critics – as Saturday night’s unexpected win over Chelsea proved. His side are now seven points clear of the bottom three, unquestionably difficult to play against (particularly at St James’ Park) and have repeatedly shown they’re capable of producing those dogged performances needed to get the job done.
The sticking point, for those still unconvinced by Bruce’s Newcastle, is the manner in which they did it. The hosts had just 30 per cent possession and were, for the most part, content to sit off Chelsea, to soak up pressure and counter-attack sporadically. That is consistent with the Magpies’ approach throughout the season, not just against the Premier League’s top teams. Newcastle’s average possession is by far the lowest in the division – a remarkably low 33.6 per cent, significantly less than the next lowest (Burnley with 40.1 per cent) – but it has proved effective. This is fine when results are good, and they have been good enough for Bruce so far.
But their approach has inevitably made the season feel like a constant struggle. And questions remain over the long-term ambitions and aims of the club. How long Newcastle can continue to play in this manner depends on the patience of the fans and the club’s future ambitions. At the moment, it seems no one at Newcastle is thinking beyond the next game. (Callum Rice-Coates)
6) Jimenez stalls Southampton’s resurgence
The way Ralph Hasenhuttl has regathered a Southampton side splitting at the seams has been remarkable considering how close the manager came to the sack. Seven victories in their last 10 competitive matches had brought welcome daylight between the Saints and the drop zone, and they seemed destined to take another scalp until Wolves’s Raul Jiminez inspired comeback at St. Mary’s.
The 28-year-old did brilliantly to control Adama Traore’s lofted ball and bring the score level at 2-2 and stayed composed to score the winner from the penalty spot just nine minutes later. The Mexican has been involved in more goals (18 goals and nine assists in all competitions) than any other Premier League player this season and an unlikely Champions League dream now feels far closer to reality after Chelsea’s latest slip-up. (Tom Kershaw)
7) Bittersweet reunion for Moyes against Everton
It’s no secret that David Moyes was hoping for a return to Everton after Marco Silva’s dismissal in December. Nor is there any ignoring the fact that his eventual appointment by West Ham was a factor in the fan protests against the club’s ownership that dominated the build-up to Saturday’s 1-1 draw. Moyes has returned to the Premier League with one purpose alone: to avoid relegation. Despite currently sitting just one point clear of the bottom three, the already visible improvements in the West Ham players’ organisation, energy and demeanour suggest he will achieve that. But the lack of ambition couldn’t help but be highlighted by the sight of Carlo Ancelotti sitting in the opposite dugout. According to the Deloitte Football Money League results released this week, West Ham are the 18th richest club in the world – one place higher than Everton. Surely, the vision has to be something greater than just short-term survival. (Tom Kershaw)
8) Reina provides Villa with burst of positivity
Dean Smith immediately hailed the impact of Pepe Reina’s ”charisma” rubbing off on Aston Villa’s players following the club’s 1-1 draw against Brighton. Jack Grealish had already strengthened his case for an England call-up with a brilliant equaliser at the Amex Stadium with 15 minutes remaining, but it was the 37-year-old goalkeeper, airdropped straight into the first-eleven seven years after his last Premier League appearance, who made a crucial save to deny Neal Maupay a late winner. The Spaniard may be something of an aged force, but it’s well-known that he was a big personality and beloved leader within Liverpool’s dressing room. That experience and ability to inspire a struggling Villa squad could well prove invaluable in the club’s fight for survival. (Tom Kershaw)
9) United show they are levels below Liverpool
Do not be sucked in by a tense second half and even tenser final stages. Do not let the comfortable if not emphatic margin of victory fool you. Do not think that, even before Mohamed Salah’s late second, Manchester United were close to leaving Anfield with a result. United may have been in this game until its final kick but there were times, particularly in the first half, where this threatened to be as comprehensive a victory as Liverpool have enjoyed over their historic rivals in years. There were shades, too, of the recent Manchester derby at Old Trafford, when United somehow avoided a mauling. That mauling did not come today, either, but it is beginning to feel overdue. It may even be necessary, in order to fully demonstrate how much distance United have to travel before they can expect to win these sorts of matches. (Mark Critchley)
10) Leicester lack depth to sustain challenge
Despite leading in the game, and having the chance to score from the penalty spot to re-take the lead, Leicester failed to beat Burnley – making it just two wins in seven league games for the Foxes. Brendan Rodgers’ men impressed during the straight-forward autumn stretch where games came around once a week, but have struggled mightily over the busier winter Christmas and new year stretch. Whether it’s the size of the squad or the quality of the players, they simply haven’t quite had the consistency to truly stick with the front-runners. For the rest of the season, the job will be to ensure their great start doesn’t go to waste, and find a way to win enough matches to secure a top-four finish. (Karl Matchett)
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