Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
1) City’s relentless stars are made to last
Manchester City are often praised for their ability but Pep Guardiola instead marvelled at their durability. Raheem Sterling recorded two assists at Burnley but his manager talked less about his creativity than his reliability. “He is a guy who can play every three days,” Guardiola said. “He is never injured. We have not got a massively deep squad so it is important to have players like him, Phil [Foden], Riyad [Mahrez] and Bernardo [Silva], who are never injured.” Guardiola knocked on the wood of a Turf Moor desk as he was speaking but there is statistical proof of his flair players’ toughness. Sterling has played 281 times in under six seasons for him. Only João Cancelo has made more appearances for City than Silva this season. Sterling and Mahrez are tied for fourth, behind the Portuguese pair and the goalkeeper Ederson. Their relentlessness as individuals explains City’s as a team. Richard Jolly
Match report: Burnley 0-2 Manchester
City
2) Rangnick lets fly with some home truths
After the latest torpid display Ralf Rangnick went further than he has done previously when assessing how long it might be before Manchester United might contend for a 21st title. “It takes right decisions: what kind of manager, what kind of players – and then in every transfer window try to get the best. This is not rocket science. If that happens it does not necessarily need three or four years – maybe two or three transfer windows, then the situation could be different.” The key word here is “could”. United are going backwards at lightning pace and the interim manager’s analysis of the squad illuminates the mess. “We spoke about that counterattacking moment we had where they tackled us twice [which presaged Leicester’s goal] and the same was true in a few other moments. It has to [do with] DNA. It is difficult to change a technically great player into an aggressive player and we have a lot of people who are technical.” Jamie Jackson
Match report: Manchester United 1-1
Leicester
3) Classy Eriksen offers more than a feelgood story
In ordinary circumstances Chelsea’s fans would have been booing the former Tottenham player. Yet rivalry goes out of the window when it comes to Christian Eriksen and it was striking to see the home fans applauding
the Dane when he took Brentford’s first corner during their win at Stamford Bridge. It was a reminder that everyone wants Eriksen’s return to go well and while it is natural to worry about the Dane playing again after his cardiac arrest last summer, his ability does not seem to have gone away. There have been no missteps since the 30-yearold’s move to Brentford in January and his performance against Chelsea was proof that he is capable of handling the pace of the Premier League. Chelsea could not cope with Eriksen and his goal to make it 2-1 to Thomas Frank’s side will go down as one of the moments of the season. Jacob Steinberg
Match report: Chelsea 1-4 Brentford
4) Marsch’s men learn to slow things down
Jesse Marsch believes in a healthy work-life balance and his Leeds players are rediscovering the benefits of the days off they rarely enjoyed under Marcelo Bielsa. On the pitch the American also preaches balance: between the thrilling intensity of Bielsa’s aggressive high press and the ability to sporadically slow the tempo and control play. “We have a term we call ‘100 to 70,’” said Marsch after Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to a Southampton side who required one of the impressive James Ward-Prowse’s hallmark free-kicks to earn a point. “It means in certain moments we want the players to slow down a little bit – not always physically, sometimes just in their heads – and have a little bit more poise and control. But when we play at Elland Road the fans don’t want to see 100 to 70, they want to see 100 to 150!” Louise Taylor
Match report: Leeds 1-1 Southampton
5) Sá has been Wolves’ signing of the season
It is not quite awards time but as the remaining games begin to whittle down it is unlikely that anyone will supersede José Sá as Wolves’s signing of the season. There is a strong case for Sá, a £7m arrival on a five-year contract from Olympiakos last summer, being the best value-for-money recruit in the Premier League and his display against Aston Villa, notably repelling their attempts to salvage a point, was typical of his brilliance. Fábio Silva, a £35m record signing, played free of the price tag and João Moutinho, a snip at £5m in 2018, was again authoritative in midfield but Sá, despite conceding a late penalty, ultimately preserved victory in a game that Wolves should have long put to bed. Ben Fisher
