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Manchester City have to be the big winners of the Premier League weekend because they sat back on Sunday and watched on as Arsenal took two leads but lost players to injury and saw Liverpool grab a draw at the Emirates. City are now five points clear of third and happy with their lot.
Below that, Cole Palmer remains extraordinary and will hope to lead Chelsea back into a title challenge with his magic left foot. The only other team to win in the top eight were… erm, Nottingham Forest? Ask Chris Wood for details.
Erik ten Hag lost again to ramp up the pressure on his own position, but it’s the promoted clubs who should panic most after they all lost again. Crystal Palace winning and Wolves drawing means that Ipswich and Southampton’s situation already looks a little forlorn.
Scroll down for our verdict on every team (listed in table order).
This weekend’s results
Friday
Saturday
- Aston Villa 1-1 Bournemouth
- Brentford 4-3 Ipswich
- Brighton 2-2 Wolves
- Man City 1-0 Southampton
- Everton 1-1 Fulham
Sunday
Man City
I know the definition of a full-back is very blurred now, in a world of inversion, overlapping and in which the biggest clubs routinely dominate territory and possession. But after Josko Gvardiol had another two shots against Southampton and five touches in the opposition box, I wanted to run through just how much he has warped the term “left-back” this season.
In the Premier League so far, Erling Haaland has had 123 touches of the ball in the final third of the pitch – fair enough, he’s the centre forward. Gvardiol has had 295 touches of the ball in the final third. In fact, Gvardiol has had more touches in the final third than any player at any other Premier League club (correct at the end of Saturday’s action, although James Maddison would surpass him on Sunday). Again at the end of Saturday, he had had more shots on target than Bruno Fernandes and Jamie Vardy, amongst very many others.
Gvardiol clearly isn’t a left-back; that’s just what it says on the team sheet. But as Manchester City extended their unbeaten home record past two years, it’s amazing to see how their dominance is personified in this Total Football defender who scores, creates, takes on his man, plays passes and generally hovers around the penalty area like an attacking midfielder. Reminder: he was bought as a bloody centre-back.
Liverpool
Absent Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard identified in his programme notes that Liverpool have made “a few changes from how they played under Jurgen Klopp”, suggesting they have more control of matches now, a claim backed up by Virgil van Dijk having more touches than anyone else in the first 20 minutes of the 2-2 draw with the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta says he prefers “dominance” to control, but Arne Slot doesn’t seem to mind it. When Arsenal sat back with a 2-1 lead he urged Liverpool to stay patient and Van Dijk’s touch count kept going up, without much reward. When a frustrated Trent Alexander-Arnold tried an impossible vertical ball with almost no room in behind a set defence, Slot whirled his hand above his head, seeming to indicate the need to recycle the ball and wait for an opening.
It was a vertical ball that did the trick eventually but from much deeper in his own half, Alexander-Arnold sparking a counter-attack with a beautiful raking pass that sent Darwin Nunez clear to set up the equaliser. The much-maligned England full-back animatedly celebrated the goal in the direction of one particular corner of Arsenal fans, whose stick had clearly been particularly pointed.
If Slot wants to create a team that controls games and unpicks defences, he may look at Alexander-Arnold’s skillset and attitude, believing he has an increasingly big part to play in it. By James Gray
Arsenal
Murmuring is rarely a positive noise at a football ground.
It is reserved almost exclusively for an injury to a player of some significance, and at the Emirates Stadium there are few players more significant than Gabriel Magalhaes.
When he went down with a left knee problem just after half-time, cameras quickly cut to the stands where William Saliba, Gabriel’s centre-back partner in 42 of their last 46 Premier League games, sat wearing a cap and a worried expression, unable to help while serving a one-game suspension.
Much had been made ahead of this game about how Arsenal might cope without the Frenchman; the last time he was absent, during the 2022-23 Premier League run-in, their defence fell apart as the Gunners gave up an eight-point lead.
But after 10 minutes against Liverpool, fears of a repeat performance appeared to have been allayed. Ben White, filling in for Saliba, played a perfect pass over the entire Liverpool team to send Bukayo Saka clear for the opening goal.
