Liverpool are Kaput | Premier League Conclusions
Man City are levels above
Davinson Sánchez both entertained and perplexed many with this defending for Manchester City’s third goal
The biggest compliment one could pay to Manchester City is that this margin of victory was no surprise. After their 4-1 demolition of Liverpool, it always looked like a difficult fixture for Tottenham, especially with the form they have been in.
As Tim Sherwood once said, “When you’re hot, you’re hot…” and while I wouldn’t want to make your eyes water with the rest of that quote, it especially applies to İlkay Gündoğan. He has been in the form of his life over the last few weeks, and you know things are going your way when even a failed drag back results in a penalty for your team. His second goal came from spotting where the space in a crowded penalty area was, while his third was classic centre forward play from someone who made his name as a deep lying midfielder. Davinson Sánchez didn’t cover himself in glory, but the touch, skill and composure of Gündoğan was exquisite.
A few months ago, Liverpool still looked like the team to beat. As such, it wouldn’t be good to get too carried away. However, with peace (and injuries) having cost Liverpool their strength, and neither Manchester United nor Leicester looking capable of going on a consistent enough run to truly challenge, it is looking like Manchester City are going to run away with this league title, again. All of a sudden, with 15 games to go, the tightest league table in recent memory is starting to stretch out, and a third league title in four seasons beckons.
Tottenham are struggling for an identity
When Tottenham beat Manchester City earlier in the season, it looked like a Mourinho team; the organisation, the determination and the swift counter attacking were extremely clear for all to see. A few months later, and this team looks like a mess. Fresh from losing 5-4 in midweek, which Mourinho once upon a time called “a hockey score, not a football score”, they conceded just the three in this game. It was hard to tell exactly what the tactics were; they didn’t sit deep in an extremely compact block, nor did they press Manchester City and make life very uncomfortable for them in midfield. It seems like all the belief has drained out of this team and they don’t know whether to drop or press. When Gündoğan made it 2-0, the game was done and the players sleep walked to their eventual defeat.
Throwing on Gareth Bale and Dele Alli, two players he has pointedly neglected utilising this season, felt like a telling moment. Mourinho effectively threw his hands up in the air and hoped for the best. These are two players who could have been, if not starting every game, at least contributing regularly and helping the team avoid some of the creative issues they have been suffering. Will Mourinho now be able to get them to run themselves into the ground for him, having shown them that he absolutely does not trust them up to this point?
The league table is still very tight, and who knows how the League Cup final will go, but at this point it does seem fair to ask, is this what Daniel Levy was hoping for when he sacked the much loved Mauricio Pochettino? The fans aren’t happy, the players don’t seem happy, and the manager doesn’t look happy. The defending is awful, the attacking lacks inspiration, and the league title looks as far as away as it ever has. There is absolutely still time for Tottenham and José Mourinho to turn this around, but they’ll have to go back to grinding out results in a dogged fashion to have any hope of doing so.
Liverpool are Kaput
Jürgen Klopp famously once called Liverpool “mentality monsters”, but vs Leicester on Saturday they crumbled to another defeat which now leaves them in a fight to finish in the top four. A combination of a complacent transfer policy, injuries and a slackening of standards have all left their mark on this team.
If only they knew…
If a picture tells a thousand words, then Leicester’s second goal would be an 18+ horror story. Whether you think Kabak should have dealt with it, or thought Alisson just had cold feet again, it was a slapstick goal which shocked Liverpool and put Leicester in the driving seat.
The lack of communication is symptomatic of a team which looks like it has no cohesion, and that’s because it doesn’t. The Liverpool team had picked itself for the last two years, and now it looks thrown together. That makes pressing in a coordinated fashion from the front, or pushing up in a synchronised manner at the back, extremely difficult. Going into the season with only three senior centre backs seemed foolish at the time, but no one would really have guessed it would get this bad. The signings of both Davies and Kabak coming at the end of the transfer window rather than the beginning has given them no time to settle in and get to grips with Liverpool’s demanding and unique style.
No matter what happens, Liverpool will always have the last three years to cherish. However, they are either going to have to strengthen this squad or adapt their style of play if they are going to continue to dominate in the coming years.
Manchester United’s defence exposed, again
Whether it was this article, or this one, or even this one, it seems like a recurring theme. Diagne won MotM with the one goal he scored, but the reality is he could have easily scored a hattrick. West Brom’s first goal ultimately sums up Lindelöf as a defender in the Premier League. He quite simply isn’t quick enough or strong enough to be a Premier League defender for a team trying to win the league. He is found wanting when pushing up the pitch and when defending deep, facing crosses. Is it a coincidence that Dias at Man City, or Van Dijk at Liverpool, have had such transformative effects while neither he nor Maguire has?
Manchester United didn’t look fluid going forwards, and Solskjaer’s repeated attempts to shoehorn Cavani, Rashford and Martial into the same XI are repeatedly shown to be misguided. However, they can’t always tear forwards and create chances like they did last week vs Everton. However, their inability to keep clean sheets when put under pressure is a glaring weakness which will continue to cost this team both in Europe and the Premier League this season. In this year of all years, it seemed like a great opportunity to end an 8 year wait for a league title. However, barring an injury crisis for Manchester City, it seems like the wait for the glory days will continue for at least another season.
Form is temporary, Aubameyang’s class is permanent
Bukayo Saka has taken plenty of plaudits this season. He has been a leading light for Arsenal, even when performances had fans in anguish and wondering whether they really were in a relegation battle. However, for as good as his form has been, and for as much as Lacazette has stepped up with goals at times, the reality is Aubameyang is still the captain and the main man for Mikel Arteta’s team. When he is on form and scoring goals, the ceiling for this team immediately raises a few league positions. His hattrick will have been a welcome sight for all Arsenal fans and if he can stay in form for the rest of the season, they can be cautiously optimistic for what spring and summer may bring.
With a clutch of creative midfielders in Ødegaard, Smith Rowe, Saka and Ceballos, Arsenal now look much more recognisable as an offensive force. Leeds’ late fight back showed however, that it is still tricky to get the balance right between attack and defence. The injury plagued debut season of Thomas Partey will be of big concern, as it was hoped that he could provide the balance needed to allow others to fly forwards. The challenge, as it is for all teams, will now be to find the right balance of free flowing attack with more nous at the back.