Luke Shaw needs England reward, Aubameyang shining at right time and Barkley’s Villa strugglesIt has been two and a half years since Luke Shaw last featured for England, in a 2-1 defeat to Spain. The left-back, however, is probably Manchester United’s most in-form player at the moment, consistently producing the goods. In defence he has looked assured all season, lifting his game since Alex Telles’ arrival from Porto in the summer finally added much-needed depth to a squad where many were sleepwalking into the side. On Sunday Shaw was again diligent against a high-on-confidence Riyad Mahrez, who struggled to make an impression for Manchester City, but things got even better with his superb run and composed finish at the other...
Manchester United full-back is playing the best football of his career and capped it with a fine goal against Manchester CitySo, Pep, shall we talk about attacking full backs then? All things must pass and for Manchester City 21 did not become 22 in the Manchester derby, a local detail that will add a little extra sting to this 2-0 defeat, City’s first since November.If there is any genuine cause for concern for Pep Guardiola, it might be in the way Manchester United were able not just to beat but to disturb, disrupt and unsettle this brilliant City team. Related: Manchester United catch City cold as Fernandes and Shaw end winning run Related: Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United: Premier League...
First face second in the Manchester derby on Sunday – and yet has ever a game between the Premier League’s top two sides ever felt so essentially inessential? The look on Sir Alex Ferguson’s face was a curious mixture of disbelief, shock and amusement. “You can’t believe that scoreline,” he said. “First 45 minutes, we were outstanding. The sending off was a killer for us. And after that, we kept attacking. That’s the nature of Manchester United, fine. But it was crazy. Unbelievable.” And then, remarkably, he smiled. Because even though Manchester City had come to Old Trafford and dished out a 6-1 trouncing, Ferguson somehow sensed amid his disappointment that the fundamentals of his side would survive this single...
United cross town to City for a Manchester derby, while there’s a big old meeting of strugglers on Sunday lunchtimeIt’s been a bad week for Steve Bruce. Saturday’s draw with Wolves means Newcastle have won just two of their last 15 league games, and are now hovering just above the drop zone. Bruce’s post-match comments – “unfortunately Matty didn’t get the directions on quick enough” – appeared to blame substitute Matt Ritchie for not passing on tactical instructions shortly before Wolves’ equaliser, which led to a training-ground argument between the pair this week. Ritchie has since apologised but morale seems to be low, particularly with mounting injuries. Callum Wilson, Miguel Almirón and Allan Saint-Maximin have scored more than half of...
Fulham continue to struggle in front of goal, Leicester threatening a second collapse and West Brom play by the rulesAt the start of Scott McTominay’s United career, his place in the team seemed predicated in José Mourinho’s antipathy towards Paul Pogba, his receipt of the manager’s player of the year award the nearest Mourinho could get to presenting it to himself. Since then, though, McTominay has improved by several orders of magnitude, contributing power, tenacity and personality – skills that have been crucial in helping United improve from sixth to second. They still struggle to dominate, however, and when Pogba is absent the entirety of the creative burden rests with Bruno Fernandes, who had an off-day at Stamford Bridge. To...