Chelsea’s Champions League hopes at risk?
2:56 FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Sheffield United’s win over Chelsea
Chelsea have been excellent at occasions for the reason that Premier League restart, beating Manchester Metropolis final month and successful 4 of their first 5 video games, however the 3-2 loss at West Ham was a reminder of their enduring frailties and Saturday’s dismal defeat by Sheffield United was one other.
The Blues have already strengthened their attacking choices prematurely of the summer time switch window, agreeing offers for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, however their error-strewn show at Bramall Lane underlined the necessity for a defensive overhaul and, much more worryingly, the consequence would possibly put their hopes of Champions League qualification in danger.
Frank Lampard’s aspect sit third for now, however by the top of play on Sunday, they may discover themselves behind a resurgent Leicester aspect who’re gearing as much as face lowly Bournemouth. Then, on Monday night time, they may slip additional again when an in-form Manchester United play Southampton.
It turns into extra of an issue if Manchester Metropolis are profitable in overturning their Champions League ban. The results of Metropolis’s enchantment is because of be confirmed at 9.30am on Monday. If they’re profitable – and Pep Guardiola certainly seems confident – then a fifth-placed end is not going to be ok to clinch Champions League qualification this season.
That could possibly be an issue for Chelsea on the proof of their efficiency in opposition to Sheffield United, particularly with a house recreation in opposition to Liverpool and a troublesome journey to Wolves nonetheless to return. A Champions League problem that gave the impression to be progressing serenely solely two weeks in the past immediately appears in peril of really fizzling out.
Nick Wright
City and Sterling hitting form at just the right time
3:02 FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Manchester Metropolis’s win at Brighton within the Premier League
Whereas hopes of lifting the Premier League title have been ended a very long time in the past, Manchester Metropolis nonetheless hope so as to add Champions League and FA Cup trophies to the Carabao Cup they gained in February.
And they’re hitting type at simply the fitting time.
Pep Guardiola’s aspect have now gained their final two Premier League video games by 5 or extra targets, the primary time this has occurred within the Premier League since Metropolis themselves did so in three consecutive video games in September 2017.
2:59 Pep Guardiola says his group are actually prepared for the ultimate levels of the season following their emphatic win over Brighton
In Raheem Sterling, additionally they have a participant having the very best season of his profession to this point.
The 25-year-old has scored 27 targets in all competitions for Metropolis this time period – his finest scoring marketing campaign in his profession to this point. He now has seven targets in his final seven video games in all competitions for the reason that restart and he’s hungry for extra than simply targets earlier than this season ends.
“A very powerful factor to me is the worth of those targets, that they add to the group,” he instructed Sky Sports activities. “On the finish of the day, we’re attempting to win the FA Cup ultimate and win the Champions League as properly, in any other case these targets do not actually imply something.”
And on this type, it is troublesome to again in opposition to Sterling and Metropolis ending the season on a excessive.
Oliver Yew
Is Pope now England’s No1?
2:59 FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Burnley
In addition to a formidable level for Burnley, Jay Rodriguez’s equaliser at Anfield ensured his team-mate Nick Pope stays heading in the right direction to clinch the Premier League’s Golden Glove forward of Liverpool’s Alisson.
There was no shutout for Pope on Saturday – a surprising Andy Robertson header noticed to that – however there was yet one more string of excellent saves, together with nice stops to disclaim Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, which certainly should be edging him in the direction of England’s No1 jersey.
That efficiency at Liverpool got here after Pope had made two decisive saves within the midweek win at West Ham and it needs to be famous that he has needed to make 112 saves on his approach to the 14 clear sheets which put him prime of the Golden Glove standings. Liverpool’s Alisson has been far much less busy with 55.
Jordan Pickford has been England supervisor Gareth Southgate’s most well-liked selection for a while now however the Everton keeper has appeared far much less assured than Pope for the reason that restart, whereas it could be too quickly to advertise Sheffield United’s standout 23-year-old Dean Henderson to the position. England are subsequent in motion in September, so Southgate shall be weighing up his choices – and two-cap Pope has earned the possibility to indicate he can step as much as the worldwide stage.
