Premier League hits and misses: Night to forget for apologetic Mikel Arteta and Arsenal

Arteta’s frank assessment as Arsenal suffer blow

Arsenal lost a Premier League London derby by a three-goal margin for only the fifth time and the first time since a 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace in April 2017 at Selhurst Park.

It was five years ago to the very week when Palace recorded their last home win over the Gunners. Indeed, it is only their fourth victory over their London neighbours in 26 meetings – but this result was on the cards from the first whistle.

Mikel Arteta did not try to sugarcoat things in his assessment of his team’s display in south London, apologising to the travelling supporters for this limp performance which gives their Champions League rivals Tottenham, Manchester United and West Ham plenty of hope heading into the remaining games.

Wayne Rooney said on Monday Night Football: “The fans can see what happened so there was no point in Mikel coming out and trying to dress things up because it wasn’t good enough. He has to accept the result and move on but I’m sure he’ll be showing clips back to his players of how to get better.

“They are some young players in the squad who have to learn ahead of some big games coming up.”

Arsenal never got going. There was a lack of intensity and movement in the final third in the opening exchanges and by half-time against a well-organised Palace, the damage had been done.

There were chances in the second period for the Gunners, with Eddie Nketiah striking the crossbar and both Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe missing presentable opportunities but this defeat dents their top-four hopes.

Results over the weekend had seen Arsenal leapfrogged by rivals Tottenham in the race for Champions League qualification and they were unable to respond on a night to forget for Arteta’s men.

As Jamie Carragher pointed out, 15 points from their last 18 on the road means now is not the time to panic, but with news of a decisive north London derby announced for May 12, live on Sky Sports, Arsenal need to remain in the hunt before then.
Ben Grounds

Mateta carries the fight for Palace

While there was no rhythm to Arsenal, this was arguably Crystal Palace’s best display yet under Patrick Vieira. The Frenchman was delighted to secure a home league win for the first time since December 28 and Palace’s second in their last 18 Premier League London derby matches.

Cheered on under the lights by the usual din from the Homesdale Road Stand, there was a routineness in truth to this success, which propels Palace into the top half of the Premier League.

It has felt like their forward players have taken it in turns to carry the fight this campaign.

Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard have had their spells as the focal points to attacks, Jordan Ayew – who scored his fourth Premier League goal against Arsenal – has also been in and out of the team while Wilfried Zaha has been the one constant.

Here, Palace were without Michael Olise but the absence of the promising winger was not felt, such is the depth Vieira can now call upon.

The latest player to thrive under his tutelage is Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has now scored three goals in his last five Premier League appearances for Palace, one more than he managed in his previous 17 for the Eagles.

“The energy Jean-Philippe brings to the team allows others behind him to do the same,” Vieira told Sky Sports. “It forces players behind to follow. He is a massive player. A lot of people will talk about the goal he scored but the passion and work-rate he shows every day is a huge plus for the team.”

Ninth position could be the height of Palace’s ambitions in the Premier League in their final eight games – given they sit 12 points behind Wolves in eighth place.

But with an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on the horizon, Vieira’s players are fighting to feature at Wembley – and Mateta looks primed for a start on this evidence.
Ben Grounds

Bowen makes timely return ahead of Lyon tie

Jarrod Bowen’s return could not have been timelier for West Ham.

Making his first start in a month after four games out injured, Bowen proved to be the difference in the 2-1 home win over Everton.

He won the free-kick that resulted in Aaron Cresswell curling in West Ham’s opener and then he scored the winner.

It was a reminder to everyone why he had looked nailed on to earn his first England call-up for last month’s squad, before agonisingly picking up a foot injury in the defeat at Liverpool.

But Hammers boss David Moyes has no doubts Bowen will still be in England manager Gareth Southgate’s thoughts come the summer.

“If he finishes the season well then he will be back in contention for those [England] games in June,” Moyes said.

Such is Moyes’ trust in Bowen, he had no problem in fast-tracking the forward into the starting XI against Everton after Manuel Lanzini did not make the squad following a car crash on Thursday, which thankfully saw the Argentine unharmed.

