Johnny Nicholson: Pep's City hit the top as relentless Haaland keeps scoring
Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates with Bernardo Silva after victory in the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on April 30, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Few can have doubted that this would be a win for Manchester City, up to and including Fulham it would seem, as they handed their opponents the lead by conceding a clear penalty on three minutes when Julian Alvarez was flattened by Tim Ream, allowing Erling Haaland to score his 50th of the season. It was the first time anyone has done so for a top flight club since ‘Pongo’ Waring did it for Aston Villa in the 1930-31 season. Steve Bull scored 52 for Wolves in the 1987-88 season and also 50 the following season, albeit in the fourth tier. Haaland’s next English goalscoring record to aim for is Dixie Dean’s 63 in all competitions in 1927-28. He has potentially 10 games to do so.
Guardiola putting John Stones into midfield has been an interesting development this season that has gone somewhat under the radar. It has helped them dominate the centre of the park in most games and if you control the middle of the park, you generally control the game, perhaps especially when playing their more direct football this season. On the final whistle it was noticeable he immediately took his boots off. He’d done so much running his feet must’ve been on fire.
The Cottagers had a very good go at them in the second half, even dominating for the final 20 minutes, but a side having a good go at Manchester City almost always leads to them losing and so it was here. They move to the top of the table for the first time since Bonfire Night after their eighth consecutive win.
A 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford meant that since losing to Real Sociedad in September, Manchester United have now gone 26 games unbeaten at home with 22 wins and four draws. United should’ve been in front before they took the lead through a Bruno Fernandez goal, Casemiro having hit the crossbar. Villa couldn’t put enough pressure on the United goal, managing only a single shot on target. Victor Lindelof was very good in central defence and Marcel Sabitzer disrupted Villa all over the pitch. Luke Shaw, playing centrally, was also very good. With 100 touches, 93% pass accuracy, 84 passes completed 9/13 final third passes completed, six ball recoveries, three out of 4/4 ground duels won, three long balls completed and three interceptions, his stats reflected his dominance. He has excellent positioning and anticipation and the pace to get out of trouble. It is a role that suits him and doesn’t for a minute look like a make-do-and-mend option due to injuries. With 14 shots at goal, six on target, it probably should’ve been a bigger margin of victory for United. Their win ended Villa’s 10-game unbeaten run.
It was another day out in the clown car that is Tottenham Hotspur. In the first minutes Trent Alexander Arnold simply pushed a Spurs player aside to head a ball infield. It was emblematic of Tottenham’s lack of competitive spirit for the first 35 minutes. They were defensively rotten, were caught ball-watching time and again, and didn’t work hard enough to close Liverpool down. Whatever system they were supposed to be playing was just a mess. Spurs stood off and let Liverpool play. There was no intensity at all from Tottenham, literally none. But after 38 minutes they actually won a press and Harry Kane scored his 208th Premier League and fourth consecutive away goal. It was so easy for Liverpool that it seemed as though they invited Spurs to make a game of it by gifting them chances through loose defending. The second half was a scrappy affair with Spurs sitting deeper and in greater numbers and trying to play on the counter. Liverpool came off the pace and that is rarely a good sign. They are at their best hitting a high tempo and keeping it high. Spurs hit each post, but were still not really in the game. Space in the final third was at a premium, with Tottenham dropping into a back six at times, their only tactic to boot it long for Son and when Son scored from one of those long balls to make it 3-2 it was completely against the run of play. At which point, Spurs woke from their torpor and almost ridiculously equalised, only to see Liverpool get a fourth and achieve a win they thoroughly deserved. It is damning that Spurs didn’t play for almost the whole game. The match illustrated the reason why both teams are not in the top four.
Given the last six first halves at Selhurst Park had ended goalless, it was something of a shock that the game against West Ham was 3-2 after the first 45. West Ham’s defending was somewhere between poor and laughable. Their goals were scored at close range in penalty box scrambles from dead balls. Indeed, the only time they looked like scoring was from a set piece, not least because Palace seemed to forget how to defend them for three quarters of the game.
