1) Marsch hopes Anfield can relaunch Leeds’ season
Inconceivable. That might apply to the decline of a staff who had been difficult on all fronts six months in the past, have reached the knockout stage of the Champions League, but discover themselves adrift within the title race having dropped factors in eight of 12 matches this season. But it surely was the phrase Jesse Marsch used to explain Leeds’ first win over Liverpool since April 2001 – prefixed by “nearly”, admittedly – because the under-pressure supervisor savoured the discharge of a dramatic late victory at Anfield. The emotional celebrations had been comprehensible however didn’t cloud Marsch’s evaluation that Leeds can not waste the prospect to launch their season. With three of the present prime 4 to play after Bournemouth’s go to to Elland Highway subsequent Saturday, his realism made sense. “We shouldn’t be on this place, we shouldn’t be struggling the way in which we’re,” mentioned Marsch. “However we haven’t discovered methods to reward ourselves. A part of it’s we’re a younger staff. We would have liked a second in our season to cease the bleeding and to get it right here is nearly inconceivable. However we are able to’t simply depend on one sport. We have to construct momentum in our season.” Andy Hunter
2) Cucurella makes torrid return to Brighton
Marc Cucurella is struggling. The Spanish defender has had a troublesome begin to life at Chelsea and it didn’t get any higher for him when he returned to Brighton on Saturday. Brighton’s followers had not forgotten how Cucurella pressured his means out of the membership final summer season they usually delighted in watching him fail to include Solly March, who had the liberty of the precise flank due to Graham Potter’s cavalier choice to area Raheem Sterling at left-wing again for Chelsea. Sterling provided Cucurella, who was at left centre-back, zero safety and Brighton duly ran riot. Nothing went proper for Chelsea. They had been comfortably outplayed and the person considerations over Cucurella are rising. His defending has been ragged, his distribution iffy, and he has been substituted early in 4 of his final 5 begins; not the perfect search for a participant who price £62.5m. Jacob Steinberg
3) Nelson makes his case from the bench
Reiss Nelson has needed to wait patiently for his probability however the Arsenal attacker took full benefit throughout their dismantling of Nottingham Forest. Nelson was introduced on for Bukayo Saka within the first half and performed an enormous position within the rout. Two targets initially of the second half and an help added as much as an excellent return that implies he can play a helpful position of their squad this season. “Not solely me however all his workers and teammates are so joyful for him, as a result of he’s actually evolving and maturing,” mentioned Mikel Arteta. “He’s displaying each day how a lot he desires it. Immediately he had that chance and he did extraordinarily properly.” It was solely Nelson’s fourth look of the season and his first within the Premier League however he performed with the arrogance and contact of a first-team common. It’s going to certainly not be his final significant contribution. Simon Mail
4) Guardiola appears forward to Metropolis’s house comforts
“I do know the calendar,” Pep Guardiola mentioned slightly menacingly a half-hour or so after victory at Leicester, continuing to rattle off how Chelsea host Arsenal and Tottenham entertain Liverpool earlier than the World Cup break. Chelsea additionally journey to Newcastle earlier than the Premier League halts. The purpose Guardiola was making was that his Manchester Metropolis facet should attempt to take advantage of a comparatively form schedule. They’ve 4 successive house video games earlier than eyeballs flip to Qatar, together with a Carabao Cup tie with Chelsea and league matches in opposition to Fulham and Brentford. Rivals are more likely to drop factors and Metropolis will hope to keep away from fatigue and defeat. “We will arrive after the World Cup being there on prime of the league,” Guardiola mentioned. Ben Fisher
5) Martínez’s damage factors to concussion considerations
It’s a measure of Newcastle’s progress that two nationwide coaches, England’s Gareth Southgate and Brazil’s Tite, watched Eddie Howe’s facet shred Aston Villa, scoring 4 advantageous targets. In registering two and serving to create the opposite pair, Wilson emphasised that he needs to be nailed on as Harry Kane’s worldwide understudy. He has certainly booked a spot in Southgate’s Qatar certain World Cup squad. Whereas Howe’s spectacular staff appear genuinetop-four contenders, Aston Villa’s incoming supervisor, Unai Emery, has a lot to do when he begins work on Tuesday. One precedence have to be reviewing the membership’s concussion protocols. Regardless of requiring extended therapy after his teammate, Tyrone Mings, unintentionally drove a knee into his head, Emiliano Martínez continued for an extra 12 minutes earlier than collapsing unchallenged after amassing a cross and at last being helped off the pitch. Why did Villa not exchange their goalkeeper instantly after the Mings collision? Louise Taylor
6) Antonio has a future as a West Ham supersub
