1
Saka and Martinelli shoulder load
Critics lined up to criticize the “same old Arsenal” as Kai Havertz, the number 9 of the day, was denied by Alisson after being sent on goal. The Gunners had failed in this same FA Cup match, but lost late Liverpool counter attacks. Havertz never seemed confident, but Bukayo Saka rescued him, alert to convert the rebound. Gabriel Martinelli did something similar to take advantage of a rare misstep by the Liverpool defense later on. And thus a theme from last season was evoked; the productivity of Arsenal's attackers who are not outright forwards. Last season, Saka, Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard scored 44 goals between them. This season, the trio only had 15 before this game. Arsenal are undoubtedly a rival, but those three must provide the majority of the goals for that to be maintained. sunday stand
2
Wolves benefit from Neto's dazzling return
Chelsea were unable to get close to Pedro Neto at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The winger had the strength to hold off his markers and the footwork to get out of some difficult situations. Back from an injury, this is how Neto was unleashed. the feature Chelsea pieces. Mauricio Pochettino's team could not prevent him from targeting Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell on their left. Neto continued to move away from Chilwell, who left space behind him for the winger to attack, and that meant he continued to have opportunities to draw Silva away from the centre-back. “He almost didn't start,” said Gary O'Neil, aware of the need to protect his best player. “Fortunately he felt fine.” Fortunately for Wolves, although not for Chelsea. The Portuguese scored his team's second goal with a burst from the right and scored the third after beating Silva. With Matheus Cunha also scoring a hat-trick, Chelsea were annihilated. Jacob Steinberg
3
Højlund continues shooting for United
What a way to turn 21 for Rasmus Højlund. He scored for the fourth consecutive game in all competitions, with the 11th goal of his nascent Manchester United career being his best yet. When Casemiro stabbed the ball forward, the Dane had to turn to create space and fire an arrow into Alphonse Areola's right corner. He did so, to continue his upward trajectory. As the ecstatic striker said afterwards: “I got my (birthday) present in the morning and now I have an even bigger one, so I'm happy.” Højlund's first league goal was not recorded until Boxing Day. “I've always believed it's about keeping the pace. You get one goal, two and a little bit of momentum and you start connecting with the players. I also worked a lot on myself, looking at my game and where I could improve. I have evolved a lot since I have been here.” Jaime Jackson
4
Fan frustrations overshadowed by thriller
Newcastle's 4-4 draw at home to Luton was absolutely crazy but absolutely brilliant. As Luton manager Rob Edwards said afterwards: “It was a game I will never forget.” Dan Burn certainly won't forget his torment at the feet of visiting right winger Chiedozie Ogbene as Ross Barkley turned back time to shine in Edwards' midfield. The only shame was that the action overshadowed a campaign by fan group Wor Flags, protesting against fan-unfriendly start times changed at the behest of broadcasters. “Television before fans,” read one banner at St James' Park, while others highlighted Newcastle's recent afternoon starts at Aston Villa, Liverpool and Fulham, plus an imminent 8pm kick-off at Arsenal. The second leg at Kenilworth Road is Newcastle's only 3pm Saturday away game so far this season, a situation which often makes it impossible for visiting fans to get home by public transport. The situation mocks the Green football weekend, an initiative designed to encourage fans to avoid cars and airplanes. Given that Premier League players regularly travel to matches, some hypocrisy seems evident. Louise Taylor
5
Does Derby gain a springboard for the Seagulls?
