Liverpool look robust to cease in title race, Chelsea nonetheless studying Enzo Maresca’s methods – Premier League hits and misses | Soccer Information

Is there any stopping Liverpool?

By the point the ultimate whistle sounded on Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Leicester at Anfield, Jordan Ayew’s sixth-minute opening objective felt like a distant reminiscence. Remarkably, the guests didn’t muster a single shot after the tenth minute of the sport.

Such is Liverpool’s capability to smother their opponents. They stayed cool after falling behind, whilst they struggled to search out their rhythm. However Salah will not be their solely game-changer.

Gakpo is one other. His equalising objective was a factor of magnificence and the end result by no means appeared unsure after that. Liverpool have been forward quickly after half-time and, after all, Salah needed to get his objective too. Ultimately, it felt like as straightforward a victory as Liverpool might have requested for.

It’s coming as much as 4 months since they final misplaced a recreation. That September reverse towards Nottingham Forest appears increasingly like an aberration. The current attracts towards Newcastle and Fulham felt uncharacteristic too however Liverpool are again of their stream now.

Their unbeaten run now stands at 22 video games in all competitions. They are going to be high on the flip of the 12 months, whatever the end result towards West Ham on Sunday. They’ll almost definitely be high in Could too. It’s changing into tough to see some other end result.
Nick Wright

Leicester are defensively naive

You may see what Ruud van Nistelrooy was making an attempt to do. Leicester arrived at Liverpool intent on making this a recreation, and for almost all of the primary half, they did simply that. Van Nistelrooy spoke pre-match about desirous to instil a profitable mentality and that method at Anfield is courageous, if slightly audacious.

Leicester had 4 pictures within the opening 10 minutes (scoring with their solely shot on track), however did not handle a single try for the rest of the match. The extent merely wasn’t sustainable as Liverpool moved by way of the gears.

There isn’t a disgrace in shedding to Liverpool – the Premier League’s runaway leaders – they usually by no means went below, as many have towards Arne Slot’s aspect, together with Spurs final week. However Leicester have now slipped into the relegation zone and have conceded the joint-most targets (40) alongside Wolves within the division.

Sharpening up defensively is the place Van Nistelrooy wants to pay attention most of his time, or danger dropping additional nonetheless.
Laura Hunter

Haaland’s struggles in entrance of objective mirror Metropolis’s personal spluttering type

In some ways, Erling Haaland’s current struggles in entrance of objective for Manchester Metropolis mirror these of the group themselves, initially regarded as merely a blip each will come out of very quickly and but we’re nonetheless ready for that to occur.

Haaland, just like the Premier League champions themselves, got here out of the traps quick to start out the season, scoring 10 instances in his first 5 league video games, however as Metropolis started to wobble, so too did the Norway worldwide.

A lot so, in actual fact, that final season’s Premier League high scorer has solely netted three targets in his final 13 matches, coinciding with Metropolis’s personal downturn in type, whereas underperforming his xG by a league-wide complete of 5.2 in that point (3 vs 8.2 xG).

Nothing higher sums up Haaland’s woes of late than his penalty failure towards Everton with the scoreline 1-1 as Jordan Pickford guessed accurately to maintain out his weakly struck effort, extremely the primary time the ahead has seen a goalkeeper save one in all his 16 Premier League spot kicks.

And Pep Guardiola’s spluttering title holders want their primary man again to his greatest as quickly as potential, in any other case their lengthy barren run could stick with it into 2025.
Richard Morgan

Man Utd wanting long run however points want addressing now

The pink card to Bruno Fernandes clearly provided mitigating circumstances and there was sufficient stress inside Molineux to consider that Manchester United would possibly conjure an equaliser till very late within the recreation. However the 2-0 defeat to Wolves was nonetheless alarming.

One other stuttering show, one other objective conceded straight from a nook not to mention from a set-piece state of affairs. A lot of the main target at United is now long run however that’s one thing that Ruben Amorim should tackle rapidly to keep away from this season going from dangerous to worse.

Requested how lengthy it might take for his rules of play to take maintain, Amorim steered he had no concept. In a recreation that began with each Portuguese coaches adopting a 3-4-2-1 formation, it was the Wolves gamers who appeared extra comfy with that system.

