Premier League talking points: Things are looking up for Man United
It was good news all round for Manchester United after they posted their fourth league win on the bounce thanks to Rasmus Hojlund, who is starting to blossom, and with Jim Ratcliffe taking charge of football operations things are looking up.
At the same time Liverpool continue to set the pace at the top, but injuries are mounting for Jürgen Klopp who has at least four first-choice players on the sidelines.
These and other talking points from the weekend’s Premier League fixtures.
Have Manchester United turned the corner? A fourth successive Premier League win secured by Rasmus Hojlund’s double lifted Manchester United to within striking range of the battle for fourth place on Sunday. It completed a great week for the club after British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% stake in the club was rubber-stamped by the Premier League and Football Association.
Ratcliffe’s buy-in means he will take control of soccer operations and he is already making his mark with new CEO Omar Berrada in place and Newcastle United’s highly rated Dan Ashworth set to become director of football.
After the club endured their worst start to a season since the early 1960s, the mood music is suddenly a lot more upbeat.
Newcastle’s lack of striking option becomes costly: From Jackie Milburn to Alan Shearer, Newcastle fans love a No9 up front, but their lack of a recognised striker is in danger of derailing their season, if their draw with Bournemouth on Saturday is anything to go by.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe had to deploy Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron and Harvey Barnes as his front three against his former club and though all three are superb offensive players, none is the kind of penalty-box predator revered on Tyneside.
With preferred strikers Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson both missing due to injury, Howe has had to shuffle his pack and though Gordon was a threat throughout the game, he faltered when presented with one of the game’s best chances.
Matt Ritchie spared his blushes by coming off the bench and thumping the ball home from close range to snatch a point but the sooner Newcastle can get a specialist striker back in their starting line-up, the better.
Injuries threaten Liverpool’s title bid: Jürgen Klopp was every Liverpool fan when he put his hands on his head in frustration after watching both Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones leave Saturday’s game against Brentford with what appeared to be significant injuries.
Jota was spotted leaving the stadium on crutches after being carried off with a knee injury, while Jones left in a protective boot with an ankle injury, adding further questions about Liverpool’s squad depth in a jampacked title race.
They are also missing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara, among others, and Klopp can ill afford any more casualties as the games come thick and fast.
At least the goalscoring return of Liverpool’s talisman Mohamed Salah in the 4-1 win at Brentford offered some good news.
Haaland suffers scoring drought: By his own recordbreaking standards Erling Haaland suddenly looks like a mere mortal. He had the most misfires of his career with Manchester City in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea, including one header that he somehow put over the crossbar. The Norwegian, who missed nearly two months with a foot injury, has scored just two goals in his past six top-flight matches and City will need him back at his best if they are to hold off the title challenges of Liverpool and Arsenal.
The 23-year-old still leads the league scoring charts with 16 goals but after taking nine shots without netting on Saturday, rivals might hope he has lost his edge.
His frustrations were summed up when he pushed a television camera after the final whistle on Saturday.
But manager Pep Guardiola is not worried. “I don’t blame him. It’s football, it’s human beings. I was a football player for 11 years and scored 11 goals. What stats! One goal a season. I’m not a proper man to give advice to strikers.”
Luton fight but Burnley and Sheffield Utd look doomed: Of the three teams promoted to the Premier League this season, Luton Town were most people’s bets to struggle the hardest.
But while they continue to fight their corner, despite a 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Sunday that left them just above the drop zone, Burnley and Sheffield United look doomed.
Burnley were torn apart by Arsenal on Saturday, shipping five goals, and a day later Sheffield United went down 5-0 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Both sides are on 13 points from 25 games, seven points adrift of 17th-placed Luton, and on current form they look extremely unlikely to double their points totals in the 13 games they have left.
Perhaps their only hope is for Everton and Nottingham Forest to be hit with points deductions after being charged with alleged breaches of the league’s financial rules. /
FOURTH SUCCESSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE VICTORY AND JIM RATCLIFFE’S 25% STAKE DEAL LIFT THE MOOD