Peter Smith
Watford show more character to pull clear
2:59 FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Watford’s win in opposition to Newcastle
This was earmarked as one in every of two fixtures that might outline Watford’s season, with West Ham on the London Stadium going down after going through Newcastle on Friday, reside on Sky Sports activities.
Ben Foster stated he anticipated a battle, the place the efficiency can be secondary to a consequence, and so it transpired, with Watford making it back-to-back wins for the primary time since January.
There was merely no underplaying the significance of this recreation, with West Ham pulling clear themselves with a convincing win at Norwich. Nigel Pearson could have instructed his gamers the scoreline at Carrow Street throughout the interval together with his aspect deservedly trailing – however then got here a response stuffed with character, led by Deeney.
This wasn’t his biggest recreation – removed from it – but it surely may probably show to be his most necessary in a Watford shirt. The Hornets have now taken 12 extra factors of their final 18 video games than they achieved of their first 17, which signifies they’ve a squad that may do much better.
The image can change shortly within the ultimate flurry of matches, and one win may make all of the distinction. This victory for the Hornets may properly imply curtains for the present backside three.
Ben Grounds
Magical Michail helps save Hammers
2:56 FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from West Ham’s win in opposition to Norwich
It has been an exquisite restart for Michail Antonio. He doubled his objective tally in a single afternoon and has quadrupled it since getting back from the suspension, scoring in opposition to Chelsea and West Ham earlier than Saturday’s showdown at Carrow Street.
It virtually felt like Antonio’s 4 targets in opposition to Norwich have been an explosion of the promise he has proven in current weeks. He has at all times been an enormous expertise for West Ham and demonstrated it splendidly this weekend.
All 4 targets have been extraordinarily properly taken. His first and fourth targets confirmed professional placement – slotting dwelling from contained in the six-yard field – whereas the second demonstrated his extremely physicality. The third was extra about beating a shaky Norwich defence, who regardless of his type, allowed Antonio far an excessive amount of house and didn’t mark him properly sufficient.
The win sadly relegated Norwich and is more likely to have finally secured West Ham’s standing within the Premier League for an additional season. Together with Watford’s win in opposition to Newcastle, the pair have pulled six factors away from the drop zone, giving Aston Villa and Bournemouth an virtually insurmountable problem.
In his post-match press convention, supervisor David Moyes stated: “As we speak has been a great day for him and actually good that he bought the targets in – not many individuals do rating 4 targets in a Premier League match.”
With Sebastian Haller not totally match and missing type, it’s Antonio who’s stepping up and driving West Ham over the road. Though historically regarded as a winger, he’s proving he will be simply as efficient as a centre ahead and could possibly be the Hammers’ new focus in that place.
Charlotte Marsh
Lack of experience costs Norwich
Daniel Farke comforts Max Aarons after Norwich’s relegation
Norwich’s relegation felt inevitable lengthy earlier than Saturday’s defeat by West Ham. Daniel Farke’s aspect have been solely six factors adrift of security when the lockdown got here into power. The hole was not insurmountable, however the gamers appeared resigned to the drop when the season resumed.
Their destiny owes loads to an absence of expertise.
Norwich’s squad comprises an abundance of younger expertise in Todd Cantwell, Emi Buendia, Max Aarons, Jamal Lewis and Ben Godfrey. However all 5 of these gamers have been new to the English top-flight and so they weren’t the one ones. Of Norwich’s older heads, solely Tim Krul and Alexander Tettey had any significant Premier League expertise behind them.
The dearth of knowhow was notably obvious in defence. Norwich’s most-used again 4 – Aarons, Christophe Zimmermann, Godfrey and Lewis – had a median age of below 23, making it the youngest within the division this season. It’s little marvel they have been so typically overwhelmed by extra streetwise opponents, West Ham being simply the most recent.
Norwich have been working on a price range far smaller than these of their rivals, after all. Their emphasis on youth was a commendable strategy. However the sharp finish of the Premier League will be an unforgiving place for brand new arrivals. Norwich discovered that out the exhausting approach.
Nick Wright
Writer: ” — www.skysports.com ”