Thomas Partey, slotting into White’s usual right-back position, appeared not just to have Luis Diaz’s number but his home address, national insurance number and medical records, snuffing out nascent attacks down the right with emphatic tackling and trademark physicality. By James Gray
Read more: Arsenal have proved Gabriel’s injury will not derail their title bid
Aston Villa
After the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, Unai Emery insisted that any conjecture of a midweek hangover was a myth. You can see his point: Villa created the majority of the chances and would have been out of sight were it not for the exploits of Mark Travers in the Bournemouth goal. Had they scored even one of those chances, we would not be having this discussion.
But we are having this discussion. Emery’s team lost control at the end of the game, when Bournemouth attacked and exposed them before and after Villa took the lead. They then gave away a silly free kick out of desperation to stop another counter and subsequently defended it appallingly. After the goal, three different players stared and pointed at each other like that overplayed Spiderman meme.
Villa have dropped points in four league matches this season and three of those games came after they played in midweek. It isn’t that controversial to conclude that the glorious mania of their home Champions League matches creates an “after the Lord Mayor’s show” effect that might seep into the players. After a tedious 0-0 draw with Manchester United and a chaotic 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, both at home, it’s at least worth keeping an eye on.
A few weeks ago we praised Villa for the way in which they have been ruthless when holding onto leads (so of course they now burst our bubble). But it’s true. This was the first time since February 2023 (that mad home game against Arsenal when 2-2 became 2-4 late on) that Villa have allowed points to slip in added time in the second half. Since then, they have won points in the 89th minute or later on five separate occasions.
Chelsea
There is something beautifully raw and naive about Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea: the first side ever to not start a player over the age of 27 in the first nine matches of a Premier League season.
They play football to thrill, blessed by a freedom and innocence to their attacking play without parallel across the top flight. If only their youth could provide equal benefit at the back.
Against Newcastle, there was the sense Chelsea could have won 4-0 or drawn 2-2, such is their fragility and flashing brilliance.
But perhaps the finest sight in this game was Reece James, deep in added time, producing an immaculate diving header over his own crossbar. Not only was it a proclamation that perhaps football’s most complete full-back hasn’t lost his defensive faculties despite years of disruption and false starts and pain, it was the first time he had played 90 minutes since 18 April 2023.
Three interceptions, two blocked shots, two clearances, 80 touches and four successful long balls, all while deployed at left-back for the first time in his career. This was a fascinating experiment, attempting to keep both James and Malo Gusto in the same XI. It worked. By George Simms
Read more: Chelsea are developing the best attack in the Premier League
Brighton
It was interesting to hear Fabian Hurzeler’s language after Brighton allowed a two-goal lead to slip on Saturday:
“We lost two points and we failed today in our development. We were not mature enough, not professional enough to win this game. We have to learn quickly from this.”
Unsurprisingly, the phrases “not professional enough” and “not mature enough” were used as headlines, which I understand. But I actually don’t think Hurzeler was using the terms in a pejorative way, making accusations against his players. Instead, he was merely being descriptive.
Brighton did make stupid mistakes when 2-0 up. They were entirely in control of the match and stuffed up a genuine four-on-one situation in Wolves’ half, from which the visitors eventually scored their first goal. Either you have to play that break calmly and efficiently to score a third goal or you reduce the number of players steaming up the pitch in case it goes wrong (which it did).
When Hurzeler says that his team are immature, he’s right. Brighton have six outfield squad members aged 28 or over. Of those six, Joel Veltman was the only one on the pitch at the end of the Wolves game. Danny Welbeck had been substituted. Adam Webster, James Milner and Solly March are all injured. Lewis Dunk pulled out before the game with a knock sustained in the warm-up.
Brighton’s team at the end of the game, when they conceded the equaliser, contained three 20-year-olds, a 21-year-old, a 22-year-old and three 24-year-olds. Veltman was the only player on the pitch older than 26 and the central midfield consisted of Max Wieffer and Yasin Ayari, who had previously been on the pitch together for one minute in total.
The point is this: Hurzeler is right that Brighton were immature to let that game slip out of their grasp. But with experience in short supply due to injuries, it’s something that the coach himself must play a role in trying to solve. Either that, or you take it as part and parcel of this project, the infrequent rough with the wonderfully smooth.
