Liverpool’s big players go missing as Man City momentum halted with Newcastle defeat – Premier League hits and misses | Football News

Liverpool’s big players all missing

No doubt Murillo was the star of the show at both ends of the pitch as Liverpool sunk to new lows against Nottingham Forest, but what will be of chief concern to Arne Slot are the anonymous stars of his show. Liverpool’s big players have gone missing.

Mohamed Salah started well and quickly faded – Federico Chiesa generated more xG value than him and played 68 minutes fewer. Alexander Isak was non-existent. By the time he was hooked for Chiesa, he had lost every one of the seven duels he had contested. He is the only Liverpool player in the Premier League era to end on the losing side in each of his first four starts. Performances will tell you that is for good reason.

Alexis Mac Allister fluffed the one big chance Liverpool created, which arrived before Forest took the lead and could have easily led to a different outcome. The Anfield crowd were tolerant to a point but were audibly fed up by the end, too. How can a team with a 74 per cent share of possession concede enough chances to ship three goals? The hosts finished the game with two midfielders playing across their defensive line – perhaps that explains it. Virgil van Dijk asked team-mates to “look in the mirror”.

There is no doubt that crisis has morphed into catastrophe, with no signs of slowing. Slot needs a comprehensive review of failings and a plan to stem the flow before this quickly turns into one of the shoddiest attempts at a title defence the Premier League has ever seen.
Laura Hunter

Dyche’s staunch defence leads Forest rejuvenation

Nottingham Forest’s 3-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield marked one of the finest days in the club’s recent history. Just weeks ago, under Ange Postecoglou, a win like this would have felt impossible.

Their new manager, Sean Dyche, has brought his team back to the basics they worked so hard to perfect under Nuno Espirito Santo: to ‘defend deep, defend well and hit on the break’, as described by Micheal Dawson on Soccer Saturday.

Forest suit Dyche’s football perfectly. Led by their towering centre-back tandem of Murillo and Nicola Milenkovic, Forest’s defence felt impenetrable throughout, as they racked up 66 total clearances and dealt easily with each of Liverpool’s eight corners.

Their stature is useful at the other end of the pitch, too; it was Murillo who fired in Forest’s opener from a set-piece, and striker Igor Jesus used his strength effectively in attack countless times in a man-of-the-match performance.

Forest are now unbeaten in four and out of the relegation zone with their win, and finally look like the team that challenged for Champions League qualification last campaign. With Dyche playing the counter-attacking football that was the foundation of their success, and a long way to go this season, things are starting to look up at the City Ground.
Noah Langford

Did the international break halt Man City’s momentum?

The first few months of any Premier League campaign is stop-start. International breaks stop any momentum in their tracks and for a team like Man City, many of their players are starters for their national teams.

While Pep Guardiola might not say it himself, there was a stark difference between the Man City who swept Liverpool aside and Saturday at St James’ Park.

There were some nervy moments in defence from the start, and a glut of missed chance from two players – Erling Haaland and Phil Foden – who simply couldn’t miss a few weeks ago.

Jeremy Doku was the shining light, especially in the first half. He was electric on the left-hand side, playing defence-splitting passes that were not finished properly.

His influence waned in the second half, but the decision to replace him with Savinho was extremely ineffective. But in a desperate moment, Guardiola had to try something.

Man City have now lost four Premier League games this season – practically unheard of in seasons gone by. Their one loss in eight before the game is now two in nine, and they miss the chance to close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

Guardiola has said ‘the season starts now’. Man City have made it a losing one, but will have plenty of time over the next four months to rediscover their groove – and you would bet it won’t take long.
Charlotte Marsh

Newcastle boost their confidence ahead of two more away games

Newcastle have really made St James’ Park their fortress this season – and they’ve needed it.

They have won the last six in front of their home fans across all competitions, conceding just twice.

Beating Man City at home will be a huge boost for their confidence in a season that saw them go into the weekend just a point above the relegation zone.

Now, they have a four-point buffer and a vastly improved performance from the defeat at Brentford before the international break.

Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento shone at full-back, both back in the side for the first time since September. Harvey Barnes is taking his own chance in the absence of Anthony Gordon. The Magpies midfield continues to purr.

But the win comes ahead of two successive away games at Marseille in the Champions League and Everton in the Premier League.

It’s been well documented how poor Newcastle have been on the road. They gave only won once away in all competitions this season, and none at all in the Premier League.

Eddie Howe’s side have proven they can compete with the big boys, coupled with the cauldron that is St James’ Park. Now is the time to do the same elsewhere if they have ambitions to compete at the same levels as the last few years.
Charlotte Marsh

Barca and Arsenal tests to reveal Chelsea’s true status

Chelsea’s 2-0 win at lowly Burnley did not truly reveal whether the Blues are genuine title challengers.

It was certainly a ‘get the job done’ win, which champions require throughout a season, as Chelsea put together title-challenging form, making it eight wins from 10 games in all competitions.

A toothless Burnley, however, severely lacked the quality and threat to trouble Chelsea.

That, though, will not be the case for the Blues’ upcoming opponents – Barcelona and Arsenal – in games we will learn far more about Enzo Maresca’s side.

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Andrey Santos has put himself in the picture to feature in those games with an impressive performance in the Burnley win, as he stepped in for the rested Moises Caicedo.

The Ecuadorian will, of course, be restored for these pivotal games with his battery fully charged, but should he pick up an injury, then Santos has proven an able deputy.

The Brazilian was one of four changes made by Maresca, and he got his selection right at Turf Moor to quieten the doubters over his rotation policy.

The Italian revealed his half-time substitution of captain Reece James was “planned” as he meticulously sets up his side for a crunch week.

If they can pull off statement wins over Barca and Arsenal, especially without the instrumental Cole Palmer following his freak toe injury, then they will be taken far more seriously for tilts at the Premier League and Champions League.

Buckle up because we are really set to find out what this Chelsea team are all about.
Declan Olley

Wolves lack the quality required

There was applause at the end as Rob Edwards went over to the most vociferous fans in the South Bank of Molineux to thank them for their support. Wolves had pushed Crystal Palace with a spirited display to their 2-0 defeat that underlined their lack of quality.

Bottom club Wolves are winless in 12 games now, eight points behind the next team, Burnley, let alone the 17th-place finish they would need for survival. The expected-goals data suggests they had the better chances against Palace but conviction was sorely lacking.

Wolves went with Tolu Arokodare partnering Jorgen Strand Larsen in attack, with Marshall Munetsi providing bustling support. However, Edwards has nobody who seems capable of producing the sort of finish that Yeremy Pino delivered to seal the points for Palace.

On a day when Pedro Neto, Morgan Gibbs-White and Raul Jimenez were among the Premier League scorers, few at Molineux need reminding that there was a time when Wolves had that class. The same cannot be said of the outfit Edwards has inherited.
Adam Bate

Nuno throws away hat-trick of wins with passive substitutions

At half-time, you’d have thought that it would take a lot for West Ham to throw away their two-goal advantage at the Vitality.

Bournemouth looked shellshocked by a combination of the treacherous conditions and the Callum Wilson sucker punches that put them at a disadvantage.

However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s decision to take off the goalscorer proved to be a costly one. Wilson’s two goals were underpinned by brilliant centre-forward play. Holding off a defender before bring the ball down with his chest.

Even with the towering Tomas Soucek as his replacement, now there was no one leading the line to give the Hammers any respite when they cleared their lines.

As a result, the second-half was the definition of one-way traffic. Even when the Cherries were thwarted by the incredible Alphonse Areola, they would come back moments later as Areola’s team-mates handed possession back over.

In many ways, Areola’s performance was a match-winning one given that the hosts accumulated an xG of 4.08. However, the fact it didn’t lead to the Hammers picking up their third win in the row is down to their manager leaving them in the lurch with his changes.
Callum Bishop

No Semenyo, no problem? Bournemouth record second-highest xG of the season

Saturday’s 2-2 draw with West Ham was potentially a sign of things to come for Bournemouth as Antoine Semenyo missed out through injury.

