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Premier League 2019/20 best and worst: Liverpool and Man City's title race, relegation candidates impressing and more VAR
Premier League expert Alex Keble runs through the best and worst from matchday 11 in 2019/20.
Best
- Relentless top two promise another thrilling title challenge
With 85 minutes on the clock in the 3pm kick-offs it looked as though we were about to witness Liverpool and Man City losing on the same weekend for the first time since December 2016. But both sides managed to turn things around, a testament to self-belief and willpower that points to another ridiculously close title challenge come May.
Liverpool didn’t really change their approach as the match wore on, instead simply trusting that their usual tactics would come good, and indeed it was relentless attacking through the full-backs that led to both goals.
It was no surprise that Liverpool kept on believing, given who they were facing; Aston Villa have now led in the 80th minute against Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham this season, only to nervously drop deep and invite pressure.
Man City made quite a dramatic change, throwing on Gabriel Jesus at half-time and switching to an old-school 4-4-2 - with old-school tactics.
Pep Guardiola instructed his players to swing crosses into the box at every opportunity, and with the hosts racking up 68 across the 90 minutes their pressure eventually told.
Kyle Walker crossed for the equaliser, and then got on the end of a cross to complete the turnaround.
- Wolves’ resurgence in full swing with Jota & Traore as mismatching forwards
Wolves are most definitely back, unbeaten in six league games and a mere four points off fifth despite an alarmingly poor start to the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo has re-energised the side by reverting back to the 3-4-2-1 formation that took the league by storm immediately after their promotion, only this time with Adama Traore starting alongside Diogo Jota and behind Raul Jimenez.
The presence of the former Barcelona man marks a significant tactical departure from when Helder Costa started in attack.
Last year two inside forwards stayed close to Jimenez, narrowing the pitch for the wing-backs to bomb forward on the outside, but this season Traore hugs the touchline and takes on his man. Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney had a torrid time, albeit largely because he had so little protection; Unai Emery inexplicably picked a narrow diamond 4-4-2, allowing Wolves’ wing-backs to dominate.
Traore goes wide and Matt Doherty underlaps, while on the other side Jota cuts inside and Jonny overlaps. It caused chaos for the Gunners, Calum Chambers constantly getting caught between two roles on that side as Jota danced through on the counter-attack. Wolves were the much better side, amassing 25 shots to Arsenal’s seven.
- Sheff Utd & Brighton show the benefits of progressive tactics
Not many people will have had relegation favourites Sheffield United and Brighton in the top ten as we approach the third-of-the-way mark of the 2019/20 season.
Graham Potter and Chris Wilder are both doing extraordinary jobs with limited resources, committing to a progressive style of possession football that requires a bravery that’s beyond most managers. On Saturday, their emphatic home wins indicated neither club needs to worry about going down this year; they can outplay enough bottom-half clubs to get to the 40-point mark.
Burnley just could not handle United’s energy levels, or the complex movement down the left channel where Enda Stevens, Jack O’Connell, and David McGoldrick fluidly interchange positions. United’s shape creating an overload around right-back Matt Lowton, with Stevens’ runs setting up the first two goals.
Brighton were just as dominant against Norwich, hitting 21 shots and holding 59% possession in Potter’s new 4-2-2-2. Like Spurs in that 3-0 Amex victory, Norwich couldn’t cope with the way wingers Pascal Gross and Steven Alzate tucked infield.
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Worst
- VAR finds two new ways to fail in Everton v Spurs
We’re all getting sick of talking about VAR, but as the tide turns against the technology it’s important to keep detailing exactly what is wrong; it isn’t too late to get rid of VAR for the start of next season.
This weekend saw numerous examples of VAR once again causing mayhem, Roberto Firmino’s apparent armpit offside leaving most of us incredulous (a reminder that, because of the frame rate, VAR offsides are only accurate to within 30cm).
But it was Sunday’s game at Goodison Park that revealed two brand new ways for VAR to infuriate supporters.
First, the VAR referee watched a possible handball claim against Dele Alli for a full three minutes without once referring to the angle that Sky cameras subsequently showed us, giving viewers a definitive answer. And second, VAR failed to overturn a red card shown to Heung-Min Son despite footage showing it was a huge mistake.
Whether it’s missing blatant errors or not watching the right video at all, VAR reached new levels of shambolic on Sunday.
- Aimless Man United’s phantom revival is over
Having talked a good game over the international break, the Man Utd PR machine did a pretty good job of convincing people they had a plan and that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was on track.
But scratch the surface and since a 1-1 draw with an oddly-nervous Liverpool they had only beaten Partizan, Norwich, and Chelsea’s reserves in the Carabao Cup.
Any talk of a revival is surely over now, with order restored at the Vitality after an ambling, aimless display from Solskjaer’s side.
After initially running in behind Bournemouth for the first ten minutes United suddenly faded, barely creating a single chance in the final 80 minutes. It was more evidence that Solskjaer does not give detailed tactical coaching, and that any signs of life are just moments of individual quality rather than part of a long-term strategy.
Take the Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford partnership, for example, so good at Norwich and then suddenly poor at Bournemouth. These two rarely interacted on Saturday.
There is no plan, and no hope of dramatic improvement this season. Never mind top six, a top ten finish is far from guaranteed.
- Pellegrini could be near the end after dreadful West Ham performance
West Ham’s very high defensive line and disorganisation from their attacking set-pieces (leaving a slow Pablo Zabaleta alone at the back) were ruthlessly exposed by Newcastle on Saturday.
Steve Bruce had clearly given his players specific instructions to launch long balls over the top in search of early runners, and as a direct consequence they should have been 5-0 up at half-time.
Manuel Pellegrini appeared stunned after the game, admitting he did not understand how West Ham had conceded so many high-quality chances to a side that, before Saturday, hadn’t scored more than once in a single league game this season. Now on a six-match winless run, Pellegrini doesn’t have much time left to turn things around.
Sky Bet: Manuel Pellegrini 10/1 to be the next Premier League manager to leave his job
Gomes to undergo ankle surgery
Everton midfielder Andre Gomes will undergo surgery on a fracture dislocation to his right ankle on Monday.
Arsenal deny Mourinho meeting
Arsenal have denied any meetings have taken place between head of football Raul Sanllehi and Jose Mourinho as pressure continues to mount on Unai Emery.
Odds correct as of 1000 BST on 04/11/19