Nott’m Forest
Chris Wood turns 33 in December, so he could have been forgiven for taking the last international break off. A quick call to the coach would surely have done, with an explanation of the current workload. New Zealand were playing Tahiti and Malaysia after all, a gimme qualifier followed by a friendly.
Wood went to New Zealand, scored in both matches, flew the 12,000 miles both ways and dealt with the jetlag. That is the sort of the season he’s having, where everything he touches turns to gold and goals.
And why wouldn’t you want to play every game that comes your way when you’re in the form of your life at 32? We have played nearly a quarter of this Premier League season. Erling Haaland is the only player with as many goals as Wood and Nottingham Forest temporarily went fifth in the Premier League on Friday evening. None of this is normal.
The statistics are ludicrous. As of full-time on Friday, Wood was the Premier League striker who had got the highest percentage of his shots on target this season. Of every regular starter in the Premier League, he also ranks highest for his conversion of shots to goals. Wood has taken 18 shots in nine matches, ranking only 18th by that measure despite playing at least one game more than anyone else. He has scored with seven of those 18 shots.
Skip to the longer term and it gets no less silly. Since Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge of Nottingham Forest in December 2023, only Haaland has scored more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than Wood. What started with a supreme hattrick away at Newcastle continued into a purple match that is now getting close to the norm.
The two goals that beat Leicester were the epitome of Wood’s confidence and belligerence. The first was low-key sublime, the type of finish that casual observers may undervalue for its difficulty. In one movement, without ever looking at the goal, Wood touches the ball, turns and guides a curling shot around a central defender. Mads Hermansen would have saved it had the shot only been curled; Wood somehow got power too.
One other trick that Wood has is to take his shots half a second earlier than goalkeepers are anticipating and thus catching them before their feet are perfectly set to dive full-length and make a save (as they need to do when he finds the corner). The flicked header against Crystal Palace last season, the shot against the same team last week, the long-distance shot against Fulham last season and the first goal against Leicester; all fit the pattern.
Want to know the silliest thing? Wood might just do his best work without the ball. Those who see him as simply a target-man striker are underestimating his range. Wood’s work rate in pressing and closing down passing lanes is astonishing, exemplified by him covering more ground than any other Forest player this season. He has become a nuisance out of possession and a killer in the penalty area.
Many Nottingham Forest supporters – and it would be remiss of me not to admit that I was certainly one of them – feared these elements of Wood’s game had been lost forever. He started only 19 league games during his year at Newcastle and scored only four times in the league having also managed only three in 17 during his last half season at Burnley. The deal to take him to Forest – a loan with obligation to buy for £15m – appeared nonsensically steep for a striker of his age. Forest were giving into desperation and were derided by outsiders for doing so.
Well, perhaps. Wood certainly struggled initially for both form and fitness at the City Ground. He was probably fortunate that Taiwo Awoniyi also suffered injury issues and thus kept his place. This summer, Forest certainly targeted both Eddie Nketiah and Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez and both would have expected to start under a manager who prefers a single centre forward.
But circumstance creates bright shards of opportunity and careers can become defined by your exploitation of that circumstance. That is what makes this form so joyous. Wood has made the best of everything to keep on keeping on. Watch the reaction of his teammates after every goal: unbridled happiness at their mate in the form of his life. Who knows how far this can go?
Tottenham
On days like this, it is hard to escape the conclusion that more flexibility is required. Tottenham created their best chance of the game two minutes after half-time when Guglielmo Vicario hoisted a ball onto Dominic Solanke’s chest; within two passes Dejan Kulusevski was forcing Dean Henderson into a hurried save in his own six-yard-box. Then they went back to passing it along their own box.
The Kulusevski chance was an anomaly in the first 15 minutes of the second half which was packed full of Palace opportunities. It was a red and blue onslaught with everything naturally running through Eberechi Eze, the playmaker linked with Spurs last summer.
Eze scored but was just caught offside by the high line, had a penalty appeal waved away after a tangle with Van de Ven and then lashed a shot just wide in the space of 10 minutes as Crystal Palace laid siege on a weary Spurs defence.
