Ten talking points from the weekend football
Right-backs steal the show at Old Trafford, questions for Howe and a turning point for Chelsea?
Mon 15 Jan 2024 09.00 CET
Give right-backs a chance
Full-backs don’t often grab the headlines, and sure enough they didn’t at Old Trafford as Rodrigo Bentancur, Rasmus Højlund and Marcus Rashford all scored classy goals. But the best player on either side, according to the WhoScored.com ratings, was the right-back. For Spurs, Pedro Porro earned 8.1 out of 10 for a fearless attacking display that included an assist when his pinpoint corner picked out the peroxide head of Richarlison. Ange Postecoglou says he wants his players to stop thinking of themselves as defenders or attackers, and Porro is both at once. For Manchester UnitedDiogo Dalot did even better with a rating of 8.2. If he was less buccaneering than Porro, he was the more polished defender, making crucial interceptions and heading off the line. One of the two, surely, should have been player of the match – but another right-back, Gary Neville, gave the award to Bentancur. Tim de Lisle
Match report: Manchester United 2-2 Spurs
Howe’s tactical decisions should be questioned
Kevin de Bruyne made it 2-2 by scoring a fine goal before creating Manchester City’s stoppage time winner for his fellow substitute Oscar Bobb against Newcastle. That contribution marked the playmaker’s return to Premier League combat after five hamstrung months but it was significant that Pep Guardiola bided his time before introducing De Bruyne, subsequently explaining he is not yet ready to play 90 minutes. Does Eddie Howe regret playing Joe Willock in the autumn after a lengthy injury induced absence? Willock swiftly broke down with the key midfielder now sidelined indefinitely. Admittedly their squad is considerably slimmer than City’s but Howe’s deployment of a single late substitute in Lewis Hall perhaps explains why a tiring side lost. An imbalanced bench was stocked with defenders so why not have introduced Paul Dummett or Jamaal Lascelles, switched to a back five and secured a point? Louise Taylor
Match report: Newcastle 2-3 Manchester City
Villa must cure travel sickness
Unai Emery headed into the winter break encouraged by Aston Villa’s display in a dour goalless draw at Everton and confident the surprise title contenders will improve when they resume with two difficult assignments, Chelsea away in the FA Cup and Newcastle at home in the Premier League. It is clear where his team must improve to sustain a challenge at the top and to keep themselves in contention for Champions League qualification. Villa, faultless on home soil, have taken a modest 15 points from a possible 33 away from Villa Park this season, winning only four of 11 Premier League away matches. Ruthlessness was absent at Goodison Park, as it has been on too many away days this season, and while it seems harsh to criticise a team that few expected to be competing with Liverpool and Manchester City this season there is pressure on Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, Moussa Diaby and company to find the clinical touch that will keep Emery’s side in such rarified company throughout the second half of the campaign. Andy Hunter
Match report: Everton 0-0 Aston Villa
An unexpected turning point for the Blues?
A few weeks ago Mauricio Pochettino spoke about the frustration of Chelsea’s defeat to West Ham last August. He focused on a good first half counting for nothing and bemoaned Enzo Fernández having a penalty saved, but most interesting was him mentioning Carney Chukwuemeka going off injured. Chukwuemeka had just scored a brilliant equaliser when he hurt a knee. Naturally, because nothing is ever simple at Stamford Bridge these days, he would not be seen again until Chelsea’s win over Fulham on Saturday. It could be a big moment. Pochettino believes the midfielder could improve his team’s creativity. Not everything is negative in Chelsea’s world. The other player who came on alongside Chukwuemeka was Ben Chilwell, who had been out since September with a hamstring injury. But the treatment room remains packed, with Christopher Nkunku’s hip injury the biggest concern. Jacob Steinberg
Match report: Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
Burnley v Luton
In Wilson Odobert’s defence-terrorising, rocket-booted left wingman act versus Luton Town we may have witnessed a 19-year-old whose ceiling is rather high. The former Troyes player signed in August from the French club, has scored four goals and is the poster boy for Vincent Kompany’s blueprint of fresh and invigorating attack-play. Virtually each time the former Paris Saint-Germain and USF Trilport youngster was fed along his left corridor he sliced past or inside a defender and caused havoc in the Hatters area, as he did for Zeki Amdouni’s opener. If he can do what all the very best do – turn it on consistently – who knows which suitors may be calling his representatives in the not so distant future. Jamie Jackson
Match report: Burnley 1-1 Luton
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2024-01-15 08:23:00
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