Daniel Storey: Manchester City surge sets Anfield up as title decider

The last time City won away to Liverpool in 90 minutes in any competition was 2003

Sun, 31 Jan, 2021 - 21:00

Manchester City’s title to lose?

It was always likely that Manchester City would use this run of league fixtures to click into gear. Their run in February and March is daunting, particularly with the added pressure of Champions League progress. But even so, City producing a club-record 12 wins in a row while their supposed title rivals stumbled a little has created a dominant position.

Saturday was not easy. Sheffield United were dogged and stubborn, buoyed by their victory over Manchester United. City sat back on their lead with a much-changed side and Pep Guardiola was noticeably relieved to hear the full-time whistle. But City got it done again.

City’s trip to Anfield next weekend now jumps out as season-defining. If Guardiola’s side can take advantage of Liverpool’s defensive crisis and play on the front foot, they can reverse their recent Anfield trend. The last time City won there in 90 minutes in any competition was 2003. Jurgen Klopp has held a curse over Guardiola since his arrival in England. Win next week and they will be overwhelming title favourites verging on champions-elect.

Manchester United nil vs Big Six

This wasn’t a bad result, in isolation. No draw away from home against a Big Six opponent can be considered disastrous. Arsenal had found their feet again under Mikel Arteta and Manchester United had lost to Sheffield United in midweek.

But a clear pattern has emerged in recent months. Since Scott McTominay’s late strike in the Manchester derby on March 8, 2020, United have gone 631 minutes without a goal from open play against Big Six opponents. Too often they have been timid in coming forward, as if the six goals conceded against Tottenham caused a dent to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s confidence that is now ingrained within him.

A table created between Big Six teams over the season lays bare the issues. Manchester United have taken 0.67 points per game, far short of Liverpool (2.33 ppg) and Manchester City (1.6 pgg). Soslkjaer will retain hope that their title rivals drop points elsewhere to nullify that contrast, but it’s a tall order. Would a little more intent have yielded better results?

Newcastle look far better after Jones appointment

As Newcastle United finally ended their winless run at Goodison Park, it was instructive to watch the touchline. While Steve Bruce took a back seat, new coach Graeme Jones micro-managed Newcastle’s players, cajoling, criticising and commanding them to do more.

And this was a different type of Newcastle display. They pressed high up the pitch, winning possession closer to Callum Wilson and so providing him with far better service. They have been solid defensively this season through sitting back and trying to protect their penalty area, but here they did it through midfield combativeness and attacking intent.

Whether that is down to Jones or Bruce is open to debate, but doesn’t really matter. Every club relies upon a coaching team rather than a single influence; whatever works, works. But Newcastle must use this — and Fulham’s draw with West Brom — as fuel for their second half of the season. There is no reason why this squad should be scrapping for survival.

Return of Alonso proves new Chelsea meritocracy

You suspect that there will be plenty of rotation within Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea over the next few weeks. He is an idealistic manager attempting to implement a new tactical system in midseason, never easy. He is also trying to ignite more from a misfiring forward line while simultaneously improving Chelsea’s defensive record.

But that has its benefits. If Frank Lampard had a few clear favourites within his squad, Tuchel will enforce a meritocracy. It doesn’t matter if you barely started under the last manager or were picked for a particular role; now everyone has a chance.

Marcos Alonso is the perfect example. The Spaniard hadn’t played for Chelsea since September and his presence in the line-up caused social media outrage from a section of the club’s support. But he is a far more natural wing-back than Ben Chilwell, capable of overlapping and making late runs into the box as for his sensational late goal.

Had you been told three weeks ago that Chelsea would start a Premier League game with Alonso and Callum Hudson-Odoi as the two wing-backs, it would have provoked confused frowns from Chelsea fans. Here was evidence that Tuchel’s CV and innovative thought process deserves patience and optimism.

Bamford lays claim to international chance

It was the perfect centre forward’s performance. Patrick Bamford held the ball and allowed his Leeds teammates to swarm around him, continuously made runs that threatened Leicester’s central defenders, picked out a glorious pass for Leeds’s first goal, swept home a brilliant finish for the second, and capped off his display with a selfless pass across goal when given the perfect opportunity to score.

This has been a breakout season for Bamford at the age of 27. Fuelled by his lack of opportunities at Premier League level and the trust of Marcelo Bielsa, he has scored five fewer league goals than in the whole of Leeds’s promotion season. Only Harry Kane has scored more times of all English-registered players.

There is a crop of strikers eyeing a place in Gareth Southgate’s European Championship squad as backup to Harry Kane — Danny Ings, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ollie Watkins might all hope to feature and that ignores the multitude of wide forwards.

But with the England manager watching from the stands (surely to watch James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and James Justin more than any player in white), Bamford produced a Kane-level display to link play when dropping deep and ruthlessly punishing Leicester in the penalty area. He’s done his chances no harm.