Postecoglou responded by making a triple change, which included taking James Maddison and Kulusevski – his two most creative players – off. He was rightly praised for making a bold call at half-time during last weekend’s 4-1 win over West Ham, but ditching a 4-3-3 shape for a 4-2-4 this time did not work.
Solanke and Richarlison struggled to connect, while Timo Werner offered no more than Mikey Moore, the 17-year-old who became Tottenham’s youngest Premier League starter in over three decades.
As the clock ticked down, there was desperation in the stands but not on the pitch. Palace survived the closing stages pretty comfortably as Spurs tossed one hopeful cross into the box after another. Maxence Lacroix was superb, so too Marc Guehi. Why it took this long for them to earn their first three points is a mystery. Where Spurs go next is another, after another infuriating away day. By Oliver Young-Myles
Read more: Postecoglou’s stubbornness is holding Tottenham back from their true potential
Brentford
Are you ready? Because I’m going to do it again. *Taps the “Mbeumo and Wissa” sign once more for old time’s sake.
I know we have gone on about this before, but it’s the silliest thing in the Premier League so I’ll make no apologies for it. Yoane Wissa had missed Brentford’s last four Premier League games and thus the best partnership had been broken up. Wissa started on Saturday so obviously they scored three times between them.
I promise this is the last time I’ll do this, because even Brentford supporters must be getting bored of it, but you all seem to be way too chilled about the numbers. Over the last two years – two years! This is a big sample size! – Bryan Mbeumo and Wissa have started 35 Premier League matches together. In those 35 games, those two players alone have scored 33 goals. That’s not including assists, many of which were for Ivan Toney (who scored 15 goals over the same period).
Fulham
At the end of Saturday’s action, Fulham were tenth in the Premier League having won three, drawn three and lost three games. It presents a picture of happy mediocrity. If Fulham are to become a mid-table Premier League club by default, few here will be moaning.
Yet that is an entirely inaccurate depiction of Fulham’s season so far: they are in tenth position and yet could be in a top-four race were it not for moments of extreme sloppiness that are threatening to remove the shine from what is working. Raul Jimenez is in the form of his life. The central defensive issues of last season have been largely fixed. Emile Smith Rowe has settled in quickly. Adama Traore is scaring opponents on the counter attack again.
Every supporter of every club has gripes about the points that got away, but at Fulham they really do have a case. We’re still in October and they have dominated at Manchester City with three golden missed chances by Traore, conceded a last-minute equaliser against West Ham, a last-minute equaliser against Everton, missed a penalty at 1-1 against Aston Villa (and lost the game) and lost a penalty shootout 16-15 in the Carabao Cup.
I suppose it’s a compliment that you can have so many nearly moments and still be comfortably clear of trouble, but believe me when I say that it’s starting to annoy Fulham fans.
Bournemouth
Some absolutely classic Bournemouth-ing, you have to say. And you better believe that that is a compliment. They are flawed and they occasionally get overpowered because teams play through their press, but three years ago Bournemouth were a Championship team and their ability to punch above their weight since coming up, and particularly since Andoni Iraola came in, is a joy.
We have demonstrated before in this column how Iraola uses substitutions more proactively than any other Premier League manager. I don’t know if he is the only coach in the division who would substitute a starter after 30 minutes without his team even being behind in a tough fixture away from home, but I think the list would be short.
We’ve also detailed how Iraola’s in-game changes tend to work out pretty well. No team in the Premier League have had more goals scored or assisted by substitutes than Bournemouth’s eight. On Saturday, the double whammy: substitute Marcus Tavernier took the free kick and substitute Evanilson scored from it.
What I love most about Bournemouth, from an aesthetic point of view, is that Iraola seems intent on attacking to try and win a game with his changes rather than sitting on a point. Tavernier and Evanilson may have combined to rescue a point, but both players came on the pitch at 0-0. Iraola could easily have brought on a holding midfielder or extra defender for Enes Unal and Justin Kluivert. Instead he maintained the attacking intent and it eventually paid off.
Iraola does it because it works. This season already, Bournemouth have scored five goals in the last 10 minutes of matches, as many as the five teams directly below them had at the end of Saturday’s action. Since the start of last season, when Iraola joined, Bournemouth have scored nine goals in second-half stoppage time. Ridiculous.
