On a Premier League weekend when leads were squandered, boots got binned and games were postponed, some excellent football managed to emerge.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!While Liverpool and Everton watched the action unfold from the sidelines after the Merseyside derby was claimed by Storm Darragh, the rest of the division picked up the slack. Battles at both ends of the Premier League table caught the eye as Chelsea strengthened a title challenge Enzo Maresca doesn’t want to acknowledge and Southampton’s Russell Martin tried his best to ignore the writing on the wall.
Here are the standout performers from a wild weekend on and off the pitch.
Bernardo Silva insisted that Manchester City’s title aspirations can be reinvigorated by a return to fitness for key players, but Matheus Nunes has been one of the few beneficiaries from this injury crisis.
The Portuguese midfielder has tentatively blossomed into an unfamiliar role out wide and teed up Erling Haaland’s equaliser against Crystal Palace on Saturday. Despite Nunes’ best efforts, the Cityzens dropped more points in a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.
After a spirited 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal on Sunday, Fulham manager Marco Silva lauded his players’ fight, commitment and organisation. Left-back Antonee Robinson embodied those three qualities while wearing the captain’s armband.
While no player will completely snuff out Bukayo Saka’s threat entirely, Fulham’s America high-flier limited Arsenal’s talisman to precious little in a well-rounded display.
Arsenal’s set-piece prowess was captured by a telling stat in the aftermath of a frustrating draw with Fulham. William Saliba’s stabbed equaliser was his sixth Premier League goal from dead-ball situations – and his second of the week. Since 2022/23, only one player has been more prolific from set-pieces; his Arsenal teammate Gabriel.
Beyond his dominance in the opposition box, Saliba had control of Arsenal’s penalty area. Throughout a one-sided contest which the Gunners “absolutely dominated”, according to Mikel Arteta, the French centre-back and his fellow defenders limited the hosts to just two shots all game. Unfortunately for Saliba, one of those efforts beat David Raya.
Enzo Fernandez is more familiar with the rollercoaster ride of a football career than most. The Argentine wasn’t even included in the 2022 World Cup sticker album but finished as the tournament’s champion and Best Young Player.
Less than a month ago, the £107m recruit was confined to the role of the world’s most expensive substitute on Chelsea’s bench. Yet, Fernandez’s wonderfully crisp strike against Spurs was his third goal in four games – all of which he has started.
Brighton soundly battered Leicester throughout the opening 86 minutes of their trip to the King Power Stadium on Sunday, racking up two goals, 14 shots and six on target. Enter Jamie Vardy.
That the 37-year-old was still even on the pitch to halve the deficit is a testament to the restorative powers of Red Bull. Most of the crowd had left but the timeless terrier was still on hand to tee up Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s 91st-minute equaliser.
“Absolute top class”, was the verdict from Vardy’s new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
No player in the Premier League this season has scored more home goals than Bryan Mbeumo. The bustling Cameroon international took his tally to an impressive eight for the campaign with the opener in a 4-2 victory over Newcastle on Saturday.
Beyond his goals, Mbeumo’s magnificent hold-up play and silk-lined touch bamboozled the visitors. Thomas Frank called his striker “unplayable”, an adjective that Newcastle’s defenders would have to agree with.
It’s hard to remember that Cole Palmer is enjoying just his second full season as a first-team regular.
The former Manchester City academy graduate demonstrated the nerveless edge which he has carried throughout his embryonic career to become the Premier League’s most successful penalty taker of all time with two successful spot-kicks against Tottenham. But it was the way he grew into the contest in open play, gradually distancing himself from the strict man-marking brief Yves Bissouma adopted, which showed that the playmaker is still improving.
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2024-12-09 22:30:00
