Category: English Premier League

Manchester United thrashed rock-bottom Wolves to move up to six

Matt Burtz emails: “There are some who don’t believe in xG, and that’s fine. For those who do, Wolves’ xG per 90 minutes is -0.44. Not great, but it’s only the fourth worst in the Premier League. (Interestingly enough, it’s ahead of Sunderland’s -0.52.) But the main stat for Wolves is an xG against of 18.9, which is seventh in the PL (and better than that of third place Aston Villa). This means they’ve been incredibly unlucky in keeping goals out. Clearly they need to score more goals as one every two games isn’t going to cut it at any level, but if their luck balances out defensively there is a theoretical chance of them putting some results together.”

It’s a nice theory.

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Handing the Egyptian a contract extension while also bringing about a new identity has backfired terribly

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There is perhaps nothing in a career as hard as the leaving of it. Unless something utterly remarkable happens, Mohamed Salah has played his last game for Liverpool. Left out of the starting lineup for each of the last three matches, he trained on Monday after his extraordinary post-match tirade following the 3-3 draw with Leeds but he has not been selected for the Champions League against Inter on Tuesday. He may or may not be with the team for Saturday’s game at Anfield against Brighton (“I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it,” he said). After that, he will be in Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations with the Egypt national team and the transfer window will have opened by the time the tournament is over.

How has it come to this? Salah is one of Liverpool’s all-time greats. He lies behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in their all-time goalscoring charts. Across all clubs, only Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney have scored more Premier League goals. He played a key role in two Premier League titles and a Champions League. He’s won the Premier League Golden Boot four times and been named player of the year three times by both his fellow players and soccer writers – including last year. He’s only 33 and there has been no obvious sign yet of him fading with age. This is not the end anybody would have wanted.

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Arsenal feel effects of defensive injuries, Liverpool rue Konaté’s mistakes and Brentford struggle on the road

• Latest Premier League table | Top scorers

When the team sheets landed at Villa Park, Arsenal’s matchday squad again appeared imperious. Their bench included a £64m striker in Viktor Gyökeres, a trio of tricky wingers in Leandro Trossard, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli and arguably England’s most exciting teenagers in Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. But Arsenal arrived top-heavy, the only centre-back among the substitutes the 16-year-old Marli Salmon. By the time Emiliano Buendía clinched victory for Aston Villa with almost the final kick, it was clear Arsenal lacked the defensive solidity behind their pace-setting start; this defeat was only the fourth time since the start of 2022-23 that Mikel Arteta’s side began a league game without Gabriel Magalhães or William Saliba – and it showed. Cristhian Mosquera, potentially sidelined until the new year, was also absent. The good news for all parties – which probably extends to second-placed Manchester City – is that Arsenal and Villa will duke it out again on 30 December in the reverse fixture. Ben Fisher

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Marc Guehi’s late header settled an enjoyable game that included an outrageous goal from Harry Wilson

9 min: Good effort by Smith Rowe Iwobi, on the left, curls a wicked inswinging corner that brushes a Palace head and flies over the bar for another corner.

This time it’s on the right. Iwobi clips it deliberately towards Smith Rowe, unmarked 10 yards out at the near post. He watches the bounce and twists his body to crack a shot that hits Guehi and flies over the bar. Lovely effort though, a variation on the old Anderton/Sheringham corner.

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A terrific finish from Jarrod Bowen gave West Ham the lead, but Georginio Rutter’s late equaliser rescued a point for a disappointing Brighton

“Celebrating the resurgence of West Ham is a bit premature, chides Eric Peterson. “They’re on a three-game winless streak, with those games against: a sinking Bournemouth, a floundering Manchester United, and an imploding Liverpool. Facing Brighton, which hadn’t lost since October before running into an irresistible Aston Villa, will provide a sterner, and truer, test.”

They’re much better than they were; United battered Brighton; and Villa were not irresistible in midweek. I don’t think West Ham will go down, do you?

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Unusually devoid of creativity, Brighton had found themselves imprisoned within Nuno Espírito Santo’s tactical cage, falling right into his hands. Jarrod Bowen, so often West Ham’s talisman, scored the goal, executing the masterplan from the narrowest of angles, perfectly executing the counterattacking strategy. Slowly but surely, still staring demotion in the face, Nuno’s team look capable of fighting their way to safety. His plan had come together so well that Bowen’s goal was supplied by a substitute in Callum Wilson, on the field for just 51 seconds. His masterplan fell short when the Amex, the home of late goals, staged yet another comeback, Georginio Rutter roofing the equaliser amid the type of madcap scramble that is commonplace at Brighton.