Newcastle
Newcastle have a goalscoring problem. Three in their past five Premier League matches, including visits to Everton and Fulham, simply isn’t good enough. Even against a side which presents as many chances as Chelsea do, they did little-to-nothing to pressure or exploit the weak points bar Alexander Isak’s excellently worked goal. Unfortunately that was the exception, not the rule.
Harvey Barnes and Miguel Almiron are not a credible wide pairing for the level Newcastle believe they exist at or aim to inhabit. William Osula might be a fine player, but he should be out on loan, not coming off the bench. With Anthony Gordon ruled out by a groin injury pre-match, Newcastle’s attack was uninspiring and stunted, appeared basically disconnected from a midfield trio overrun by the opposing duo.
Almiron made just eight passes against Chelsea, wasted a big chance and did nothing to take advantage of Reece James playing left-back for the first time in his career. He didn’t compete a successful dribble all game and generally looked somewhere between off the pace and utterly lost. Jacob Murphy was no better in his 22 minutes on the pitch.
Newcastle are sixteenth for shots on target per game (four) in 2024-25, only above Everton, Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester. Isak’s recent performances have been something of an improvement, but he is still both personally underperforming and the victim of wider systemic issues. Two goals in eight games this season highlights how far from his best he still is.
Gordon will go for a scan on Monday, expected to miss both the Chelsea cup game and Arsenal league match in the next week at least. If he’s out for any longer, we will inevitably reach the point where calls for Eddie Howe’s job escape the confines of social media and breach the walls of reasonable discourse. By George Simms
West Ham
What the blazes was Julen Lopetegui thinking keeping Crysencio Summerville in hiding until the second half? For a manager in even more trouble than Erik ten Hag, to leave Summerville doing crosswords on the bench was inexplicable.
Lopetegui might not have come out for the second half himself had United converted the myriad chances they created in a dominant first half. West Ham could not keep the ball, had no functioning midfield and were looking at disaster, were it not for United’s inexplicable inability to score.
Summerville’s introduction immediately after the break changed the shape of the game, his pace pulling United out of shape and never allowing them to settle. United can moan all they like about the VAR decision that ultimately cost them a point but West Ham had them rocking when Summerville poked his team in front and were unfortunate to concede late in the game.
Tomas Soucek, who also joined the action as one of three post half-time subs, added the ballast and authority that Lucas Paqueta lacked. His introduction did much to bring Jarrod Bowen into the game, changing the momentum completely. And Aaron Wan-Bissaka also had a blinder against his old club finishing with a typically brilliant intervention in the closing stages to deny Alejandro Garnacho as he sped menacingly into the box.
Lopetegui discovered in extremis a formation that works. Let’s see what he can do with it. Although he won’t always have a team as willing as United to help him out. By Kevin Garside
Man Utd
A penalty that made even West Ham blush settled an encounter in added time that they could have lost by a bucket load before half-time. The sense of injustice allowed Erik ten Hag to peel off the familiar excuses but the facts are as bald as his pate. He is not the man to lead Manchester United.
Four league defeats in nine is not an accidental stat. Yes they squandered four gilt-edged chances in half an hour, but in the second half that old inertia reasserted itself and a team that was flatter than a shirt front for 45 minutes, led by a manager even more unpopular than Ten Hag, turned the game on its head with three dynamic substitutions.
Where Julen Lopetegui seized the day at the break, Ten Hag sat back waiting for something to happen, with the now common result. United first fell behind, and after stealing an equaliser with ten minutes to go, found a way not to capitalise on all that early promise.
VAR Michael Oliver’s intervention might have been another performative twist that befuddled all but him and the man in the middle David Coote, yet that cannot be allowed to mask the rank incompetence of the coach overseeing United’s continuing decline. By Kevin Garside
Read more: Ten Hag’s rank incompetence cost Man Utd – not controversial VAR call
Leicester
After a second half during which Steve Cooper had been serenaded by Nottingham Forest supporters, both a compliment and a series of daggers to the heart, Leicester’s manager discussed, at length, the issues that had led to defeat. The general theme was that Leicester’s defenders needed to take responsibility for self-inflicted mistakes that had been ruthlessly punished. The only quibble: they weren’t punished for them all.
