Liverpool show strength in depth as hopeless West Ham attack should worry Graham Potter – Premier League hits and misses | Football News happymamay

Strength in depth is key to Liverpool’s title challenge

For long periods, it looked as if this was not going to be Liverpool’s day.

Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold did not have their shooting boots as the ball continued to flash wide of the goal. Darwin Nunes – the hero of the hour for Liverpool – headed wide from Andy Robertson’s cross before curling a terrible shot over the bar from 30 yards as the Reds looked as if they were heading towards a third successive league draw to start 2025 and beyond. He dropped points in the race for the Premier League title.

But Núñez and Liverpool have ultimately come together well, and it is Arne Slott’s ability to empty Liverpool’s bench with new attacking options that could be crucial in their bid to win a first title in five years.

Liverpool, even without the injured Diogo Jota, racked up an astonishing 37 shots at Brentford – a record for an away side in the Premier League – but it was their ability to maintain that pressure with fresh legs that eventually saw them over the goal line. .

It was Nunez who saved the occasion, but Harvey Elliott, who has not played as many minutes as he would have liked this season, also played a key role from the bench and set up the second goal.

If Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Jacobo can’t understand you, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott will! And when other teams in the league are struggling with injuries and depleted squads, that depth could be the deciding factor in Liverpool’s bid to bring the title back to Anfield.
Oliver Yu

Plant West Ham are putting on a worrying attacking display

West Ham fans can smile at the statistics they recorded from their three shots on target against Fulham on Tuesday. But few saw the funny side of their team’s attacking play against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

There were no shots on target and no threat at all in the final third. Mohammed Quddus led the line this time in place of Lucas Paqueta but whatever Graham Potter had planned, this was a worrying display.

There were groans around the ground as Lukasz Fabianski and his centre-back repeatedly exchanged passes in the first half, with seemingly no intention of going forward. It may be difficult to break down Palace, but at times West Ham looked unwilling to even try. Is it better to retain possession than attack and risk losing it?

Naturally, the absence of Jarrod Bowen, Niklas Volkrug, Crescencio Somerville and Michail Antonio has limited their attacking options. But West Ham fans will expect more momentum from their teams, regardless of who is available.

It’s still early days for Potter and he hopes more time to train will lead to more consistent performances. But, based on this evidence, the group’s mentality needs to shift to a more offensive one.
Peter Smith

Mateta continues to shine in front of goal

Corner flags beware, Jean-Philippe Mateta is in very good condition.

His brace against a dismal West Ham side means the Crystal Palace top scorer now has four goals in his last three matches. It’s a run that has started since the turn of the year with these four matching his return to the season ahead of 2025. After a slow start to the season, he looked to his best, joining forces with Eberechi Eze to blow up West Ham’s new line-up. Manager bubble while they are linked to another target.

By setting up Mateta once again, Eze has now provided eight assists for Mateta in the Premier League, with no Crystal Palace player assisting a teammate more than ever in the history of the competition. This matches the previous record as Michael Olise also assisted Eze eight times.

Mateta’s form may have dipped at the start of the season, but it is his overall consistency that is pleasing to Palace boss Oliver Glasner. Speaking after the match he told the press: “When he gets the ball somewhere around the box and gets a free touch, it’s often a goal. He was the same, but he’s also really hardworking, like all our strikers.” .

“He always needs players around him who can give him the ball, but then when he gets it in the right areas, and that’s what we work on day in and day out with the whole team, we know he has great ability to play.” “Amazing ending.”
WILLIAM PETTYBERRY

When Bournemouth tap the ball, it’s magical

Justin Kluivert will truly steal the headlines, and his match-winning contributions are made even more impressive by his action-packed display. The Dutchman was happy to get off the ball in difficult yards, bursting into his defensive half before recovering when Bournemouth launched their trademark counter-attack.

But such a crushing defeat – Newcastle have not lost by three goals at home since December 2021 – was only possible with synchronicity across the pitch. As Andoni Airola admitted after the match, Bournemouth put in a beautiful, “complete” performance. They made Newcastle look average in every department. Alexander Isaac was unknown.

Bournemouth have done what very few teams have done or will do with Eddie Howe’s side at St James’ Park. Having the courage to compete toe-to-toe, constantly looking for a high turnover, with a team that has won nine straight in all competitions is a bold thing to do. We are talking about the most glamorous club in the English Premier League.

But Irola only knows one way. His transitional style is great to watch when it clicks and Saturday’s show was a perfect example of everything clicking perfectly.
Laura Hunter

Newcastle’s pursuit of a club record is a step too far

All good things must come to an end – but for Eddie Howe, it had to be his old club Bournemouth who ended their nine-game winning streak in stunning style.

The Cherries’ win means Howe is yet to beat his former club, having lost twice and drawn four of their six league matches against them since his departure.

Howe blamed “fatigue” for the heavy defeat and it appeared to be a step too far for his side as they bid for a club record tenth successive win in all competitions.

Their extremely disappointing performance meant in-form striker Alexander Isak, who had scored in his previous eight Premier League matches, failed to register a single shot from open play.

Fortunately for Howe and his team, they now have a full recovery week for much-needed rest and recovery after a hectic run of matches.

Howe will also be pleased to have Southampton bottom of the table next, giving the Magpies the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways quickly and put this crushing loss behind them.
Declan Ollie

Pressure mounted on Rudd

These are perilous times for Ruud van Nistelrooy, the worst run of results Leicester City has endured in more than two decades – and right at the start of his reign. The Foxes weren’t even in the relegation zone when he arrived. In this form, they seem doomed to failure.

His predecessor Steve Cooper was not very popular with the fans at the King Power Stadium, but this was a point below anything he had to endure. There were multiple chants demanding the dismissal of the board of directors and others targeting athletic director John Rudkin as well.

But Van Nistelrooy did not escape. The lingering frustration over James Justin’s signing is likely to end soon after the signing of Wouyou Koulibaly, but Jordan Ayew is also a target for fans, while the favorites are being denied minutes.

Ayew was ridiculed when Facundo Buonanotti replaced him, while there was anger over the dismissal of Bilal Al-Khannous. What fans see as the “wrong” team may not always make headlines, but the toxic scenes that follow tend to.

Van Nistelrooy says his players have to deal with it, but the problem is that when things start to go wrong, there is no flexibility and things fall apart. They were there against Fulham but there is fragility in this team. Foxes never stop. But they have lost seven times in a row.
Adam Pat

Europe on the horizon for Fulham?

After an easy run into the game at the King Power Stadium, Fulham cruised to victory without changing the pace.

Emile Smith Rowe celebrated his 100th Premier League appearance in style after scoring in the opener, which was quickly followed by Adama Traore rising from the bench to expertly put his effort – which is not often said about his style of play – into the bottom corner. .

Marco Silva’s side always looked in control of the game and have now cemented their position in the race for European football after climbing to ninth place – just two points behind Aston Villa and Manchester City, who are ahead of them.

It’s been 13 years since the Cottagers last dusted off their passports for a trip around Europe, but with Raul Jimenez back to his best, Harry Wilson impressing down the right flank, and the duo of Anthony Robinson and Alex Iwobi flying in on the other flank, those dreams can come true. In fact, by the end of the season.
Patrick Rowe