by Despite the cold December air, drama in the Premier League kept us warm. Over the weekend, dramatic goals, shocking losses and VAR controversies dominated the action.
The situation of the week
Mo Salah has a new nickname: double centurion. During Saturday’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, the 31-year-old scored his 200th goal for Liverpool. At the same time, he became the fifth player in Liverpool’s history to record this feat. With his goal, which was his 150th in the Premier League, Salah became joint 10th all-time joint-scorer in the English top flight. Not a bad evening for the King of Egypt.
Salah is not a classic, through-the-center-forward, instead doing his damage to cut from the outside. In that sense, he is following the lineage of Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo. But has any player in league history ever been as effective as a utility hitter while seemingly starting out? Henry played many seasons as a more orthodox striker. Ryan Giggs scored 109 goals for Manchester United playing out on the wing. Raheem Sterling is on 120 goals and counting, having played a similar inverted role at multiple clubs. But only Henry comes close to Salah – and the Egyptian is now just 25 goals behind Henry on the all-time scoring charts.
Adding to Salah’s individual excellence: Liverpool have now won 15 points from the drop in the Premier League this season, more than any other team. You can read that in two ways: as a sign that the championship, the cliche ability to win while playing ugly; or as a sign that they are often too scrappy, too dull and too open defensively to be a legitimate title threat. Still, three points are three points, and their come-from-behind win took them to the top of the table – for now, anyway.
The ‘shaken, not stirred’ award
After missing the last three games with a muscle injury, Alisson Becker returned in style. His superb save in the 27th minute denied Jefferson Lerma the opener and cemented his first-class credentials. The strength, agility and energy used by the Brazilian to block the close-range shot was reminiscent of James Bond at his best. Give Becker a Vesper martini (shaken, not stirred), and it would be easy to mistake him for Ian Fleming’s leading man.
It’s hard to overstate Alisson’s impact on Liverpool’s title aspirations. It feels like not a week goes by without Alisson being pulled from a relegation stop. Since the start of last season, the league’s leading goalie in xG per shot saved is a fancy way of saying he makes saves he has no business even coming close to.
Despite Brazil’s brilliance (which kept Liverpool in the game), Lerma should have found the net. Jordan Ayew’s cross was put on a plate for Lerma, and the way he scored from range is not as close as mine. I guess that’s how Bond’s nemes felt when they thought they had defeated their rival.
Goal of the week
While there were plenty of stoppers on offer, John McGinn’s opener against Arsenal earned the highest marks. Shortly after an incredible performance in Villa’s 1-0 win over Manchester City, McGinn made his mark again when his quick shot found the net seven minutes in. he has it.
The goal helped Villa overcome one of the best teams in the league and extend their impressive unbeaten run at home. Will anyone say we’re in a four-way title race?
The ‘Maryanne Oketch’ awarded
And now for our regularly scheduled Sean Dyche praise-athon. Dyche’s Everton continued their impressive climb away from the relegation zone after their points deduction, and showed they have everything Chelsea lack: intensity, control and belief.
Everton came into the game with a plan and executed it to perfection in their 2-0 win over Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Chelsea seem to have no identity or style of play, which Everton benefited from. Outside of Unai Emery, no manager has had a more immediate impact over the past 12 months than Dyche. Everton were relegation fodder under Frank Lampard. With Dyche in charge, their form is closer to a team fighting for a place in Europe.
Despite their 10-point deduction, Everton are four points clear of Dyche’s three. By Christmas, they could be nearing mid-table. The league should go for the Manager of the Year award now, to save a few pennies on winter sales.
A special shout out also to Lewis Dobbin, who scored his first Premier League goal just one minute after coming on to the pitch. Dyche was even impressed with Dobbin’s celebration. “It was a really authoritative reaction,” Dyche said. “I praised him afterwards. Everyone nowadays wants to dance and all that nonsense. He’s running over, slipped in the corner and said ‘have at it’. And everyone went with him. Who even thinks of dancing? I can’t work it out.”
Player of the week
The theory that Erling Haaland’s absence would put another nail in the coffin for Manchester City’s terrible results of late was quickly put to rest by Bernardo Silva in their 2-1 win over Luton. Silva put an end to accusations of a City wobble with a relentlessly precise pass and a front-page finish in the 62nd minute that was vital, not only for City’s hopes, but to silence the gossip mill that they were losing their touch. Had it not been for Silva, City could have dropped points again. With and without the ball, Silva is City’s most instrumental player. In fact, is there a better overall player in the league right now?
The ‘yep, it’s happening again’ award
In the pouring rain on Saturday afternoon, Bournemouth achieved one of the most dramatic victories of the season, a 3-0 win at Old Trafford – a scoreline that could have, in the end, made a mockery of the hosts.
Just three days after a thrilling result at home to Chelsea, United were embarrassed by Andoni Iraola’s squad. And while Bournemouth certainly deserve praise, United need to clean up their mess. It’s the classic 2020s at United’s hands with the Premier League Goal of the Month, Manager of the Month, and Player of the Month, and somehow produce another shocking performance and result.
Let’s summarize their week: it started with leaks that the players are out for yet another manager; the club suspended newspapers and broadcasters from covering the team’s press conferences; United then delivered their best performance of the season against Chelsea, showing signs of fight and passion. Shortly after, they became lifeless through another home performance against Bournemouth. Trying to keep Scott McTominay on the pitch to offer a goal threat, they left midfield, giving Manchester the freedom to cut Bournemouth through the middle. Marcus Rashford turned in a 10-minute cameo more than he had in 10 months. Bruno Fernandes recycled his strange act, running around for the last 15 minutes, kicking an opponent and earning himself a yellow card which will suspend him from the team’s trip to Anfield next week. And now Erik ten Hag has taken the managers position under pressure from his arched back. If we hadn’t seen it all before, it might even be entertaining.
Hag’s ten days will be numbered if he can’t find a way to get his squad on solid ground.
Celebrity scene of the week
Last weekend, Birmingham co-owner Tom Brady turned up at Liverpool-Manchester City. This week, Hugh Jackman was in the stands at Selhurst Park to watch Liverpool v Crystal Palace.
Although the camera zoomed in on him during a break in play, the fans seemed indifferent to his presence and kept their eyes on the pitch. It is encouraging that English football culture does not focus on A-listers. If this were North America, celebrities would be the stars of the show and fans would be posing for their autographs rather than watching the action – broadcaster even try to marry them. Lucky for Jackman, he saw an entertaining game in London, although he was probably disappointed not to make the trip to Forest Green with Deadpool. Honestly, I thought he would be supporting Wolves.
VAR controversy of the week
Why are we still giving VAR the benefit of the doubt? Anyone enjoying the lag or inconsistencies? Is it even worth driving with precision – if it ever comes? Yes always drama with the technology and the people who work it. The weekend started with not one, but two penalty decisions at Selhurst Park which started as a ‘huh’ moment and devolved into ‘I need to go for a walk’.
In the first half, Will Hughes’ challenge on Wataru Endo was replayed 31 times before Palace’s penalty was ruled out. It was the right decision in the end, but such a long review for an obvious error was absurd. It was almost as if VAR was trying to convince Andy Madley to overturn his first call. Soon after, it got worse. Early in the second half, Jarell Quansah made contact with Jean-Philippe Mateta inside the box, but Madley did not put the game on hold for 106 seconds. That’s more than enough time to push the kettle on and brew a cuppa – or get something stronger if you work in Stockley Park. Perhaps the referee should have awarded himself a yellow card for time wasting.
