Van Dijk vulnerability uncovered by Fulham
Arne Slot got here to the defence of Virgil van Dijk after Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to Fulham, saying any defender can have troublesome moments in opposition to strikers as bodily as Everton’s Beto and Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz. However this was one other show to indicate vulnerability within the 33-year-old.
Van Dijk, usually imperious, struggled to deal with Beto’s operating within the 1-0 win over Everton in midweek and Muniz bought the higher of him too simply for the purpose that proved decisive at Craven Cottage. The striker’s contact was sensible. Van Dijk’s positioning was not.
He was not the one Liverpool defender who struggled within the sport. In truth, all of them did. Ibrahima Konate was mercifully substituted by Slot halfway via the second half however the Liverpool boss would have been justified in taking off any certainly one of them.
Curtis Jones may solely direct Timothy Castagne’s cross into the trail of Ryan Sessegnon for the opening purpose and Andrew Robertson was culpable for the second, his slack go throughout his personal purpose permitting Alex Iwobi to attain. Robertson rushed throughout to attempt to rectify his error however solely ended up deflecting Iwobi’s shot past Caoimhin Kelleher.
Van Dijk’s error, getting the improper facet of Muniz and permitting him to pluck a excessive ball out of the sky, capped a calamitous 14-minute spell which leaves Liverpool with work to do to recover from the road. Their title is just not in jeopardy however a 3rd defeat in 4 video games in all competitions, and extra defensive shakiness from often reliable gamers, is trigger for concern.
Nick Wright
De Bruyne scenario sums up Man Metropolis’s want for rebuild
This was not how Kevin De Bruyne was meant to finish his Manchester derby profession.
The script was written for the Man Metropolis midfielder to offer the membership’s fiercest rivals one final blast of magic. It didn’t come within the goalless draw at Outdated Trafford.
De Bruyne got here into the sport with the most effective possibilities created per 90 file within the Premier League this season. However enjoying in a free false 9 function, he did not create a single probability. He had two routine efforts straight at Andre Onana, in a largely ineffective show.
And it sums up the place Metropolis are for the time being. With out Erling Haaland, there’s a lack of a menace up entrance and it additionally highlights the age downside with Metropolis.
De Bruyne began a giant sport for Metropolis at 33. Behind him within the Metropolis midfield was Ilkay Gundogan, 34, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic, each 30. Everybody within the attacking backbone of Metropolis is simply that one or two years too outdated. And it confirmed.
Metropolis had been overrun within the midfield, shedding 76 per cent of the first-half duels – with United an actual menace on the counter. It was not the primary time Metropolis have been uncovered like this, highlighting the necessity of a rebuild.
Sam Blitz
Casemiro rolls again the years with monstrous displaying
Participant-of-the-match awards are after all a subjective beast and Gary Neville is aware of extra about soccer than I ever will. However Bruno Fernandes, participant of the match, Gary? Actually?
The Portuguese maestro is in nice kind on the minute and appeared the most certainly to unlock a sport that was already forgotten as soon as the full-time whistle was blown, however there was just one excellent participant on that pitch who deserved accolades and that was Casemiro.
I’ve given the Brazilian a good bashing within the final 12 months. He appeared completed final season and it’s maybe stunning he’s nonetheless enjoying within the Premier League. Effectively, primarily based on this efficiency, he’s nonetheless a Premier League participant.
He put in an exceptional efficiency in entrance of his again 4. He snuffed out hazard. He made tackles. He led by instance.
The 11 tackles he made was probably the most made a single participant within the Premier League this season. He additionally received 13 duels, probably the most of any participant and the joint-most received by a United participant in a single sport this season.
It was monstrous.
Lewis Jones
Maresca’s choice gamble backfires
Eyebrows had been definitely raised when the Chelsea staff sheet got here in at Brentford with no Cole Palmer or Nicolas Jackson within the beginning XI.
Each gamers returned from harm within the win over Spurs on Thursday and, with the short turnaround to Sunday, Enzo Maresca left his key attacking choices on the bench. What’s he saving them for? The Convention League quarter-final in opposition to Legia Warsaw on Thursday?
It was definitely a raffle, particularly with Chelsea handed the possibility to cement their place within the prime 5 and shut the hole to third-placed Nottingham Forest after their defeat to Aston Villa.
What ensued was a lacklustre first-half efficiency from Chelsea, who lacked innovative with out Palmer and Jackson.
