Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
- The Premier League’s 10 talking points from recent weekend action cover a range of highlights and developments in the football world. From player performances to team strategies and managerial decisions, these discussions provide insights into the latest events and trends shaping the league.
Impetuous Liverpool loses command
If emotion is carrying Liverpool towards a glorious farewell to Jürgen Klopp, then Old Trafford required cooler heads. Even though Harvey Elliott was a replacement, his point-saving performance was notable because, despite his intensity, he played smartly, trying to move the ball forward and entice Aaron Wan-Bissaka to give up a penalty. Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, the regular pass master, had succumbed to a red mist. Impropriety was also displayed by Luis Díaz, Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Núñez, a modern-day “Crazy Horse” who was even more insane than Emlyn Hughes. Klopp appeared on the verge of losing his cool off the sidelines, especially after Kobbie Mainoo was given room to score. It’s understandable that nerves are fraying with so little time between matches and minds as exhausted as legs. Liverpool needs to hope that Arsenal and Manchester City have the same fears that prevented them from winning easily at Old Trafford. Brewin, John
Postecoglou makes a wise decision.
Ange Postecoglou’s significant half-time intervention against Nottingham Forest moved Tottenham closer to next season’s Champions League and showed he is not afraid to take decisive action when required. Postecoglou rightly said Spurs lost their way following Chris Wood’s first-half equaliser, and it could have become a deeply uncomfortable evening after Forest dominated the latter part of the first half. Postecoglou brought on Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr, while Rodrigo Bentacur and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg energized the midfield. But because of the team’s overall improvement, it was simple to picture Tottenham’s locker room as being especially heated at halftime. Postecoglou stated last week that winning the Champions League isn’t the only measure of success, pointing out that getting in may make things harder the following year. The chairman, Daniel Levy, undoubtedly has a different perspective as he looks for new investment, but the manager’s persistence made a significant progress toward Uefa’s most lucrative rival. Luke McLaughlin
Known vulnerabilities trigger A frank reply
Thomas Frank had the ideal opportunity to ask the age-old post-match question when Brentford gave up their lead and had to settle for a draw at Aston Villa. Was it a point gained or two lost? There was a pregnant silence. “I’m glad we’re still top in that stat because we’ve dropped more points [from winning positions] than any other Premier League team,” he remarked cynically. “No, I’m not content. Although I believe there are two dropped, it is a good point. Brentford have squandered a league-high 30 points from winning situations and their failure to kill games means they are at risk of relegation, particularly after Everton and Luton picked up wins. Nonetheless, Brentford has a strong finish to the season, and a victory over Sheffield United, the bottom team, at home on Saturday would greatly increase their chances of playing in the top division again. Ben Fisher
Havertz restarts the gunners.
One of the main reasons Arsenal has been consistent since the beginning of the year is Kai Havertz’s development into the star player they have been longing for. The German was at his best during Saturday’s victory over Brighton, which helped Arsenal prepare splendidly for Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg at home against Bayern Munich. He has five goals and four assists in his last seven Premier League games. Following Havertz’s unexpected summer transfer from Chelsea, Arteta and captain Martin Ødegaard talked about how they always had faith that he would show the naysayers wrong and that faith was being rewarded. “We saw straight away the quality that he had,” said Ødegaard. “It was just about getting it out and you can really see that now with how much he is giving to the team, not just with goals and assists. He’s given us so much and I’m really happy for him.” Ed Aarons
New City primed for Madrid test
