Monday, December 23, 2024

🔬The Debrief as Bournemouth take another scalp and Liverpool gain control

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🔬The Debrief as Bournemouth take another scalp and Liverpool gain control

There were seven Premier League games to enjoy on what was a busy day of action on Saturday.

Let’s take a look at what went on.


What happened?

Newcastle shocked title hopefuls Arsenal in the early kick-off with a hard-fought 1-0 win at St James’ Park. Alexander Isak scored the crucial goal with a bullet header from a fine Anthony Gordon cross.

That handed the advantage to Manchester City, but they also succumbed to a shock 2-1 defeat away at Bournemouth, ending their 32-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Liverpool also looked to be struggling when Brighton took the lead at Anfield, but a strong comeback in the second half saw them register a 2-1 win. Arne Slot has a total of 25 points in his first 10 Premier League games, the most of any manager in the club’s history.

Nottingham Forest were not a team tipped to be inside the top three after 10 matches, but that’s where they sit after a 3-0 win over struggling West Ham, giving them a one-point advantage over Arsenal in the table.

At the bottom, there was a first win of the season for Southampton, as they defeated fellow strugglers Everton by a 1-0 scoreline, and Ipswich put another precious point on the board with a 1-1 draw against Leicester.

In the evening kick off, a topsy turvy game saw Wolves and Crystal Palace both take the lead, only for both sides to be pegged back as the game ended in a 2-2 draw.


Player of the day

With Forest’s unlikely rise to third, there is a hero in their ranks in the way of striker Chris Wood.

The 32-year-old journeyman moved to the City Ground after a nomadic career, but is already second in their list of all-time Premier League goalscorers with 23 goals in 48 domestic fixtures, having moved in front of Stan Collymore and is now just one behind Brian Roy.

Only Erling Haaland has scored more in the league this season.


Stat of the day

Before today’s game had kicked off, Bournemouth had lost all 14 of their Premier League encounters against Manchester City, which gave Pep Guardiola’s side the best 100% record any team has against another in English top-flight history.

That status made them perhaps the unlikeliest side to topple Man City’s 32-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Yet the Cherries have made the Vitality Stadium an extremely tough place to visit, and they had already beaten Arsenal on home soil exactly two weeks ago.

Today they gave their fans another huge giant-killing as they held out for a 2-1 win over last season’s champions, making this another remarkable day in the English top-flight.


What this means

Liverpool sit top of the Premier League by two points over rivals Manchester City, with Nottingham Forest third and Arsenal in fourth. The Gunners are a whopping seven points behind the league leaders, prompting some to question whether their title challenge is over before it has even begun.

At the bottom, Wolves remain the only winless side in the Premier League after their draw with Crystal Palace, while the Eagles edged out a three-point gap between them and Ipswich in 18th place.


What they said

“We deserved to lose today,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told reporters after the match. “I thought we started really well and were really dominant. We didn’t defend the box well enough. Credit to them. They scored a great goal with a good ball.”

Meanwhile Arne Slot delivered worrying injury news over Ibrahima Konaté. “He had a lot of pain during half-time so then you have to make the change.”

Pep Guardiola admitted his side were below par in his post-match press conference. “We could not match the intensity [of Bournemouth] and we could not stop the long balls,” revealed the boss.  “We had to defend deeper and we struggled to create in the build-up.”


What comes next?

Tomorrow’s Premier League action sees Tottenham host Aston Villa, while Ruud Van Nistelrooy takes charge of Manchester United once again as they face Chelsea at Old Trafford.


📸 Dan Istitene – 2024 Getty Images

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