Liverpool’s ability to wear teams down with targeted pressing will be crucial in the Merseyside derby – and for their seasonThere was a significant moment on Wednesday night for observers of the styling, the optics, the physical theatre of Liverpool FC during the Jürgen Klopp years. With 83 minutes gone at Anfield and Newcastle’s players maintaining a fine pitch of drilled defensive aggression – plus, of course, some equally fine-drilled defensive time‑wasting – Kostas Tsimikas, Fabinho and Harvey Elliott produced a three-man blitz on the left side of the Liverpool midfield, nipping and snapping at Joe Willock’s heels and drawing a free‑kick 40 yards from goal.And there it was at last: the Anfield face, the Klopp sweats, the red rictus...
The season’s first Merseyside derby, an Old Trafford blockbuster and crunch time for Bruno Lage at WolvesSeven games into the season in all competitions and Frank Lampard can finally select a recognised striker he wants in an Everton shirt. Providing someone at the Premier League has registered Neal Maupay in time for the Merseyside derby, that is. Lampard and Jürgen Klopp will be relieved to concentrate on the renewal of old rivalries after the distractions of a transfer window that both believe dragged too long into the season. Everton are without a win in the Premier League but building gradually. A derby debut for Maupay, signed from Brighton last Friday but not cleared to play at Leeds on Tuesday, would...
Manchester United pulled out the stops to run down the clock against Liverpool but we would miss waiting for the whistleIn the 76th minute of Manchester United’s win over Liverpool Lisandro Martínez boots it clear and collapses with cramp. As he lies motionless in his six-yard box like an extra from 1917, Michael Oliver stops the game. Fifty-three seconds later play restarts.In the 87th minute cramp has coincidentally taken hold in Martínez’s taller partner – this time in both legs of Raphaël Varane, the poor chap. He straightens them like a Playmobil figure as he gently falls over. Roberto Firmino kindly offers his hand. Varane refuses – there’s a tiny moment of him being dragged a few inches along the...
Cheers for the new signing before victory over Liverpool were drowned out by chants of ‘We want Glazers out’For Carlos Henrique Casimiro it was a most bewildering introduction to the often nonsensical world of Manchester United. But a perfect education all the same.Nothing demonstrated the inconsistencies of Erik ten Hag’s new team, or the scale of the new manager’s task, better than their ability to reduce a Liverpool team with Premier League title pretensions to mediocre fodder at Old Trafford. And just nine days after they had plumbed further depths of their own at Brentford. Continue reading...
Newcastle’s challenge against the champions, Anthony Taylor unfairly in the spotlight and a big Monday showdownCutting off the supply lines between Harry Kane and Son Heung-min worked a treat for Chelsea last Sunday, until the introduction of Richarlison for the ineffective Ryan Sessegnon provided added distraction for the home side’s defenders, his off-the-ball runs repeatedly pulling them out of position. The Brazilian will be hoping to start against Wolves and his inclusion in the lineup could well spell disappointment for Son. Fitness permitting, Clément Lenglet is likely to fill in for the injured Cristian Romero and, with Sessegnon looking a good bet to make way for Ivan Perisic, Tottenham’s uncharacteristically early transfer dealings are already looking as sensible as they...