Dwight McNeil inspires Everton again, Ryan Gravenberch continues to shine for Liverpool and Palace bought the wrong academy graduate
Manchester City dropped points
That is what Gravenberch is best at. No Premier League midfielder has attempted more passes this season. No midfielder has attempted more passes of fewer than 15 yards too – you do the simple things well. No player had had more touches of the ball in the middle third of the pitch than him at the end of Saturday’s action.
Long-term he covets the No 8 shirt and plays with such efficiency and intelligence that it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ended up benefiting the most from Rodri’s spell on the sidelines afterwards. You wouldn’t bet against him finding an answer to the Rodri puzzle from within – and if not, there is money in the bank for City to spend in January .
“If you look into the details of the game against Arsenal we’d probably take a point. It was a tough game and here, we obviously want to win, but it’s a tough place to come to and not many teams are going to come here and win easily.
Fears that a combination of Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel and William Saliba would morph into a quartet of centre-back stodginess were totally ill-founded. It is pivotal that Mikel Arteta finds that balance, because on the whole Calafiori and Timber’s exploits going forward are not to the detriment of the back line. There were sloppy moments – giving the ball away needlessly to Facundo Buonanotte – but on the whole, it looks as if Arsenal have stumbled upon a winning combination.There is now a spring in the Chelsea step.
A string of bad decisions gifted Brighton the first goal, while Sanchez was at fault for the second, two blots for Chelsea on an otherwise enjoyable afternoon.“The two goals we conceded can happen,” he said. “The important thing is the team continue in the same way, creating many chances. We are happy.”
One obvious weakness against Ipswich was Diego Carlos partnering Pau Torres, utterly discombobulated for Liam Delap’s second goal and still remarkably rash for a 31-year-old. Ezri Konsa is needed at right back after Matty Cash’s injury, but that’s another sign this squad still has holes which are tough to patch over.
The end result: Fulham up into lofty heights and a beaming Marco Silva. This was Fulham’s first 1-0 league win for over a year. Managers love winning ugly as much as they love champagne football, believe me.At a time when there is something of an ongoing debate at St James’ Park over Newcastle United’s transfer policy, this felt like a fine time for Lewis Hall to deliver his best performance in black and white.
Even when injury issues left Newcastle down to the bare bones last season, it was curious that he struggled to get a look in. “A work in progress,” one source toldBut in recent months something seems to have clicked with Hall and against Manchester City, where in concentration, spatial awareness and consistency of decision-making matter, he excelled. This must now be the standard he aspires to for the rest of the season.
“I don’t think many people who say things watch us every week,” Postecoglou said. “I never lost the faith.” There were more than just shades of Ange Postecoglou’s nine-man Spurs facing Chelsea from last season, as at times it felt as though Brighton were taking it to another level, with the stills for tight offside calls making for a game ofSo often Brighton were outnumbered at the back, with multiple Chelsea players towing a fine line that ultimately led to them putting the ball in the net seven times, only for three to be ruled out for offside.
That concern stems not from these three games but everything that preceded them. Since Nuno Espirito Santo took over from Steve Cooper , he has taken 13 points from 14 home league games. That’s the lowest of any constant Premier League team over that period, 10 points fewer than Everton and only two more than Luton Town in four extra matches.
Against Tottenham, a United team who came into the contest having conceded 60 per cent of their goals following their own errors, more than three times the Premier League average this season, were caught on two breakaways after woeful passes left them exposed. When the dust settles, however, even the most heavily blinkered will be aware who to target with their familiar frustrations.
Interestingly, Brentford are not bothered about actually winning the ball in the air. With at least six outfield players pushing high up the pitch, they instead attempt to win the second balls and then attempt an early cross into the box. That makes sense: opposition teams are likely to spend the first minute of the match getting settled and thus are prone to quick movement in the box.
Has Lopetegui got this wrong? On Saturday, Kudus was withdrawn at half-time and Lopetegui was seen screaming at him for not tracking back. But then putting Kudus out on the left wing, when a natural winger in Summerville sits on the bench, feels like a manager trying to shoehorn in a player rather than picking a logical team.
That made Delap the first player to score a Premier League brace for Ipswich since Marcus Bent against Newcastle in March 2002. There are early signs of sharp relationships developing with Omari Hutchinson and Clarke too, a key asset for a side hoping to base its survival attempts in a solid defence and ruthless attack.
They did not have a shot on target in the first half – not the first time that’s happened this season. Two league goals before the break all season is one problem, but the greater issue is the switching off, the muddling around and the genuine tedium before they get going. Without that creativity, Palace’s wing-backs are pushing very high up the pitch to try to create overlaps, something Glasner likes. But then Palace’s central midfield also isn’t functioning very well with Daichi Kamada looking unsuited for a two-man midfield role. That invites pressure on the defence, where Palace look at least one short. Had Joachim Andersen stayed, you could have Jefferson Lerma out of defence and alongside Adam Wharton, which makes more sense.
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