Both sides made enough errors to make it a thoroughly enjoyable affair. Palace did play better, more penetrating football, ending with 15 shots at goal to West Ham’s eight. They won a soft penalty, but soft penalties have been ten-a-penny since the introduction of the widely loathed VAR. It takes them to 40 points and safety. West Ham are limping over the line and with 34 points are not yet safe, with a tricky run of fixtures to come. There are worse teams in the league and they will likely avoid relegation, but they remain a team without any defining style, ambition or sophistication. Danny Ings came on late and did nothing. His signing, reportedly making him their highest paid player, was a terrible decision. He’s only got three goals in 662 minutes, looks laboured and every one of his 30 years old. A senseless waste of £12 million. They should look at what Brighton and Roberto De Zerbi do with that sort of money and learn.
The Bees came from behind to win a game for the first time this season. It was also the fifth time they had scored in the 90th minute or later when Josh Dasilva netted the winner. Ivan Toney became the first Brentford player to score 20 goals in the top flight since Dave McCullough in 1937-38. Forest were looking for their second back-to-back win of the season, but they have now conceded 16 goals in the last 15 minutes of games. That undoubtedly reflects a lack of concentration or even lack of fitness. They controlled periods of the match but ultimately only had 31% of the ball. Nottingham Forest will drop into the bottom three when Leicester has played Everton on Monday. There was no questioning their commitment, but they simply lack defensive quality throughout the team. They have conceded 62 goals, only Leeds and Bournemouth have let in more and they have the third lowest number of goals scored with 30. That makes a goal difference of -32: the worst in the league. It is relegation form. But there’s no doubt they will keep fighting to the last.
6 - 0! After losing the FA Cup semi-final and the midweek defeat at Nottingham Forest, Roberto De Zerbi made five changes, deciding to play some of his less used squad members. It worked big time. They flew out of the traps against Wolves to take a 3-0 lead after just 26 minutes. Billy Gilmour got a rare game. He had moved from Chelsea to Brighton in the summer and it was widely thought to be an excellent choice. However, he has played just three times. He was excellent against Wolves, bossed the midfield and it was a reminder of what a talented young footballer he actually is. Maybe this is the end of his extended dip in form. Julio Enciso bagged two assists as Brighton ran up six goals and even that flattered Wolves. The Ecuadorian 19-year-old is a £9.5m bargain. Brighton must have the best scouting network in the league. De Zerbi rammed home their dominance by bringing on Alexis MacAllister, Kaoru Mitoma and Moises Caicedo, three more brilliant acquisitions.
Deniz Undav hadn’t scored in his 14 Premier League appearances but scored two, as did Danny Welbeck and Pascal Gross.
There is no better side to watch in their pomp than Brighton. Wolves’ manager Julen Lopetegui says it is the best in the world right now. They play such a well-organised, purposeful game. They will likely lose one of the superb midfield this summer, but Gilmour looks ready to step into his shoes. They are a club who does good forward planning and will use transfer income in order to give them more strength in depth to be able to compete in Europe.
Jefferson Lerma scored a brace for Bournemouth, to take his season’s total to five, the most he has netted in a campaign for the club. He had an excellent first half with 87% pass accuracy, 26 passes completed, two ball recoveries, two long balls completed, two shots, two goals and one key pass. He took advantage of two mistakes by Leeds, one by Illan Meslier, the flapping Leeds keeper, who, for the second weekend running, handed the opposition an easy lead. Fatal errors are happening in every game and Leeds don’t seem to be able to quit the habit. Patrick Bamford’s goal gave them a lifeline and Leeds always worked hard, starting the second half in tenacious fashion. They should have equalised, but as has too often happened, in pushing forward they left themselves wideopen at the back. The home side scored a third through Dominic Solanke and the pitiful Meslier let a fourth go through him. They have conceded 23 goals in the Premier League during April, the most any team has ever conceded in a single month. Meslier’s confidence looks absolutely shot to pieces. Leeds are hovering two places above the drop. They have a much better goal difference than Forest, much worse than Leicester and one better than Everton. It will come down to such fine margins to decide who is the least worst.
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