Super show by United raises more questions than answers... and other talking points from the weekend
Where did that Manchester City defeat come from?
For the first time in a long time, City turned in a performance reminiscent of so many last season. From the second minute of their 2-0 defeat by Manchester
United, when Gabriel Jesus put in a needless challenge on Anthony Martial and conceded a penalty, the champions-elect looked out of sorts.
Chief among the worst offenders for City was Kevin de Bruyne, who misplaced passes, looked harassed under close inspection from United’s midfield and played in a kind of peripheral manner that is so rare from him that it becomes almost as remarkable as some of his finest work.
It is a result that is unlikely to alter the final destination of the Premier League trophy but it will have given United, who entered the game off the back of just two wins in eight games, some much-needed succour.
But it also raises many questions about the psychological make-up of the team. How can a side that has limped through much of the last month, rock up and make a hitherto immovable force look ordinary? Why can’t Anthony Martial play like this every week? And, most crucially of all, given the surprise turnaround in a matter of days when they drew 0-0 against Crystal Palace, is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer really the right man for the job?
Gerrard for Liverpool?
On the day Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side ended Celtic’s Premiership title dominance in Scotland, it was tempting to wonder what the thoughts of those at Fenway Sports Group might have been as Liverpool slumped to their sixth defeat in succession at home.
It is almost inconceivable that Jurgen Klopp’s position at Anfield might be in doubt but Liverpool’s defence of their title has been one of the most feckless by any champions in living memory. It all
has a ring of Klopp’s end-of-days departure from Borussia Dortmund almost six years ago.
In the 1-0 defeat by Fulham, they were listless, players looked disinterested and the contrast between their hunger and desire from a year ago was palpable.
Gerrard’s name has been linked regularly with a return to the club of his heart but its outcome has always felt like an indeterminate event on some undefined date in the future.
The word behind closed doors at Anfield is that Klopp has been unhappy with some of Liverpool’s transfer dealings of late.
Certainly, there seems to be a depression hanging over the club and Gerrard’s title win might well have brought his putative return date forward quite dramatically.
Another reality check for Arsenal fans
Arsenal supporters have been starved of so much success in the Premier League in recent seasons that they treat every small gain as evidence of an impending title charge – although just when this assault on the top spot is going to come is never quite concrete.
Manager Mikel Arteta is often represented on social media by fans as the second coming of Pep Guardiola while new arrivals are referred to in reverential terms, trumpeted in a series of vacuous claims that place them as “the best young this” or “most exciting that” – and yet for the second season in succession Arsenal are struggling to record a top-10 finish. Indeed, on current trends they are forecast to finish ninth.
On Saturday, they drew 1-1 at Burnley in a match they could have won three times over. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang should have scored more than the single goal he recorded, Bukayo Saka missed a sitter, Nicolas Pepe had one cleared off the line and was denied a stonewall penalty while Dani Ceballos hit a post.
Fans will say it is evidence that they are a coming force – and that might be true. Then again, Burnley were cuffed 4-0 last weekend by an equally out-ofsorts Tottenham and the previous Saturday drew 0-0 against 10-man, relegation-threatened West Brom.
Does Forster regret his decision?
Fraser Forster, right, might have spent his quieter moments reflecting on his decision to remain at Southampton in the summer. The 32-year-old rejected the chance of a permanent move to Celtic last summer following assurances from manager Ralph Hasenhuttl that he would play more games for the German. It hasn’t quite materialised that way with Forster making just three Premier League appearances, albeit this was his second start in succession.
The former England goalkeeper rewarded his manager with a clean sheet, Southampton’s first in nine league matches. Sheffield United barely laid a glove on their opponents’ goal throughout the 90 minutes, but Forster did have to react sharply near the end to block an Enda Stephens’ cross that almost presented David McGoldrick with a certain goal. There was a welcome return to form for Stuart Armstrong, too. The Scotland midfielder produced a nice assist for Southampton’s second goal, a delightful effort converted on the half-volley by Che Adams – a player that Steve Clarke would like to include in his Euro 2020 squad – and some strong running that almost led to a goal for the player himself.
Meanwhile, Clarke has suggested the door remains open to Adams but some context is also required: this was his first strike since his goal against the same struggling opponents in December’s fixture between the sides.
Villa suffering badly following the loss of Grealish
In a season when most of the contenders for the Champions League places have hit intermittent flat spots, it is the turn of Aston Villa to lose their way. It is now just two wins in seven for Dean Smith’s side and it’s clear they are missing the influence of talisman Jack Grealish.
They could point to two efforts that hit the woodwork from Oli Watkins and Ezri Konsa but their opponents Wolves had similar misfortune when Conor Coady hit the inside of a post and Roman Saiss launched the ball over the top from inside the six-yard box. Coady was then foiled brilliantly by Emi Martinez from a similar distance.
Grealish has now missed four games in a row and they have won just once – last weekend’s scruffy victory over Leeds. He is a player who elevates all those around him from the pedestrian to something much more incisive.
ROGER FEDERER hopes to be “100 per cent” fit in time for Wimbledon as he prepares to make his comeback in Doha.
Federer, who has needed two operations to correct a longstanding knee issue, is due to play in the Qatar Open this week.
“I’m very happy to be back playing a tournament again,” said the 39-year-old Swiss, with 20 Grand Slam titles to his name. “It’s been a long time. I never thought it would take this long.”
Federer, who is a three-time champion in Doha but has not competed there since 2012, will face either British No.1 and sometime practice partner
Dan Evans or Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in his first match.
“Obviously at this moment I feel like it’s just about ‘let’s see how matches go, let’s see how training goes with all the top guys and professional players, not just sparring partners’. I was playing a lot of two-onones the last few months.
“I know I need to go back to training after here again so from this standpoint it’s just about building up to being stronger, better, fitter, faster and all that stuff.
“I hope then by Wimbledon I’m going to be 100 per cent and that’s when the season starts for me.
“Everything until then it’s just ‘let’s see how it goes’ – I might surprise myself but then actually I’ve already done that in practice the last few weeks, I was surprised at actually how well it did go, but like we know, matches are a different animal.
“Right now it’s like I’ll just take it day by day. [I’m] happy I’m back on the tour again and will see how things go but of course, for me, everything starts with the grass.”
Federer has not played a competitive match since the 2020 Australian Open and will drop out of the top five for the first time in five years today, but the Swiss player insisted retirement was not in his thoughts.
“Retirement was never really on the cards,” he said. “I think it’s more of a conversation if the knee keeps bothering me for months and months – then let’s look at it. This is not the time to think about that…let’s say in the fall of this year.
“I just feel like the story is not over. It’s not like there’s one particular reason that I wanted to keep playing tennis other than I enjoyed playing tennis, I enjoy being on the road.
“I’m still a work in progress but probably one of the other reasons for coming back is I want to get that high again of playing against the biggest players and in the biggest tournaments and hopefully winning them again.
“Hopefully I can play in front of crowds again.”