TOPS/FLOPS – In the Premier League multiplex on Wednesday evening, Manchester City crushed West Ham (3-0), Liverpool reassured against Fulham (1-0).
TOPS
The box of Grealish and Mahrez
In his largely attacking 3-5-2, Pep Guardiola established Jack Grealish on the left and Riyad Mahrez on the right tonight as very high attacking wingers. Both men produced a flamboyant display, being involved in almost every attacking opportunity for their team, even in the first half when City failed to open the scoring. On Aké’s opener, Mahrez delivers a magnificent decisive pass by centering this off-center free kick (85th). On Haaland’s second goal, Grealish slides the ball into the tempo and spaces of the Hammers defense to find the Norwegian face-to-face. No coincidence that most chances have been built on the right or left flank. Manchester was pressing where it hurt. On the coast.
New record for Haaland
Erling Haaland broke the historic record for goals in a Premier League season on Wednesday evening, while his Manchester City team officially returned to the top of the standings with this big victory (3-0) against West Ham. This successful face-to-face against Lukasz Fabianski (70th) definitively distanced him from predecessors Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole as the first man to reach this mark in the Premier League era (since 1992), with whom more is five games left in this campaign. It took only 31 appearances for Haaland to set this new record, where his seniors had played 40 and 42 matches respectively.
The Golden Copy of Alexander-Arnold
It’s called a good day at work. Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has been the most valuable part of the Liverpool team. By quickly showing himself to be dangerous by taking three shots (3rd, 8th, 10th), he was the moving part of the Reds’ system, which oscillated between a 4-3-3 device in the defensive phase and a 3-4- 3 in attack with a Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield. The side touched nearly 140 balls and finished with 80% of successful passes, while displaying solid defensive passages (two clearances, two recoveries, three tackles, a blocked shot). He completely paced and streamlined Liverpool’s attacking game.
FLOPS
Issa Diop at fault against the Reds
In the other game of the evening, between Liverpool and Fulham, former Toulouse defender Issa Diop had a far from simple evening. Often overtaken by the accelerations of Mohamed Salah, as on this breakthrough of the Egyptian largely allowed thanks to the intervention missed by Diop. The latter is also behind the penalty caused by Nunez. He lost the ball at the start of the action, not resisting the pressing, with a failed clearance, before mowing down the Uruguayan striker. Despite everything, it is necessary to underline his 8 clearings.
Núñez still clumsy
Despite a penalty, Darwin Núñez did not put in a perfect performance against Fulham. However, he had opportunities to open the scoring but above all to make the break to protect his team. Whether it was Mohamed Salah or Trent Alexander-Arnold, his teammates managed to find him on several occasions but he was not always in a good position to control and take back the leather. He even seemed frustrated with some over-commitment to physical contact.
Kehrer overwhelmed by the assaults of the Citizens
Throughout the first period, the collective defensive block of the Hammers was able to be consistent, regular and solid. Very few spaces were left for City players but in this system one player struggled to be consistent. The former Parisian, Thilo Kehrer ends the meeting with three loss of balls and no blocked shot. He could even have committed a penalty on Haaland with a buggy behind his back from a corner. He did not always seem in place, leaving his teammate Ogbonna to sometimes manage the West Ham axis a little too much alone.
