Johnny Nicholson: De Bruyne the cheat code, United an expensive mess, Arteta confounds critics
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: David de Gea of Manchester United looks dejected as Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City celebrates scoring their second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on March 06, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
After shipping a ton of goals in recent games, a 1-0 loss to Leicester City will seem like a win of sorts for Leeds. It leaves them still fighting relegation but Jesse Marschâs first game in charge was very promising. The scatty, shapeless, defenceless madness of the final Marcelo Bielsa games was gone and they looked organised and secure, except for the moment when Harvey Barnes scored for the Foxes. Kasper Schmeichel was the Man Of The Match, which says something about how Leeds played, however their shot conversion rate has dropped from 14% last season to 10% this season and they really shouldâve converted at least one of the four shots they had on target. They took 19 shots overall to their opponents' seven. Marschâs immediate task is to convert more of those into goals. If they do, relegation will not threaten. The return of Patrick Bamford canât come too soon.
Wolves were booed off at half-time 2-0 down at home to Crystal Palace and once again at full-time. The Molineux crowd has come to expect much better from their team. But with Gareth Southgate present to watch Conor Gallagher, Palace were impressive and played with some intensity, especially in the first half. This was a reminder of their early season form where they were really dynamic, largely due to Gallagher's non-stop energy. They had drifted from that standard but this was a return to what we might call peak Palace. There is an air of positivity around the club as they move into 10th. A top-half finish will be a fine result for Patrick Vieiraâs first season and be the base camp for a push for Europe next season.
Going in 2-0 up against Southampton, one of the leagueâs in-form teams, was the best half of football boss Steven Gerrard has seen from his team so far. It couldâve been much more because Villa had six shots on target in that first 45 minutes. The second half was, if anything, even better, as they netted twice in two minutes to turn the game into a rout. The Danny Ings/Ollie Watkins partnership was superb with Gerrard later calling them âunplayableâ. Philippe Coutinho, one of the scorers, turned in a sparkling performance reminiscent of his best Liverpool days. When Villa play like this, admittedly against a supine Saints team, they look like a real force who could push for a top six place. Â
Saudi Arabia has been notable as one of the few countries (along with UAE) not to condemn Russia for making war on Ukraine. Theyâre also bombing their neighbours, Yemen. In a week where football fell over itself to stand side by side with Ukraine and the Premier League diktat was to wear blue and yellow armbands to show solidarity, it was all very embarrassing for the blood-stained Newcastle United. Eddie Howe refused to say anything about the clubâs owners possibly being sanctioned for being killers too. He tried to look resolute, but just looked cowardly and morally compromised, muted by the need to not offend those who pay his wages. How bad will things have to get before he does? This is war, for Godâs sake. You canât be pro-Ukraine and pro the Saudi Arabian government. You have to choose. Football is not more important than war, Eddie. Wake up. You are not removed or separate. You canât just claim to be neutral. This. Is. War. You are shilling for their sportswashing ambitions as they bomb innocent civilians and refuse to speak out against Putinâs appalling violence. The fact the team extended their unbeaten run of games using money from one of the worst autocratic regimes on earth is not just disgraceful, it is sickening that it is allowed to happen at all. The Premier League is morally bankrupt, but then, whatâs new?
Brentford all but relegated Norwich City via an Ivan Toney hattrick. The Bees have badly missed their prolific striker during their slide down the table. This was a much needed corrective to a narrative which saw them sinking into the bottom three. With even the best of this seasonâs bottom three likely to notch up less than 30 points for the first time, Brentfordâs 27 is starting to look like nearly enough to guarantee a second season in the top flight. In a weird coincidence, the game which saw Christian Eriksen start for the first time - and show some real flashes of absolute class - was officiated by Antony Taylor who had refereed the game in which the Dane collapsed. A neat completion of a circle.