“It was only really until yesterday when I knew Lanzini wasn’t going to make it,” Moyes revealed.

“I thought with [not having] Lanzini’s quality on the ball, and he’s played really well for us, do we start Jarrod for 50 or 60 minutes or bring him on for 30 minutes? Because I don’t think he’s quite all there yet. It’s not his fitness, I think it’s just his game, and he was a bit worried about it.”

But there was nothing concerning about the 25-year-old’s performance against Everton, as he lasted 70 minutes before being substituted.

Moyes added: “I have never really been that worried about Jarrod. He said he didn’t know if he would be sharp enough when you’ve been out for a while but he’s got such high standards now.”

But what would have delighted Moyes the most about Bowen’s display is the way he immediately integrated into the side as he formed a threatening quartet with Pablo Fornals, Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio.

Together they terrorised the Everton defence all afternoon as they combined for nine shots on goal and between them had 20 of West Ham’s 22 touches in the opposition box.

Even if Lanzini does return, it is difficult to see Moyes changing that front four for Thursday’s huge Europa League quarter-final first leg against Lyon at the London Stadium.

One thing is for sure, Bowen’s return will have the French side worried.
Declan Olley

‘Great signing’ Kulusevski helping drive Spurs’ improvement

Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn stepped off the bench to combine for Tottenham’s fifth in their thrashing of Newcastle. It was a reminder of the quality Antonio Conte has to call upon and the Italian made a point of highlighting the options those two players in particular give him.

But they’re being kept out of the side by a brilliant 21-year-old right now. Dejan Kulusevski has made a mockery of suggestions it takes time to adapt to the Premier League.

The January loan signing’s cross for Heung-Min Son’s goal on Sunday made it five assists in his first 10 appearances in this competition. The last player to reach that tally so quickly at his age or younger was a certain Eden Hazard.

It would be a big call to say he’s on a similar path to the brilliant Belgian but Conte is convinced Spurs have brought in a gem of their own. “For Tottenham this is a great signing for the present and future,” he said in his post-match press conference.

Spurs have a two-year agreement with Juventus for Kulusevski and an obligation to buy at the end of it if certain criteria are met. Right now that seems like a done deal. The skill, pace and effectiveness he brings in the final third is hard to find – especially at such a young age.

While Conte has spoken about the improvement every player has made through his coaching, there’s no doubt the arrival of Kulusevski has given the team a boost too. His link-up play with Son and Harry Kane is so fluid.

Rodrigo Bentancur signing, also from Juventus, is another key transfer in terms of Tottenham’s revival.

Conte says the pair have made Spurs more ‘complete’. If they can sign a couple more of that standard in the summer, they really will be going places.
Peter Smith

Everton must stick together in troubling times

The misery continues for Everton. Bowen inflicted more away-day pain for Frank Lampard’s side but here they were the authors of their own downfall, beaten by their own lapse in concentration before the red mist descended.

Michael Keane captained the side in the absence of Seamus Coleman but it was his tired challenge on Michail Antonio which made life more difficult moments after West Ham had regained the lead.

The Merseysiders have received a red card in each of their last three Premier League matches (including Jonjoe Kenny vs Wolves, Allan vs Newcastle) becoming the first side to see red in three games in a row since Watford in December 2017.

Lampard had questioned his players’ bottle – or words to that effect – after they capitulated at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last time out, and they conceded poorly again just five minutes after equalising when Bowen struck.

Keane’s second yellow card capped another miserable road trip for Lampard, and he simply cannot afford yet another fruitless jaunt away from Goodison Park on Wednesday in that crucial game against Burnley at Turf Moor, live on Sky Sports.

Lampard said: “The next game is always the most important and the next one is a competitor down in the same end of the table. Nobody gets an easy game at Burnley – it’s a fact at all times so it’s about continuing the application and character of our performance today.”

Everton remain safe, for now, but defeat to Sean Dyche’s side would close the gap to the bottom three to just a point. As Richarlison trudged disconsolately down the tunnel, Lampard must pull his troops together for the battle that lies ahead.
Ben Grounds

Is it time for Howe to drop Wood?

