Premier League hits and misses: Liverpool take benefit as Arsenal and Man Metropolis stumble | Soccer Information

Toothless Arsenal crying out for Odegaard return

Mikel Arteta mentioned earlier than the sport that his Arsenal group thrive after they “show their teeth”. As an alternative, this was a toothless show on the highway.

One shot on course, none from open play and Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope was not required to make a save all recreation. Arsenal’s assault went fully lacking.

The Gunners created 1.11 anticipated targets, so ought to have discovered the web at St James’ Park. However the overwhelming majority of the full got here from Mikel Merino’s blocked shot and Declan Rice’s late miss. For lengthy intervals of the sport, Arsenal failed to interrupt down Newcastle’s mid-block they usually had been lacking one thing.

It seems that if Arsenal have any ambitions to win the Premier League title, and even problem for it, then Martin Odegaard must return from damage shortly. Even after lacking the final six weeks of the season, the Arsenal captain has extra possibilities created from open play than any top-flight participant.

Odegaard would have offered that killer contact Arsenal missed at Newcastle. He could return in midweek for Inter Milan, however has his reintroduction to the aspect come too late?
Sam Blitz

One other off-day for misfiring Haaland

Don’t modify your screens: Erling Haaland is formally essentially the most wasteful Premier League striker proper now.

It appears wild to be saying that a few striker who has scored 14 targets in 14 video games in all competitions to date this season, however the stats don’t lie.

Following Man Metropolis’s shock defeat to Bournemouth, the Norwegian striker has now missed six large possibilities in 5 matches since September 28. He has only one purpose in that interval.

Haaland is essentially the most under-performing Premier League participant when it comes to Anticipated Objectives since that date – by fairly far. Workforce-mate Bernardo Silva is third on that listing.

He had the possibility to attain a leveller as Metropolis utilized intense strain deep into stoppage time, however his header was saved by Cherries goalkeeper Mark Travers. So as to add insult to damage, he put his rebound onto the submit from point-blank vary. The primary effort had an xG of 0.21, the second had an xG of 0.35.

It was an off-day all spherical and a reminder that Haaland is, in actual fact, human. However Metropolis may do with him returning to his robotic finest sharpish.
Dan Lengthy

Pumped-up Newcastle bruise flat Arsenal once more

Twice within the second half, Newcastle gamers celebrated profitable defensive actions as if they’d scored a purpose. Bruno Guimaraes successful a throw-in – cue exuberant fist pumps. Joelinton outmuscling Gabriel on the far submit – deliver on the roar in entrance of hundreds of baying dwelling followers.

This was the sort of Newcastle efficiency that has made Eddie Howe’s aspect such a tricky nut to crack throughout most of his time in cost – and in addition served to remind us what they’d been lacking throughout a five-game winless run.

The Magpies had been too straightforward to run via, too straightforward to attain in opposition to and too straightforward to overpower for a lot of this marketing campaign. However this all modified in opposition to Arsenal, who’ve now suffered defeat – and failed to attain – on three of their final 4 visits to St James’ Park.

Newcastle appear to relish taking over Arteta’s aspect, embracing the chance to frustrate, battle and bruise their title-chasing opponents. Preserve this degree, and Howe’s outfit might be again within the combine for the highest 4.
Joe Shread

Semenyo reveals why he has high six suitors

On Saturday morning, we reported Liverpool had been scouting Bournemouth ahead Antoine Semenyo, with the Ghana worldwide seen as a possible alternative for Mohamed Salah, ought to he depart Anfield when his contract ends on the finish of the season.

Many can have already been conscious of what the ahead is able to producing regularly, however in opposition to Man Metropolis, he put himself within the highlight.

Semenyo was a continuing thorn in Metropolis’s aspect, each defensively – he gained eight of his 9 floor duels and 100 per cent of his tackles – and in an attacking sense, with one purpose from 4 pictures, three possibilities created and quite a few bursts ahead on the counter.

Semenyo – who was enjoying for Bathtub within the Nationwide League South in 2017/18 – has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water over the previous two seasons and, at 24, nonetheless has loads of room to enhance. Whether or not that’s at Bournemouth stays to be seen.
Dan Lengthy

Alexander-Arnold changing into the total package deal

The velocity at which Arne Slot has set to work at Liverpool has been spectacular – none extra so than his work with Trent Alexander-Arnold. His defensive work, usually criticised up to now, has been one of many standout features of Liverpool’s wonderful begin to the season.

Whereas he stays a inventive pressure, his function has modified below Slot. Ryan Gravenberch’s introduction in midfield has allowed the Liverpool boss to make use of Alexander-Arnold extra like a traditional full-back and he is answering the decision. One of many hardest exams a full-back can undertake within the Premier League is a recreation in opposition to Karou Mitoma however Alexander-Arnold stood sturdy all through.

