Plymouth’s defence was classy and defiant, Ndidi excelled on Leicester debut, Batshuayi proved little and Stourbridge showed romance is alive, even in defeatThe triumphant celebrations after Plymouth Argyle’s 0-0 draw at Anfield were further confirmation that giant-equalling is the new giantkilling. In the modern world of the FA Cup, it is enough for David to draw with Goliath – especially as it means a second payday for clubs often in need of such a financial boost. For Plymouth’s players, it was about more than that. It’s easy to be sniffy about their ultra-defensive approach against the youngest team in Liverpool’s history, but most League Two teams would not have been good enough to pull it off. Plymouth defended with such...
Leicester hope to party like it’s 1963, Liverpool must find a way to stop Joe Allen scoring and it is eight years since Phil Brown’s infamous Hull City team talkEvery year for more than half a century folks have been hoping for a repeat of the Boxing Day fun of 1963, when the 10 top-flight fixtures produced a record tally of 66 goals. We can’t get an exact repeat of that this year because half of the teams who were in the First Division back then are now in the lower leagues (although, as it happens, Ipswich and Fulham are meeting in the Championship this Boxing Day so Mick McCarthy could point to progress if his team do better than...
Claude Puel’s rotation proves a winner, opportunity finally knocks for Michy Batshuayi, and Mesut Özil’s invisibility at City should worry Arsène Wenger Related: The Dozen: the weekend's best Premier League photos Related: Premier League 2015-16 fans’ verdicts part one: Arsenal to Manchester United Related: Premier League fans’ half-time verdict part 2: Manchester United to West Ham Continue reading...
The 35-year-old Manchester United striker downed West Bromwich Albion with a double and is proving he has what it takes to cope in the Premier LeagueAs the final whistle blew at The Hawthorns, Zlatan Ibrahimovic found himself standing in the centre circle with the ball in his hands. Ultimately, he was one goal shy of being allowed to keep it but given how central the player had been to the outcome of proceedings, it was an apt sight on a dark December evening. Related: Manchester United ease past West Brom thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic double Related: Premier League fans’ half-time verdict part 2: Manchester United to West Ham Continue reading...
West Bromwich Albion are on a roll and their forceful manager’s ability to get the most out of a modest team has an admirer in José MourinhoTony Pulis recently said something very difficult to believe and it had nothing to do with that high court imbroglio. He said it after Salomón Rondón headed a hat‑trick against Swansea City on Wednesday, when the Venezuela striker offered a timely reminder of his expertise before Saturday’s home game with Manchester United, against whom Rondón scored the winning goal on their last visit to The Hawthorns.The odd remark Pulis made amid his praise for his striker was this: “He finds it extremely difficult to understand how hard every game is in the Premier League.”...