Pascal Gross hopes Brighton's historic victory over arch-rivals Crystal Palace can be the springboard for Roberto De Zerbi's side to experience another memorable season at the Amex Stadium. The German was instrumental in the 4-1 thrashing of Roy Hodgson's injury-hit side as Brighton ended their scoring drought in fine style, a result that kept them within striking distance of the top six. Having also reached the fifth round of the FA Cup and the last 16 of the Europa League, it will be a busy few months. “It's unbelievable,” said Gross, who also hopes to make Germany's Euro 2024 squad on home soil. “It is very positive that we are still in three competitions. We will play many games in the next four months. “We need to enjoy it because we have worked hard to be in this situation.” Ed Aaron
6
Physical approach pays off for Toffees
Sean Dyche insisted that it was simply Everton's set-piece prowess, not the result of a deliberate strategy to attack Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, that produced two draws for the team with the most goals scored. set piece this season. Along with the argument that he was unfairly reprimanded for protesting Michael Oliver's refusal to give Beto a non-existent penalty, the Everton The manager's statements do not cut the ice. Vicario's vulnerability under pressure – and his own defenders' lack of protection from him – was consistently exploited. Everton are not alone in that regard, but set pieces were not the only defensive problem on a frustrating afternoon for Ange Postecoglou. Ashley Young, who impressed on the right wing for Everton at the age of 38, was more forthcoming with the home team's tactics. “Tottenham are a good team and they want to play from the back,” Young said. “But when you go up against them, you can win the ball back. “We found we could do that in high positions and when you do that, you have opportunities.” andy hunter
after newsletter promotion
7
Emirates mistakes show there is pressure for the title
It's February, Manchester City have all their superstar players back in shape and the pressure of a real title game began to be felt at the Emirates. However, no one could have predicted the size and scale of the two defensive errors, nor the identity of the culprits. Already in first-half stoppage time, Luis Díaz's persistence paid off and they somehow managed to equalize, although it was much more due to Arsenal's reckless defending. The same thing happened with Gabriel Martinelli's goal to make it 2-1 when Liverpool got into a huge mess. William Saliba and Virgil van Dijk are considered by many to be the two best central defenders in the Premier League, but it seems that even they are not immune to the pressure cooker atmosphere of this division. It remains to be seen whether City will be promoted again, but it is difficult to imagine Pep Guardiola's defense making mistakes like that. sunday stand
8
Estève brings tranquility to the Clarets
Burnley's recruitment has been their biggest problem since their return to the Premier League. The team is bloated, full of very promising players but without the ability to make an immediate impact. Defense has been an important issue. On Saturday Maxime Estève, on loan from Montpellier, made his debut Burnley He debuted and seemed like the center back they were missing. The 21-year-old was hostile towards the forwards, calm on the ball and disciplined after coming on at half-time. “Aggressive, front foot, he wants to win every duel, good left foot, very fast, so it's a good starting point,” said Vincent Kompany. “We are very fortunate to be able to hire him. These types of players can also decide to go elsewhere: now he is a Burnley player, he is willing to risk everything for us and that is the player we need.” won't win
9
Bailey is presented as Villa's spark
Aston Villa's Leon Bailey is an excellent example of the benefit of patience. His arrival in 2021 from Bayer Leverkusen was accompanied by a reputation for exciting fans. Bailey's home debut saw him come in, score a belt, and exit again due to injury. It was a frustratingly brief glimpse at what the future might hold. That future has finally arrived. Having upped Villa's pace when introduced during the midweek defeat to Newcastle, Bailey dictated it at Bramall Lane on Saturday night. A good goal was the reward for another excellent performance. The winger was like an unstoppable electrical current, a voltage far beyond what United's defense could safely handle. This season, just 1,015 league minutes have netted Bailey seven goals and six assists. Vital to Villa's Champions League aspirations? You could say it. Sam Dalling
10
The absent Arter divides opinion
One of the funniest conclusions to Bournemouth's forgettable draw with Nottingham Forest It was the Harry Arter based smear fight in the stands. Bournemouth fans cheered his name to irritate the visiting fans, who were not as effusive in their praise. Arter, whose contract expires at the end of the season, prompted a contract extension after Forest's promotion to the top flight. As a result, Forest must pay his weekly salary of £40,000. Arter represents arguably Bournemouth's best value signing in their history, leading their promotion to the Premier League after joining from Woking for just £4,000, but for Forest, who signed him in 2020, he amounts to a white elephant. It has been over three years since he last pulled on a Forest shirt and his last league appearance was for Forest's neighbors Notts County against Dover Athletic in a non-league match in May 2022 . ben fisherman
