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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Man City’s match against Newcastle United in the Premier League.
A performance that harked back to the Manchester City of old. And an individual display from Omar Marmoush that will serve long in the memory. City might have morphed into a moments team this season but thumping Newcastle 4-0 felt like more than just a moment. It was a statement.
Before Saturday many were questioning City’s muscle in the top-four fight. Many were querying their appetite for it. But Pep Guardiola’s side showed they have the stomach. Such momentum may prove invaluable as they attempt to overturn their European play-off deficit against Real Madrid in four days’ time.
Marmoush was the star of the show, every bit a £60m player, and his energy was infectious. His buzz seemed to breathe a new lease of life into team-mates who have looked below par in recent weeks.
Suddenly Ilkay Gundogan’s legs worked. Phil Foden’s passing was crisp. Rico Lewis’ defending resolute. Latest signing Nico Gonzalez, who Guardiola dubbed “mini-Rodri” post-match, was impressive too.
City looked revived as they earned their best Premier League home win of the season – their biggest overall since May 2024 – and in turn proved they are far from done yet.
Laura Hunter
Merino, Nwaneri set to push Sterling out of Arsenal team
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Leicester City’s match against Arsenal in the Premier League.
There was a moment in the second half where Arsenal’s forward hopes were momentarily laid bare.
A free-kick was cleared to Raheem Sterling on the edge of the box. But instead of shooting, the experienced pro with nearly 400 league appearances and 82 England caps passed the ball to 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri in a similar area, who had a shot blocked.
Arsenal started the day with three recognised forwards and one of them wasn’t up to scratch. Sterling had no shots, no real chances and just one opportunity created. He attempted three dribbles in the game and failed to win a single one.
Image: GRAPHIC
Thankfully for Arsenal, they had Nwaneri – who completed six out of his seven dribbles and set up the Gunners’ opener with a superb cross. Sterling made his Premier League debut just three days after Ethan Nwaneri’s fifth birthday – but one looks like a helpful option for Arsenal in this forward crisis.
And after Mikel Merino stepped up off the bench to score twice, even Sterling’s position in this back-up Arsenal team is under threat.
Nwaneri looks like a Bukayo Saka prototype, he makes sense. Merino is a similar style player to Kai Havertz – while Mikel Arteta’s mentor Pep Guardiola once won a title without a striker, he makes sense. But Sterling’s spot on the wing is the only thing that does not.
Sam Blitz
Chelsea project back in the spotlight after Brighton battering
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Brighton’s win against Chelsea in the Premier League.
You would be forgiven for thinking it was Brighton that had splashed more than £200m poaching Chelsea’s best players going by Friday night’s performance at the Amex.
It is, of course, Chelsea that have plundered Brighton for their most prized assets in recent years – and that hasn’t been limited to just the playing staff.
Graham Potter, sacked as head coach after less than seven months, and co-sporting director Paul Winstanley are the high-profile hires. There are more.
In spite of all that, Brighton outclassed Chelsea in every department on Friday and the 3-0 result could have been much worse. It doesn’t reflect too well on the Chelsea project.
Three years in, more than £1bn spent on signings and Enzo Maresca has just one senior striker in Nicolas Jackson, whose injury has only served to compound the issue.
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Speaking after the 3-0 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League, Jamie Carragher suggested Chelsea risk losing Cole Palmer if they are unable to qualify for the Champions League this season.
Failure to register a shot on target in a league game for the first time since September 2021 has confirmed fears that Chelsea will struggle without Jackson. Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku were unconvincing as alternating false nines.
Neither Moises Caicedo, signed for £115m, nor Marc Cucurella, signed for £63m, covered themselves in glory on their return to Brighton either. Robert Sanchez, meanwhile, signed for £25m, was spared the boos after being dropped as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Maresca’s impressive start eased pressure on the Chelsea project after the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino, whose team finished last season so well. Now, it seems, with just two wins in nine league games, the questions are starting to be asked once again.
Nuno learns lesson in Fulham defeat
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Fulham’s match against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
The life of a manager is such that a 7-0 victory can be followed by a 2-1 defeat despite using the same team and formation.
How could Nuno Espirito Santo have changed anything after Nottingham Forest dismantled Brighton? He wished he had at Craven Cottage.
“There are so many things that I would do differently now,” admitted Nuno. He stuck with five at the back yet Fulham exposed their wide areas and the space in front of the defence. Forest were pinned back and couldn’t counter as effectively as usual.
Image: Nottingham Forest had more momentum than Fulham for a sustained period during the second half after changing formation
When Forest did change to a back four with little over 20 minutes left, they found more joy themselves out wide through substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi. The game became more stretched and Forest were on top for the first time.
“We know that the change gives us more width, more things that we are used to, but at the same time the contacts on the box or the crosses were not there,” added Nuno. It was a harsh lesson and a reminder of football’s unpredictability.
