Manchester City finally punished for second half sloppiness

Manchester City’s performance was very relaxed in the first half. They don’t need to lose first gear at Tottenham. The problem was that they stayed there for the rest of the game.

A common theme for Guardiola’s side was a slow second half after taking a 2-0 lead.

Joao Gomez and Jurgen Strand-Larsen should have pulled a goal back for the league’s bottom side against Wolves, but they missed their chances. Victor Osimhen should score one or two for Galatasaray in midweek. This Spurs slump is just too much – it feels like two second-half goals conceded in the Manchester derby

Pep Guardiola said Dominic Solanke’s first-ever goal came as a result of a collision with Mark Guillory and his Manchester City side were emotionally unfair. He said the duel was missed, particularly by the full-backs, with Nico O’Reilly and Nico Gonzalez getting mixed up in the equaliser.

Then Guardiola’s excuses started to appear. The blame for the Solanke incident follows complaints about not being awarded a penalty against Wolves and Diogo Dalot remaining on the pitch in the Manchester derby. The reality is that City have struggled in the most important parts of the game.

Is it a physical issue, are injuries plaguing them? Have there been too many new players in the past 12 months? It’s all a reminder that this is not the City of years past. How many times in the past have Guardiola’s teams ended the game early and stayed ahead, perhaps pushing for more?

They need to sort out their second half issues quickly as their next opponent in the Premier League is Liverpool. The gap with Arsenal cannot widen any further.
Sam Blitz

Casemiro performs well for Manchester United

Casemiro is one goal away from returning to his best goalscoring season in the league.

After announcing he would leave at the end of the season, he is in full swing on a farewell tour and is looking back on his years in charge under Michael Carrick.

His first goal set the tone and his no-nonsense assist for Matheus Cunha showed the confidence he carries into the game. Carrick noted how important his “presence” and experience has been since he took over as interim coach.

A five-time Champions League winner, his reputation has taken a hit since arriving on these shores. However, the Brazil international remains in the manager’s favour.

With his 34th birthday approaching, any suggestion that he should be involved in United’s plans beyond this season would be wrong. But on the other hand, along with Kobe Minu, he remains an important cog in Carrick’s machine.

Casemiro is often considered the anchor of the midfield thanks to his time at Real Madrid, where he served as the back-up man for Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

For United, however, he proved to be the more complete man, showing a willingness to break down defenses with forward passes, so he found his way into the final third against Fulham.

As well as his goal contributions, Casemiro suddenly seemed like a player United could rely on again. It’s a callback to the player signed from Real Madrid in 2022 for £70m.

There have been plenty of rumors about an overhaul of Manchester United’s midfield this summer, but the void left by Casemiro’s impending departure and the shoes to fill are growing by the day.
william bitebery

Simmons begins to show his quality in the Premier League

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Manchester City, Thomas Frank said Xavi Simons needs to translate his Champions League performances into domestic form. Of course he did.

The Dutchman is the biggest beneficiary of the 3-4-3 formation. Due to injuries, the team was forced to switch to the 3-4-3 formation. With the full-backs pressing forward, Simmons has enough space inside to operate in his dangerous areas.

Many times, he is the team’s first choice when Tottenham switches from defense to attack. His neat feet are a joy to watch at times and the weight of his passes is often exemplary.

Having said that, what’s most impressive is his tenacity. He never gave up the fight for possession. He showed the courage required in a grueling Premier League game and lived to tell the story.

For Simmons it was something of a performance for us to come, his ability was never in doubt but the question was whether it would be a good fit for English football.

In perhaps the most difficult game Spurs have faced this season, given the pressure they were under and the opponents they faced, an unsung hero stepped up to embody Spurs’ comeback.
Callum Bishop

Anderson is a complete midfielder

Morgan Gibbs-White was named man of the match as ten-man Nottingham Forest drew with Crystal Palace, but Elliot Anderson is an equally worthy candidate.

The 23-year-old showcased all aspects of his game in a complete game that once again underlined his status as one of the Premier League’s top midfielders.

His best performance came in possession of the ball in the first half, where he displayed his technical ability and passing range to push Forest forward on several occasions.

Even after Neco Williams was sent off, he continued to show his value with the ball. No Forest player had more touches or made more passes during the 90 minutes. Anderson even completed all five of his dribble attempts.

But he was just as influential defensively after the break. Anderson rose to the challenge quickly and played a vital role in frustrating Palace, working tirelessly to cajole and coach his teammates.

He won possession a total of 10 times, the most of any player on either side. He won 12 out of 14 duels. A great all-around performance from a player who continues to improve.
Nick Wright

Crystal Palace’s woes in front of goal laid bare

The draw against Nottingham Forest extended Crystal Palace’s winless streak in the Premier League to nine games, and its winless streak in all competitions to 12 games. Shelbourne were the last team they beat, back on December 11th.

While that’s painful, arguably more concerning is their struggles in front of goal.

They have scored nine goals in their last 12 games, three of which have come from penalties. That’s the equivalent of scoring a goal in open play every game.

Even without Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was left out of the squad amid speculation over his future, Palace probably should have gone ahead with Ismaila Sarr’s penalty ahead of Matz Sels and half-time substitute Angus Gunn. Their hosts were reduced to 10 men thanks to an unintentional handball from Neco Williams.

But despite having 74% of the ball after the break, they just couldn’t do it. In fact, in the second half, their xG was just 0.22 and they didn’t even have a single shot on target.

talking sky sports After the game, Eagles head coach Oliver Glasner said “we could see how fragile our nerves were” in the second half. This is a fair assessment. This team wants to win.

Mateta’s future currently remains up in the air ahead of deadline day, but Crystal Palace have made an offer totaling £48m for Jurgen Strand-Larsen, which has been accepted by Wolves. If this deal goes through, they’ll need him to fire from the start.
Danlong

Brentford defeat highlights Villa’s lack of depth

Aston Villa welcomed Douglas Luiz and Tammy Abraham back to the club this week, with the pair going straight into the starting XI against Brentford.

That’s not a recognition of their talent, even though both seem smart. It’s testament to the pressure that Emery’s side are currently under.

Captain John McGinn and top scorer Ollie Watkins were watching from the stands due to injury, with Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans joining them on the sidelines.

Club record singer Amadou Onana was also not fit enough to play despite being named on the bench.

The injury crisis continues to engulf the club and a poor performance against Brentford with 10 men highlighted a lack of depth.

Arsenal know better than anyone how injuries can affect a team at the top of the table.

After this defeat, Villa are still seven points behind sixth-placed Liverpool, but going forward, Villa may need to pay more attention to the teams behind them instead of Arsenal in first place.
Patrick Rowe