Friday, November 22, 2024

🔬The Debrief as Arsenal stumble again and Ipswich make history

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🔬The Debrief as Arsenal stumble again and Ipswich make history

Sunday produced one final pre-international break flourish with four action-packed games to take in.

Here’s what we made of it all.


What happened?

Manchester United provided Ruud van Nistelrooy with the perfect send-off as caretaker with a 3-0 win over Leicester City.

📸 Ryan Pierse – 2024 Getty Images

Newcastle recovered from a first-half setback to down Nottingham Forest 3-1 while Ipswich claimed maximum points with a surprise 2-1 victory against Tottenham.

In the day’s late game, Chelsea and Arsenal ground out an entertaining 1-1 draw.


Player of the day

📸 Carl Recine – 2024 Getty Images

No Manchester United player has embodied the post-Erik ten Hag resurgence quite like Bruno Fernandes.

The captain continued his renaissance with a fourth goal in as many games under Van Nistelrooy compared to none in 13 earlier this season with his predecessor.

Rúben Amorim could not ask for a better welcome gift upon his arrival at Old Trafford later this month than Fernandes in his current vein of form.


Stat of the day

This says it all, doesn’t it?


What this means

📸 Julian Finney – 2024 Getty Images

Advantage Liverpool, essentially.

The leaders hold a five-point cushion over Manchester City which is extended to nine with Chelsea and Arsenal.

At the other end of the table, Ipswich’s maiden top-flight victory since 2002 lifts them out of the relegation zone at the expense of Crystal Palace.


What they said

📸 Alex Livesey – 2024 Getty Images

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reaches for the metaphors after his side dropped two points: “When it gets nasty, show your teeth. Show how much you want it. When it’s Disneyland, everything is easy.”

Enzo Maresca gives his verdict to BBC Sport: “I enjoyed it, absolutely. The performance was good. We know them quite well and we competed pretty well. The performance is very important for us in this moment and it was good. We can rest now and go again.”

Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes delivers a pep talk: “Garnacho scored a banger but didn’t celebrate like he should because he thinks he has lost faith from some fans. I told him: ‘People will always moan but lots of people like you and enjoy what you do’.”

Forest get their flowers from Newcastle’s Eddie Howe: “They are a difficult team to play against because they don’t concede many chances and you’re left ­fearing the worse when you go behind. The second half was up there with our best performances this season.”


What comes next?

The final international break of 2024 takes over before the Premier League resumes again on 23 November.


📸 HENRY NICHOLLS – AFP or licensors

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