Robyn Cowen is joined by Jonathan Wilson, Lucy Ward, and Dan Bardell as Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points, Spurs come up with a performance at Anfield, Manchester United win again, and Chelsea get emotional about a huddle On this podcast: limbs of the season at the Emirates as 16-year-old Max Dowman becomes the Premier League’s youngest ever scorer to help Arsenal over the line against Everton, before Manchester City drop more points at West Ham thanks to the face of Konstantinos Mavrapanos. Is this the night Arsenal won the title … part 47? At the bottom Spurs *checks notes* show promise under Igor Tudor, Richarlison netting a last-minute equaliser against Liverpool to prove the old adage that the fifth time’s a charm. Chelsea lose after Paul Tierney infiltrates their pre match huddle. PGMO’s response to Liam Rosenior’s complaints will be interesting. And Manchester United cement third place with victory over Aston Villa as Bruno Fernandes moves closer to a record amount of assists in a single season. We have a hotel boycott, an update from Texas plus your questions and that’s today’s Guardian Football Weekly.
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Max Dowman’s magic, Konstantinos Mavropanos shows heart and Chelsea go all LinkedIn but fail to link up
It is easy to say that Tottenham have a goalkeeping problem. Antonin Kinsky was brought in against Atlético Madrid precisely because Igor Tudor was having doubts about Guglielmo Vicario. Back in the lineup at Anfield, Vicario didn’t cover himself in glory for Liverpool’s opener. Dominik Szoboszlai is good at free-kicks – a quarter of the 16 scored in the Premier League this season have been his – but he’s had to come up with extraordinary strikes to beat goalkeepers such as David Raya and Gianluigi Donnarumma. His effort on Sunday wasn’t too far off centre and Vicario should have saved it, a weak wrist letting him down. But the Italian rallied, producing an exceptional save down low to tip a Cody Gakpo shot on to a post. He and the rest of a sturdy, if makeshift, Spurs defence provided them with a platform to get back into the game. Tottenham can delve into the transfer market in the summer to sign a goalkeeper but, until then, they need Vicario to make vital interventions in big moments in their fight for survival – Kinsky is unlikely to get another opportunity. Billy Munday
Match report: Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham
Match report: Manchester United 3-1 Aston Villa
Match report: Arsenal 2-0 Everton
Match report: Chelsea 0-1 Newcastle
Continue reading...Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League – as it happened
Dominic Szoboszlai’s free-kick gave Liverpool the lead, but Richarlison’s late equaliser earned Spurs a crucial point, their first under Igor Tudor
As for Tottenham, Tudor persists with the 3-4-3 formation that could barely suit his players less. Pedro Porro is plays on the right of the central-defenders, which might work better than Joao Palhinha – Terry Venables always liked a full-back there for their speed on the cover and ability to get forward. In midfield, meantime, Archie Gray – the only player not to shame himself in recent weeks – continues in his preferred position, finally doing what he was bought for while, up front, Solanke returns presumably because he couldn’t be risked in Madrid.
I’m really excited to see how Ngumoha does. I love what I’ve seen of him so far, in particular his desire to attack his man, something you can teach, and his timing, which you probably cannot. As we saw last evening, extreme talent is undeniable.
Continue reading...Leeds keep on track for survival despite Gudmundsson red card against Palace
Daniel Farke is trying to stay cool. Having moved to within touching distance of Premier League safety when Leeds beat Nottingham Forest last month, picking up only three points from their past five games could be raising a few jitters among supporters. But Farke and his players were the ones celebrating at full-time here after earning a point that could be priceless to their hopes of survival.
Had Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the spot after Will Hughes had gifted them a penalty then things may have looked very different. Up until that point, Leeds had been the much better side as Crystal Palace again struggled against their physical approach. But the sending off of Gabriel Gudmundsson after a comical moment when the referee, Thomas Bramall, briefly forgot that the Sweden defender had already been cautioned changed the complexion of the game.
Continue reading...Manchester United v Aston Villa: Premier League – as it happened
⚽️ Updates from the match at Old Trafford (2pm GMT)
⚽️ Premier League table | Email Tim with your thoughts
1 min Villa get forward right away but the first free kick goes to United. Harry Maguire lobs it long, to little effect.
Bruno Fernandes addresses the United huddle, with no ref in the middle. The cameras find Emi Martinez, who was sent off here in May.
Continue reading...Manchester United sink Aston Villa to tighten grip on Champions League spot
On 71 minutes came a classic Manchester United riposte, via Matheus Cunha, to Ross Barkley’s equaliser moments before. From around halfway, the peerless Bruno Fernandes glanced up and steered the ball through an inside left channel for Cunha. United’s No 10 galloped forward and as Emiliano Martínez loomed large the Brazilian’s curled finish was a peach that kissed the far right of the net, Cunha stepping forward before the Stretford End to soak up the ecstatic adoration.
Fernandes’ assist was his second of the contest and 16th in total in the Premier League: a record for United, this term’s competition high, and a latest argument for him winning the player of the season awards.
Continue reading...West Ham 1-1 Man City: Premier League – as it happened
A draw that had huge ramifications at both ends of the Premier League
Manchester City get the ball rolling. A fine Saturday-evening-pints atmosphere!
The teams are out! Pretty bubbles in the air. West Ham in claret and blue, Manchester City in second-choice black. Not sure that’s the best combo for colour-blind fans, but that particular consideration seems to have fallen by the wayside pretty much across the board this season. We’ll be off in a minute.
