Premier League hits and misses: Arsenal’s psychological edge at set-pieces key once more in Man Utd win | Soccer Information

Arsenal’s corners have develop into a type of psychological warfare

Even within the first half of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Manchester United, earlier than Jurrien Timber’s breakthrough objective, the house supporters contained in the Emirates Stadium might be heard celebrating corners as if they had been objectives. Arsenal’s opponents know what’s coming. However stopping it’s one other matter.

Arsenal’s whole of twenty-two objectives from corners for the reason that begin of final season is probably the most by any Premier League aspect. Manchester United had not conceded from two in a single recreation in a decade and but they had been lucky, because the deliveries rained in, that it was solely two.

Timber’s objective got here throughout a sequence of near-post deliveries that brought on utter chaos within the Manchester United field, as Arsenal repeated the strategy that did for West Ham on Saturday, with gamers congregating on the far submit and charging throughout objective.

Then, when Ruben Amorim’s aspect had been anticipating Bukayo Saka to observe Declan Rice’s instance and direct his supply to the identical spot, he as an alternative outfoxed Manchester United by looping one to the far submit, the place Thomas Partey was ready to go throughout objective for William Saliba to attain.

It’s a testomony to the standard of the routines devised by their specialist coach Nicolas Jover, and the deliveries despatched in by Saka and Rice, that Arsenal had been in a position to inflict this a lot harm with out their most harmful set-piece weapon in Gabriel Magalhaes.

As Arteta said in his pre-match press convention, their set-pieces are a collective effort. It’s one thing Amorim understands. The Manchester United boss even claimed afterwards that Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are pleased to power corners, realizing the harm they will do.

They’ve develop into a type of psychological warfare, the stress enhanced by fastidiously orchestrated delays over taking them. Manchester United had been simply their newest sufferer. There will likely be extra.
Nick Wright

The storm arrives for Amorim at Man Utd

Amorim noticed this coming. Forward of the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal, he had warned a storm was coming. “We are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games,” he mentioned as a warning to any followers getting carried away by a 4-0 win over Everton.

The storm arrived within the second half on the Emirates Stadium, as corners rained down on the Man Utd six-yard field and Arsenal discovered the online twice handy Amorim a primary defeat of his reign and first defeat in league soccer in a 12 months.

United did effectively to include Arsenal within the first half. Noussair Mazraoui and Tyrell Malacia mixed to restrict Martin Odegaard and Saka and there was proof of Amorim’s training-ground work.

However when United wanted to go up a gear within the second half they may not discover it. Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee had been as ineffective as Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount. Amad Diallo supplied some spark however a Matthijs de Ligt header was as threatening because the guests bought.

Amorim spoke afterwards a few “time limit” on the sport time a few of his gamers have, given their health and damage points. Nottingham Forest after which Manchester Metropolis are subsequent up and extra short-term changes are sure – Amorim made six adjustments right here. However the repair required to take United to Arsenal’s degree is clearly going to take a very long time.
Peter Smith

De Bruyne masterclass pulls Man Metropolis out of winless rut

Kevin De Bruyne’s long-awaited return to the Manchester Metropolis beginning XI didn’t disappoint. Pep Guardiola lauded the midfielder’s “presence” when talking to Amazon Prime after the Belgian masterminded his aspect’s first win in eight video games.

It was greater than the objective and help within the first half that buoyed Metropolis to their 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, De Bruyne concerned in every thing the Premier League champions produced positively in possession. The 33-year-old mentioned it himself when requested why his team-mates had been seeking to him for inspiration throughout the recreation.

“It’s been a difficult spell,” he mentioned.

“Maybe they [his team-mates] look towards the older guys to bring a bit of calmness to the game. I was able to do that.”

The composure he added to his aspect’s show was evident because it even raised the efficiency of Jack Grealish, who enjoying in a barely completely different central position the place he was in a position to feed off De Bruyne’s creativity to make issues occur himself.

His affect speaks for itself. Metropolis at the moment are unbeaten in every of their final 31 Premier League video games with De Bruyne within the beginning line-up (W26 D5), with the Belgian immediately concerned in 25 objectives throughout these matches (9 objectives, 16 assists).

Metropolis’s chief creator walked off the pitch to an embrace from his supervisor who will likely be hoping his key man will proceed to alleviate the problems attributable to a darkish November.
William Bitibiri

Mo Salah – No one does it higher when it issues

He makes it look really easy. That’s the fantastic thing about Mohamed Salah. When the ball drops his means within the closing third, his composure in with the ability to make the proper closing choice in entrance of objective stands him out from the group.

There may be an argument rising that he simply is perhaps the best ahead participant this league has ever seen. His supporters will level to Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Newcastle as a chief instance.

Liverpool bought one thing out of this recreation due to Salah’s greatness. Two objectives and an help simply when his workforce wanted him as Liverpool had been flat and appeared quick on concepts in a one-sided first half that Newcastle dominated.

Salah has each scored and assisted in 37 completely different Premier League matches now, overtaking Wayne Rooney (36) because the participant to have accomplished so on probably the most events within the competitors. Signal him up.
Lewis Jones

Are Chelsea title contenders?

“We’ve got our Chelsea back” sang the away finish throughout the 5-1 thrashing of Southampton as in addition they serenaded head coach Enzo Maresca, who in flip acknowledged their help by applauding again.

The temper round Chelsea is completely different nowadays and a few could effectively consider they’re totally within the title race.