Even when the sport was 11 towards 11, United lacked zip, shifting the ball far too slowly to take benefit towards opponents who started the sport within the backside three. Amorim can be extra satisfied than ever that wholesale modifications are required for subsequent season.

However subsequent season appears a great distance away if United proceed to play like this. It’s Newcastle subsequent then back-to-back away video games towards Liverpool and Arsenal within the Premier League and FA Cup, respectively. This might get messier earlier than it will get higher.
Adam Bate

Chelsea have quite a bit to be taught below Maresca

Enzo Maresca saved referring to Chelsea’s failure to handle the sport towards Fulham as the rationale for shedding at dwelling towards their west London rivals for the primary time since 1979. The primary quarter-hour of the second half significantly, he mentioned, value his aspect.

There was a second simply earlier than the hour, when it was 1-0, which illustrated precisely what Maresca was getting at. Cole Palmer picked up the ball with Chelsea breaking and blue shirts bursting ahead. Palmer disillusioned them by intentionally slowing the sport down.

Chelsea voices within the crowd couldn’t disguise their upset. Maresca was alone in applauding the perceived unfavorable motion. These are the moments he needs to see extra of from his aspect. Fulham got here in search of transitions, and he needed to take that away.

Maresca ideally would really like his group to maneuver up the pitch as a unit to keep away from leaving holes for the opposition to reveal – “Before you attack, you need to make passes, passes, passes so we are together,” the Chelsea boss mentioned – even when it is on the expense of pleasure.

Leicester followers typically grew to become weary with the methods of their former supervisor final season regardless of him main them to a snug promotion as Championship winners. Maresca’s philosophy clearly takes a while to regulate to. Not everybody at Chelsea will get it but.

That is maybe why he has repeatedly mentioned Chelsea aren’t able to problem for the title but. Outcomes have been spectacular, this being their first defeat within the league since shedding at Liverpool in October, however he is aware of that the group are nonetheless studying how one can play his approach.
Zinny Boswell

Spectacular Fulham on the rise below Silva

Firstly of this season, had you advised Fulham supporters they’d be heading dwelling on Boxing Day with their aspect stage on factors with defending Premier League champions Manchester Metropolis, they’d not have believed you. However whereas Metropolis have slumped, it is a Fulham group on the up below Marco Silva. A primary win at Stamford Bridge since 1979 is validation of that.

Maybe much more impressively, this was a historic win achieved with out Emile Smith Rowe or Sander Berge, two of their high performers this time period. Harrison Reed was additionally lacking from a depleted midfield, whereas regulars Kenny Tete and Reiss Nelson are within the remedy room, too.

However Fulham have discovered a method to take factors off Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham this time period and, with a change in formation right here, they’ve dealt a blow to neighbours Chelsea. It is a end result they’ll experience. However with Silva on the helm and this proficient group discovering methods to win in several methods, their prospects for 2025 are wanting vivid.
Peter Smith

Onuachu sums up Southampton’s striker woes

Paul Onuachu touched the ball 12 instances within the West Ham penalty field. Eight have been pictures, seven of them have been headers. Regardless of all of that accounting to 0.57 of Anticipated Objectives, all of them failed to search out the online.

In a single recreation, the 6ft 7in striker confirmed incoming supervisor Ivan Juric the precise uphill struggles he faces at Southampton – a sheer lack of targets.

The Saints have scored simply 11 instances within the Premier League from 17 video games. Extra worryingly, they’ve simply seven targets from eight dwelling video games.

This can be a aspect who has spent a mixed £75m on Onuachu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Cameron Archer, Ben Brereton Diaz and Mateus Fernandes within the final 18 months – they’ve 5 Premier League targets between them. So many forwards, so little finish product.

The intent was significantly better from Juric’s Southampton on Boxing Day. The extra direct fashion introduced an attacking verve that rattled West Ham within the first half, whereas wing-backs Yukinari Sugawara and Kyle Walker-Peters offered a lot for Onuachu and Co.

However until Southampton discover their scoring contact, they will not be getting off the underside of the desk any time quickly.
Sam Blitz

Centurion Bowen the distinction once more for Hammers

So usually, Jarrod Bowen is the person to make the distinction for West Ham.

