The improvement of Brighton shows Hughton’s ingenious work
Brighton did not quite park the bus against Liverpool, but they certainly played with conscious awareness of their own limitations. In December 2017, they were beaten 5-1 at the Amex by Jürgen Klopp. This time, they were there until the very end, eventually sending center-back Shane Duffy forward, but a close defeat left no one too down.
“We did not want to be punished with three or four because they could embarrass you,” Duffy said. “At half time we said we had to stay in the game for as long as possible because we might have a chance, but today it did not happen.” But Brighton deserves recognition.
They’re getting closer to the top sites these days and it’s not as if all those games were being attacked from their shell. Liverpool as close as she was to running was more evidence of the clever work Chris Hughton is doing.
Fulham flatters to fool as Ranieri braves his face
Fulham played for two minutes as a world knocker in Turf Moor and then too long as a defeated team. The start, which André Schürrle achieved with his exquisite opening goal, exceeded all expectations. Claudio Ranieri claimed that his team deserved a point, although he confessed that Fulham had only made three attempts to score while he was doing everything and moving outside the box.
“You have not asked so many questions,” said Sean Dyche, who was a bit rich because the manager of a successful site had not scored a single goal. “We played well, we will not give up,” Ranieri said, giving a brave face to the fact that his side can not afford to waste points on other fighters. Fulham played well, but in the last third it depends.
Wagner left the lack of VAR
Another messy umpire decision, another vote for technology. Confusion reigned after Lee Mason revoked his decision to sentence Huddersfield, and as David Wagner said, such a setback costs money.
Would a video referee assistant support Huddersfield’s fight for survival? “In general, I’m not a fan of it, because it stops the emotions,” said Wagner. “But if you have emotions that I have now and in the past, then it would be helpful.” Huddersfield finds it hard to refer to Wagner – without a win since November – that Michael Oliver’s failure to sanction his side in Brighton last month.
“I know that the officials are not doing anything on purpose, but it looks very unhappy and unhappy for us,” he added. If VAR is introduced to the Premier League next season, it’s probably too late for the Terriers.
Sarri could have got on with Fàbregas’ passing skills
Jorginho’s influence on Chelsea after his arrival from Naples was an important reason for their successful start under Maurizio Sarri, but the manager’s admission that his low-key playmaker is “in trouble” after beating Newcastle was in the wake of Cesc Fàbregas’s farewell to Monaco fascinating on friday. “Did you see the game? After 20 minutes he lost a lot of balls, “said Sarri.
“It’s unusual, so I think he was tired. If Fàbregas was on the bench, he would probably have been in the field in the second half. The decision for Nicolás Barella of Cagliari or Leandro Paredes of Zenit St. Petersburg could still be endorsed, though Sarri seemed frustrated that he has only a limited opinion of transferring transactions. “In my opinion, we need two players,” he said. “If you ask me something else, I do not know what to answer because I’m not responsible for the market.”
Gracia shows that he can make difficult decisions
Watford’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace was probably celebrated by most of its players, not least by Tom Cleverley, whose winning goal since October 2017 was his first goal after spending a year on the sidelines with thigh and hamstring problems , But Ken Sema, the man Cleverley replaced after 68 minutes, is a must-see.
It’s not an unusual thing to realize that Sema himself came from the bank. He was introduced when Will Hughes suffered a concussion after 19 minutes following a collision with Mamadou Sakho. Sema was not injured, but managed just before Javi Gracia, 49 minutes later to get a replacement.
“It was not an easy decision, but at that moment I thought I had to do it,” Gracia said, when asked for a replacement. “I’m very sorry because I do not like it, but I had to do it.”
Everton’s credit stars offer Silva feed
Marco Silva’s face was relieved when Everton scored an invaluable first win in five home league games. The contributions of Kurt Zouma and André Gomes were not lost to the Everton manager.
Both overcoming the overcoming brings the much needed strength, one final touch in front of the goal in the defender and the composure. Not that Gomes should have seen the 90 minutes, but the midfielder was fortunate enough to escape a second yellow card. The two took the responsibility for other older Everton players did not do that, which worried Silva, since both were in the club’s pawnshop.
“We had no qualifications to sign them permanently,” said the Everton manager. “At that moment, a loan was the best and perhaps the only solution. Let’s see what we can do with these two players in the future. “
Hasenhüttl gives the saints a new determination
Southampton’s 2-1 win over Leicester was a game they lost before Ralph Hasenhüttl was named. It was more than half an hour when Leicester, who played with an extra man after Yan Valery’s dismissal, halved the deficit and was easily afraid of Southampton at the time.
However, it speaks volumes for the renewed belief that Hasenhüttl has introduced, and especially the way the team is defensively organized, that Southampton has experienced the game without ever seeming so uncomfortable. The Austrian has only been in the league seven times, but he has already won as many (three) as Mark Hughes. “The difference was incredible,” said James Ward-Prowse, who opened the season. “We have a clear structure and a plan of what to do with and without a ball.”
Lukaku in the cold, as Rashford shines
The sighting of Romelu Lukaku in tracksuit and raincoat as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial passed Paul Pogba showed the most marked change in Manchester United since José Mourinho had paid his bill at the Hotel Lowry. On his return from the holiday he took over Christmas, the Belgian still has to fit in with the strategy of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who seemed a bit more sophisticated in Wembley than playing in the break and making quick shots as fast as possible.
Despite his goals in the last three games, a goalkeeper does not meet United’s requirements, and just as Solskjær of Sir Alex Ferguson had to accept goals can not guarantee a starting position if the team is better served by players who bring more overall. Meanwhile, it remains a mystery why Mourinho has not seen much in Rashford.
Nasri could be the bargain of the season
Samir Nasri had one point to prove during the impressive victory of West Ham against Arsenal. Nasri was not only fueled by a desire to silence the constant taunt of his ass, where Arsenal’s fans had the opportunity to taunt a player who left them for Manchester City under crazy circumstances in 2011, and also encouraged the demonstration of Reasons Manuel Pellegrini was determined to sign him.
After Nasri had a second chance after an 18-month ban on doping, he faced the challenge of showing that he had lost none of his technical abilities. He still needs games to improve his fitness after his long exile, but the Frenchman glittered in # 10 and won Declan Rice. Much more of it and West Ham will feel like they’ve landed the season’s trade.
Son shows Spurs what they are missing
It was the last part of the extended farewell to Son Heung-min before he was late for the Asian Cup. Tottenham will miss the awareness of the space and weight of passing that Harry Winks creates for an early, missed opportunity. With Mousa Dembélé in the Chinese Super League, Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama are still missing long-term complaints and Moussa Sissoko suffered in the first half a hamstring bang.
A quartet of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Son, joined Mauricio Pochettino’s side in eight games in seven games during the most outrageous part of the season, but their energy levels have visibly declined. Kane hobbled in pain. Those who take the place of Son from Lucas Moura or Erik Lamela have big shoes to fill, but for the other three there is no one who can intervene.
