Premier League: 10 Key Talking Points from the Latest Round of Fixtures
The most recent set of top-flight fixtures provided a wealth of drama, shock outcomes, and interesting subplots. Ranging from clashes between coaches to personal masterclasses, we examine the primary conversations emerging from the games.
Calum McFarlane Stands Firm When Facing A Master Tactician
The Chelsea manager's surprise battle with the Manchester City boss recalled memories of earlier David vs Goliath coaching battles. For the Chelsea boss, taking charge for his senior coaching bow, the challenge was ending the Blues' astonishingly bad sequence versus the champions. A dramatic strike from the Argentine midfielder earned a valuable result, something past coaches had struggled to do.
2. Liverpool's Inability to Close Games Out
Despite Florian Wirtz finding the net, Liverpool ended up disappointed after allowing a lead evaporate against Marco Silva's side. The problem of not managing to command encounters when ahead continues, with the side almost letting slip similar margins in recent outings. Before they learn the skill of killing off matches, the campaign promises to be a challenging process.
3. Rice Shows Faith In Viktor Gyökeres to Fire
Arsenal's striker is enduring a lengthy dry spell from general play, but his midfield colleague the Gunners lynchpin has stressed the player is still hugely important. He praised Gyökeres' pressing and selfless contributions as key to Mikel Arteta's side title charge. "Success are bound to arrive," was the midfielder's supportive assessment for his off-colour strike partner.
Ruben Amorim Needs The Slovenian to Improve
With the Red Devils setting up in a notably conservative way, the onus fell on the forward duo to produce. Whereas Matheus Cunha persisted with his impressive form, his strike partner suffered another forgettable outing. He has scored elusive since his major move and wasted a late opening to win the contest. The new year provides a obvious imperative for the striker to discover his confidence.
Enzo Le FĂ©e Puts Tottenham in a Spin
The Black Cats boss deployed his creative talent in a unfamiliar role at first, before releasing him into advanced areas as the match developed. The decision turned out to be a masterstroke, with Le FĂ©e emerging as the architect of his team's push for an leveler. After glancing the post, Le FĂ©e provided a sumptuous pass for the crucial goal. Now found his feet to the pace of the English game, his campaign is on the rise.
The West Ham Manager Fails to Take Chance to Use Pablo Felipe
During an dismal defeat for the Hammers, head coach Nuno EspĂrito Santo opted against introduce any of his named replacements. This meant new signing the Brazilian striker, who watched on despite his side's chronic ineffectiveness. Nuno reasoned it would have been "unjust" to send the fresh striker into the action. However, with firepower at a premium, the need to blood the 22-year-old rapidly is abundantly clear.
The Teenager Makes Another Huge Case
Lewis Miley turned in another exceptional performance whilst playing at right-back. The midfielder was excellent in his own half, provided the opening goal, and raised the tone in a scrappy match. With established full-backs returning, the question for manager Eddie Howe is whether to accommodate the remarkably talented teenager in his natural midfield position. "Coming Magpies teams will certainly be built around Miley," seems an a accurate prediction.
Could the Sean Dyche Impact Wearing Thin at Nottingham Forest?
Sean Dyche's early influence at Forest was positive, but doubts are now arise about the squad's versatility. Their transition prowess is still there, but seems less potent without previous personnel. Whilst structured when sitting back, Forest have been exposed when needing to chase a game. Giving the ball away in such moments has proven disastrous, a lesson they have to solve quickly.
The Striker's Goal Rush Halts The Bees' Away-Day Blues
Brentford put in a performance that belied their poor form on the road. Central to their impressive display was the prolific streak of forward the goal-getter. The striker's presence are giving a platform for the squad to aim higher. Teammate Kevin Schade even suggested the ambitious dream of a top-seven finish as a possibility, emphasizing the growing belief within the team.