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This spectacular efficiency, albeit towards a 10-player backside aspect, will solely louden these whispers as Chelsea took benefit of Liverpool’s slip-up at Newcastle.

Chelsea actually have the depth to go the space. Maresca has a humiliation of riches at his disposal, proven by his much-changed aspect as they strolled to a dominant victory that noticed them have 26 photographs at objective.

The Blues look extremely assured proper now and are a really entertaining watch – their present goals-per-game ratio of two.6 is their greatest in a single season of their complete historical past.

More durable checks await them, nevertheless, with Sunday’s journey to London rivals Tottenham, dwell on Sky Sports activities, offering a a lot better yardstick of the place they’re at.

But when they cross that check then Maresca’s aspect have a really beneficial fixture run as they face only one top-half workforce – Brentford at residence – till they go to Manchester Metropolis on January 25, dwell on Sky Sports activities.

Chelsea may effectively be critical title contenders come that journey to the Etihad.
Declan Olley

Wolves followers activate O’Neil

Gary O’Neil was underneath stress going into Wolves’ recreation towards Everton however that can intensify after such a hapless efficiency. Any 4-0 defeat is dangerous. This was worse. The raggedness of the show, the failure to concentrate to the main points, doesn’t replicate effectively on him.

Wolves parted firm with set-piece coach Jack Wilson in October, a choice that can come underneath extra scrutiny following a recreation wherein O’Neil’s workforce conceded all 4 objectives from set-piece conditions and had been lucky to get away with a fifth.

The primary objective was curled across the wall and into the online, astonishingly straightforward. “Basic stuff. Can’t even get the wall in the right place,” mentioned O’Neil afterwards. They had been bullied from each dead-ball state of affairs thereafter. That ought to not have been a shock.

There may be expertise within the workforce however there may be little probability of that saving Wolves in the event that they defend this poorly, following up conceding 4 at residence to Bournemouth by delivery one other 4 right here. That is the worst defence within the Premier League and that leaves O’Neil susceptible.

The Wolves supporters contained in the stadium ran by way of a sequence of chants for O’Neil’s departure, questioning substitutions, the standard of his soccer and his future on the membership. They completed by turning on house owners Fosun, which is never good for the coach.

O’Neil was defiant afterwards but additionally somewhat determined, itemizing the completely different personnel and formations that he had tried in his seek for an answer. However it was the road about Everton’s strategy that was most putting. “Everton didn’t do anything complicated as you all saw. It was real direct stuff, real low risk.”

Sean Dyche responded by saying that his job was to get one of the best from the group. If O’Neil can not make Wolves extra strong than this, slicing out a minimum of a few of the errors, the chance for him is that his employers flip to any individual else to get one of the best from his.
Adam Bate

Weight lifted for Emery and Villa

A weight has been lifted for Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and his squad after the 3-1 residence win over Brentford and so they can now head into one other residence recreation towards bottom-of-the-league Southampton with some well-needed confidence.

Emery has by no means gone 9 video games with no win throughout his managerial profession – and it was clear from the opening minute that his gamers weren’t going to let it occur.

Villa appeared again to their easiest at instances as Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey all flooded ahead into area often on the counter.

All three objectives arrived in fast, sweeping strikes up the pitch and, after shifting up into seventh with the win, the run of eight video games with out tasting victory already looks as if a distant reminiscence.

“We break the spell of bad results we were having. Of course, to feel like home is our fortress and the supporters respond well, this is how you have to try and create,” Emery mentioned after the sport.

“I think we did fantastic. They were letting us have transitions and letting us create chances. Today, the match we played will give us confidence again.

“It isn’t sufficient however now we have to attempt maintain going. An important factor is to attempt to focus.”
Patrick Rowe

Brentford away type now a fear

“You possibly can’t argue that we’re higher residence than anyway,” said Thomas Frank after another defeat on the road.

Brentford sit in a promising position in ninth but their form away from the Gtech Community Stadium is holding this team back.

Just one of their 20 points has arrived away from west London, but it was also the manner of this latest defeat that will worry the Brentford boss.

“Two of the seven video games away from residence have been dangerous performances. Right now and Fulham,” Frank continued.

“I’m assured come the tip of the season; we could have wins away from residence. They [Villa] hit a excessive degree and confirmed why they play Champions League soccer.”

Three of their five games between now and the end of 2024 are away. The Bees will need to address this mental block on their travels or this season will quickly spiral into obscurity.
Patrick Rowe

Conflicting feelings on the King Energy

Leicester’s 3-1 victory over West Ham was a case of two groups at reverse ends of the spectrum relating to optimism.

For Leicester, it was the right introduction to Ruud van Nistelrooy, as his aspect took their probabilities in a fashion the boss would have been happy with in his enjoying days, and backed this exhibiting up with a defensive efficiency to go alongside it.

Nonetheless, the state of affairs for West Ham is rising bleaker by the day. The win towards Newcastle has merely papered over the cracks for this workforce, who look absent of concepts and id when video games start to show towards them.

Whereas one workforce can look forward with hope and pleasure for his or her subsequent outing, Julen Lopetegui and his gamers will seemingly be dreading the banana-skin recreation towards his former aspect Wolves, dwell on Sky Sports activities, subsequent Monday.

The problems defensively towards Arsenal and now struggling on the reverse finish towards Leicester. Add of their ever-changing midfield and the widespread issues inside this workforce develop into clear to see.
Patrick Rowe