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Vital Vicario rallies after early error
It is easy to say that Tottenham have a goalkeeping problem. Antonin Kinsky was brought in against Atlético Madrid precisely because Igor Tudor was having doubts about Guglielmo Vicario. Back in the lineup at Anfield, Vicario didn’t cover himself in glory for Liverpool’s opener. Dominik Szoboszlai is good at free-kicks – a quarter of the 16 scored in the Premier League this season have been his – but he’s had to come up with extraordinary strikes to beat goalkeepers such as David Raya and Gianluigi Donnarumma. His effort on Sunday wasn’t too far off centre and Vicario should have saved it, a weak wrist letting him down. But the Italian rallied, producing an exceptional save down low to tip a Cody Gakpo shot on to a post. He and the rest of a sturdy, if makeshift, Spurs defence provided them with a platform to get back into the game. Tottenham can delve into the transfer market in the summer to sign a goalkeeper but, until then, they need Vicario to make vital interventions in big moments in their fight for survival – Kinsky is unlikely to get another opportunity. Billy Munday
2
Carrick will not want to lose assist king
After Bruno Fernandes decorated Manchester United’s win with two assists (his 100th in all competitions and a club-record 16th in the Premier League this season), Michael Carrick was asked if the captain, who nearly left last summer, will still be in their colours beyond the coming one. “He’s certainly the type of player we don’t want to lose, but it’s difficult for me to get involved beyond that,” said the interim manager. “We’re delighted to have him. He’s proven over a period of time how impactful he is in the big moments. He’s there all the time, he puts himself forward in training and games. You can always count on him to be there. It’s a really good trait to have. He’s been through ups and downs here but it’s never knocked him. He was there today to make the difference.” Jamie Jackson
3
Nothing dull about Dowman’s magic moment
“Boring, boring Arsenal,” was the chant directed towards the press box by some of the club’s fans as they floated away at full-time after a genuine I-was-there moment against Everton. They had made their point. Or, more precisely, Max Dowman had made it for them. The jibes have rankled. How Arsenal have not been a great watch. How they will be scruffy champions. As an aside, rival supporters seem to have eased off on the bottling taunts and looked to press on other pressure points. There is a compliment in there somewhere. But where is the tedium when a 16-year-old runs from box to box to become the Premier League’s youngest ever scorer to clinch a vital victory at the very last? It was simply the most glorious of ripostes. David Hytner
4
Chelsea huddle obscures tactical muddle
Contrived, showy, LinkedIn-style pre-match gestures such as the Chelsea huddle that ended up enveloping the referee Paul Tierney will not wash if the team proceeds to play as they did against Newcastle. Liam Rosenior admitted as much afterwards: “We’re talking about something that’s nowhere near as important as what’s happening on the pitch.” By then, the social media photos and videos – in which Tierney appeared a willing participant – had gone around the world. Chelsea had dominated possession, with Newcastle happy to let them do so, and paid the price for Joe Willock sauntering through a malfunctioning offside trap to supply Anthony Gordon with the deciding goal. Rosenior chose technical discourse as his not entirely convincing explanation: “It’s a new way of pressing … the press was the reason Newcastle had to kick long balls back to us and we controlled the game.” A more conventional view was that rank bad defending and disjointed attacking play had again been Chelsea’s problem. John Brewin
5
Mavropanos at heart of resilient Hammers
Axel Disasi joining on loan from Chelsea has had a positive impact on West Ham’s defence but the improvement from the team’s other centre-backs should not be downplayed. Jean-Clair Todibo is finally showing why he was regarded as one of the most promising defenders in Europe before moving to Barcelona in 2019. The Frenchman has put a run of games together and looks fitter than ever. He was excellent during West Ham’s draw with Manchester City. West Ham lined up in a back five, with Konstantinos Mavropanos joining Disasi and Todibo in the middle. Mavropanos has mostly underwhelmed since joining in 2023. He has often been near the scene of the crime. But Nuno Espírito Santo has worked on the Greek defender and Mavropanos has responded with some brave performances. He scored the equaliser against City but his late block of a fierce Erling Haaland shot was the real highlight. Jacob Steinberg
6
Rio grand despite Liverpool’s struggles