With fifteen minutes remaining at Selhurst Park, Rodri’s withdrawal posed a risk for Pep Guardiola because of the midfielder’s legendary status. Rodri last lost a match while representing Spain in March 2023, against Scotland. Even the greatest may fatigue after a first half that featured a few uncharacteristic mistakes, but the anchorman went on to spearhead City’s comeback to take a 4-1 lead. With Real Madrid looming, Guardiola wanted to “reduce the minutes” of players such as Rodri, having decided to opt for “fresh legs” in his starting lineup. Guardiola’s most difficult decision is whether to start Ederson on the bench at Palace in place of Stefan Ortega, who has performed admirably in the role of stand-in keeper, given that Kyle Walker and Nathan Aké are questionable for the Bernabéu. “I have to think about it,” said Guardiola. “Eddy seems fine, but I need to determine whether there’s a rhythmic deficiency.” JB
Totemic Branthwaite blunts Burnley
It wasn’t difficult to single out Jarrad Branthwaite from a dreadful spectacle at Goodison Park but praise for the young Everton defender carried significantly more weight when coming from Vincent Kompany. “That kid,” as the beaten Burnley manager described the 21-year-old, was chiefly responsible for thwarting the visitors before and after Dara O’Shea’s red card, with his perfectly timed challenges, intelligent interceptions and calm distribution the only genuine highlights of Everton’s performance. “I’m not saying it because he’s a young defender,” said one of the finest centre-halves of his day, “and it’s important to stay away from the hype sometimes, but it’s an objective analysis. It was a performance where my strikers did so well and he gets back so well. Sometimes his teammates get beaten and he reads it to go and cover. He has a really promising aspect to his game going forward. It is a future that is likely to lie away from Goodison this summer given Everton’s dire finances, and involve the European Championship with England. Andy Hunter
Fulham up and down without direction
Does Fulham have a beach? A challenge for European football was possible when they thrashed Tottenham and moved to 39 points last month. However, since then, they have dropped three points against Newcastle, salvaged a 3-3 draw at Sheffield United, and suffered a crushing defeat at Nottingham Forest. Maybe it is simply inconsistency. Yet similar happened at the end of last season and supporters are entitled to have concerns about their team’s mentality. Are Fulham, who won’t have to worry about going down, getting a bit too comfortable? Will Marco Silva, who does not have the biggest budget, start to get itchy feet again? And in the event that João Palhinha departs? Of course, such concerns flare in the wake of a difficult run. Fulham is a talented and dangerous team that has the ability to quickly pick up steam. But after starting well against Newcastle, they felt flat during a second half in which Silva’s substitutions did not work. Jacob Steinberg
Emotions surge high for happy Hatters
In beating Bournemouth Luton buried the ghost of their most painful defeat of the season. Losing 4-3 at the Vitality after leading 3-0 at half-time highlighted that for all their endeavour, Rob Edwards’ men are nothing like too good to go down. On Saturday, Carlton Morris’ 90th-minute strike snatched a first win since January, a long wait in which only in losing 6-2 to Manchester City and 4-1 to Liverpool have they been exposed for a gulf in class. Everton’s victory over their own winless streak added further significance to a highly emotional celebration of victory. That club waits on a potential further points deduction that could draw them down to Luton’s level. Luton meanwhile must sustain their effort levels. If you think that beating Manchester City the following week is a tall order, Brentford, who are only four points ahead, at Kenilworth Road in two weeks looks like a six-pointer. JB
Cooper notices tactical adjustments
Among the 31,504 in attendance at Molineux there was a certain Steve Cooper. The former Nottingham Forest manager was in the directors’ box, enjoying the touchline tactical tinkerings. Rayan Aït-Nouri, a full-back, was used by Gary O’Neil as a No. 10, and David Moyes made two half-time substitutions that gave West Ham the advantage. Cooper did an excellent job at Forest and will be eager to return to work at the earliest opportunity if the right offer is made. O’Neil’s impressive season at Wolves has seen him linked to other jobs and if he moves on then Molineux may be a possible destination for Cooper. The future of Moyes is also somewhat up in the air and if he leaves West Ham the former Swansea manager will probably feature high on their shortlist. Clearly Cooper is doing his research to make sure he is across as much of the Premier League as possible. No one knows where the next job is coming from, so he has to make sure he is ready. Will Not Win
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
- The Premier League’s 10 talking points from recent weekend action cover a range of highlights and developments in the football world. From player performances to team strategies and managerial decisions, these discussions provide insights into the latest events and trends shaping the league.
