Liverpool’s resilience faces biggest test, Vardy threatens to deepen Arsenal’s gloom and a welcome dilemma for NewcastleApparently there is a game going on in Liverpool on Sunday. Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Genk in midweek was very much a continuation of a theme – since mid-September they have also beaten Chelsea, Leicester, Tottenham and Aston Villa by the same scoreline, and they last won a league game by more than one goal at home to Newcastle on 14 September. In their last six league games they have a goal difference of only five, yet they have somehow converted that into a mathematically maximal 16 points. The day Liverpool beat Newcastle was also when Manchester City lost at Norwich, but since then...
Guardiola is about to face Jürgen Klopp in the league, a manager who has possibly outstripped the SpaniardDespite their draw against Atalanta at San Siro on Wednesday night, Manchester City top their Champions League group and need only one point from their two remaining fixtures to secure a place in the last 16. Perhaps this will be the year they finally win the one prize that has eluded them during their massively expensive modern overhaul. But as Pep Guardiola prepares for a meeting with the only English club that has come even close to rivalling the recent domestic achievements of his City side, he must be aware his repeated failures in Europe are starting to significantly dent his reputation. If...
Relations between Klopp and Guardiola and historical rivalries mean this fixture is a long way from the Battle of the BuffetCrunch time arrives in the Premier League at the weekend. It is only necessary to glance at the league table now or last season to see why games between Liverpool and Manchester City are important in terms of the title race. The managers have had a nibble at each other over diving and tactical fouling in the buildup and few attending Anfield on Sunday will doubt that one side or the other will end up champions, yet for a variety of reasons there seems a reluctance to accept this fixture as the biggest in English football.Perhaps the most obvious one...
Arsenal fans turn toxic, Ralph Hasenhüttl faces a daunting week and Chelsea are no longer a one-man bandThere can be little doubt that Granit Xhaka has underwhelmed since his big-money move from Borussia Mönchengladbach three summers ago, failing to provide either the midfield bite or the drive that has been perennially lacking in Arsenal’s post-Vieira era. He has not, however, lacked effort or interest, no matter how low his performances have dipped and you wonder what exactly those home fans who booed the captain as he left the field in the second half were thinking. Certainly Arsenal’s supporters, who pay through the nose, deserve better and are entitled to vent their frustrations. But to single out an underperforming player for...
Hugs all round from Jordan Henderson after midfielder’s display of incessant purpose turns match against TottenhamAs the red shirts raised their arms at the final whistle, Jordan Henderson got on with hugging everyone he could find. Henderson hugged Davinson Sánchez and Lucas Moura. He hugged Jürgen Klopp, folding himself into that nylon‑suited embrace while Klopp beamed over his shoulder like a proud father.From there Henderson applauded every stand so enthusiastically he seemed, briefly, to consider moving on to the Tottenham end, or perhaps the TV camera crew paddling in his wake like a pair of faithful R2 units. Related: Mohamed Salah holds his nerve as Liverpool put Spurs to the sword Continue reading...