Yes, Arne Slot would have had Wednesday’s return leg against Galatasaray in mind when selecting his team for the visit of Tottenham, but that doesn’t mean Rio Ngumoha didn’t deserve to make his first Premier League start. The 17-year-old has stayed around the first-team setup since his storybook winner against Newcastle in August and has continued to make cameos off the bench. But muscling in on Liverpool’s XI in a showcase Sunday game is a significant milestone for the teenager. With Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitiké on the bench and Federico Chiesa barely getting a look-in, Ngumoha’s performance at Anfield was that of a senior pro. His close control and explosive change of speed are his chief assets and he isn’t afraid to pull the trigger either. He made Guglielmo Vicario work with a low shot in the second half, moments after flashing another effort across goal. Slot knows he can trust the youngster from the start now. BM
7
Parachuted-in Pereira’s tough balancing act
A goalless draw meant discussion in Vítor Pereira’s post-match press conference turned quickly to the game a week on, the one that feels seismic: Tottenham away. And with that, how would he go about the game before, a midweek visit to Denmark to play Midtjylland? “We need to rotate the team,” said the Nottingham Forest manager, his side trailing 1-0 after the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie. “My experience is that the third game in a row – three days, after three days, after three days – will be very tough,” said Pereira. “The last game, with the rain, the pitch was very heavy and they ran a lot. Today, they try everything to win the game.” You could sense Pereira’s apprehension, the odd balancing act he has as a coach parachuted in to battle relegation and keep a European adventure afloat. “I need to go there with the spirit to fight for qualification,” he added. “But if I don’t rotate the team … it will not be possible to compete [against Tottenham].” Taha Hashim
8
Rigg finds feet for injury-hit Black Cats
“We fall, we stand up,” wrote Sunderland’s captain, Granit Xhaka, on social media after his injury-hit team’s 1-0 home defeat by Brighton. But can Régis Le Bris’s players clamber back to their feet in time for next Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby at Newcastle? Much surely hinges on whether Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, Dan Ballard, Reinildo and Enzo Le Fée recover from assorted complaints in time to start at St James’ Park. If there was much to disappoint Le Bris on a day when the excellent Chris Rigg was a little unfortunate to see a fine goal disallowed for a tight offside and Yankuba Minteh’s winner proved the freakish result of a miscued cross flying beyond the unsighted Melker Ellborg, Rigg’s performance on the right of midfield offered cause for optimism. The 18-year-old struggled on the Premier League stage earlier this season and has been largely out of the first-team picture but here Rigg issued a reminder of his immense potential. Has the boyhood Newcastle fan played his way into contention for Sunday’s starting XI? Louise Taylor
9
Does Glasner need to be more gung-ho?
Crystal Palace have scored only 14 goals in front of their own fans in 15 Premier League home games this season – the second lowest in the division, behind Nottingham Forest – and are a team that really struggle to create chances. After drawing another blank against the Cypriot side AEK Larnaca in midweek, they were desperately short of ideas against Leeds after Gabriel Gudmundsson was sent off at the end of the first half and patience is growing thin in south London. Palace supporters would like to see Oliver Glasner pair the new £48m striker Jørgen Strand Larsen with Jean-Philippe Mateta in attack but finding a place for Yeremy Pino – who offers more subtlety in attack than Evann Guessand or Ismaïla Sarr could be the key to unlocking their attack. Ed Aarons
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Decision day is coming for Iraola
Andoni Iraola has done a terrific job at Bournemouth, inculcating a fast, aggressive style that is enjoyable to watch. But with his contract up at the end of the season he has a decision to make: is he happy enough where he is, or does he fancy a challenge higher up the food chain? Just as he must have a think, though, so do his potential suitors. Bournemouth’s failure to win at Burnley was no kind of surprise given they’ve done so in only two of their past 10 matches in all competitions; the question is whether Antoine Semenyo was one sale too many for a squad that lost Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi in the summer, or whether his team have become predictable. And even if it’s the former, Iraola a victim of circumstance and his own success, there remains a doubt that his game model can be upscaled to fit a team seeking control rather than chaos; he’s running out of time to disprove it. Daniel Harris
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