Until Friday, Leicester were the only promoted team that hadn’t got themselves into foolish difficulty by trying – and failing – to play out from the back. Ipswich and Southampton had both been made to look silly. So it was Leicester’s turn.
For Forest’s first goal, Leicester made a mistake because they were pressed and tried to play it short. When a ball was played across the face of the penalty area, James Justin had a second chance to clear but completely shanked his kick because he panicked. Ryan Yates was able to sweep home.
The third goal was even worse, because Leicester didn’t even do the basics. Caleb Okoli let the ball bounce when Matz Sels cleared long, then Wout Faes allowed Chris Wood to outmuscle him and then allowed the striker past him to score from his weak header. Faes is the senior defender, abjectly failing to take responsibility for the situation.
This is the worry about Leicester. Their first-choice back four consists of three players who got relegated two seasons ago (when they conceded 68 times and made a series of sloppy mistakes) plus Okoli. Okoli is 23, had made only 41 top-flight starts before this season and 32 of those were in a Frosinone team relegated from Serie A last season. Is he going to be the difference-maker from two years ago to now?
Everton
In summer 2023, a desperate Everton signed two forwards in an attempt to cover for Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury – and goalscoring – issues. The first player to arrive was Youssef Chermiti, who signed a four-year contract for a fee of around £12m. Next came Beto for around £26m. Both deals were structured so that Everton had to pay little up front because they couldn’t really afford to.
Before Saturday, their joint records had been dismal. Chermiti has played 192 Premier League minutes across 18 appearances, failed to score and had surgery on a foot injury in August that means he still hasn’t made the bench this season. Beto had scored three league goals – two in defeats and the other in injury time of a 3-0 home win. He’d scored more times against Doncaster Rovers than any other team during his time at Everton.
It might matter that Everton were completely outplayed by Fulham at Goodison, an opponent in a position where Sean Dyche is aiming to take this team. It might matter that Everton are still only averaging a point per game after a decent run and must go to Southampton and not lose to avoid the fear seeping back in.
But to Beto, nothing else matters for now. To see his raw emotion after a goal finally made a difference to his team’s result after 14 months at the club was genuinely touching. Beto was in tears with his shirt over his face at the full-time whistle. It may not have worked out yet, but you can’t say that he doesn’t care.
Ipswich
“I thought it was a brilliant game,” said Kieran McKenna at 5.30pm at Brentford. “The players delivered an outstanding performance in so many areas of the game, with 11 and 10 men. It was a big step forward in terms of the resilience shown, it is disappointing we did not get any points today, but if we can show that character and belief and are competitive every week then things can turn and we can pick up points.”
I fully understand why McKenna is being upbeat – what choice does he have? I fully understand too why he is focusing on character (Ipswich scoring a late equaliser) rather than a lack of concentration and individual errors (Ipswich letting another lead slip and conceding again after their late equaliser).
But Ipswich will be in serious trouble soon if their absentees don’t stop mounting up and if they don’t keep finding new ways not to win league matches. We wrote last week about the amount of enforced changes and personnel tweaks made by McKenna in search of a new mood, but Ipswich made six more for the trip to Brentford. Cameron Burgess and Harry Clarke came into the defence.
It’s fair to ask whether these players are of the level required for Ipswich to accumulate points. Harry Clarke has come through to the first team having been signed from Arsenal as a teenager, but gave away a penalty, scored an own goal and was sent off. Burgess played for Ipswich in League One for two seasons after being signed from Accrington. It will take these players time to get used to the Premier League. Do Ipswich have that time?
Time and time again we repeat the point that staying in the Premier League as a promoted club typically relies upon two attributes: 1) the worst defence almost always goes down, so prioritise that over your attack, 2) you have to make the most of your leads, because they won’t come around every week.
And here’s where the bad news continues for Ipswich. They have the second worst defence in the Premier League and have conceded 10 times in their last three matches to West Ham, Everton and Brentford. And they have held the lead on four occasions this season, more than or equal to the number of times Newcastle, Bournemouth, Manchester United, West Ham, Leicester, Wolves, Southampton, Leicester and Crystal Palace have. They still haven’t won a match.
