‘Special’ Phil Foden is Man City’s star as Tino Livramento turns into Newcastle’s playmaker – Premier League hits and misses

‘Special’ Foden star of Man City present

With Erling Haaland on a three-game barren run – a drought by his requirements – it will be important Man City’s different forwards get up and be counted. The striker’s look forward to his a centesimal Premier League objectives goes on, however Phil Foden added one other two to his private tally within the 3-2 win over Leeds in a season steadily rising in grandeur.

Pep Guardiola referred to as Foden “special” post-match, and stated City will not be a group to win “these types of games a lot”. When City concede management, as they did in a chaotic second half towards Leeds, they typically find yourself shedding. It has occurred twice within the final week alone. But Foden had different plans.

“It was massively important for our mood after two defeats,” Guardiola added. City have closed the hole on Arsenal to 4 factors and are again as much as second for now, whereas proving they nonetheless have the resolve and high quality to reply to setbacks. Usually it’s Haaland’s heroics that will get them out of tight spots, extra steadily this season it has additionally been Foden.

“I was so hungry just to play today, not prove to anyone but myself that I can still score,” he instructed Sky Sports afterwards. The 25-year-old is turning into a pacesetter on this new-look City group, a pillar of dependability for Pep, and a match-winner when team-mates are struggling to ship.
Laura Hunter

Livramento turns into Newcastle’s playmaker

Tino Livramento didn’t simply play right-back in Newcastle thumping 4-1 win over Everton – he was their supply of creativity.

The playmaker.

This was a Trent Alexander-Arnold impersonation with a Tyneside twist, the type of hybrid, inside-out, playmaking masterclass that ought to get the Newcastle followers very excited.

Especially within the first half, Livramento operated in such intelligent positions off the fitting.

He stored Jack Grealish in his pocket then sliced Everton open along with his passing. Newcastle’s form morphed every time he stepped inside – at instances he was a No 8, then a quarterback, then flying away on the overlap. Everton couldn’t pin him down. In fact, they by no means received shut. No participant accomplished extra passes within the ultimate third than Livramento (18).

Newcastle’s greatest strikes flowed by means of him. Their tempo quickened when he received on the ball. The complete tactical blueprint Eddie Howe rolled out was supercharged by this tactical tweak to get Livramento on the ball at each alternative. It utterly revamped the Toon’s fortunes on the street.
Lewis Jones

Sunderland show squads win video games – and having Xhaka helps

There have been in all probability a couple of eyebrows raised when Sunderland splashed the money in the summertime. Influxes of recent gamers right into a newly-promoted group has not at all times proved efficient.

But Regis Le Bris has discovered the combination that works. Sunderland went fourth with their 3-2 win over Bournemouth, and stay unbeaten at residence within the league this season.

The method of their win was fairly outstanding. Even if Le Bris says he was a bit nervous at 2-0 down, you at all times sensed there was a comeback on. It was the way of the sport itself, coupled with the cauldron of the Stadium of Light, that meant something was potential.

And the Black Cats’ type this season has been a group effort. They have now scored 5 objectives through substitutes within the Premier League, with solely Brighton (seven) having scored extra, because of Brian Brobbey’s successful aim lower than 10 minutes after approaching.

He was a summer time arrival from Ajax – as was fellow scorer Bertrand Traore – nevertheless it was Granit Xhaka who shone as soon as once more for Sunderland.

He has now assisted 4 objectives for the Black Cats this season – joint prime for the league – along with his management, ardour and expertise spearheading not solely Sunderland’s comeback, however their season.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the sport, Le Bris stated: “Our finishers were once again really important.

“It implies that even when we have been according to our beginning XI, these gamers are nonetheless linked and can get the alternatives once we repeat video games as a result of this league is hard.

“Granit is so important for us. He gives us his knowledge but also this willingness to change the game, to be proactive, to take risks. Sometimes tactically, you can discuss but on the pitch, it’s so impressive.”

Sunderland now have a troublesome run of fixtures that features Liverpool, Man City and Newcastle to actually check themselves as a squad.
Charlotte Marsh

Calvert-Lewin reveals his value to Leeds

They might not have walked away with any factors, however the truth that Leeds managed to make Manchester City sweat on the Etihad was spectacular in itself – and it was down to 1 man.

The introduction of Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Dan James at half-time appeared an odd one. James’ tempo was Leeds’ largest weapon within the first half. But the previous Evertonian put in what would have been a man-of-the-match efficiency in only one half, if not for Foden.

