0 in Share First of all, I want to break from tradition. Usually I speak in Hausa in Kano. But, I don’t know how I am go...
Monday 4 December 2017
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend's action
Manchester City chasing record number of records, Hazard challenged
to get better still, Puel proves his worth again and Pochettino unfazed
by wobble
In the thick of it (clockwise from left): Eden Hazard, Claude Puel, Joe Allen, Mauricio Pochettino and Alexandre Lacazette.
Composite: Getty Images. AFP, Reuters,
1) Guardiola’s men chasing possible record number of records
After another victory that seemed inevitable, despite West Ham
basically building a wall, then behind it a slightly taller wall on the
edge of the penalty area, it’s worth having a look at some records that
Manchester City could have their eye on. Beat Manchester United
next weekend and they will equal the mark for most consecutive wins
(14, by Arsenal in 2002) in the Premier League era. They are nearly
halfway to the most wins in a season (30, by Chelsea last term) and well
on the way to the points record (95, by Chelsea in 2004-05) and goals
record (103, Chelsea again, in 2009-10). A victory over United will put
them on 46 points from 16 games, which would have been enough to come
eighth last season, and their 46 goals are already more than were
managed by the team that did finish in that spot, Southampton. They’re
pretty good, really. Nick Miller
Eden Hazard has played the best football of his career under Antonio
Conte and it is clear that the Belgian can get even better if he trusts
his manager. Conte is a relentless coach and, though he regularly
champions Hazard’s talent, the Italian was quick to point out that the
world’s finest players make their names on the biggest stages. Hazard
excelled in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Newcastle United,
scoring twice, but the forward has been challenged to aim even higher
than destroying Premier League defences. “I don’t think that Eden is at
the peak of his career,” Conte said. “It’s important for him to work,
work, work in every training session to improve himself. You are at the
top when you win the Ballon d’Or the first time, when you win the
Champions League, when you win the Word Cup. At that moment you are at
the top of the world.” Jacob Steinberg
Arsène Wenger seemed a bit vexed trying to explain the slightly paradoxical nature of Arsenal’s loss to Manchester United
because he had seen something very positive from his team’s attacking
waves, yet it was all overshadowed by the result. One theme that has
emerged in the last week, over the home games against Huddersfield and
United, is how Alexandre Lacazette has taken a big step in his
integration. Wenger took a cautious approach with his record signing in
the first part of the season, rather puzzlingly holding off on starts
and regularly substituting the French striker. The match against United
was his first complete 90 minutes in the Premier League since the
opening day. His adjustment to Arsenal’s game – and his team-mates
better reading of his excellent movement – has taken time but he now
looks totally involved and pivotal to the way Wenger wants his team to
attack. Amy Lawrence
Wenger 'angry and disappointed' after Manchester United win at Arsenal – video
4) Pochettino unfazed by latest defensive setbacks
With Davinson Sánchez likely to miss three matches as a result of the straight red card
he received for throwing his arm into Richarlison’s face, Spurs are
facing a defensive shortage. Toby Aldeweireld has suggested he could be
out for as long as four months with injury, while Cameron Carter-Vickers
is on loan at Sheffield United with no recall option. Mauricio
Pochettino, therefore, has only Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier with
significant experience at centre-half. On the other hand, Ben Davies has
deputised in a back three and there is the Argentinian teenager Juan
Foyth, signed from Estudiantes in the summer. Pochettino remained
unruffled, though, after watching his team battle for a point at Watford
(only their second in four matches). “I am not going to complain if
Sánchez will be out for a few games”, he said. “That is football. It is
about the squad. If he cannot play we will play with another.” Paul MacInnes
Wayne Rooney gave a display
of passing and pointing. His defence-splitting ball led to Dominic
Calvert-Lewin’s goal and he also enforced Sam Allardyce’s orders,
talking team-mates into position. This authoritative display, coupled
with his hat-trick against West Ham
three days earlier, came after he had been an unused substitute in the
previous two league games. That may not happen again soon. “He produced a
good performance today and a brilliant one on Wednesday,” said
Allardyce. “So we have to really make sure we get him ready for every
game. If we get the physical side of Wayne right then that ability never
ever leaves you.” He remains such an admirer of Rooney that it feels
possible the stand-in skipper will replace the injured Phil Jagielka as
captain. “He has had more criticism in the last couple of years than he
has had praise and I think that he has handled that brilliantly,” added
Allardyce. Richard Jolly
6) Liverpool leave tantalising taste of what could be
It was a slightly curious experience watching Liverpool thrash Brighton 5-1.