Michail Antonio final began a Premier League sport in mid-September however he has a future as a supersub. At Previous Trafford, he was known as for after 57 fruitless minutes for Gianluca Scamacca. Antonio providing selection might be vital for Davd Moyes, who has lacked a backup choice of be aware for a very long time. Antonio went on and made Lisandro Martínez know of his presence instantly, producing the kind of shoulder barge that would go away a lesser participant requiring a month in mattress. Manchester United knew they had been in a battle and needed to adapt to the brand new problem, doing so efficiently – however solely simply. He misplaced out to defenders on a few headers however the stress was definitely elevated on the opposing backline and he pressured David De Gea right into a advantageous tip over the bar with a rising drive. Antonio can proceed to have an effect off the bench and in fashionable soccer, there is no such thing as a nice disgrace in being a really efficient substitute. Will Unwin
7) Moore’s energy important for Cherries and Wales
Kieffer Moore is non-conventional. His path to the Premier League – signed by Yeovil City from non-league Dorchester Metropolis solely to endure back-to-back relegations; a quick stint with Norway’s Viking FK; a whistle-stop UK tour taking in Ipswich, Barnsley, Wigan, and at last Bournemouth – was non-conventional. His enjoying type – 6ft 5in battering ram centre-forward – is, by fashionable requirements, non-conventional. However in opposition to Tottenham on Saturday, Moore was an excessive amount of for the guests to deal with. A objective in every half got here by a pair of differing first-time finishes. He steered the opener house together with his proper foot, earlier than later stooping for a header of energy and bravado. Moore didn’t deserve to complete on the shedding facet. Nonetheless, there have been indicators of promise for each Bournemouth and Wales. Sam Dalling
8) Lampard and Silva are at golf equipment that swimsuit them
“I’ve to remind you that in our first season [at] Everton we completed in eighth,” mentioned Marco Silva. “Till the final sport we had been competing for the Europa League.” Silva was standing his floor determinedly, simply as Fulham had been denied victory by the brilliance of Jordan Pickford, and a few prime defending by Conor Coady and James Tarkowski. His sacking in December 2019 clearly nonetheless rankles however at Fulham his attacking type of play is very appreciated. Frank Lampard, in the meantime, fits Everton’s present wants properly, and deserves credit score for reviving his profession and status by saving the membership from relegation earlier than making them laborious to beat this season. “Final yr we’d lose that sport so there may be progress, however I need extra,” he mentioned. Everton stay blunt in assault however Lampard’s relative success and Fulham’s wonderful season up to now beneath Silva reminds us sure golf equipment swimsuit sure managers. Discovering these mixtures is the troublesome bit. John Brewin
9) Palace proceed to lack a prime finisher
Patrick Vieira’s tenure at Crystal Palace has been quietly spectacular up to now, the supervisor having succeeded in reworking an uncomplicated counterpunching facet into one which assaults with much more creativeness, all with out sacrificing any resilience on the again. The one obtrusive absence, although, is a goalscoring striker – a state of affairs compounded by Conor Gallagher’s return to Chelsea and mitigated solely partly by Wilfried Zaha’s output. With 88 targets in 4 seasons for Celtic, Odsonne Édouard was signed to fill that hole however a piddling complete of six final time period didn’t befit an assault that includes two of the nation’s most fearsome wingers. The Frenchman’s file is little improved a lot this season however his three targets up to now – close-range conversions to cap passages of sensible build-up play – at the very least provide a good blueprint for the kind of striker Palace want. If Édouard doesn’t enhance quickly, Vieira needs to be looking out for a extra predatory centre-forward able to spearheading a cost for Europe. Ivan Toney maybe? Alex Hess
10) Costa’s crimson card so wasteful for Wolves
There have been indicators that Diego Costa was discovering sharpness within the draw with Brentford. A neat feint and drag previous Ben Mee within the second half left the spectacular centre-back flailing and his vicious low shot was properly stopped by David Raya. His link-up play and motion seemed to be enhancing, too. Having scored solely six Premier League targets this season, Wolves desperately wanted the veteran striker to shortly discover health and kind to assist raise them away from the relegation zone. The laborious work on getting in control was wasted when the ahead headbutted Mee over completely nothing. It was an astonishing lack of self-discipline, even for a participant whose surname is synonymous with combustion. The straight crimson card (Costa’s first within the Premier League, surprisingly) means the 34-year-old is now suspended till Boxing Day. One other prolonged break will imply Costa has to work once more to search out match health. Wolves is likely to be questioning whether or not signing him was value it. Gregg Bakowski
