Three Talking Points from Gameweek 14 in the EPL
THE ROSES RIVALRY RETURNED IN STYLE AS MANCHESTER UNITED HIT SIX PAST LEEDS IN A THRILLING CONTEST
One of the great Premier League rivalries returned on Sunday afternoon, 10 years since the sides last played in the FA Cup and 16 years since they last battled each other in the Premier League.
February 2004 was the last time the two sides met in the Premier League; the game ended 1-1 that day as Leeds came from behind to snatch a point which lost United ground in the title race.
Leeds had the last laugh again in the FA Cup in 2010 when Jermaine Beckford scored that infamous goal to shock Manchester United who were two divisions above at the time and progress.
So, winning on Sunday by such a convincing margin would have been even sweeter for Manchester United who knew going into the game that they had some unfinished business.
It was Paul Scholes that was Manchester United’s star player in 2004 as he scored and was a vital part of the team and it was Scott McTominay who put in a Paul Scholes like performance on Sunday, scoring twice and getting an assist.
He finally showcased his potential which has been seen on the occasion but not to the level we saw of him against Leeds. He was all over the pitch making selfless runs, doing a good defensive job and showing a different side to his game as he displayed great attacking positivity throughout.
There were question marks before the game on Ole’s team selection as it appeared to be unnecessarily negative against such an attacking and open team like Leeds, but the reality was far different. Ole told both Fred and McTominay to drive forward and support the attack.
Furthermore, the decision to start James turned out to be a masterclass, hitting Leeds’ vulnerable and open defence with raw energy and pace.
James did his own reputation a lot of good too, as he was a threat throughout the game and scored a well taken goal. Bruno was brilliant as usual, controlling the tempo of the play, scoring twice and getting an assist.
It was a classic Manchester United vs Leeds encounter that will be remembered for a long time, both sides going at it, leaving nothing behind.
Bielsa has refused to change his style for anyone and whilst it might prevent Leeds from picking up some valuable points, it is a breath of fresh air and makes for box office entertainment.
Leeds may lose games badly but when they get it right, they are hard to stop and that is why I think they will have enough to stay up this season.
The new era of the Roses Rivalry is here and if this game is anything to go by, it promises to be as exciting as it ever was.
ARSENAL WON’T GET RELEGATED, BUT THEY DO NEED TO START CREATING MORE CHANCES IF THEY WANT TO START WINNING GAMES
Arsenal’s horror show continued at the weekend as they lost to Everton 2-1 on Saturday, making some people seriously question if they are in a relegation scrap.
I personally don’t think they are despite their horrific form which has been relegation worthy.
They still have far too much quality in that side, and they have a January transfer window to try and solve their biggest issue, creativity.
The biggest mistake the club made in the summer was not bringing in Aouar from Lyon, they have been desperately missing an attacking midfielder with an eye for a pass all season.
They have someone in Ozil who has those qualities but due to off the pitch controversies, he wasn’t even named in the clubs Premier League squad.
Despite the poor season they have had, defensively they still look more secure than they have done for quite a while, which is a building block for Arteta.
They also dominate possession a lot of the time and have rarely been beaten convincingly.
However, their biggest problem has been in attack, Willian has been a big disappointment and to me always looked like a risky signing for a club that should have learnt its lesson regarding signing older players on expensive contracts.
The positive signings of Gabriel and Partey who are both young and have looked very promising, are counteracted by signings like Willian this summer and David Luiz the summer before.
Arsenal need to get their transfer strategy sorted and clear if things are going to improve because at the moment, for every good signing, there is a bad one.
They haven’t been helped in an attacking sense by Aubameyang who ever since signing his big new contract has looked a shadow of his usual self and Lacazette has been equally as average.
However, they haven’t been helped by a midfield who has provided them with scraps all season, which further enforces the idea they desperately need a number 10.
As for Everton, it was another impressive performance under Ancelotti, who like Arteta at Arsenal, has been at Everton for a year, but the different directions the clubs have gone in this season is striking to see.
LIVERPOOL FINALLY START PULLING AWAY AGAIN AS THEY HIT SEVEN PAST HELPLESS CRYSTAL PALACE
Last season may have been an unpredictable season in lots of ways but one thing that always looked certain was Liverpool finishing top of the Premier League.
An injury crisis in the first half of this season has prevented them doing the same early and the unbeaten record that lasted for so long last campaign has already ended.
However, they weathered the storm quite well despite all the injuries to first team regulars and now they look back to their ruthlessly efficient and devastating best.
Liverpool made light work of a Crystal Palace side who had been in decent form and scored some outrageously good team and individual goals.
The most pleasing thing for Klopp will be to have his captain Henderson being back playing again and he was at the heart of everything Liverpool did well on Saturday.
They have missed his energy and calmness in midfield at the start of this season as well as his leadership like qualities.
He also scored a very well taken goal to cap off his impressive display.
The return to form of Firmino will bring a smile to Klopp’s face too, he was exceptional against Crystal Palace and reminded everyone what made him such an important part of Liverpool’s front three in the first place.
Liverpool now have a clear lead at the top (although United could narrow that gap if they win their game in hand) and once again look to be the runaway favourites for the title.