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Wharton does business at Anfield
Joachim Andersen named Sky's man of the match at Anfield That's right. But while the Danish centre-back won header after header and clearance after clearance, and while the front three of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise repeatedly caused problems on the counterattack, there was one figure who stood out in midfield during his peace of mind: Adam Wharton, perhaps the brightest of the hugely promising generation that Tony Mowbray brought to Blackburn. The 20-year-old moved to Palace in January for an initial fee of £18m and has since played at least some role in every Crystal Palace match. No other Palace player came close to their 88% pass completion rate and, although they took advantage of their luck to some extent in the second half, they would have had to take advantage a lot more if it hadn't been for their distribution, which helped avoid the Liverpool is gaining strength. jonathan wilson
2
Familiar feeling of sinking for Arsenal
A year ago, almost exactly, Arsenal They blew a 2-0 lead at Anfield, and although that didn't settle the title, the feeling at full-time was that they had missed their chance, just as it was after Villa's decisive victory at the Emirates. Blaming the strength of a match is harsh (Mikel Arteta's men have played another excellent season), but when things got big for them, they cringed. To take on those on the field first, in defense Arsenal lacked discipline (the two goals they conceded were eminently avoidable), while in attack they still lack ruthlessness and a bit of imagination, unable to finish while up and create when fighting. Meanwhile, his coach opted to leave out Jorginho, presumably saving him for the midweek trip to Bayern; The problem was that when Villa began playing, his team lacked the means to regain control. So City are leading the way again and the feeling is that Arsenal have squandered it, once again too. Daniel Harris
3
Different season, same problems?
We have read and heard plenty of praise for a three-way title race only for Liverpool and Arsenal to cede control to city of manchester, jeopardizing the work of a season and the legendary outcome in a single afternoon. However, at first glance this represents an improvement: City can finish the season with a maximum of 91 points, much less worrying than the 98-100 recorded by the league champions between 2017-18 and 2019-20. This is because the Palaces and Villas of this world, along with almost all the teams in the division, have several players capable of hurting the best, something in theory a good thing, but in practice possible, mainly because those clubs can surpass the talent offers of more historic European rivals. , while the elected champions, champions in six of the last seven seasons, have ties to a nation state with human rights problems. So while no one can question the entertaining appeal of it all (Sunday was another fantastic day of Premier League Football™), the same problems persist, just in slightly different forms. HD
4
Kovacic highlights City's depth
On the day Rodri rested as desired, Mateo Kovacic did precisely what was required as a substitute for Manchester City's alpha midfielder: anchor the game and score a memorable first league goal for the champions. City, just 1-0 up, needed the purest of 20-yard volleys that met Julián Álvarez's bouncing corner in the 64th minute to completely break Luton. who they proceeded to defeat. Kovacic said: “It's very nice to score. For me it is not the most important thing, but obviously it is nice to be on the scoreboard with my family up there.” Rodri is expected to be reinstated for Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Real Madrid, the tie delicately prepared in 3-3. But Kovacic has shown Rodri (and Pep Guardiola) that he can certainly replace his teammate. Jaime Jackson
5
Ten Hag tries to stay positive, but fails.