Crystal Palace
There was lots to admire about Crystal Palace’s performance during their win against Tottenham. The intensity of their pressing was striking and proof of the players’ continued belief in Oliver Glasner’s methods. Eberechi Eze was central to their dominant attacking display and Jean-Philippe Mateta rediscovered the swagger that made him the division’s in-form forward in the first half of 2024.
But Maxence Lacroix deserves a mention after a commanding display at the back, albeit against an incoherent Spurs attack. The Frenchman, who joined from Wolfsburg in August, had big boots to fill following Joachim Andersen’s move to Fulham and was plonked into a struggling side. Palace’s poor form has naturally prompted an appraisal of their summer transfer business.
Last week, Roy Keane pinpointed Joachim Andersen’s departure as a key factor behind their poor start. “The one player who I believe Crystal Palace are missing than the others, and I know they sold him, but they’re missing Joachim Andersen,” Keane said.
“He’s a huge loss to them. He’s a calming presence and he can score a goal. I know they had to sell a few players and bring in some cash but losing him was massive for them.”
Nothing Keane said was wrong, but Lacroix and Trevoh Chalobah are both well capable of replacing the Dane. As Glasner pointed out afterwards, this was just the third time that Lacroix, Marc Guehi and Chalobah had played together.
Andersen was an excellent player for Palace and struck up a great understanding with Guehi, but Lacroix’s confident display against Dominic Solanke and latterly Richarlison bodes well for the rest of the season and beyond. By Oliver Young-Myles
Wolves
“I’m a little bit disappointed with myself really that I started with a five. I know we did well with a five against Manchester City and the lads deserved another go at it. But I didn’t think a five would fit very well against Brighton today but at least we were quick enough to change it at half-time” – Gary O’Neil.
I found that very interesting, given how effective Wolves were against Manchester City. Having come in for a fair amount of scrutiny for changing to a back four, O’Neil shifted to a five for last week’s fixture. This was him insisting that he got it right by getting it wrong. To paraphrase: “My original plan was right all along, so we’re going back to it”.
That’s interesting because the plan clearly didn’t work in all the other games Wolves played this season and were second best, with supporters asking why O’Neil was losing defensive protection and also failing to get the best out of attacking wing-backs.
Perhaps O’Neil was wrong and is now right. The back five might have worked better against tough opposition when Wolves could counter (as they did against Manchester City), but his more progressive 4-2-3-1 may be more effective at breaking down teams who will sit deeper and give them more of the ball, particularly at Molineux.
Either way, we’re about to find out. Wolves now play Crystal Palace and Southampton at home and O’Neil seems set to stick with his back four plan. Take maximum points and plenty of the faith the manager has lost will return as Wolves head back towards mid-table. Anything less, with this new shape that fans aren’t convinced by, and O’Neil is in trouble.
Southampton
Russell Martin promised that he would stick to his guns and we believed him. Martin clearly believes that his way is the best chance Southampton have of success, but there’s also a preservation element to this. He has seen Vincent Kompany get a significant promotion after relegation (with 24 points). Why not try to do the same? If you change and fail you more easily get forgotten.
Narrow defeat – in scoreline at least – to Manchester City probably counts as a step in the right direction, so poor had Southampton’s defending been before then. But I also don’t think that it is hyperbolic to suggest that the home game against Everton next weekend is a must-win for Southampton’s realistic chances of staying up and of this system’s chance of working in the Premier League.
Firstly, the points emergency. Southampton are on one, three points from safety and a single point behind Wolves. Wolves have played Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton, Aston Villa, Brentford and Nottingham Forest, the latter two of whom are now in the top-half. Southampton’s fixtures have included Leicester and Ipswich at home.
After Everton, Southampton travel to Molineux and then play Liverpool, Brighton, Chelsea, Villa and Tottenham in their next five. If they aren’t going to win now then they are going to get cut adrift and then it doesn’t matter how you play because you won’t be able to catch up.
As for the style, that also has to work now. Everton will probably allow Southampton the possession that Martin craves and let them play out from the back. They were used to opponents such as these in the Championship and were able to break them down. But if Everton are able to expose Southampton on the counter and beat them at St Mary’s, this progressive style is, like Burnley’s, not going to cut it in the top flight.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/O4INDAR
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