Maresca knew it and shortly launched Jackson and Palmer, and Chelsea’s outlook fully modified. Jackson gave them a focus and Palmer, together with Pedro Neto, gave the Blues loads of attacking impetus.
Nevertheless, in the long run, neither participant may assist assist break the impasse because it ended goalless with the purpose leaving Chelsea trying nervously over their shoulder on the chasing pack within the race for Champions League qualification.
Oliver Yew
Brentford missed a innovative in Chelsea draw
Brentford have waited a very long time for a house win in opposition to Chelsea. The final time it occurred – in October 1938 – World Struggle Two had not even began. And the 87-year wait will go on after the goalless draw on the Gtech.
That’s not to say they didn’t have possibilities to win. In truth, they’d 12 pictures fewer than Chelsea, but generated simply 0.1 xG lower than the Blues (1.22 vs 1.32).
There was promise, significantly within the first half. Mikkel Damsgaard despatched a free-kick whistling simply over the bar, Bryan Mbeumo bought previous Reece James and hit a trademark low shot simply previous the submit, whereas Kevin Schade was giving Malo Gusto all kinds of nightmares.
They saved their greatest till late on, with Robert Sanchez making two saves, Yoane Wissa sending a glancing header millimetres previous the submit and Sepp van den Berg heading over from point-blank vary. The web didn’t ripple, although.
If nothing else, Thomas Frank will be proud of a primary clear sheet at residence within the league this season – but it surely may definitely have been extra.
Dan Lengthy
Battering ram Muniz makes his mark on Liverpool
Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz took his purpose brilliantly in opposition to Liverpool, outfoxing Van Dijk with a elegant contact from a excessive ball, however the striker’s efficiency was largely about brute drive. He made it a hellish afternoon for each Van Dijk and Konate.
The 23-year-old solely accomplished 4 passes earlier than his second-half withdrawal however he threw himself into 19 duels in complete and received 10 of them. He hustled and harried Liverpool’s defenders, successful fouls and making his mark. The cheer that greeted his title when he was substituted confirmed how a lot the house supporters appreciated his efforts.
Muniz continues to play the function of understudy quite than main man, with Raul Jimenez often Marco Silva’s first selection up entrance, however this was simply the newest instance of his effectiveness and it got here solely days after he scored instead within the defeat to Arsenal.
He now has eight Premier League targets in solely 895 minutes of motion this season and 11 targets in all competitions. Van Dijk and Konate won’t keep in mind their afternoon in opposition to him fondly.
Nick Wright
Juric decided Saints will not set one other undesirable file
Southampton boss Ivan Juric was adamant he and his gamers will keep away from the ignominy of setting a brand new file for the bottom factors complete in Premier League historical past after watching the Saints relegated again to the Championship in record-breaking time following their 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
Southampton grew to become the primary staff in Premier League historical past to be relegated with as many as seven video games of the season remaining, however it’s one other undesirable file the south-coast membership are completely determined to keep away from between now and the top of the season and that’s Derby County’s haul of simply 11 factors when relegated in 2007-08.
The Saints have a paltry 10 factors to their title with seven video games to play, so want solely two extra to set a brand new file and so they do face fellow strugglers Leicester Metropolis on the King Energy on Could 3 – nevertheless, having received simply two matches all season, there isn’t any assure they are going to handle it.
Wealthy Morgan
Do Spurs have momentum forward of Europa League QF?
At half-time of Tottenham’s win over Southampton, Spurs appeared to have some actual momentum heading into Thursday’s pivotal Europa League quarter-final in opposition to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Brennan Johnson’s double had the house facet in management at 2-0 up in a primary half which noticed them have six pictures on the right track, 21 touches within the opposition field and 58 per cent of the ball.
However, by full-time, the doubts and pessimism had crept again in as Spurs conceded late on to arrange an unnecessarily nervy end in an underwhelming second half as they’d simply two pictures on the right track, 4 touches within the opposition field and 44 per cent possession.
In equity to the gamers, their attentions had most likely already turned to Thursday’s crunch first leg.
There have been encouraging shows from player-of-the-match Johnson, and midfielders James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall – however Spurs will want extra from captain Heung-Min Son, who was one of many first substitutions Ange Postecoglou made.
Whereas the Australian admitted his unhappiness at his staff’s second-half show, he acknowledged the significance of solely their second residence league win of 2025 which makes them “prepared for a giant night time on Thursday”.
However Postecoglou will know deep down {that a} second half like that in opposition to Frankfurt will finish their season – and doubtlessly his reign.
Declan Olley
