1
The colossal Van Dijk uses his head
When Liverpool needed a hero, when all their other leaders had been sidelined by injury, Virgil van Dijk stepped up as the Carabao Cup protagonist of the final at the decisive moment. Earlier in the match, the Dutchman had looked bewildered after being denied a marginal VAR call. The resulting debate over Wataru Endo's offside might have haunted Liverpool on another day, but Jürgen Klopp's youngsters shone to keep Chelsea at bay as the match went into extra time and they needed Van Dijk to go high to seal the triumph of the Reds. domain. In the end, at the time of the winning goal in the 118th minute, Van Dijk was the only player left on the Wembley pitch capable of using his head. Having been a transformational signing for Klopp more than six years ago, it seems fitting that the defender plays such a pivotal role in this trophy's success. sunday stand
2
Ten Hag walking a tightrope
Admitting Manchester United's naivety does not help Erik ten Hag in his bid to convince Sir Jim Ratcliffe's new regime to retain him as manager. The 52-year-old did so when analyzing Alex Iwobi's 97th-minute winner for Fulham, which came after Adama Traoré was able to run past the side. Ten Hag said: “They took a throw-in and we didn't take the right positions. In reality, a player did not take the correct position, but we must manage this in the team so that he cannot escape.” Here, Ten Hag is probably referring to Victor Lindelöf, United's auxiliary left back. But there was more. Harry Maguire stayed behind the Spaniard and, like the Dutchman, accepted the insensitivity of his choice. “He was reprimanded (to be suspended),” said the defender. “Maybe I should have taken it down, but then you miss next week. It's easy to say now.” This lack of street smarts points to a poorly managed team, which also points to the precariousness of Ten Hag's job security. Jaime Jackson
3
Guardiola savors the hard work
Pep Guardiola called his Manchester City players “supermen” after they claimed a second 1-0 win in five days, Phil Foden's goal gave them victory at Bournemouth and the praise kept coming. By City standards, they were unconvincing, but Guardiola was full of praise. The City manager spoke of a series of grueling games after comparing last Tuesday's game against Brentford to a visit to the dentist, without anaesthesia. They visit Luton in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday, before they resume their Champions League defense in March and bring tests against Arsenal, Brighton and Liverpool, as well as the Manchester derby. The prospect of a consecutive treble is present. “A great month,” said Guardiola. “I thought, 'I don't know what's going to happen to my players after I win it all.' How will they react? My God… better than what they have is impossible. Impossible.” ben fisherman
4
Jorginho takes a step forward to shine with Arsenal
Jorginho may not end up making the headlines, but he is proving his worth to Arsenal. Mikel Arteta called him to a first division starting eleven for the sixth time this season and was outstanding in the rout of Newcastle. Opting for the Brazilian instead of Leandro Trossard seemed like a conservative move, but it was anything but that. His guidance and prodigious ground coverage helped Arsenal exert overwhelming control, while his wonderful pass to Gabriel Martinelli set up the crucial second goal. “He is a top-level player,” Arteta said. “Especially when opponents have certain behaviors and setups, the way I imagine the game was going to have a big impact.” Jorginho's cajoling of his team-mates was also notable and in a match that had previously descended into chaos, it was easy to see why Arteta might choose to deploy a sentinel on the pitch. Jorginho was much more than that; Arsenal's midfield depth has been questioned, but his experience could take them over the line. Nick Ames
5
Branthwaite looks authentic
Generations of Evertonians have had to get used to the whipping of family money. Francis Jeffers, Wayne Rooney, Joleon Lescott, Ross Barkley and John Stones left Goodison for richer clubs. Jarrad Branthwaite looks certain to join that list, and his goal and overall performance at Brighton proved to be high-quality marketing. His control and sharp finishing are not what give him his reputation, but they showed the innate talent of the lanky 21-year-old. A couple of late blocks as Brighton chased the eventual equalizer were testament to his discipline; Brighton's forwards battled for time and space until Pascal Gross found Lewis Dunk for a late equaliser. “I feel good and confident coming into the games,” Branthwaite said, “I know I'm good enough to play at this level.” And so do many admirers among the game's elite, Manchester United and Real Madrid, to name just two. John Brewin