His final three targets for the membership have been match-winners. After his penalty successfully ended Erik ten Hag’s spell as Manchester United boss, it was his trademark end within the current victory over Wolves which pushed Gary O’Neil nearer to the Wolves entice door.

On Boxing Day, Ivan Juric’s first recreation in control of Southampton resulted in defeat due to Bowen’s predatory instincts.

The 28-year-old was in the best spot to prod dwelling from Niclas Fullkrug’s flick-on for his forty eighth Premier League objective, taking him outright second in West Ham’s main Premier League scorers, with solely Michail Antonio now scoring extra (68). It was additionally his a centesimal league objective in English soccer’s high 4 tiers.

“It was massively important to win,” Bowen mentioned afterwards. “This is our fourth game unbeaten but it was vital to win again. The ambition of this club is to qualify for Europe every year so it was not at stake today but we’ve got some catching up to do.”

This was a dogged victory made spectacular by how Julen Lopetegui needed to soak up first-half accidents to Lukasz Fabianski and Max Kilman towards a Southampton aspect determined to impress their new supervisor. And each time you have got Bowen in your aspect, there’s all the time the stardust to show one level into three.
Ben Grounds

Midfield are main Newcastle up the desk

There is not a extra relentless, energetic and stylish midfield three within the Premier League than Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali after they play with the roar of the St James’ Park devoted behind them.

Sure, I would embrace the Liverpool trio in that debate.

This Toon trio are dynamite and confirmed the Reds that a number of weeks again in that hurricane-like 3-3 draw with Arne Slot’s group. They’re the bedrock of the whole lot good Newcastle do. Once they perform, the group features. It explains why the current type below Eddie Howe has rocketed as these three are again to their pulsating greatest. Villa have been utterly outrun and outclassed in that space of the pitch, even earlier than the pink card.

Newcastle are as much as fifth. And are shifting alongside properly.
Lewis Jones

Dangerous to worse for Tottenham

“It was his ankle and he said he could not continue. We will have to see,” mentioned Postecoglou after Radu Dragusin was pressured off within the loss to Forest.

After the quick harm replace and outlining how “disappointing” it was to stroll away from the Metropolis Floor empty handed, Postecoglou was nowhere to be seen within the press room.

It took simply 150 seconds for the Tottenham boss to exit the constructing and it was clear to see he was not eager on answering many questions.

An harm to the one recognised centre-back left within the match-day squad, a pink card for Spence who had proven promise throughout the final three outings and his aspect nonetheless dwelling within the backside half.

The state of affairs for Tottenham is rising bleaker by the day and the upcoming fixture towards Wolves, which is simply three days away, seems like a must-win recreation.
Patrick Rowe

Man mountain Murillo helps Forest to victory

Forest secured all three factors and the clear sheet to go alongside it towards Tottenham – however they might not have executed it with out Murillo.

As Postecoglou rightly identified, his aspect possessed a risk within the closing third however finally couldn’t capitalise on it. And that’s due to Forest’s man mountain on the again.

His closing figures got here in at 9 clearances, three blocked pictures, three tackles and 5 duels gained.

When there was house, he would shut it. When there was a ball to be gained, there was no contest.

The house crowd serenaded him all through the whole lot of the sport. He’s a fan favorite and it’s clear to see why, the partnership forming with Nikola Milenkovic is the inspiration that this historic season for the membership is being constructed upon.
Patrick Rowe

Huijsen shines once more in Bournemouth defence

Dean Huijsen is seizing his likelihood on the coronary heart of the Bournemouth defence and quick changing into one of many Premier League’s high younger defenders.

The 19-year-old centre-back, who signed for Bournemouth on a six-year deal from Juventus in the summertime, has shone having began within the final 5 league matches, scoring twice and serving to maintain three clear sheets.

Huijsen stood as much as the check of Crystal Palace’s versatile frontline – the power of Jean-Philippe Mateta coupled with the tempo and trickery of Ismaila Sarr and Eberechi Eze.

He gained essentially the most duels of any participant, essentially the most tackles and had the best cross completion price. Huijsen’s solely mistake was a cynical foul on Sarr that earned a yellow card. Bournemouth have a gem.
David Richardson