Liverpool show strength in depth as West Ham’s desperate attack must worry Graham Potter – Premier League hits and misses | Football news

Strength in depth is key to Liverpool’s title challenge

For long periods, it looked like it wasn’t going to be Liverpool’s day.

Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold didn’t have their shooting boots as the ball continued to shine off the target. Darwin Nunez – the hero of the hour for Liverpool – created a free header from Andy Robertson’s cross before blasting a terrific effort over the bar from 30 yards as the Reds looked to be heading for a third successive league draw for starting 2025 and more. dropped points in the race for the Premier League title.

But Nunez and Liverpool eventually hit it off, and it is Arne Slott’s ability to be able to empty Liverpool’s bench with new attacking options that could be critical in their bid to win a first title in five years.

Liverpool, who were also without the injured Diogo Jota, produced an incredible 37 shots at Brentford – a record for an away team in the Premier League – but it was their ability to sustain that pressure with fresh legs that ultimately saw them through the line. .

It was Nunez who came to the rescue on this occasion, but Harvey Elliott, who hasn’t had as many minutes as he would have liked this season, also played a key role off the bench with an assist for the second.

If Mo Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo don’t get you, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott will! And with other teams in the league 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 Yew

Blunt West Ham give alarming attacking displays

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

No shots on goal and almost no threat in the final third. Mohammed Kudus led the line this time in place of Lucas Paqueta, but whatever Graham Potter had planned, it was an alarming display.

There were groans around the ground as Lukasz Fabianski and his centre-backs repeatedly exchanged passes in the first half, with no apparent intention of going forward. Palace can be hard to break down, but at times West Ham looked disinclined to even try. Better to keep the ball than attack and risk losing it?

Certainly the absences of Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Michail Antonio have reduced their options in attack. But West Ham fans expect a lot more push from their teams, regardless of who is available.

It is still early days in Potter’s reign and he will be hoping that more time on the training ground will lead to more cohesive performances. But, on this evidence, the group’s mentality must shift to a more offensive one.
Peter Smith

Mateta continues the form of the Rossoneri in front of the goal

Corner flags beware, Jean-Phillipe Mateta is in hot form.

His brace against West Ham means the Crystal Palace shot-stopper now has four goals in his last three games. It’s a run that began since the end of the year with those four matching his return for the season before 2025. After a slow start to the season, he looks back to his dominant best, linking up with Eberechi Eze to explode at West Ham. bubbled the manager as they connected for another goal.

Setting up Mateta again, Eze has now provided eight Premier League assists for Mateta, with no Palace player assisting a team-mate more often in the history of the competition. The figure matches the previous record with Michael Olise also assisting Eze eight times.

Mateta’s form may have dipped at the start of the season, but his overall consistency is what pleases Palace boss Oliver Glasner. Speaking after the match, he told the press: “When he gets the ball somewhere around the box and he wins a free finish, then very often it’s 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’re working on every day with the whole team, then we know that he has a wonderful finish.”
William Bitibiri

When Bournemouth clicks, it’s magic

Justin Kluivert will rightly steal the headlines, his match-winning contribution made all the more impressive by his all-round display. The Dutchman was happy to clear strong yards out of possession, rushing into his defensive half before coming alive when Bournemouth launched their signature counter-attack.

But such a heavy defeat – Newcastle have not lost by three goals at home since December 2021 – was only possible with synchronicity across the pitch. As Andoni Iraola admitted after the game, Bournemouth put in a nice ‘complete’ performance. They made Newcastle look average in every department. Alexander Isak was anonymous.

Bournemouth did what very few teams have or will do to Eddie Howe’s side at St James’ Park. To have the courage to go toe-to-toe, constantly looking for high turnovers, with a team that has won nine in a row in all competitions, is bravery. We are talking about the most in-form club in the Premier League.

But Iraola knows only one way. His passing style is fascinating to watch when it clicks and Saturday’s show was a stellar example of everything clicking perfectly.
Laura Hunter

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

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

The Cherries’ victory means Howe is yet to beat his former club, having now lost twice and drawn four of the six league games against them since he left.

Howe blamed “fatigue” for the heavy defeat and it looked a step too far for his side as they aimed for a record 10th consecutive victory in all competitions.

Their hugely disappointing performance saw in-form striker Alexander Isak, who had scored in his previous eight Premier League appearances, fail to register a strike from open play.

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

Howe will also be delighted to be leaving Southampton after all, giving the Magpies the perfect opportunity to quickly get back to winning ways and put this huge defeat behind them.
Declan Olley

Pressure building on Ruud

These are tough 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 drop zone when he arrived. In this form, they seem doomed.

His predecessor Steve Cooper wasn’t very popular with the fans at the King Power Stadium, but that was a low point for anything he had to endure. There were many calls for the board to be fired and others aimed at athletic director Jon Rudkin as well.

But Van Nistelrooy did not escape. The ongoing frustration over James Justin’s inclusion is likely to end soon following the signing of Woyo Coulibaly, but Jordan Ayew is also a target of the supporters, with fans’ favorites being denied minutes.

Ayew jeered when Facundo Buonanotte finally came on for him, while there was anger at the departure of Bilal El Khannouss. Picking what fans perceive to be 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, the resilience is lacking and things unravel. They were in it against Fulham, but there is a fragility in this team. Foxes never retreat. But they lose seven in a row.
Adam Bate

Europe on the horizon for Fulham?

Having eased their way into the game at the King Power, Fulham cruised to victory without getting out of second gear.

Emile Smith Rowe marked his 100th Premier League appearance in style after nodding in the opener, which was quickly followed by Adama Traore stepping off the bench to side-foot his effort expertly – something not often said for his style of play – in the bottom corner. .

Marco Silva’s side always looked in control of the game and have now cemented their place in the race for European football as they moved up to ninth – just two points off Aston Villa and Man City ahead of them.

It’s been 13 years since the Cottagers last swiped their passports for a trip to Europe, but with Raul Jimenez back to his best form, Harry Wilson shining down the right and the duo of Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi fly on the opposite wing, those dreams may come true by the end of the season.
Patrick Rowe