Perhaps angered at being left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad, the Liverpool right-back put in a masterful performance in a comprehensive win over a lacklustre Arsenal sideNot bad for a fourth-choice right-back. The omission of Trent Alexander-Arnold from England’s squad has never felt like the kind of hill Gareth Southgate ought to linger atop for too long and here was piquant, potent evidence. This performance was a precis of everything he does best: an advertisement for his effectiveness at the highest stage that gave Liverpool sight of the plane they consider to be their own, too. Related: Jota and Salah earn crucial Liverpool win at Arsenal to boost top-four hopes Related: Arsenal 0-3 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened...
Chances for Arsenal and Liverpool to boost their seasons and for Edinson Cavani and Aleksandar Mitrovic to deliver goalsIf anyone had told Mikel Arteta that last season’s gap between Arsenal and Liverpool – 43 points – would narrow to four by early April he would have been forgiven for envisaging an unlikely title battle. The truth from Arsenal’s perspective is far more mundane; Liverpool’s slump is the story and they travel to the Emirates in urgent need of a win that might recharge their top-four hopes. They cannot afford to drift any further behind Chelsea so this weekend is probably all about keeping pace, given Thomas Tuchel’s side face West Brom, This is not a fixture Arteta or Jürgen Klopp...
Phil Foden should be central for City and England, neutrals should root for Brighton and Celtic seek a long-term planPhil Foden must start. Whether it is Manchester City’s most important matches, or for England at a European Championship, he must start. City’s win over Borussia Mönchengladbach was confirmation of this, and while his midfield mates Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gündogan took the headlines for their goals, Foden put in an imperious performance at the tip of City’s midfield, providing a sumptuous no-look assist to take his goal contributions this season to 20 (from 36 appearances). There are others that could play this position for both City and England, but on current form it would be a huge shame not...
McNeil good enough for top six, Crystal Palace set for tough run-in and Brighton’s confidence boosterMikel Arteta’s benching of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for lateness was hardly draconian. Gone are the days when Sir Alex Ferguson made David Beckham sit in the Elland Road stands after missing training to attend to a sick Brooklyn or Roy Keane commanded the Sunderland team bus to leave three players behind because they were a minute late. But as Tottenham’s rope-a-dope tactics looked to be working in the first half, the tardy captain’s demotion appeared a case of principles overriding pragmatism. When Alexandre Lacazette chose to step over rather than to shoot in the moments following Érik Lamela’s goal, Aubameyang’s incisiveness appeared an avoidable loss. So...
Tottenham picked players who could have put Arsenal’s defence, then hunkered into a fearful deep blockThey may have finished with no points, 10 men and a familiar sense of entropy reasserted. They may have spent the opening quarter of this game in a state of neurotic all-out defence that looked at times like a brilliantly sarcastic parody of mature Mourinho‑ball. But Tottenham Hotspur did succeed in posing a fascinating conundrum during this north London derby.How is it possible to play such a deep defensive block, but still concede a penalty via a flailing challenge by the last man desperately haring back to cover a breakaway? How is it possible to face off against a team with a defence that seems...