Burnley had been going well, drawing four, winning two and losing one out of seven. But March has not been kind to them with two consecutive losses which have cemented their relegation position. They played a decent first half against an anonymous Chelsea, but the second 45 saw the Blues assert their quality and condemn them to their worst defeat of the season. Burnley did not help themselves with lax defending and did not look likely to score. Sean Dyche projects a very relaxed attitude to their perilous position, perhaps because he knows if they go down, he will not go with them and is rather relishing that thought after so many years at Turf Moor. Their next game is against Brentford and it is a must-win. However, they have only won three times this season. That is the least amount of wins in the top four divisions and you have to go down to the bottom of the National League to find a club that has won fewer.
Defeat at Liverpool was not inevitable for the Hammers, simply because The Red Machine give every side a chance to score and they certainly did that for West Ham, who were just not able to take advantage. Fornals, Lanzini and Antonio all had a one-on-one with Liverpool keeper Allison. Burnley once won at Anfield with 19.4% possession, Moyes' team did better than that with 28% but it was nowhere near enough. Their policy was to soak up pressure and try to hit Liverpool on the break. It worked to an extent. They did manage four shots on target and did look threatening occasionally. A result was there for the taking but overall the teamâs tactics were governed by a defensive mindset which didnât have the courage to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool. If they had, they would likely have scored once or twice. True Liverpool may have scored five if the game opened up, but to probe a little, get some joy and then not throw everything at the game to win it was frustrating and ultimately pointless because Liverpool won anyway, having scored in the 27th minute. West Ham are almost certain to finish seventh or eighth now. Talk of a Champions League place by Moyesâ media mates was always pie in the sky.
Playing Watford away was potentially a classic banana skin for a resurgent Arsenal. And when Sissoko scored for Watford in the 87th minute to make it 2-3, there were some last-minute jitters. But they hung on for the win and were the better side throughout, though Watford certainly played their part in an excellent match. This was a game of great goals, especially Bukayo Sakaâs strike for Arsenalâs second which came as a result of a lovely one-two with Alexandre Lacazette. Saka is simply one of the best, most thrilling young players in English football right now, oozing creativity, caressing the ball for long and short passes, constantly threatening the goal. Heâs getting better and better and had a superb game from start to finish. Watfordâs Cucho Hernandez scored a superb scissor kick, and they were spirited throughout, but Arsenal had so much composure with Martin Ădegaard strolling around the pitch exuding class all afternoon. They look an entirely different team to the one that was so hopeless at the beginning of the campaign and Arteta is proving many former critics wrong as they move into the Champions League places.
When Kevin De Bruyne is on the top of his game, he is a one-man cheat code. Itâs not just that he scored twice, to take the lead twice, itâs that as soon as he receives the ball and sets off towards goal, he can carve through a defence like a hot knife through butter. His presence on the ball scared Manchester United and their defence was frequently chaotic and last-ditch as a result. Jack Grealishâs influence grew as the game progressed as he turned in one of his best performances in a light blue shirt and Riyad Mahrez scored his 20th and 21st goals of the season. In the last 20 minutes, City had 92% possession. 92! They squeezed the life out of United and 4-1, if anything, flattered United. City looked worth every one of the 22 points they are ahead of United.
Jadon Sanchoâs goal was exactly the sort he was signed to score, the sort of goal he scored many of in Germany. Anthony Elanga is an exciting player and does not lack self-belief. David de Gea makes some fantastic saves. Their problems are across the backline and in midfield, which admittedly is two-thirds of the whole team. On the right Aaron Wan-Bissaka was tormented into making mistakes time and again, having the ball frequently robbed off his foot. Ralf Ragnick tried to give him some second half cover, but it made little difference. Centrally Harry Maguire makes far too many mistakes and absolutely lumbered through the derby game, heavy-legged, clumsy and frankly, when he cleaned out KDB for an unnecessary yellow card, dumb. They were without Cristiano Ronaldo, but didnât miss him. They would still have lost if he had been playing by virtue of their inability to defend cohesively, their inability to hold the ball in the midfield, their failure to supply the ball to their talented strikers, and the fact that the whole squad has been put together without thought, plan or purpose. They are an expensive mess, an expensive mess that will not be in next seasonâs Champions League.
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