Jorginho excels as Arsenal overcome Liverpool, Man Utd finally back up a big win, Mauricio Pochettino under pressure – Premier League hits and misses | Football News

Jorginho helps put Arsenal again within the hunt

Mikel Arteta praised a string of Arsenal gamers in his press convention after their 3-1 win over Liverpool. Kai Havertz was “unbelievable” up entrance. Gabriel Martinelli introduced a “streetwise” edge. However his warmest phrases have been reserved for Jorginho.

“I all the time say that he’s an instance, a task mannequin,” stated the Arsenal supervisor. “He has had a problem he has been carrying for months. However he’s all the time the primary one in and the final one out. For all the youngsters on the membership, if you wish to take a look at any individual, simply take a look at him.”

The 32-year-old was excellent on his first Premier League begin since November, bringing management, combativeness and composure to Arsenal’s midfield. He handed with function and was alert to all the pieces, permitting the hosts to dominate for lengthy intervals.

His inclusion offered added safety alongside Declan Rice, with Havertz dropping again to kind a field midfield along with Martin Odegaard. However Jorginho additionally dictated Arsenal’s offensive play, making extra passes within the last third than anybody else.

The standard of his distribution shone via. After half-time, there was a pleasant go to launch Kai Havertz on the left. Earlier within the sport, he created an awesome likelihood for Martinelli in comparable style.

The ultimate thrives have been left to others, with Bukayo Saka, Martinelli and Leandro Trossard the scorers as Arsenal racked up three objectives, and an ‘anticipated’ complete (3.52) larger than any aspect has managed in opposition to Liverpool since Opta began amassing the info.

However no participant contributed extra to their dominance than Jorginho. Out and in of possession, he was essential in securing a end result which propels Arsenal proper again into the title race.
Nick Wright

Man Utd lastly again up a giant win

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag had prefaced the sport in opposition to West Ham with a phrase of warning in his programme notes. “One in every of our greatest points this time period has been our lack of ability to realize rhythm, and good outcomes have too typically been adopted by setbacks.”

He would have been pondering of the house win over Chelsea that was adopted by a 3-0 Previous Trafford defeat to Bournemouth. Or maybe one other event in December when United beat Aston Villa solely to lose to Nottingham Forest simply days later.

In between these outcomes got here the sudden draw at Liverpool that was adopted up with defeat at West Ham. However this time it was totally different. After overcoming Wolves within the 97th minute on Thursday night, United secured their greatest dwelling win of the season.

The three-0 win over West Ham was not a dominant show. The opposition had too many photographs for that. This five-game unbeaten run in all competitions consists of victories over Wigan and Newport within the FA Cup. However caveats apart, there’s trigger for some optimism.

In a position to choose what could be his strongest aspect, Ten Hag will probably be hopeful of growing the rhythm of which he speaks and the boldness that comes with it. He wants to purchase time and outcomes do this. It’s Aston Villa away subsequent. Win that and perception actually will develop.
Adam Bate

Pochettino must be fireproof as followers flip up the warmth

Mauricio Pochettino knew what he was strolling into when he grew to become Chelsea supervisor, however that doesn’t make it any simpler.

Chelsea completed 27 factors off the highest 4 in 2022/23, their worst season because the mid-Nineties. They’re on the right track to complete simply seven factors higher off this time round.

There is no such thing as a query Todd Boehly’s spending has been as a lot of a blessing as a curse for Chelsea, and it has earned Pochettino an awesome deal extra persistence than many managers be afforded after shedding to Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Everton and now Wolves – twice – within the house of barely half a season.

However a line has been crossed now. One four-goal humbling in every week is dangerous sufficient, and Liverpool will not be a crew any younger, inexperienced aspect desires to face. However shedding so closely at dwelling to a Wolves aspect who’ve been crippled by FFP restrictions and who have been many pundits’ outdoors shout for relegation in the beginning of the season – that’s past the pale.

For the primary time, the followers turned not solely on the crew however on Pochettino himself. His title was audible across the press field when his gamers trudged off at half-time, and never via messages of assist. There have been barely sufficient followers left at Stamford Bridge come the full-time whistle to offer him any extra abuse.

Chelsea are terrible in each packing containers. Judging by xG deficit, they’ve the second-most wasteful strike pressure within the league. They’ve now shipped 39 objectives this season – greater than the mixed tally of Jose Mourinho’s back-to-back league winners of 2004/05 and 2005/06.