Up until being withdrawn with 20 minutes to play in Newcastle’s defeat to Tottenham, Chris Wood had played every minute of every game for the Toon since joining from Burnley. He has been Eddie Howe’s focal point without finding the back of the net at a regular rate. Far from it in fact, scoring just one goal.

That’s fine when you are winning games and team-mates are chipping in with goals. However, Newcastle have now lost three games on the spin and Wood was anonymous in north London, marked out of the game by a combination of Eric Dier and Christian Romero. He had just 15 touches, the lowest by any outfield player who started the game.

If you stretch it back further, he only has found the net once in his last 17 starts for Burnley and Newcastle. Sharing the goals around in the absence of Callum Wilson, who is their top scorer with 10 goals, remains a big problem for Howe.

Wood is a massive presence but his lack of movement does make it easy to mark him when you don’t get players around him. What are the options then? Dwight Gayle remains a Newcastle player but has played just 29 minutes of football in a season of bench warming and hasn’t started a Premier League game for almost a year. Yet, his skillset of quick movement and a natural ability to find space in the box might be worth considering in the next few weeks.

So, is Howe thinking about going in a different direction? No, it seems, judging by his post-match comments.

He said: “It was a difficult one for Chris, he’s had four games [on international duty], a lot of travelling, that’s why we withdrew him to keep him in good condition.”

Historic win for Brentford shows what makes them special

The greatest day in Brentford’s history? Possibly. The best performance of the season? It can’t be far off.

But however you categorise Brentford’s shocking, stunning 4-1 win at Chelsea there’s no denying Thomas Frank and his players deserve huge credit for pulling off a result few would have thought possible.

Before kick-off, it seemed Brentford’s Premier League survival was more likely to rest on a clash with Watford in a couple of weeks’ time. Instead their first league win at west London rivals Chelsea in 83 years may just have secured their status in the top flight.

If so, it’s an achievement which owes everything to the key ingredients which set this Brentford team apart.

First there is the manager, whose surprise switch to a back three caught out the world and European champions. His high-quality coaching has created a team able to mix a high press and a low block and frustrate their opponents with both.

Credit to these players, too: from the bravery to take the game to Chelsea early on, to the character to respond to Antonio Rudiger’s stunner and push for more. As Frank says, this is a unique group.

And then there is Christian Eriksen, who has written another chapter in his wonderful comeback from the cardiac arrest he survived last summer. A first Premier League goal since 2019 was reward for another classy display in the middle of the park. He has inspired the players around him.

Capturing the enormity of Saturday’s win isn’t easy to do – but Brentford supporters will treasure an unforgettable day.
Peter Smith

Chelsea must shake off sluggishness with crucial weeks ahead

Thomas Tuchel was at a loss to explain Chelsea’s 4-1 home defeat to Brentford.

Fatigue from the international break? A lack of preparation time? Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy jaded from the huge effort to help Senegal to the World Cup? Even a change in the weather was suggested.

In the end, he put it down to a “strange 10 minutes” and said he wouldn’t dwell too long on it.

It seems a sensible approach because whatever went wrong, Chelsea must shake it off and regain their focus. Their players have admirably continued to deliver despite all the distractions off the pitch in the past month. But April is crucial to their season.

On Wednesday Real Madrid are in town for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. There is also an FA Cup semi-final to come against Crystal Palace and, later in the month, a potentially pivotal midweek match with Arsenal, the side now breathing down their neck in the Premier League table.

A similar defeat to West Brom almost a year ago to the day proved to be just a blip. Tuchel and Chelsea supporters hope that this loss to Brentford will ultimately act as a jolt to sharpen the side up for the big challenges ahead.
Peter Smith

Watford win tees up pivotal month for Liverpool

Two hours and 30 minutes. That’s how long Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table lasted, but three months ago the Reds would never have dreamed of having a second at the summit.

