Positioned in a different role, the Brazilian was again outstanding in the win at West Ham and showed why they cannot contemplate selling him this summerAs Philippe Coutinho departed from the pitch on a warm afternoon in east London, his 89th‑minute substitution met by raucous applause by those who filled the away end, he was embraced by Jürgen Klopp. Nothing surprising there given the frequency with which the Liverpool manger hugs his players but this one felt a little different: tighter, longer, stronger. A thank you in physical form and, perhaps even, the warmest of pleas to the Brazilian to stay exactly where he is.In the past week Coutinho has yet again been linked with a move to Barcelona, despite...
José Mourinho has little to show from big away days, Vincent Kompany talks up the Pep Guardiola revolution, and Tony Pulis points to the bottom lineManchester United’s run of 25 unbeaten league games came to an end at Arsenal where José Mourinho once again set up his team with the focus on nullifying the opposition. Asking Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata to follow Arsenal’s wingbacks wherever they went meant sacrificing two of his most creative talents in an attempt to deny the Gunners control. This of course is the Mourinho way, to be reactive, to never make the first mistake, but against their direct rivals away from home it simply hasn’t worked: United have failed to score in 360 Premier...
Jürgen Klopp’s side have paid for their failure to beat lesser teams and even in winning 1-0 at Vicarage Road defensive frailties were again on displayMost supporters fear their team is always on the brink of a mishap but not every team’s fans feel nervous about visiting a side they have destroyed 6-1 earlier in the season. But the trepidation among many Liverpool fans before their visit to Watford was understandable, even after a weekend in which their rivals for a top-four finish had fallen over themselves to drop points.The sense of anguish was palpable right up to the final whistle, with even Jürgen Klopp admitting his heart missed a beat when Watford’s Sebastian Prödl smashed a shot against the...
Lukaku and Barkley owe Koeman a lot, Wilshere’s Bournemouth loan has proved a damp squib and Mignolet finally proving a positive game-changer for LiverpoolThe focus so often fixes upon Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace but over their seven-game revival under Sam Allardyce, they have posed as much threat from the opposite flank. Andros Townsend had rather grumbled through his first seven months at Selhurst Park, unhappy to be operating from the left and only offering flashes of his quality. The past seven weeks have been more reflective of a winger with 13 England caps. “Against Arsenal, Andros shut down three Arsenal players on his own, one after the other,” Allardyce said. “He ran from the right side to the left,...
Bournemouth may struggle to hold on to Joshua King, Leicester got no help from the broadcasters but Daniel Levy deserves his due for Spurs’ fine season • The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photosOnce the fight for Premier League survival is over, Bournemouth might have another battle on their hands: retaining the services of Joshua King. The striker, signed by Eddie Howe for a snip at £1m from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2015, scored his 13th goal of the season against Chelsea on Saturday evening. Despite winning several admirers since gaining passage to the top flight, Bournemouth are yet to be scavenged for players by bigger clubs. Matt Ritchie was sold to Newcastle United last year but...