There’s expertise on this crew. However there isn’t a collective. Particular person high quality won’t paper over the cracks of an absence of wider cohesion. Pochettino is much from the one one at fault for that. However he’s the one who will carry the can if issues don’t enhance rapidly, as a result of Stamford Bridge is already turning poisonous. It is just going to worsen.
Ron Walker

Alisson, Van Dijk not alone in Liverpool struggles

The defensive mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker for Arsenal’s second objective dominated the post-match fall-out on the Emirates Stadium. However they weren’t alone of their travails.

The truth is, there are different Liverpool gamers who can depend themselves fortunate to not have come beneath nearer scrutiny. That calamitous second objective was the turning level, in fact. However Arsenal created sufficient possibilities to win the sport twice over.

Their whole defensive unit struggled within the face of Arsenal’s pace and incisiveness. The returning Trent Alexander-Arnold couldn’t get close to Gabriel Martinelli and nor may Ibrahima Konate. Joe Gomez was equally poor on the alternative flank.

In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister was the one one to emerge with any credit score. Both aspect of him, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones allowed the sport to go them by. Harvey Elliott struggled too following his second-half introduction as Arsenal maintained the higher hand in midfield till the tip.

Additional ahead, Liverpool acquired nowhere close to the degrees of latest performances, mustering a solitary shot heading in the right direction and totalling a meagre 0.41 anticipated objectives to Arsenal’s 3.52. Diogo Jota’s heavy contact when put via on objective within the first minute set the tone for a poor show.

Alisson and Van Dijk have been the autumn guys in the long run. However their errors for the second objective have been symptomatic of a dismal collective efficiency. Liverpool should regain their focus rapidly.
Nick Wright

Lack of perception prices West Ham

This was fairly an odd sport. Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 win and at no level regarded like they’d lose in opposition to West Ham, but have been dominated within the photographs and anticipated objectives classes and allowed their guests practically 50 per cent of the possession.

Regardless of that, Andre Onana was solely compelled into one notable save – and that got here within the eleventh minute. West Ham’s greatest possibilities fell to Emerson, their left-back.

The Hammers have been nonetheless within the sport till one other Kalvin Phillips error arrange Man Utd’s third objective late on, but they by no means made a concerted effort to place stress on their hosts.

Maybe that is not stunning whenever you take a look at David Moyes’ file at Previous Trafford – he has did not win in 17 Premier League video games because the visiting supervisor.

Remarkably, the one supervisor to endure an extended run with out profitable at a Premier League floor can be Moyes, at each Anfield and Stamford Bridge.

Did he, or his crew, imagine they might win? The very fact they performed the complete sport with out a No 9 and selected to go away Danny Ings on the bench was curious.

After a vibrant first half of the season, West Ham have did not win of their first six video games of 2024. Their arduous work is at risk of being undone.
Joe Shread

Forest present indicators they’ve sufficient to get out of bother

There was conviction in Nuno Espirito Santo’s voice when he responded to being requested whether or not Nottingham Forest ought to have taken greater than some extent from their journey to the south coast in a post-match interview on the Vitality. “Sure, it may have been extra,” he stated.

This was not only a supervisor with a biased view of his personal crew. Forest progressively grew after going behind, with all 5 of their photographs in Dorset hitting their meant goal. Bournemouth have been the Premier League’s kind aspect all through November and December they usually have been left restricted, notably after the break.

Had they been capable of capitalise on Philip Billing’s late pink card for cynically catching Callum Hudson-Odoi on the Achilles, there most likely would not have been an enormous quantity of complaints.

The purpose they earned moved them an additional level away from the relegation zone. It has given them a short lived reprieve, regardless that Brentford above them and Luton beneath them nonetheless have video games in hand. These are issues for an additional day, although.

In no way does this crew appear like they’re ready to just accept their precarious place. There’s loads of post-Steve Cooper confidence, new signings nonetheless to be bedded and gamers but to return from AFCON to bolster the numbers.

Take that and the actual fact Luton having shocked Brighton in midweek and held Newcastle to a 4-4 draw on Saturday, there’s further stress on the golf equipment on the backside to up their sport to keep away from getting left behind.
Dan Lengthy