On the one hand their counterattacks were so good they were
life-affirming. But on the other you were left with the nagging
question: if Liverpool are this good, then why aren’t they better? The
win, their fifth in six Premier League games, took them up to fourth,
but their vim and quality going forward is that of a side who should be
challenging Manchester City. The obvious answer is their defence but the
glint of mental fragility that led to them conceding a three-goal lead
against Sevilla is a big part of it, too. After the win at the Amex
Jürgen Klopp admitted that when Glenn Murray made it 3-1, that game
flashed before his eyes. “When you have it once, unfortunately it needs a
bit of time to get rid of it completely,” he said. When that speck of
doubt is erased, Liverpool will be much stronger. NM
Philippe Coutinho scores Liverpool’s fourth goal at
Brighton on an afternoon when Jürgen Klopp’s side sparkled. Photograph:
Gareth Fuller/PA
7) Allen shows Swansea what they are missing
In a poor game
at the Bet365 Stadium that served up precious few moments of class, Joe
Allen was a shining light with his display in the centre of the Stoke
City midfield. The Welshman set up Xherdan Shaqiri’s equaliser with a
lovely through ball and was at the heart of Stoke’s more promising
moments, with the sort of composure and intelligent passing that
deserved a better stage than a scrappy fixture between two uninspiring
teams. It was, in summary, an excellent piece of business on Stoke’s
part when they signed Allen from Liverpool in the summer before last,
and a glaring and unforgivable error from Swansea’s point of view to
miss out on him. Allen, after all, had wanted to return to the club that
he continues to support. “They’ve got to stick at it and, as a fan now,
I’m hoping they do just that,” Allen said about Swansea after Stoke’s
2-1 victory. Stuart James
When Leicester sacked Craig Shakespeare eight games into the season, a
few months after he saved them from relegation, it was fair to wonder
if the board had acted hastily. Less reasonable was the antipathy that
greeted the appointment of Claude Puel. The rules that govern such
matters are not scientific, but he had previously led Monaco to a Ligue 1
title and Lyon to the Champions League semi-finals. Then in his first
season in England he took Southampton to a final – where they played
superbly – and to an eighth-place finish, only to be sacked for football
unbefitting the club’s sophisticated tastes. At Leicester, he is
extracting the most from Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy, and Demarai Gray –
whose talent Shakespeare was not prepared to trust. City, third-bottom
when he was appointed, now sit ninth, two places and three points above
... Southampton. Daniel Harris
Riyad Mahrez, whose form has revived since Claude Puel’s
arrival at Leicester, takes on Stephen Ward of Burnley. Photograph:
Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
9) Bournemouth hope for best of Fraser
Ryan Fraser’s biggest challenge has been finding some consistency. If
he can perform well regularly, Bournemouth will reap rewards. The
Scotland winger’s indifferent form has frustrated himself as much as it
has Eddie Howe, so much so that he asked to play for the under-21s
against Plymouth Argyle last month to build some confidence. Fraser, a
£400,000 signing from Aberdeen four years ago, scored his first league
goal of the season against Southampton on Sunday
and Howe is hoping that strike will prove significant in the long run.
“I’m one of Ryan’s biggest fans,” the Bournemouth manager said. “For
whatever reason he’s had a slightly stuttering start to the season. We
haven’t seen him at his fluent best. I can’t speak highly enough of his
ability as a player. I just hope he can do it on a consistent basis.” Ben Fisher
It was edifying to see some of the best moments of quality from Saturday’s goalless draw
between two relegation-threatened teams at The Hawthorns come from a
couple of England youngsters promising to make a consistent impact in
the Premier League. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, now 21, has long been heralded
as the best of Chelsea’s loan stars and is playing without fear despite
Crystal Palace only just rising off the foot of the table; Sam Field,
19, has returned to West Brom’s team since Tony Pulis’s dismissal and
played three games in an unbeaten week. Recently promoted to the England
under-21s after starring for Keith Downing’s Under-20s, the local lad
has grace and poise. Outstanding on his recent full senior international
debut, Loftus-Cheek is also being edged into a wide role in a compact
midfield four for Palace. But while he has licence to roam, he is also
willing to track and do some of the dirty work required of that position
in a lower-half team. Pete Lansley
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