Yahoo Sports Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend
Five learnings we took from this past weekend’s Premier League action, featuring Chelsea’s unlikely title tilt, the problem with Arsenal’s set pieces, Man Utd’s big concern, and what Man City need in the transfer market.
Wait, Chelsea are actually title contenders?
When Liverpool’s trip to Everton was called off on Saturday morning due to Storm Darragh, it felt like this past weekend was the perfect opportunity for their title rivals to make ground in the table. Instead, Manchester City and Arsenal had to settle for a point against Crystal Palace and Fulham respectively.
It seemed like Chelsea would also fall further behind after going two goals down after just ten minutes at Spurs, but they pulled off a stunning comeback to win 4-3 and close the gap to first place to just four points.
Enzo Maresca insists his side are too young and inexperienced to win the Premier League, and that may yet prove to be the case. But in this strange and unpredictable season, the Blues might have the juice to push Liverpool all the way this year.
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Set piece mastery won’t be enough for Arsenal
Much has been made of Arsenal’s set piece threat this season, so much so that Nicolas Jover has become a vaunted figure in the Premier League. And not without reason; they’ve scored 20 league goals from set plays in 2024, their joint-most in a calendar year since 2009.
Fulham seemed to get a handle on them in the first half of their encounter at Craven Cottage. Marco Silva found an effective strategy by having his men defend the space that Gunners run into instead of man-marking the individuals.
Arsenal adjusted after the break and it paid off. Rather than run towards the near post, they ran a screen at the back post, allowing Kai Havertz to head the ball to William Saliba, who tapped in for the equaliser.
It was yet another impressive scheme, but Mikel Arteta’s side looked otherwise blunt in attack. Of the 2.03 expected goals they generated against Fulham, only 0.29xG of that came from open play.
Their corner routines are a great tool to have in the backpocket, especially against a stubborn defence. But it feels like Arsenal are now overly reliant on them to beat the opposition.
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Man City must make midfield signing in January
Pep Guardiola must have hoped his side had turned a corner in midweek. After being Nottingham Forest comfortably, Manchester City appeared back on track after a torrid run of results. It appeared a false dawn, however, as familiar flaws were exposed in this weekend’s draw at Crystal Palace.
The Rodri-sized hole in the Manchester City midfield continues to be exposed and while the blame can not be solely placed on the Spaniard’s absence, the issues in the engine room are apparent. Time and time again Palace found room to drive at the City defence, with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne lacking the energy of past seasons.
Plugging the gaps and finding a solid base should be of paramount importance as the transfer window opens next month. Finding a player who fits the right profile and is attainable is another matter, but City must search. As things stand, their season is in danger of becoming a battle for the top four.
Corner concern for Man Utd
If Manchester United had worked on defending set-pieces in the days after being exposed at the Emirates in midweek, you wouldn’t have known. It took just two minutes for Nottingham Forest to open the scoring at Old Trafford as Nikola Milenkovic powered in from Elliot Anderson’s delivery.
United opted for zonal marking with blockers on the Forest targets, but it was a plan that backfired as Milekovic bulldozed his way in to plant past Andre Onana. Having conceded twice from corners during the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, it was another set-piece that undid the Red Devils early on against Forest. No side in the Premier League has conceded from more corners (7) than United this season. Amid a wealth of problems to fix, this is an obvious one for Ruben Amorim.
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The race for fifth is gripping
The Premier League table makes for fascinating reading at the moment, and not just at the top. Nottingham Forest currently sit fifth after 15 games, but only two points separate them from the team in tenth, Fulham. Spurs and Newcastle are just five points adrift in 11th and 12th respectively.
If this season has thus far proven anything, it’s that the middle classes of the top flight are thriving. Aston Villa are once again in the mix for Europe, while Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford and Fulham – all Championship clubs within the last decade – are right there with them.
Even accounting for the possibility of Tottenham, Newcastle and Man Utd resurging in the second half of the campaign, there’s every chance that the aforementioned unlikely lot could qualify for next season’s Uefa Europa League or Conference League. They can certainly dare to dream.
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