Before a late surge that had seemed wholly beyond them, Brighton could not muster a shot on target. Their ambitions of returning to the European stage they graced in the 2023-24 season are being hindered by inconsistency. West Ham were in Europe that season, too, though horizons are lowered. Leeds’ form has deepened relegation worries and they were denied the three points they needed to close the gap by Rutter’s equaliser.

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Leeds came from behind twice to deny Liverpool, whose defence imploded once again

1 min: Bradley shields the ball on the right touchline, only to be skittled by Gruev. Szoboszlai swings in the free kick … but it’s not very good. It’s half-cleared by the first man, then Ekitike is caught offside.

A quick blast of the piccolo-fest Marching On Together … then Liverpool get the ball rolling. A fantastic atmosphere.

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So long as the Premier League invests in its players and Fifa pays it lip service, the continent’s flagship tournament will always struggle to fit in

Perhaps attitudes are not quite as parochial as they once were, but it remains true that, in England at least, the Africa Cup of Nations is discussed less as a tournament in its own right than in terms of what it means for the Premier League.

There will be the usual harrumphing about why the tournament is played in the middle of our season, but the Confederation of African Football has tried to satisfy European clubs only to be thwarted by Fifa and the increasing demands of the calendar.

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City closed the gap after Arsenal’s slip as Thomas Frank enjoyed victory over his old club

Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Alcaraz, Grealish, Barry. Subs: Travers, King, Patterson, McNeil, Beto, Dibling, Aznou, Campbell.

Nottm Forest: Sels, Savona, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson, Igor Jesus. Subs: John Victor, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo, Dominguez, Yates, Jair Cunha, McAtee, Boly, Abbott.

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Long before the end Burnley were down to 10 men, en route towards a sixth straight Premier League defeat and concerned, largely, with damage limitation. But then, as is becoming a habit here, Newcastle lost concentration and Burnley very nearly pickpocketed a last-minute point when Josh Laurent miscued a glorious headed chance to equalise in the dying seconds.

“We have to improve,” said the home manager, Eddie Howe. “It was a bizarre ending, and a sluggish start, but we got the job done. It was a tough game and the vibrant second half I was hoping for didn’t happen, but we’ve taken 10 points from the last possible 12. That’s no mean feat so let’s be positive rather than negative; we’re moving in the right direction.”

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In the 65th minute Rayan Cherki burst along the right, cut back, then delivered a scintillating rabona plum on to the head of Phil Foden, who nodded home off the bar. Manchester City had cruised to a 3-0 lead and were heading for second, two points off the top, after Arsenal’s defeat at Aston Villa, and the Etihad Stadium doffed the proverbial at the magical Cherki.

Of his 22-year-old star man, Pep Guardiola said: “Rayan is an exceptional player, so young, has huge personality. In the final third he has something special. What I admire the most about Rayan is not the skills. I never saw these kind of crosses from Messi – I like simplicity because I learned from Messi never to make a mistake with the simple things.

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Emi Buendia kept his head amidst chaotic penalty box scenes to win a throughly entertaining game with the final kick and move his side up to second place

• Read Ben Fisher’s match report from a jubilant Villa Park

1 min: Arsenal launch the ball forward down the right flank, win a throw-in and then concede a free-kick. From near the corner flag, Emi Martinez wellies the ball upfield as hard as he can.

1 min: Arsenal get the ball rolling in what could be a thrilling game, their players wearing white shirts, with burgundy shorts and socks. Villa are in their usual home colours.

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Word from the top-tier press conferences, including Maresca singling out Adarabioyo’s gaffes and Paquetá expecting an instant West Ham return

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Aston Villa welcome leaders Arsenal in Saturday’s early kick-off before Manchester City host Sunderland

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Villa Park

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Van der Ven may be key for Spurs, Wissa could make Newcastle debut and Dyche deserves warm Everton welcome

Arsenal’s recent memories of Aston Villa are of awkward opponents. Mikel Arteta’s side squandered a two-goal lead at the Emirates Stadium when the teams last met, in January, Arsenal dropping two points, their title charge dented. With such little margin for error, it was the kind of day that boosted Liverpool and crystallised the sense that the Gunners would come up short. Villa also defeat Arsenal in 2023-24, abruptly halting Arteta’s six-game winning streak. Now Arsenal are in a different position, at the summit with a five-point lead – and six clear of Unai Emery’s team. Victory at Villa Park on Saturday, against a side that have lost only once in the league since August, would offer another significant indication that this could be the season Arsenal take the crown. Ben Fisher

Aston Villa v Arsenal, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Bournemouth v Chelsea, Saturday 3pm

Everton v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm

Manchester City v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

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