They were 14 points behind Manchester City on January 15. At 2.22pm on Saturday they had moved two points ahead of the champions. At 4.52pm City swiftly re-took top spot with a comfortable win at Burnley, but for Liverpool it was all about starting a massive month with the right result that perfectly tees up next Sunday’s potential title-decider at City, live on Sky Sports.

Liverpool’s win over Watford was a case of job done and move on, as Jurgen Klopp’s side laboured to a 2-0 victory over the relegation strugglers. It was not a display worthy of Klopp’s 250th Premier League game in charge, and the German admitted afterwards he was “not interested” in the performance.

“We didn’t play the best football possible today but it was enough,” he said. “I didn’t expect we would be flying – it is unlikely after the international break it will be the best game of the season.”

But he knows his side will have to turn it on in the coming weeks and produce their very best.

On Tuesday they go to Lisbon to take on Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final followed by Sunday’s trip to the Etihad.

The second leg against Benfica at Anfield is on April 13, before another match against City as they play Pep Guardiola’s side in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on April 16. That is followed by home league matches against Manchester United on April 19 and Everton on April 24 – both live on Sky Sports.

Throw in a potential Champions League semi-final first leg against either Bayern Munich or Villarreal on April 26 or 27, and it really is a blockbuster month for the Reds.

The win over Watford will be a minor footnote, but it is a victory that sets up Klopp’s side for a pivotal few weeks ahead.
Declan Olley

Maddison is back smiling and affecting games

James Maddison watched on as Gareth Southgate opted to selected the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Conor Gallagher for England’s international friendlies last month, but the Liecester midfielder provided the perfect response at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old has just one cap for his country to his name, coming as a substitute in a 7-0 win over Montenegro in November 2019, but he created twice as many chances as any other player during Saturday evening’s 1-1 draw.

On his World Cup ambitions, Maddison said: “As an English player, the World Cup is the pinnacle. I always think what I can do better to get into the squad. All I can do is keep playing the way I’m playing.

“It’s just about showing more consistency and affecting games more. My numbers have always been good, it’s just about finding the consistency. I’m feeling really good, really confident, and I’m going into games with that confidence.”

Maddison admitted to struggling with self-confidence following a hip injury, and he could not rediscover top form immediately on his return. But the zip is back now.

His cross with his weaker foot for Kelechi Iheanacho to score was sublime, and his confident finish chalked off by VAR would have capped a personal triumph.

With Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford still toiling in their search for a spark when sharing the same pitch, Southgate may not be able to ignore the undoubted qualities, and that little bit of something different, that Maddison certainly possesses.
Ben Grounds

Isolated Weghorst leaves Burnley looking toothless

Burnley moved away from their trademark 4-4-2 formation for just the third time in the Premier League this season, with Dyche’s plan to “control” Man City seeing Jack Cork starting in place of Maxwel Cornet in a bid to beef up the midfield, but the manager admitted his game plan was undone within five minutes thanks to De Bruyne’s early goal.

In truth, the chances of a home win over the champions were slim regardless of Dyche’s tactics, given Pep Guardiola’s team’s regular dominance of the Clarets, but starting with Wout Weghorst as a lone striker seemed particularly negative.

The giant Dutchman is undoubtedly a threat to opposition defences, but launching long balls towards him without anyone there to attack the second balls was a curious tactic that saw Burnley record just three touches in the opposition box in the first half.

Dyche appeared to acknowledge the issue in the second half, bringing on both Cornet and Jay Rodriguez and moving Josh Brownhill into a more advanced position, but it was too little too late, particularly against a Man City side that have not dropped a point from winning positions in the Premier League this season.

Weghorst ended the game with zero shots, zero touches in the opposition box and fewer than 50 per cent of his aerial duels won, which outlined the toothless nature of a Burnley attack that relied on his prowess in the air.

With just 10 games remaining for Burnley to make up a four-point gap on Everton – who have a game in hand – the onus is on Dyche to get more from January signing Weghorst, who was brought in to help stave off relegation but now has just one goal in 10 league games.
Joe Shread

Turf Moor trip presented perfect tune up for Man City

Pep Guardiola said before Manchester City’s game at Burnley that he and his players were aware they had been knocked off top spot by Liverpool’s win over Watford in the early game.