Continue reading...Expansive Europeans befuddle Premier League elite as set-piece shtick backfires | Jonathan Wilson
Humbled English clubs must realise that what works against the very good turns out to be inadequate against the best
If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. If the only tool you have is a set play, the solution to everything starts to look like a pre-programmed move based on blocking runs. And perhaps that’s especially true if you’re worn out, knackered by the attrition of a persistent schedule of two games a week against teams who are frustratingly well organised and physically imposing. Think? Dribble? Make a surprising run? Who has the bandwidth for that? Just sling it to the back post and get in the way of the keeper.
Arne Slot had spoken in the buildup to Liverpool’s defeat by Galatasaray on Tuesday of how difficult it is to create chances in modern football, and how set pieces are a way to circumvent the sophisticated defensive setups of most Premier League teams. He is certainly not alone in taking that approach in the Premier League. But the Champions League is not like the Premier League. The crowding of the six-yard box, the full bearhug grappling, the meat wall to block the goalkeeper … it turns out all of those are penalised by European referees, and that is a problem for Premier League teams.
Continue reading...Evanilson denied as Burnley draw dents Bournemouth’s European hopes
Burnley and Bournemouth played out a tepid goalless draw that does little to help either team’s Premier League ambitions. The Clarets managed just a fourth clean sheet in the league this season, but remain eight points adrift of safety with eight games left, while Bournemouth are now unbeaten in 10 matches but really needed three points to boost their European hopes.
Both teams hit the woodwork while Evanilson had a very early shot cleared off the line but neither did enough to merit victory.
Continue reading...Arsenal 2-0 Everton: Premier League – as it happened
Max Dowman came on to rescue the Gunners and become the youngest scorer in Premier League history
The players are out there. Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s stand-in captain, leads his team as they hand-slap their way along the Everton line. Mikel Arteta greets David Moyes with the obligatory hug, plus a broad smile. The crowd sing North London Forever and give themselves a round of applause.
“Bayern have just drawn 1-1 at Leverkusen too,” says Lenny Peters. “So it’s clearly a tough place to go.”
Continue reading...Crunch time: how England’s battle for Champions League places is shaping up
With nine games to go, we assess the Premier League teams behind Arsenal and Manchester City who are most likely to fill the remaining berths
Reasons for optimism: Michael Carrick recently professed himself as “definitely a glass half-full” manager so the interim surely looks at the final nine games and sees a huge opportunity. Particularly positive here are the fixtures with Aston Villa (Sunday), Chelsea (18 April) and Liverpool (2 May): three chances for Manchester United to seriously damage the Champions League qualification prospects of the three teams currently directly below them and enhance their own. Carrick’s men are third but only three points above Liverpool in sixth and, with fifth probably enough for a Champions League berth, beating even one of the three would be a big boost to hopes – provided results are rosy in United’s other fixtures.
Continue reading...Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action
Leaders Arsenal host Everton on Saturday while struggling Tottenham head to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday
Saturday 3pm Venue Turf Moor
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Bukayo Saka could switch to No 10, Brentford’s Igor Thiago sets sights on 20-goal mark and a key selection dilemma looms for Chelsea
In the summer, Burnley signed two new goalkeepers. Martin Dubravka agreed a one-year deal after leaving Newcastle, and has been one of the successes from a questionable round of recruitment. At 37, however, and with a need to cut costs should relegation be confirmed, it feels unlikely the veteran would be kept on at Turf Moor in the Championship. On the bench throughout the Premier League season has been Max Weiss, 16 years Dubravka’s junior. The German has featured in cup competitions but is awaiting his league debut and it feels as if Scott Parker should give him one soon as part of planning for next season. The head coach needs to look beyond the next nine games and to the future, which is more likely to include Weiss, who has another three years remaining on his contract, than Dubravka. Will Unwin
Burnley v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)
Sunderland v Brighton, Saturday 3pm
Arsenal v Everton, Saturday 5.30pm
Chelsea v Newcastle, Saturday 5.30pm
West Ham v Manchester City, Saturday 8pm
Crystal Palace v Leeds, Sunday 2pm
Continue reading...Premier League clubs struggle in Champions League – but is that a bad thing? | Barney Ronay
Of six teams in the last 16, only two – Arsenal and Liverpool – look more likely than not to get to the quarter-finals. But does it matter?
The coefficient is safe. The coefficient is yours. You’re going home with the coefficient. But perhaps not, on this evidence, with the microwave, the washing machine or the Jet Ski.
England’s soccer shame. Premier League in EURO MELTDOWN. Robot-ball crisis: how Arteta’s Arsenal destroyed all that is good and true, including the ploughman’s lunch and probably Woolworths. This kind of stuff has begun to do the rounds after this week’s Champions League last-16 matches.
Continue reading...Why do so many people want Arsenal to fail in the Premier League title race? | Jonathan Wilson
The leaders haven’t won the title in more than 20 years. Yet very few neutrals are excited about seeing them as new champions
What was striking after Arsenal’s grim 1-0 win at Brighton on Wednesday was less Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler’s attack on the Gunners’ style than the way his criticism seemed to resonate. In England, it feels as though almost nobody, other than Arsenal supporters or anyone-but-City fans, wants them to win the title.
“If I would ask everyone in the room: ‘Did you really enjoy this football game?’ I’m sure maybe one raises his arm because he’s a big Arsenal fan but, besides that, no chance,” Hürzeler said.
This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll answer the best in a future edition.
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