Impetuous Liverpool loses command
If emotion is carrying Liverpool towards a glorious farewell to Jürgen Klopp, then Old Trafford required cooler heads. Even though Harvey Elliott was a replacement, his point-saving performance was notable because, despite his intensity, he played smartly, trying to move the ball forward and entice Aaron Wan-Bissaka to give up a penalty. Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, the regular pass master, had succumbed to a red mist. Impropriety was also displayed by Luis Díaz, Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Núñez, a modern-day “Crazy Horse” who was even more insane than Emlyn Hughes. Klopp appeared on the verge of losing his cool off the sidelines, especially after Kobbie Mainoo was given room to score. It’s understandable that nerves are fraying with so little time between matches and minds as exhausted as legs. Liverpool needs to hope that Arsenal and Manchester City have the same fears that prevented them from winning easily at Old Trafford. Brewin, John
Postecoglou makes a wise decision.
Ange Postecoglou’s significant half-time intervention against Nottingham Forest moved Tottenham closer to next season’s Champions League and showed he is not afraid to take decisive action when required. Postecoglou rightly said Spurs lost their way following Chris Wood’s first-half equaliser, and it could have become a deeply uncomfortable evening after Forest dominated the latter part of the first half. Postecoglou brought on Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr, while Rodrigo Bentacur and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg energized the midfield. But because of the team’s overall improvement, it was simple to picture Tottenham’s locker room as being especially heated at halftime. Postecoglou stated last week that winning the Champions League isn’t the only measure of success, pointing out that getting in may make things harder the following year. The chairman, Daniel Levy, undoubtedly has a different perspective as he looks for new investment, but the manager’s persistence made a significant progress toward Uefa’s most lucrative rival. Luke McLaughlin
Known vulnerabilities trigger A frank reply
Thomas Frank had the ideal opportunity to ask the age-old post-match question when Brentford gave up their lead and had to settle for a draw at Aston Villa. Was it a point gained or two lost? There was a pregnant silence. “I’m glad we’re still top in that stat because we’ve dropped more points [from winning positions] than any other Premier League team,” he remarked cynically. “No, I’m not content. Although I believe there are two dropped, it is a good point. Brentford have squandered a league-high 30 points from winning situations and their failure to kill games means they are at risk of relegation, particularly after Everton and Luton picked up wins. Nonetheless, Brentford has a strong finish to the season, and a victory over Sheffield United, the bottom team, at home on Saturday would greatly increase their chances of playing in the top division again. Ben Fisher
Havertz restarts the gunners.
One of the main reasons Arsenal has been consistent since the beginning of the year is Kai Havertz’s development into the star player they have been longing for. The German was at his best during Saturday’s victory over Brighton, which helped Arsenal prepare splendidly for Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg at home against Bayern Munich. He has five goals and four assists in his last seven Premier League games. Following Havertz’s unexpected summer transfer from Chelsea, Arteta and captain Martin Ødegaard talked about how they always had faith that he would show the naysayers wrong and that faith was being rewarded. “We saw straight away the quality that he had,” said Ødegaard. “It was just about getting it out and you can really see that now with how much he is giving to the team, not just with goals and assists. He’s given us so much and I’m really happy for him.” Ed Aarons
New City primed for Madrid test