David Richardson
Silva unlocks Forest with tactical masterclass
Marco Silva delivered a tactical masterclass to expose Nottingham Forest’s organised defence.
“We expected them to play with five at the back and with three midfielders, we knew that the spaces were going to be out wide definitely,” he said after Fulham racked up 24 shots – 10 on target – and an xG of 2.24.
Adama Traore terrorised Neco Williams down the right while Raul Jimenez dropped off the front line at times to allow runners to move beyond him. A combination of the two led to Emile Smith Rowe heading in the opener.
“The first goal is something that we have been working on to arrive in that spot with the pocket player there plus the winger to create some superiority,” explained Silva of Smith Rowe’s movement to arrive at the back post to meet Traore’s in-swinging cross.
“Even if Raul (Jimenez) was not there where normally he should be, the move from Emile and the great assist from Adama is something that we have been working on. You see throughout the game more moments like that one, Sasa Lukic had one as well in the first half to arrive in the same spot.
“We knew that they have big boys there with three at the back but if you do the right move in the right moment and the ball comes quick, it’s a really difficult spot to defend and we exploited it.”
David Richardson
Christie shows his class
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Southampton’s match against Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Andoni Iraola is a special manager. Not only because of his unique and barnstorming football philosophies but also his ability to completely reinvent players.
Ryan Christie is the perfect example. Once a player that was a chief creator of goals in forward areas that carried lots of quality he is now a midfield enforcer and the relentless pulse that makes this Bournemouth team play at such ferocious velocity.
That was on show here again but sprinkled with the class of the Christie of old where he produced two moments of supreme quality. His cross for Dango Ouattara was impossible to defend such was the trajectory and his finish for his goal was equally as devastating. He is becoming a master of his trade in the Bournemouth midfield.
Lewis Jones
Why was Dibling benched?
Image: Tyler Dibling changed the game in Southampton’s favour
A player of Tyler Dibling’s quality should not be warming the bench of a team with just nine points from 25 Premier League games. His omission from the starting XI when Southampton need to win football matches was very odd. Yes, he’s inexperienced and perhaps not the most disciplined out of possession but he’s a special player and one that Saints should be putting on show considering the reported interest and £50m price tag.
Ivan Juric threw him into the game with 56 minutes gone which subsequently triggered Southampton’s best spell of the match – that wasn’t a coincidence. Dibling went searching for the ball, driving Bournemouth back with his silky way of handling the ball. In a season where there is little fun factor watching this team, Dibling needs to be the first name of the teamsheet.
Lewis Jones
Palmer is debut star at Villa Park
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Aston Villa’s match against Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
Villa supporters arrived hoping to see an inspired Premier League debut from a new signing and though there were flashes of quality from Marcus Rashford to encourage, it was Alex Palmer making his bow in the competition in the Ipswich goal who stood out.
It was a player-of-the-match performance by the 28-year-old goalkeeper, signed from West Brom on Deadline Day. He saved superbly from Morgan Rogers in the first half and then came up with an extraordinary stop from the same player late on to secure the point.
Villa had 25 shots but beat him only once. Palmer had been on the bench for West Brom in the top flight in his youth. This was different. “I have waited quite a while for it, putting the work in. I just want to say thank you to Ipswich for giving me the chance to do it.”
Kieran McKenna was also in reflective mood. “It is a brilliant day for him. I think it’s always worth taking stock. He has worked his way up, done the hard yards to get to the Premier League. He has got his opportunity now, and he certainly took it today.”
Given the number of errors made by Arijanet Muric, there will be hope among Ipswich supporters that a confident and in-form goalkeeper who is Premier League-ready could make the difference in their bid to stay up. McKenna was a little more cautious.
His response was “let’s see” when asked if Palmer was a bargain buy, while he stressed that the other goalkeepers at the club had delivered strong performances this season too. “Alex has different qualities,” he conceded. Starts do not come much better.
Adam Bate
Little difference seen so far between Potter and Lopetegui’s West Ham
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from West Ham’s match against Brentford in the Premier League.
West Ham have won just one game in all competitions since Graham Potter replaced the floundering Julen Lopetegui in the London Stadium dugout at the start of January, losing four and drawing one in that time – while also failing to keep a clean sheet – as the new man struggles to make an impact in the East End.
Their latest setback came at home to Brentford, with Potter even admitting after their stuttering display that the start to his Hammers tenure had not gone according to plan, saying: “You would hope to have got more points by now,” with the club still languishing down in 16th place in the table.
“The first half was nowhere near where we want to be,” Potter said of a first 45 minutes that could realistically have seen his team trailing 4-0 on another day.
Luckily for Potter there are three worse sides than West Ham and with a healthy 10-point gap on both Ipswich Town and Leicester City, the threat of relegation is minimal.
However, the former Brighton and Chelsea boss will want to start seeing improvements, and quickly, if the boos that rang out at full-time at the London Stadium are to be the exception, rather than the norm.
Rich Morgan