His sort out rely of 9 was essentially the most made by a participant in any recreation this season within the Premier League whereas Mitoma solely accomplished three of his eight dribbles within the recreation.
Lewis Jones

Forest for high 4 – why not?

It’s all going proper for Forest, at present. Chris Wooden has reworked himself into one of the crucial deadly strikers within the high flight of English soccer and the group have ascended into the highest three of the Premier League.

The sky is the restrict for this aspect. They’ve heaps of high quality surrounding their in-form striker and confirmed that via Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ola Aina and the expertise they known as upon from the bench.

You’d be naive to suppose this was only a purple patch of kind – we have seen that sides like Aston Villa can problem high groups for Champions League soccer, so why cannot Forest be the newest to do that?

They’ve all the required parts on the prepared and proceed to churn out performances and outcomes in opposition to strong opponents.

The upcoming conferences in opposition to Newcastle and Arsenal might be essential in figuring out what the ceiling for this group actually is.
Patrick Rowe

West Ham should enhance throughout all areas

It was a 3rd formation change of the season from Julen Lopetegui, as he returned to the 3-4-3 he used throughout the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Within the early levels of the sport, it seemed as if the mixture of Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos may maintain the in-form Wooden quiet after he was restricted to simply eight touches within the first 25 minutes.

Nevertheless, the Forest ahead nodded within the opener moments later and it was not lengthy earlier than West Ham had been decreased to 10 gamers and the sport spiralled out of their management.

Lopetegui was fast to level out after the sport that the consequence didn’t solely fall on the shoulders of Alvarez and as a substitute checked out his group as a collective by insisting they have to be higher throughout all fronts. And he was proper.

West Ham began properly however unravelled even earlier than the purple card. If they’re to stop this season from tapering off into mid-table mediocrity – or one thing a lot worse – they’ve to enhance throughout all areas.

For the time being, they appear like a group missing course.
Patrick Rowe

Unnecessary Phillips purple prices Ipswich dearly as lengthy look forward to top-flight win continues

It might have been a protracted 20 minutes within the Portman Highway dressing room for Ipswich City’s on-loan midfielder Kalvin Phillips after his sending-off helped flip the match on its head in opposition to Leicester Metropolis.

Till that time, Kieran McKenna’s aspect had been in full management and cruising to a primary league win since their promotion again to the Premier League, however for the second week in a row an absence of self-discipline price them pricey.

Final week, it was Harry Clarke’s dismissal that acted as spur for Brentford to go on and win a seven-goal thriller with a 96th-minute strike on the Gtech to interrupt Ipswich hearts.

Quick ahead per week and this time it was the much more skilled Phillips who let his group down, forcing them to paly out the ultimate 20-odd minutes a participant brief in Suffolk and, boy, did the Foxes take benefit.

The guests ought to have already got been degree, however for a sensational goal-line clearance from Cameron Burgess to disclaim that man Ayew with two minutes to go, though the substitute was to not be denied, levelling issues within the fourth minute of stoppage-time because the Tractor Boys’ look forward to a top-flight win, which stretches again to April 2002, continues.
Richard Morgan

Saints win papers over cracks

Southampton claimed their first league victory and clear sheet in 10 makes an attempt, however they may wrestle to earn many extra with comparable performances.

The hosts managed possession, as regular, but had been second-best to Everton in all of the attacking stats other than remaining third entries.

As an alternative, the massive Beto moments went Southampton’s approach. Jan Bednarek’s foul on the striker, who then missed from 5 yards and had a late equaliser dominated out adopted instinctive saves by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale – Southampton’s Participant of the Match.

Russell Martin praised his aspect for “sticking with what we want to be and who we want to be” though their wrestle is more likely to proceed.
David Richardson

Chaotic Wolves want management quick

For the second weekend in succession, Wolves had been concerned in an entertaining 2-2 draw that may encourage Gary O’Neil that the combating spirit is there amongst his gamers, however so chaotic was their show in opposition to Crystal Palace that it didn’t bode properly.

Wolves have conceded twice in all however one in all their 10 matches within the Premier League this season and needing to attain three targets to earn three factors is a giant ask. Twenty-seven targets conceded already, six greater than some other aspect, is a recipe for relegation.

In fact, they’ve confronted all the present high seven, whereas Palace had been the primary of the underside 9 that they’ve performed. However the worry for O’Neil and Wolves has lengthy been that confidence has been so eroded by this run – on the pitch and within the stands.

The chants directed in the direction of the supervisor when he made his triple change – ‘You do not know what you are doing’ – reveal how frayed the feelings are among the many dwelling assist. That chanting didn’t final they usually quickly roared the aspect on however these are fraught occasions.

It’s Southampton at dwelling subsequent up, backside enjoying bottom-but-one. O’Neil has usually talked about that his Wolves gamers are an emotional group. However they may absolutely must train extra management than this if they’re to clamber their approach from hazard.
Adam Bate