Hard for Manchester City and Spurs to serve up another classic, Everton can cause trouble for Manchester United and Chelsea fans should lap up Eden HazardBefore the run-in even started, Liverpool looked like they might be consumed by nerves during it, so tentative were their performances against Leicester, West Ham and Manchester United. But they battled hard to avoid disaster, and now that the run-in is actually under way, are playing like a team who expect to be champions, either riding their good form or maintaining the patience and composure necessary to force the issue. Against both Tottenham and Chelsea, they could easily have flapped in frantic, frenetic style, but instead were able to increase intensity without sacrificing control, which...
Ramsey is off to Juventus in the summer but his double-act here with Mesut Özil reached heights all-too-rarely seenYou get what you pay for, as the old saying goes. And on this evidence, Aaron Ramsey is worth every penny of the reported £400,000 a week he will receive as a Juventus player over the next four years.More than a few eyebrows were raised in February when it was announced the Wales international would be moving to Serie A in the summer after running down his contract yet against one of Italy’s most respected sides, Ramsey delivered a performance which underlined just how good he can be. Since the deal was confirmed, he has been the driving force in the revival...
Troy Deeney offers masterclass of coolness under pressure, Everton require a few lessons in finishing and Eddie Howe needs his Bournemouth team to end the season in styleIt is hard to look for the positives when you have, as Lewis Dunk put it, missed out on something that “maybe comes up once in a lifetime”. The quashing of the FA Cup final dream hurt but the Brighton defender has urged his teammates to take confidence from their performance and use that in their vital Premier League games. Brighton are two places ahead of the final relegation position but crave more points to be safe. “I don’t think we need picking up,” Dunk said. “I think we need to thrive off...
Central defender was on hand to snuff out any threat but Everton wasted chances for more comfortable victoryArsenal missed the chance to go above Tottenham here, their one remaining domestic ambition this season, though to reach third in the table it is necessary to pick up points away from home and the Gunners have managed only one win on their travels this year.Away clean sheets have also been a problem, and despite taking the field with five men at the back the visitors were undone from a throw-in after 10 minutes. Phil Jagielka, a late replacement for Michael Keane, was the most experienced player on the pitch and at 36 has now taken over from Glenn Murray as this season’s...
Emery has Arsenal on course for top-four finish, Camarasa’s class is vital for Cardiff and Coady leads Wolves from the backManchester United arrived in north London having won every away game under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, including a comprehensive FA Cup fourth-round victory at the Emirates. Arsenal had an unbeaten run of their own to protect – they haven’t lost at home in the league since the opening day – and Granit Xhaka’s early goal enabled them to maintain that run. Arsenal rode their luck at times, but Unai Emery’s three-man defence restricted the visitors’ threat on the break, while the deployment of both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front paid off. Victory takes Arsenal’s tally against their fellow ‘big...