It was not simply the very fact he scored and gained the penalty – his mere presence terrified the City defence. They couldn’t bully Calvert-Lewin off the ball, which gave Leeds somebody to play off.

When he joined the membership, the 28-year-old insisted he nonetheless had one thing to supply within the Premier League. His cameo was proof of that.

There continues to be an extended strategy to go for Leeds, and Calvert-Lewin’s damage report can be a trigger for concern for anybody. However, if he can keep match and produce performances just like the one towards City frequently, you might be trying on the distinction between taking part in Premier League and Championship soccer subsequent season.
Callum Bishop

Problems at Tottenham are deep – Frank now has to deal with them vs Brentford

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was fast to level out in his post-match press convention after the 2-1 defeat to Fulham that followers have each proper to boo, however in his eyes, focusing on a person participant equivalent to Guglielmo Vicario, overstepped the mark on what was one other dismal day on the workplace.

The fact is, even when Vicario had not rushed out of his penalty space and made that mistake, Fulham would have discovered one other avenue to double their benefit.

Spurs stumbled out of the gates and seemed misplaced at sea. The issues plaguing this aspect are far better than particular person errors.

Going ahead, they’re stagnant and disjointed. On the defensive finish, they’re open and disorganised.

The proven fact that these points appear to worsen on residence turf, after selecting up their tenth defeat on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium within the calendar yr, highlights the deeper issues at play.

Only Nineteenth-placed Burnley (9) have recorded an xG complete decrease than one in additional Premier League video games than Tottenham (8), whereas the squad are additionally averaging their lowest quantity of photographs since data started in 2003.

Frank’s former aspect, Brentford, are the following group Spurs will host.

What might probably go improper?
Patrick Rowe

Chukwueze can supercharge Fulham revival

Samuel Chukwueze was “knocking on the door” for some whereas earlier than he was handed his first Fulham begin, based on head coach Marco Silva, however he has firmly wrenched it off his hinges along with his efficiency at Spurs.

Having performed simply 103 minutes of Premier League soccer previous to Saturday’s sport owing to a mix of accidents and Silva’s personal tentativeness to incorporate him, the Nigerian winger confirmed no indicators of rust in virtually doubling that tally on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Only a world-class sort out from Micky van de Ven stopped him including the aim he deserved in a continually threatening exhibiting, catching out Pedro Porro on the break repeatedly and racking up extra opposition-box touches than anybody on the pitch.

While fellow winger and summer time arrival Kevin was a transparent Silva recruit, Chukwueze’s Deadline Day signing didn’t instantly seem orchestrated by the pinnacle coach in fairly the identical method.

Regardless, the indicators are already good that he’s shopping for into and thriving within the Silva model – with two assists in these earlier cameos, and now a wonderful efficiency at Tottenham from the off.
Ron Walker

Unstoppable Thiago delivers once more

Igor Thiago had a quiet first half on the Gtech, with little to feed off. He didn’t have an terrible lot within the second half, both. In truth, he solely had 23 touches of the ball all through everything of the sport.

But, like all good strikers, he delivered when it mattered.

His first aim was a coolly taken penalty after 81 minutes; the sixth he has taken in a Brentford shirt, and the fifth he has scored. That aim took him to double figures within the Premier League in 13 video games. No Brentford participant has ever reached double figures that rapidly within the division.

The second was an instinctive end on the far put up – Thiago’s eleventh of the season. No Brazilian participant has scored greater than 15 objectives in a single Premier League season. He now solely wants 5 extra league objectives to surpass that.

And who’s to say, with 25 extra video games nonetheless to play within the Premier League, he can’t make a real problem for the Premier League Golden Boot?
Dan Long

Bournemouth’s hunch in type continues

“We knew the game was going to be difficult and when you are 2-0 up and playing well, you want to finish it, but it was definitely too early.”

That was the evaluation of Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola after the sport at Sunderland, and he’s in all probability proper.

Having such a lead inside quarter-hour towards a group like Sunderland on their very own patch was at all times going to be a troublesome ask.

But maybe extra worrying is that Bournemouth have now gone all through November with out a win, and are steadily sliding down the Premier League desk.

They have conceded at the very least two objectives in every of their final 4 video games, and whereas they’re nonetheless scoring, they’re leaking objectives on the different finish.

Many questioned how Bournemouth have been performing so properly at the beginning of the season having let some massive names go in the summertime. Now, it appears, these losses are beginning to present.

Next up is 2 residence video games towards Everton and Chelsea to attempt to rediscover their type forward of a busy Christmas interval.
Charlotte Marsh