Questions have been asked of how the Cherries will cope if they lose their talisman midway through the season after his £65m release clause came to light. And while the result may be a frustrating one, the performance may ease the concerns of fans who are fearing the worst come January.

Andoni Iraola’s side finished with an xG of 4.08 against the Hammers, but failed to pick up all three points as Alphonse Areola made an astonishing 10 saves.

Goalscorers Marcus Tavernier and Enes Unal combined for 1.91 of the expected goals, while the likes of Eli Kroupi, Evanilson, Ryan Christie, Amine Adli and Ryan Christie also added to the final total.

Only Crystal Palace have managed a higher total from one game, with their xG of 4.44 actually coming against Bournemouth in their 3-3 draw earlier in the season.

Perhaps it acts as a reminder that, just like in the summer, Iraola knows how to manage his side despite losing big-name talent.
Callum Bishop

‘Proper striker’ Jimenez to be key for Fulham revival

Raul Jimenez scored a “proper striker’s goal” when he netted a much-needed and much-deserved winning goal for Fulham against Sunderland. “Killer instinct” and an “example” were other superlatives used by Marco Silva as he lauded his No 9 following the game.

Silva revealed Jimenez had only trained once since after returning from Mexico duty, where he was even a doubt after a hamstring injury scare while away. However, it was the striker’s determination that impressed Silva most and if Jimenez can continue to find his form, he could improve greatly important to a Fulham side who have struggled to find themselves this season.

The Cottagers have lacked a clinical edge, and at times a creative force, but with goals like the one Jimenez scored, he could turn that around. Fulham found a creative spark, their 24 shots against Sunderland were more than double the number they’ve averaged across their previous 11 games in the Premier League this season.

Asked where that came from, Silva said it was his side being “objective” that was the main difference. If they have found a formula to be objective, Jimenez may just be in store for a personal renaissance.
William Bitibiri

Sunderland served a dose of PL reality in Fulham defeat

Sunderland were served a dose of reality as they suffered defeat at Fulham.

While the job Regis Le Bris has done so far since their promotion to the Premier League is still commendable, their bubble is quickly at risk of bursting.

The Black Cats generated their lowest number of shots on target since their return and Marco Silva had them sussed.

The Portuguese boss explained how their deep block invited them to continue creating chances.

Sunderland have benefited from the perfect balance between defence and attack so far this season. If they are to find their way to the 40-point mark, they’ll need to find it again, and fast.
William Bitibiri

Brighton have a frontline to be taken seriously

In recent seasons, Brighton were accused of being too reliant on Joao Pedro. Now the picture could not be more different.

Fabian Hurzeler does not just have a striker in the form of his career in Danny Welbeck. There is much more to it than that.

Yankuba Minteh played massive roles in both of Brighton’s goals in the 2-1 win over Brentford and his numbers on Saturday afternoon were through the roof.

He created four chances – more than the rest of the 10 starters combined – while he also ranked top for dribbles and touches in the opposition box.

Georginio Rutter also impressed with his running and pressing, attempting the same number of dribbles as Minteh while also being Brighton’s main threat for winning the ball in the attacking third.

Welbeck, Rutter and Minteh are a dangerous frontline to be taken seriously.
Sam Blitz

Thiago did not deserve to be villain of the story

For so long, Igor Thiago was the best player on the park in Brentford’s match at Brighton. Then one moment in stoppage time made him the villain of the story.

The Brazilian striker did not deserve to be on the losing side. His selfless display at the Amex was – almost – the perfect centre forward display.

Thiago’s hold-up play is among the best in the Premier League, with the technical ability to match. It was seen in the first-half penalty he created but he also won the ball five times in the middle third of the pitch against the Seagulls. No player – not even the midfielders – managed more.

Never before has a Brentford striker started season so well. Thiago has nine goals in the opening 12 Premier League weeks of the season – one more than Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo managed in their 20-goal seasons, and two more than Yoane Wissa managed last term.

“He’s been immense for us,” said Keith Andrews. The late penalty miss should not overshadow such an excellent display.
Sam Blitz