Match report: Wolves 2-1 Aston Villa
6) Ruthless Jota exceeds expectations
Diogo Jota, displaying his versatility by starting on the left of Liverpool’s attack against Watford, had barely had a touch when he showed the high-class movement and predatory instinct that Joe Gomez’s cross deserved to head his team in front at Anfield. It was the 20th goal in all competitions this season from the Portugal international who, thanks to VAR, also won the penalty that enabled Fabinho to seal a 10th successive Premier League win. Jota has emerged as a decisive influence for Jürgen Klopp’s team and, his manager admitted, has been a better player than Liverpool expected when paying Wolves an initial £41m in September 2020. Klopp said: “At Wolves he had a different job and he did that job so good that we thought, ‘We want him.’ And since he came, he improved a lot. That is a little to do with his age, he is growing into the top, world-class striker role step by step. He is the player we thought he would be and also a little bit better.” Andy Hunter
Match report: Liverpool 2-0 Watford
7) Foxes fail to push on from FA Cup win
In August, Leicester looked in great shape, having won the FA Cup and added Patson Daka and Boubakary Soumaré to a squad already bursting with quality. But in April, they sit ninth in the table and the sense is of a season wasted. On Thursday, they entertain PSV Eindhoven in a Conference League quarter-final – but the reality remains that whatever happens there, domestically they are no better off than they were a year ago. The extent to which they’ve been hampered by injuries cannot be underestimated – and how pleasing it is to see Wesley Fofana feeling his way back – but football being football, Brendan Rodgers is under pressure. What he must do now is decide who he wants in his starting XI next August, then use the remaining games of this season to groove the side, shape and style that will keep him his job. Daniel Harris
8) Kulusevski proving the perfect pick
When Spurs lost at Manchester United, their top-four hopes looked fanciful – not because they were out of the race, but because they didn’t look good enough, loose at the back and creatively constipated. But they have improved markedly in the three games since then, beating Brighton, West Ham and Newcastle in convincing fashion. Though the most eye-catching aspect of Sunday’s triumph was the secondhalf performance of Harry Kane, England’s Shearer-Sheringham partnership in one player and the contribution of Dejan Kulusevski was equally crucial. It’s early days, but already he looks perfect for Antonio Conte and the Premier League, a physical brute brimming with the energy, bravery and drive necessary to exploit a decent touch and sharp brain. He still has plenty of improving to do, but at 21 there is plenty of time in which he can do it – especially with Kane both setting him away and attacking his crosses. Daniel Harris
Match report: Tottenham 5-1 Newcastle
9) Underrated Antonio delivers again
Michail Antonio is so habitually excellent that there’s a danger he is perhaps taken for granted. He’s only scored once in his last 15 appearances for West Ham, and there has been perhaps a sense that fatigue has begun to sap at him as the lack of a replacement means he effectively has to play every week, but he led the line superbly on Sunday. Michael Keane’s second yellow card looked stupid – was stupid – but it was the result of the way Antonio had dragged hm this way and that, overwhelming him both physically and with his movement, never giving him a moment of peace. It was his run and shot that led to Jarrod Bowen’s winner and as well as his three shots, he also completed three key passes. The goals will return, but even without them, Antonio is a vital presence in this West Ham side. Jonathan Wilson
Match report: West Ham 2-1 Everton
10) Maupay reception a bright spot at Amex
Fans assuming that purchasing a ticket entitles them to shout whatever they want at whoever they want – behaviour that also infects what passes for contemporary public discourse – is one of the worst things about football. There were not many bright spots at the Amex – Norwich look as doomed as they’ve always done, Brighton were as profligate as they always are – but the response to Neal Maupay’s substitution was one. Maupay departed the pitch having missed three good chances and a penalty, so the home fans – who’ve not seen a goal, never mind a win, since the middle of January – might have sent him off with some choice invective. But instead they consoled their player with the ovation he needed to hear, a nice moment on an otherwise miserable afternoon. Daniel Harris