Erik ten Hag's first defense a weak performance at Bournemouth It was to emphasize that Harry Maguire, their only available senior centre-back, was suffering an injury during a one-sided first half. That explanation surely didn't cut much ice with Manchester United fans, who have grown tired of the abject performances that have left their Champions League qualification hopes in tatters. For the first time in Premier League history, United are at risk of finishing below seventh place. When that possibility was put to Ten Hag at the end of his press conference, he insisted it was an irrelevant question, before getting up from his seat and heading for the nearest exit. “I don't comment,” he said. “That's not important right now.” With United now behind Newcastle and West Ham and Chelsea not far behind them, it could soon be. ben fisherman
6
Pereira makes the Hammers pay double
David Moyes' future beyond the end of this season remains uncertain, with his contract expiring this summer and His team's performance against Fulham. He did him few favors. Despite his success in Europe and a high position in the top half of the table, there is a feeling that West Ham fans have never really accepted his pragmatic style. The team's lack of swagger and offensive conservatism have failed to win over fans and this lackluster defeat highlighted their team's limitations. Apart from a lively start, West Ham quickly ran out of ideas, Lucas Paquetá lacked his usual creative influence and there is no doubt they badly missed the injured Jarrod Bowen. The English attacker's availability for the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final at home against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday is still in doubt and West Ham appeared to be without him. Fulham put in a commendable away performance (suggesting that finishing in the top 10 is not unrealistic) with midfielder Andreas Pereira enhancing his reputation during an excellent performance which was capped by his two goals. Simon Mail
7
Newcastle have fun on Maddison's day off
James Maddison had an option last summer, but the English midfielder opted to leave Leicester for Tottenham instead of Newcastle. On the evidence presented by the Spurs 4-0 defeat on TynesideEddie Howe was lucky to escape. Maddison was terrible and was surely one of the key people his coach, Ange Postecoglou, had in mind when he lamented his team's “lack of courage on the ball.” Maddison's main implications were escaping a booking for body-checking Anthony Gordon before being booked for fouling Jacob Murphy. He was taken off in the 81st minute with the taunts of the Newcastle fans ringing in his ears. They did not appreciate Maddison's preference for life in the capital, but it would have been intriguing to see whether Howe's coaching could have imbued his often wonderfully talented game with the consistency it evidently lacks. The excellent Alexander Isak, who has improved rapidly and scored twice on Saturday, could tell you what a good Newcastle manager he is. Louise Taylor
8
Danilo impresses for Forest as Wolves lack bite
Although Matheus Cunha scored twice for Wolves in Saturday's 2-2 draw, his Brazilian counterpart Danilo was far superior as he played a key role for Nottingham Forest again. Danilo is one of only four players to have started in all of Nuno Espírito Santo's victories as Forest manager, despite not occupying a regular place this campaign. Danilo won 100% of his duels in what turned out to be a crucial midfield battle and continued to prove his worth. The midfielder was also the one who created the most chances (four) in addition to scoring a vital goal. Wolves struggle to capitalize on dominance of possession statistics; They had 54% of the ball at Forest, but Gary O'Neil has seen more success from his team when they have less possession. The Wolves have had less than 45% possession in 11 games this season; They won five of them and lost only three. By contrast, in the nine league games this season in which Wolves had more than 55% possession, they have won two and lost six. Peter Lansley
9
Burnley offer hope for the future despite imminent relegation
Burnley have lost once in their last six games, winning one and drawing four. It won't keep them in the top flight, but it shows that improvements have been made over the last month. Vincent Kompany's team lacked Premier League experience at the start of the season and have barely gained it. Even after his latest blunder against BrightonError-prone Arijanet Muric has improved defensively since replacing James Trafford in goal, helped by the form of Maxime Estève in front of him. As a team, they are passing better and seem more composed when facing attacks, without offering the defensive panic they saw at the beginning of the campaign. Wilson Odobert was a threat on the wing all day Saturday and would have provided two assists if his teammates had been more clinical. Burnley will almost certainly start next season in the Championship, but there are green shoots of hope, despite being second from bottom with 20 points from 33 games. won't win
10
Arblaster gets high marks despite own goal
Chris Wilder Sheffield United The contract runs until the end of next season and, judging by the visiting contingent at Brentford, retains the approval of the stalwarts. Next season, almost certainly contested in the championship, the club will start with two negative points due to poor financial management. Wilder said the reaction from his fellow Blades was “humble” given that he has not been able to stop the terrible situation he inherited. The rebuild begins here, encompassing players like rookie midfielder Oliver Arblaster. “I thought he was exceptional, he has nothing to apologize for,” Wilder said of a local lad who has been impressive since he was introduced last month following a loan to Port Vale. Arblaster scored Brentford's first goal with an unfortunate own goal, but Wilder marked the teenager with “9.5/10… he has dominated the midfield, I thought he was the better player by far. “Brentford have some good players and Ollie was there among them.” John Brewin
