Premier League Hits and Failures: Are Manchester City Really Title Favorites? | Football news

The city finds its rhythm, but are they favorites?

Such is the bizarre nature of this Premier League season, Manchester City is fifth after 15 games but is now the bookmaker favorite to win the title. That is without playing particularly well this season and with reduced firepower.

It’s easy to be dazzled by Pep Guardiola’s side when they’re in the kind of mood that saw them pass Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. They are still the best Premier League team to watch, and even without a recognized striker, Guardiola once again showed his tactical prowess.

They are close behind Liverpool even though the talisman Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t reached the heights of last season, but his first goal without a penalty in the Premier League this season, coupled with an outstanding overall display, may mark the beginning. from another period of peak De Bruyne.

Those who tip Liverpool will flag their performances even in the absence of Virgil van Dijk. Those who tip City will say the same for the absence of Sergio Agüero.

But all of this should come with a caveat. Chelsea played into the hands of City on Sunday, going for an early blitz but taking a blitz themselves, and even when Aguero returns, there is no guarantee that he will recover immediately. And being so easy on the eye, that you definitely give advice, doesn’t necessarily mean consistency and points.

Liverpool are still the best all-round team in the Premier League, but one thing is becoming clear: there will be no title race without Manchester City, and City’s next six games are favorable.

They face Brighton (home, 17th in the Premier League), Palace (home, 14th), Aston Villa (home, 7th), West Brom (away, 19th), Sheffield United (home, 20th) and Burnley (away, 16th) ) before Liverpool out on February 6.

Brand Gerard

Chelsea must show personality to escape pain

Frank Lampard was eager to emphasize after Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Manchester City that the trajectory of rebuilding a team does not go in one direction. There will be peaks and there will be valleys, but this has been a fallow winter so far for your impressionable side.

Pep Guardiola’s men arrived at Stamford Bridge filled with well-documented distractions, but they were not noticed once they settled in after 10 minutes and properly educated the hosts. Lampard was faced with some wrestling talk after a fourth league loss in six when he was reproached for members of his defeated team as established players.

“When you say established players … Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are young,” Lampard replied. “Ben Chilwell is still young … I’ve talked about some of the best players in this league who need time to adjust.

“I do not think it is a matter of analyzing each individual, since are young. When entering a new team with no preseason, there must come a time when it must be said that it is about learning lessons. These City players have been playing together for some time, so I say this is a lesson.

“I expected difficulties and I know that being a contender for the title is not easy. A month ago, people asked me if I was signing a new contract, but now we have lost four games. The pressure is always there. I was aware of that when I took the position, but we have to keep going. We have to match City’s levels and I know it will take time. “

Lampard is right; Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic started here together for the first time, but Sunday’s latest setback being judged a steep learning curve won’t be enough for some.

It is not as it has been during the Roman Abramovich era, as Lampard knows very well, but the hierarchy of the club must accept the process involved to reach the standards set by City and Liverpool during the last seasons. Lampard remains on safe ground and will rely on marginal positives.

Billy Gilmour and Callum Hudson-Odoi looked brilliant from the bench, and the 16-game unbeaten streak early in the season demonstrated Chelsea’s undoubted potential. Now they must display City’s personality and control to escape this period of pain.
Ben grounds

Chelsea next matches

Sun 10 Jan – Morecambe (H) – FA Cup third round

Fri Jan 15 – Fulham (A) – Live on Sky Sports

Tue 19 Jan – Leicester (A) – Live on Sky Sports

Wed Jan 27 – Wolves (H)

Sat Jan 30 – Burnley (H)

Wed 3 Feb – Tottenham (A)

Leicester loves life on the road

You can check out the stats on Leicester’s excellent away form this season. His victory at Newcastle was the seventh of the season, already matching his entire account from the last period. 22 of their 32 points have already hit the road, but they had to dig into St James’ Park.

Despite taking a 2-0 lead in the second half with wonderful finishes from James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, it cannot be said that Leicester particularly dominated the proceedings. Newcastle finished the game strong – Andy Carroll scored with an equally impressive blow – and the Foxes had to focus to keep a two-goal lead from slipping through their fingers.

They finally got another win on the road and manager Brendan Rodgers said Sky sports: “It turns into a war in the last 10 minutes. That really pleased me because it shows that we can win different types of games, from behind, but also if we need to see the game through.”

The story also bodes well. Leicester is the 19th top flight team to win at least seven of its first nine road games in a season; none of the 18 above have finished outside of the top four, while 50 percent of those teams have won the division. that season.

Indeed, Leicester is now just one point behind joint league leaders Liverpool and Man Utd, and in a season that appears to be going all the way, they will likely be in the mix. However, they must begin to replicate their away form at home if they want to mount a serious title challenge.
Charlotte Marsh

Is perspective needed for Newcastle?

As Rob Hawthorne said in Sky sports Comment, Newcastle is never more than a defeat away from a crisis. With no Premier League win since the beginning of December and only one point won during the festive period, frustration at Tyneside is mounting.

But is any perspective needed, especially around Christmas? They faced the ever-dangerous Man City, league leaders Liverpool and Leicester, who have the best away record in the Premier League. They produced an impressive defensive performance against the Reds and also frustrated Leicester in the first half on Sunday.

However, concentration waned after his weeknight efforts and sloppy play allowed Rodgers’ team to do what they do best: counterattack. As Steve Bruce said Sky sports: “I didn’t think we deserved to lose the game, but we have been punished and that is something we have to learn: we keep getting caught on the fast break. That’s the only thing we want to do, but keep getting caught.” The other way. “

Let’s not forget either, Newcastle has seen two of its key players, Jamaal Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin, hit hard by Covid, while injuries have also been a concern. Winning against all three in such a short time was always going to be a difficult task, and they still have an eight-point cushion for the last three.

With a week now before facing Arsenal in the FA Cup, Bruce and Newcastle have time to regroup. They face Sheffield United winless in the next league, which offers a chance to score three important points.
Charlotte Marsh