1
Positive Ten Hag revs up United's engine
We have to save our season, Erik ten Hag had said. And they did it, somehow, with a goal from Antony and a goal from Amad Diallo. With twice as many wingers on the field (those two plus Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford) as defenders (only Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot). After parking the bus at Anfield, Ten Hag revved the engine and continued accelerating. Antony scored his first goal of the season against someone other than Newport County. Diallo scored his first goal for United since a cute header against Milan, which happened so long ago that the manager was Ole Gunnar Solskjær. United shot nine times in extra time compared to Liverpool's two. Rashford rose to the occasion at both ends of the game, first on the left wing and then as a centre-forward. He missed two good chances but stayed calm enough to take advantage of the next one. Ten Hag was like a fan and said, “Attack! Stroke! Attack!” And it worked. His players may have saved not only their season, but their jobs as well. Tim Lisle
2
Wild Cup competition a concern for Foxes
Chelsea-Leicester was a very entertaining Cup tie, a game with five excellent goals, a tremendous own goal, a missed penalty and a red card. Leicester, it must be said, are not in the form they had in the first half of the season, although they started the day at the top of the championship. In the minutes between Axel Disasi's own goal and Callum Doyle's red card, Leicester threatened to expose Chelsea. But at the same time, especially in the first half, the visitors had a feeling worryingly similar to that of Burnley: the team that has excelled in the Championship finds it very difficult to stop the flow of a Premier League attack. Cole Palmer found too much space and every time Nicolas Jackson attacked Jannik Vestergaard there was trouble. If Leicester go up, they will have to be stricter if they want to stay on their feet next season. jonathan wilson
3
Backup goalkeepers impress at Etihad
The art of being a secondary goalkeeper is being able to integrate into a team and not cause disruptions. Stefan Ortega and Martin Dubravka started the FA Cup tie on Saturday night, as expected, but both anticipate more minutes in the coming weeks with Ederson and Nick Pope injured. Ortega was calm and collected when he was in position as he looked to match his Brazilian colleague in distribution. Newcastle had few chances but made a good save in the first half to keep out Alexander Isak's fierce shot from close range. Dubravka has been covering for a while and his credentials could not be questioned on Saturday. Both of Bernardo Silva's goals were the result of deflections and only the harshest critic could say he could have done more. The Slovakian made a number of important saves, especially in one-on-one situations, and helped quickly come off his line to narrow the angle for City's excellent attacking set. Like Dubravka, City substitute Ortega should gain confidence the more he plays. won't win
4
O'Neil worries Wolves' pack is shrinking
Gary O'Neil was the first to warn against declaring the Wolves' season a success prematurely. Listening to him reflect on the FA Cup exit to second-tier Coventry on Saturday, the feeling was that his team could be in for some pain between now and May. O'Neil bemoaned his meager squad (Pablo Sarabia was his only available senior striker) and pointed out the gulf between the resources at his disposal and those of his next opponent, Aston Villa, although his top scorer Matheus Cunha could return from a hamstring injury. injury in time for the trip to Villa Park. “Premier League games in the situation we're in at the moment are going to be really difficult,” O'Neil said. “Villa will probably have Ollie Watkins, (Moussa) Diaby, (Leon) Bailey, (Jacob) Ramsey, plus (Nicolò) Zaniolo and (Jhon) Durán to come off the bench.” ben fisherman
5
More VAR frustration for the Hammers
VAR's unerring ability to capture the narrative meant that the London Stadium staged the longest session yet at a Premier League ground awaiting the proceedings and machinations of Stockley Park. It took five minutes and 37 seconds to deduce that Tomas Soucek's arm was affected. So long that at the end of the wait, the players who moments before had been throwing everything at each other were chatting casually, calmly. The longer the wait, the greater the realization that the home team had not achieved victory. The boos were lukewarm for the Hammers' fourth goal in a week, belied by video evidence, every one of it by handball. “We think they are goals, but the VAR is the one that decides, not us,” said David Moyes, trying to maintain his own advice although becoming increasingly agitated. “I think the referee chose well because there was a handball,” said Villa goalscorer Nicolò Zaniolo. Conclusion: VAR decisions remain forever in the eye of the beholder. John Brewin
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6
Son has no excuses after Spurs' mistake
Son Heung-min's withering assessment of Tottenham's abject performance in the defeat to Fulham on Saturday echoed his manager's frustration. But while Ange Postecoglou says he is more concerned about seeing signs of improvement from his team than finishing in the top four, Son pulled no punches in his post-match interview after Tottenham's 39-match scoring streak came to a halt. resoundingly. “It's unacceptable, including me,” he said. “Everyone has to look in the mirror and say, 'It's my fault.' It wasn't good enough. We haven't put in the effort we have made this season. The acting and the attitude were not good enough.” With home games against Luton and Nottingham Forest sandwiched between a test trip to face West Ham, Son and Spurs will at least have a chance to put things right after the international break. Ed Aaron
7
Muric helps Burnley win B team battle
The B team was the match of the day. Gary Lineker's seat was occupied by Eilidh Barbour, Alan Shearer's by Glenn Murray, and the main event was… Burnley v Brentford. As drama, he delivered, with an early red card for Sergio Reguilón and a late goal from Brentford, who almost scored another, but it was disallowed. In terms of quality, it was less impressive, as some portraits were lost, although the main culprit, David Datro Fofana, atoned with a great ending. Both managers took credit: Vincent Kompany for giving goalkeeper Arijanet Muric his Premier League debut, who was the star of the show, and Thomas Frank for not making a fuss about the red card or the penalty that accompanied it. Burnley still look destined to go down, and Brentford are now in danger of joining them, but neither manager appears to be sacked. Tim Lisle
8
Berry shows the fighting spirit of the Hatters
If Luton's late point against relegation rivals Nottingham Forest proves decisive in keeping them in the top flight, it will be entirely appropriate for substitute Luke Berry to score the late goal. Berry has already scored for Luton in all four divisions of the Football League, which his coach, Rob Edwards, says typifies what “makes us unique and even closer”. While Forest had the firepower of Callum Hudson-Odoi on the bench, Luton relied on a player they signed when they were in League Two and he duly delivered. “We are who we are and I love that,” Edwards said. “There are several players who have had to fight, fight and work very hard to be here. “They don’t want to give that up.” The losers are determined not to give up their place yet. ben flower
