The Premier League title race took another twist as the run home intensifies, while Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham were handed a boost as Manchester United were struck down by the ‘football gods’.
And a Manchester City superstar copped a giant whack from a former great.
Here are all the big talking points out of the Premier League weekend.
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Erling Haaland copped a bake from a former great, while Manchester United scraped a draw despite a horror performance.Source: Getty Images
HAALAND WHACKED AS CITY RECORD BROKEN
It was billed as a title six-pointer as Arsenal travelled to Manchester City. It fell flat, with Liverpool the biggest winner out of the 0-0 draw.
The Reds went two points clear of the Gunners and three ahead of City with their 2-1 comeback win over Brighton, with nine matches to play.
But at the Etihad, there were a mere three shots on target as Arsenal’s defence strangled the Cityzens, who failed to score in a home game for the first time in 58 games in all competitions.
This time last year, Arsenal struggled with the pressure of a title race, collapsing to hand City a fifth crown in six years. That included a 4-1 loss to City at the Etihad – their eighth loss in a row at that venue.
This time around, they showed plenty of added steel thanks to a more mature and battle-hardened side, with their league-best defence holding out a City team that had 72 per cent of possession.
“Defensively we were outstanding,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta. “The next step is with the ball to have more composure to attack better.
“They are the best team in the world by far, best manager by far, and we have to catch up. That’s the challenge for us.”
It’s clear in the last 12 months they have been catching up.
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Arsenal’s defenders had the better of Erling Haaland all night.Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Manchester City star Erling Haaland’s poor showing saw him come in for a brutal whack from the great Roy Keane.
Haaland has 18 goals from 24 league games this season, but didn’t trouble the keeper with any of his (game-high) four shots. But his build-up play remains a key weakness in his game, and Keane didn’t hold back.
“The level of his general play is so poor and not just today,” Keane said. “I think laying his stuff off, headers, whatever it might be …. In terms of in front of goal, he’s the best in the world.
“But his general play for such a player it is so poor. Not just today, he has to improve.
“He’s almost like a League Two player, that’s how I look at him. His general play has to improve and it will do over the next few years.
“Being a brilliant striker is fantastic, but he has to improve his all-round game.”
Klopp’s message to Reds after going top | 00:47
REDS NOW ‘FAVOURITES’ AS SALAH MAKES HISTORY
How fun is a genuine three-way title race?
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, leaving at the end of the season, is determined to enjoy this final tilt.
Klopp said: “We have to get through this (and) we decide if we enjoy it or not, pretty much,” he said.
“It will be tough and yes, it is sometimes nerve-racking and the heart rate will be at 180 or 200 or whatever from time to time if you watch it or if you play in it.
“But if we all together enjoy this, then we have a chance. If we don’t, we still have a chance, it’s just really much more difficult and that’s why we try to stay positive in all these moments.”
He added: “But I decided I will really try hard to enjoy it.”
Liverpool fell behind to Brighton in the opening stages of the match but showed their mettle to claim a seventh comeback win this season – their most ever in a campaign.
They’ve picked up a whopping 26 points from losing positions in the league this year, three more than any club.
Luis Diaz hit the equaliser before Mohamed Salah struck the winner, the Egyptian having fluffed his lines plenty of times in the match before finally finding the net.
He took 12 shots in the game, the most of any player in the league in over seven years and an all-time Liverpool record in the Premier League era.
“Imagine Mo would have finished off all the situations in his career? That would be crazy, so it is absolutely fine,” said Klopp.
“We need him to try. Mo, like the others, was a bit in a rush to finish off situations and didn’t do like they can do it.
“But then being that calm in the decisive moment with the biggest chance we had from the best football we played, then that makes a real goalscorer so we are happy with everything.”
He was far from clinical, but Salah ensured another crucial win for the Reds.Source: Getty Images
According to Manchester City boss, the Reds are now favourites.
“Always who is first is favourite, second favourite is Arsenal,” said Guardiola. “It is not in our hands. All we can do is win against Aston Villa (next match).”
Liverpool also face fourth-place Villa in their run home, as well as fifth-place Tottenham and sixth-place Manchester United. Those matches might not just decide the title race, but could have a huge impact on who plays European football next year.
“That is the first of the last 10, let’s keep going,” Klopp said.
EPL Wrap: Spurs pull off comeback! | 02:24
ANGE’S HUGE BOOST AS ‘FOOTBALL GODS’ STRIKE
Do you believe in the football gods? Brentford boss Thomas Frank almost lost faith when his side fell a goal behind to Manchester United in the 96th minute through Mason Mount.
Brentford had dominated all game, taking a club-record 31 shots and hitting the woodwork four times.
But Kristoffer Ajer smashed the ball in the back of the net in the 99th minute to seal a point that was more than deserved for the Bees.
“There should have been only one winner in the game, that could only be us,” said Frank.
“Then you go 1-0 down in the 96th minute and you think football is brutal. I almost lost faith in the football God, but he gave a bit back.”
United were simply atrocious against a team that has won just twice in their last 16 Premier League matches.
“Brentford were better than us today. They showed more passion, desire and determination as we did,” said Man Utd boss Erik Ten Hag. “We have to show more.”
A win could have turned their season around and ignited a push for a top-four finish, but those hopes are dwindling. The Red Devils are now 11 points behind Villa in fourth (but have a game in hand) and eight behind Spurs in fifth.
Erik Ten Hag saw a potential season-defining win slip away.Source: Getty Images
The top four teams qualify for the Champions League, but that competitions’ expansion next season could see a fifth Premier League team given automatic qualification.
But United keeper Onana still believes they have a chance, saying: “I feel sad because we are Manchester United. Everywhere we go, we have to win. We gave away this game in the end.
“I know we will stick together because we did it in the last month. I hope we end in the top four.”
For Spurs, that last-gasp goal gave them more breathing room in fifth place – and now they’ll look ahead to Aston Villa’s clash with Manchester City on Thursday morning AEDT and hope that their top-four rivals drop points.
Having fought back to beat Luton Town 2-1 on the weekend, Spurs face West Ham on Wednesday morning AEDT but could be handed a crucial injury boost.
Fraser Forster (foot), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) and Manor Solomon (knee) are all still sidelined, but star defender Micky van de Ven could be set to start after being an unused substitute against Luton on his return from injury.
Postecoglou defends playing in Melbourne | 01:07
CHAOS IN THE RELEGATION RACE
This year’s relegation fight feels like a race to the bottom.
Of the bottom six teams – 15th placed Brentford and below – only Burnley have won a single match out of their last five! Crystal Palace in 14th also have one win from their last five, but the rest of the teams have gone totally winless of late.
Burnley are still second-bottom, three points ahead of last-placed Sheffield United who have just 15 so far (but have a game in hand).
Luton are on 22 points, level with 17th-place Nottingham Forest.
Everton have 25 points and a game in hand – but they haven’t won a game since before Christmas.
A Seamus Coleman own-goal in stoppage time saw Everton lose to Bournemouth.Source: Getty Images
With a second charge of breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules (PSR) hanging over their heads, a further points deduction could shake up the relegation race.
The deadline for a ruling on that charge is April 8, so we’ll find out in the next week whether they’ll cop a second points deduction after already being penalised six points for breaches regarding the 2021-22 season.
Even a three point deduction would send them back into the relegation zone – and breathe hope into the survival dreams of those mired at the bottom.
Of course, the priority for any of those teams down at the wrong end of the table is to win.
Given there’s been just one win from any bottom-six team in their last 30 games combined, statistics are showing a real gap between the strugglers and the rest of the division.
2024-04-02 01:10:37
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