after newsletter promotion
6
Luiz takes on the lead role of Emery
Another game at Aston Villa's home, another goal from Douglas Luiz. In fact, a double in the first half. Luiz, nominally a holding midfielder, has nine Premier League goals this season, each of which came at Villa Park. Recently, after Boubacar Kamara's anterior cruciate ligament injury, Luiz's importance has increased and Unai Emery values him the most: “He lost the first two balls in the second half and I told him: 'Please, Douglas, you are a player clue'. player so that we maintain confidence playing in our style,'” Emery said. “He took control of the game with his skills and gave us confidence.” Luiz praised his coach effusively: “He lifted me up; it's the truth. He tells me every day that you have to defend and that, if you go, you have to score.” Luiz is following those instructions to the letter. Sam Dalling
7
Inexperienced Chelsea show lack of intelligence
In the end, it was Jürgen Klopp's children versus Todd Boehly's acquisitions. Finally, for Chelsea, this was an opportunity to justify – to some extent – a billion-pound transfer spend under Todd Boehly, to put a piece of silverware in the cabinet for the first time after Abramovich and to point out progress. When Klopp was forced to sign rookies Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Jayden Danns, Pochettino was able to turn to Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku, who cost a combined £140m. However, as the game became increasingly difficult against rookie opponents, the Blues' own shortcomings – their lack of trophy-winning talent and their weak mentality – were exposed. There is inexperience in terms of age and then there is football immaturity; Chelsea demonstrated the latter at Wembley. “Billion pound bottle jobs,” was the phrase used by Gary Neville in the comments. It was difficult to argue otherwise. D.B.
8
Ayew adds shine to Glasner's debut
For years, Jordan Ayew was one of the most frustrating players in the world, blessed with enormous talent but seemingly always doomed to be caught offside or make the wrong choice. What might have happened, for example, if he had fielded Asamoah Gyan to take advantage when Ghana was winning 2-1 against Germany in the 2014 World Cup? However, he is now 32 years old and over the last two seasons has become one of Crystal Palace's most reliable players, hard-working and, in a more withdrawn role, increasingly effective. He seemed to revel in the freedom that Oliver Glasner's 3-4-2-1 gave him, taking advantage of Chris Richards' first goal with a clever cross to the far post, and then scoring the second himself, arriving unmarked to finish off a counter-attack. . That's four goals and six assists this season, the most goals he's ever scored in a season. jonathan wilson
9
Neto shines but could be the next to leave
Over the summer, Wolves sold Portuguese players Rúben Neves and Matheus Nunes to help balance the books, raising more than £100m in fees. It remains impressive how well the club has done by relying on cheaper replacements and those already in the building to step up. The next Portuguese international to earn Wolves a tidy profit will undoubtedly be Pedro Neto. The winger was the most dynamic player on the pitch against Sheffield United, effortlessly gliding between the red and white shirts to create opportunities. He will be disappointed not to have nine assists and two goals against the most porous team in the league. Neto has been linked to several higher-ranked clubs in the league and will inevitably command a high fee, something Gary O'Neil hopes to reinvest. won't win
10
The relentless league is taking its toll
As well as goals, goals, goals, one of the themes of this Premier League season has been injuries, injuries and, well, more injuries. They can be used as an excuse for poor results (see Manchester United and Chelsea) or a team can dig in and pull together in difficult circumstances, as the best teams often do. Liverpool certainly did it in the Carabao Cup final after Ryan Gravenberch was stretchered off. It was Erik ten Hag who hinted at the reason for the high number of injuries in the top flight this season when explaining Rasmus Højlund's recent muscle twinge. “It is a risk in high-intensity training,” said the United coach. Jürgen Klopp had already said in December that management “no longer has to do with training, but only with recovery and then with meetings.” Clubs are falling victim to the Premier League's greatest strengths: its speed and ruthlessness. D.B.
