Decade of Dyche eventually brought stasis as rivals evolved and spent more money on improving their squadsA lot can change in a week in football but for Sean Dyche the problem was a lack of change in a decade at Turf Moor. His methods were tried and tested: play 4-4-2 and finish 17th or above. Dyche was the master of keeping unfashionable Burnley in the Premier League but the faith of the players and owners ran out.Ten of the squad that beat Chelsea on the opening day of the 2017-18 season and took them to a seventh-placed finish are still at the club. Some would see it as a sign of stability but others would argue the team have not...
Manchester City miss Rúben Dias, Hugo Lloris sets up Spurs for success and Sean Dyche’s comments come back to bite himAttackers win games, but defences win titles. Manchester City were without Rúben Dias – the centre-back that led them to Premier League glory last season – and his absence was obvious to see. On an individual level he is the best defender City possess and ensures calm among his colleagues, which limits mistakes throughout the backline. Liverpool’s opener came from Dias’ replacement, John Stones, failing to deal with a cross, heading it immediately into a dangerous area, allowing the visitors to recycle the ball and eventually level through Diogo Jota. To Stones’ right was Kyle Walker, a man who has...
A stress test for John Stones, a big opportunity for Burnley and a chance for Arsenal to bounce backThe slightest flaw could help the other win the supposed title-decider at the Etihad and the absence of Rúben Dias will be a worry for Manchester City. John Stones will almost certainly replace him for Liverpool’s visit. He spent most of Tuesday night in Atlético Madrid’s half as City were not forced to defend against a side who failed to have a single shot at goal. Liverpool will be the polar opposite on Sunday and Stones, alongside Aymeric Laporte, will need to maintain concentration against the most prolific attack in the Premier League, who have seven more goals than City this season....
Harry Maguire can build on England display, N’Golo Kanté plays against the league’s best ball-winner and Everton face a character testWith Trent Alexander-Arnold injured, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané still physically and emotionally recuperating from Tuesday’s World Cup qualifying playoff in Dakar – complete with extra time, penalties and laser beams – various South Americans making late returns from distant internationals and the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final to come on Tuesday, there could hardly be a better time for a plucky underdog to turn up at Anfield. But even allowing for the massive advantages the division’s leading clubs hold over the upstarts, Watford’s record at their grounds is abysmal: in all competitions since 1990 the Hornets have...
Weariness for Leeds and Spurs, sticky times for Lampard and the season’s first major silverwareAlthough it may be coincidence, someone far more observant than this column recently noticed that Southampton appear to have devised a clever, completely legal mid-game tactic that involves one of their players going down “injured” and in apparent need of medical attention between the 60th and 70th minute, at which point their teammates adjourn to the sideline to receive energy gels and tactical instruction from Ralph Hasenhüttl and his backroom team. Should it occur on Friday evening, we can but hope it won’t be the most interesting talking point to arise from their match against Norwich, but it has piqued our curiosity and is the first...