With fifteen minutes remaining at Selhurst Park, Rodri’s withdrawal posed a risk for Pep Guardiola because of the midfielder’s legendary status. Rodri last lost a match while representing Spain in March 2023, against Scotland. Even the greatest may fatigue after a first half that featured a few uncharacteristic mistakes, but the anchorman went on to spearhead City’s comeback to take a 4-1 lead. With Real Madrid looming, Guardiola wanted to “reduce the minutes” of players such as Rodri, having decided to opt for “fresh legs” in his starting lineup. Guardiola’s most difficult decision is whether to start Ederson on the bench at Palace in place of Stefan Ortega, who has performed admirably in the role of stand-in keeper, given that Kyle Walker and Nathan Aké are questionable for the Bernabéu. “I have to think about it,” said Guardiola. “Eddy seems fine, but I need to determine whether there’s a rhythmic deficiency.” JB
Totemic Branthwaite blunts Burnley
It wasn’t difficult to single out Jarrad Branthwaite from a dreadful spectacle at Goodison Park but praise for the young Everton defender carried significantly more weight when coming from Vincent Kompany. “That kid,” as the beaten Burnley manager described the 21-year-old, was chiefly responsible for thwarting the visitors before and after Dara O’Shea’s red card, with his perfectly timed challenges, intelligent interceptions and calm distribution the only genuine highlights of Everton’s performance. “I’m not saying it because he’s a young defender,” said one of the finest centre-halves of his day, “and it’s important to stay away from the hype sometimes, but it’s an objective analysis. It was a performance where my strikers did so well and he gets back so well. Sometimes his teammates get beaten and he reads it to go and cover. He has a really promising aspect to his game going forward. It is a future that is likely to lie away from Goodison this summer given Everton’s dire finances, and involve the European Championship with England. Andy Hunter
Fulham up and down without direction
Does Fulham have a beach? A challenge for European football was possible when they thrashed Tottenham and moved to 39 points last month. However, since then, they have dropped three points against Newcastle, salvaged a 3-3 draw at Sheffield United, and suffered a crushing defeat at Nottingham Forest. Maybe it is simply inconsistency. Yet similar happened at the end of last season and supporters are entitled to have concerns about their team’s mentality. Are Fulham, who won’t have to worry about going down, getting a bit too comfortable? Will Marco Silva, who does not have the biggest budget, start to get itchy feet again? And in the event that João Palhinha departs? Of course, such concerns flare in the wake of a difficult run. Fulham is a talented and dangerous team that has the ability to quickly pick up steam. But after starting well against Newcastle, they felt flat during a second half in which Silva’s substitutions did not work. Jacob Steinberg
Emotions surge high for happy Hatters
In beating Bournemouth Luton buried the ghost of their most painful defeat of the season. Losing 4-3 at the Vitality after leading 3-0 at half-time highlighted that for all their endeavour, Rob Edwards’ men are nothing like too good to go down. On Saturday, Carlton Morris’ 90th-minute strike snatched a first win since January, a long wait in which only in losing 6-2 to Manchester City and 4-1 to Liverpool have they been exposed for a gulf in class. Everton’s victory over their own winless streak added further significance to a highly emotional celebration of victory. That club waits on a potential further points deduction that could draw them down to Luton’s level. Luton meanwhile must sustain their effort levels. If you think that beating Manchester City the following week is a tall order, Brentford, who are only four points ahead, at Kenilworth Road in two weeks looks like a six-pointer. JB
Cooper notices tactical adjustments
Among the 31,504 in attendance at Molineux there was a certain Steve Cooper. The former Nottingham Forest manager was in the directors’ box, enjoying the touchline tactical tinkerings. Rayan Aït-Nouri, a full-back, was used by Gary O’Neil as a No. 10, and David Moyes made two half-time substitutions that gave West Ham the advantage. Cooper did an excellent job at Forest and will be eager to return to work at the earliest opportunity if the right offer is made. O’Neil’s impressive season at Wolves has seen him linked to other jobs and if he moves on then Molineux may be a possible destination for Cooper. The future of Moyes is also somewhat up in the air and if he leaves West Ham the former Swansea manager will probably feature high on their shortlist. Clearly Cooper is doing his research to make sure he is across as much of the Premier League as possible. No one knows where the next job is coming from, so he has to make sure he is ready. Will Not Win