But the manager and his players could not have asked for a kinder fixture to allow them to return to the top of the standings, with Man City having won the previous nine games against Burnley by an aggregate score of 32-1.

The Clarets lined up in a 4-5-1 formation in a bid to frustrate their visitors, but Man City quickly undermined that strategy thanks to Raheem Sterling’s raids down the right wing, and smart finishes from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan.

While Guardiola highlighted his side’s inability to kill off the game, he would probably admit in private that his players lowered their intensity in the second half, with the three points all but secure and a formidable fixture list looming.

The impressive De Bruyne and Phil Foden were withdrawn in the second period in what seemed to be an attempt to keep them fresh for Tuesday’s visit of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Man City then face the biggest game of their season to date on April 10 when Liverpool travel to the Etihad – live on Sky Sports­ – before flying to Madrid for their second leg against Atletico. They then take on Liverpool again, this time at Wembley for a place in the FA Cup final.

With so many season-defining games taking place in the coming weeks, a trip to Turf Moor seemed to present the perfect tune-up opportunity for Man City – an opportunity the champions emphatically took.
Joe Shread

Wolves dreaming of Europe again

Wolves had lost four of their previous six Premier League games before their deserved 2-1 derby victory over Aston Villa at Molineux.

Having thrown away a 2-0 lead against Leeds to lose 3-2 in their last match before the international break, it looked as if an impressive debut season under head coach Bruno Lage was in danger of petering out.

But despite missing the banned Raul Jimenez and injured Ruben Neves, Saturday’s win over their west Midlands rivals – as well as inconsistent results from the teams around them – mean they are still firmly in the hunt for European football.

Now above West Ham ahead of their clash with Everton on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, Wolves will qualify for next season’s Europa Conference League if they can stay in seventh spot – that’s if Crystal Palace fail to win the FA Cup.

With tough games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool remaining, fixtures against Newcastle, Burnley, Brighton and Norwich will give Lage encouragement his side can finish the campaign strongly.

After reaching the Europa League quarter-finals in 2019/20 under former boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolves can dream of playing in Europe once more and if they can find some consistency during the run-in, they will be well on course to achieve it.
Dan Sansom

Are Brighton stagnating?

That is a question you’d have answered with a resounding no a few months ago as Graham Potter’s side looked certain for a top-10 finish. However, no wins in their last seven games and just three victories in their last 24 league matches have very much derailed their season.

It is perhaps a bit of a reality check for a club that don’t spend the same type of money in the transfer market as teams around them in the Premier League. In fact, fending off relegation with their small budget is an achievement that should not be underestimated.

One thing is for certain, and this has been said before, they need to find a striker that can be relied upon throughout the season. Neal Maupay has shown in spurts what he can do but this performance was another reminder of where Brighton need to invest in the summer. Along with his penalty miss, there were two other very appealing chances that Maupay snatched at.

Brighton are now only one point better off than at the same stage of last season when they were 16th with 33 points. Chances and attractive football are being created and served up but this was another day where it was same old story. And they may have even taken it to another level by registering 31 shots without scoring. Only Manchester City have managed to produce that many in one game this season and they won that match 7-0 against Leeds. The problem is so obvious.
Lewis Jones

Ward-Prowse closing in on Beckham as PL’s free-kick master

Is there a better free-kick taker in world football at present than Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse? If there is, he must be hiding somewhere.

The England international added to his already bulging repertoire of stunning free-kick goals to earn his side a point at Elland Road on Saturday.

When referee Anthony Taylor awarded the visitors a free-kick on the left edge of the area, everyone in the ground knew what was about to come, including Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

However, it is one thing knowing what is coming, and an altogether different proposition stopping it. The Frenchman found that out seconds later, picking the ball out of the net after Ward-Prowse’s curling free kick sailed up and over the wall and into the top left-hand corner of the net.

Incredibly, that is now the midfielder’s 13th direct free-kick in the Premier League, leaving him just five behind David Beckham at the top of the list and with time on his side to catch the former England skipper.
Richard Morgan