Sarri is nearing the end at Chelsea, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander Arnold shone for Liverpool while Leicester and Rodgers look like the perfect fitWith Ole Gunnar Solskjær suggesting afterwards that Paul Pogba may operate deeper at times and Luke Shaw playing like a left‑back-cum-libero against Watford, this first win as the permanent manager suggests his brave new world will continue to feature a brightness of approach. Solskjær wishes to harness Pogba’s all-round ability to give more control of the ball as United are primarily a counter-attack unit. This was how Shaw opened up Javi Gracia’s impressive team with a majestic Matthias Sammer-like pass that put Marcus Rashford in to open the scoring. Before then United were poor as they...
Full-back again proved himself to be among the division’s best with a relentless display that drove Spurs towards defeatDon’t worry. About a thing. Because every little thing is probably, just about, by the finest of margins, going to be all right. With half an hour to go until kick-off at Anfield the band on the temporary stage in Paisley Square was playing Thee Little Birds by Bob Marley, a welcome note of almost entirely unconvincing cod-reggae calm. Related: Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: player ratings from Anfield Liverpool’s full-backs were both sensational here, good enough once again to mask the lack of spark ahead of them Related: Jürgen Klopp: ‘Winning the league would be a championship of will’ Continue reading...
Liverpool and Tottenham meet on Sunday when the high press will be evident in what is likely to be an engaging ninth meeting of the men in the dugoutEnglish football has, of course, learned before about the dangers of hailing golden ages before they’ve hatched, but with four Premier League clubs in the last eight of the Champions League and a youthful national side playing with rare verve, it can reasonably be acknowledged that there is a profound sense of positivity and promise about the game. At least at the top end. And if you only look at what’s happening on the pitch. And you ignore the looming iceberg of Brexit.A huge part of the reason for that is the...
The Tottenham manager is not the first to mishandle rumours of departure but the Argentinian has made a series of missteps since being linked with Manchester UnitedThere is a species of well-known quotes that fulfils such a useful function that it’s convenient to overlook whether or not they were actually said. Although there is no official record of it, Harold Macmillan is often cited as saying: “Events, dear boy, events,” apparently in response to a question about what blows governments off course.Well, obviously it’s events – nonevents are unlikely to do it. But the meaning taken from the quote is unpredictable events or those one can do nothing to prevent. They are the kind that really knock you sideways. Related:...
Emery has Arsenal on course for top-four finish, Camarasa’s class is vital for Cardiff and Coady leads Wolves from the backManchester United arrived in north London having won every away game under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, including a comprehensive FA Cup fourth-round victory at the Emirates. Arsenal had an unbeaten run of their own to protect – they haven’t lost at home in the league since the opening day – and Granit Xhaka’s early goal enabled them to maintain that run. Arsenal rode their luck at times, but Unai Emery’s three-man defence restricted the visitors’ threat on the break, while the deployment of both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front paid off. Victory takes Arsenal’s tally against their fellow ‘big...