Premier League hits and misses: Can Manchester United push Liverpool all the way? | Football news

Can Man Utd push Liverpool all the way?

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Forget that there are still 22 games of an arduous season to play. Forget Liverpool’s goal difference is more than eight. Forget nail-biting moments, David de Gea’s save streak, and Aston Villa’s missed opportunities – Manchester United are tied on points with leaders Liverpool and, for the first time in a long time, must be considered a true title contender.

It remains to be seen how long that title challenge will last, the excitement might well be extinguished when the final whistle blows at Anfield in less than three weeks, but the fact that Manchester United are currently in contention is an achievement in itself.

Let’s not forget, it’s been a year since United entered 2020 to a staggering 24 points from eventual champions. Exactly two months and 10 games ago, when Arsenal inflicted the last league defeat on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, they were nine points behind the champions.

At this point, it would be naive to claim that United’s recent rise will trigger a sleepless night at Liverpool, but what it certainly does is add another fascinating element to the title race.

Liverpool have had company at the top before, several times this season, in fact, with Tottenham, Chelsea and Southampton enjoying spells at the top. Everyone has been fired, but this time it feels different.

Having imperiously walked to the title last season, one wonders how Liverpool will react to having their arch rivals, the team whose record of 20 top flight crowns they seek to equal at the end of the season, breathing down their necks.

That is the position Manchester United have placed themselves in, but that is only the beginning; the challenge now is to keep it to the end.
Jack Wilkinson

Villa capable of breaking through the top six

“Aston Villa should now aim for a top-six result,” Sky Sports’s Darren Bent said before the start at Old Trafford.

Perhaps it was a statement that raised some eyebrows among those watching from home: does Dean Smith’s team really have the consistency and quality to finish above one of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Leicester or Chelsea? Well, they’ve taken seven points out of a possible 12 against those heavy hitters this season and the loss at United only further enhanced Bent’s words that Villa isn’t about to go down.

United never had a moment to relax in a vibrant game with Jack Grealish dancing in space all over the field, creating four chances for his teammates, only one of which was taken. Yes, Emiliano Martínez had to be called in to make seven saves in 90 minutes, but United’s expected goal number was 2.64, suggesting he was making saves that most Premier League goalkeepers would be expected to do. stay out. Villa had 15 shots to United’s 19 and wasted numerous set pieces – they took 10 corners but couldn’t create a single shot with them – something Dean Smith will have been disappointed with. Another day, they could have walked away with a result.

This latest performance, after the draw with Chelsea, shows that Villa is capable of reaching the top six in the coming months.
Lewis jones

A reality check for Everton

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Everton’s loss to West Ham was another reality check. They entered the game after another four-game winning run, just as they had at the start of the season. But a slice of bad luck when Yerry Mina’s detour got in the way of Tomas Soucek to fit in at home saw Everton defeated in the Premier League for the first time in more than a month and put an end to what was a festive period. mostly positive.

With Richarlison back in the starting eleven and James Rodriguez returning to the bench, there was hope that Everton could rediscover their free-hitting touch that kept them in good stead early in the season.

But their attacking game was quite boring and the shot lacked direction: they had ten shots, but only two of them hit the target. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was unable to find the net for a fifth Premier League game after scoring 11 goals in 11 matches previously and is struggling with lack of service. The forward could only take two shots, the same as Abdoulaye Doucoure, and Richarlison had one.

But again, the Everton defense had a pretty impressive night. Jordan Pickford didn’t have much to do as Seamus Coleman made a welcome return. With Michael Keane rested, Mason Holgate moved into the middle alongside Mina, both taking the top two spots in punts (six and five respectively). As Ancelotti said: “I think the defense was better than their offensive partners.”

The Everton manager expects more injured players to return to action for his next Premier League game on January 12 against Wolves, which will hopefully improve on a lackluster start to 2021.
Charlotte Marsh

West Ham improvement clear during the festive period

Three games in six days is a huge task for anyone, especially with the intensity of the Premier League. West Ham had tied their previous two games and a trip to Everton, especially with their recent form, was no easy feat.

Since returning to West Ham, David Moyes has spoken of his desire to improve the mindset of his players, as well as their performance on the field. Beating Everton certainly showed they are both on the rise, with Moyes saying: “Everton could have been second tonight so we got to Goodison and we got a result that shows how well the players are playing.”

It was a battle of the defenses at Goodison Park, but West Ham was the better team up front, particularly after the break. Everton didn’t offer much in attack, although Darren Randolph, who was a late addition after Lukasz Fabianski’s injury in the warm-up, did well when called up.

Tomas Soucek is also proving to be an excellent addition, scoring at home his fifth goal of the season after Yerry Mina’s deflection got in his way; he is now West Ham’s top scorer in the Premier League. Declan Rice also continues to show how talented he is.

When Moyes inherited his team from West Ham just over a year ago, they may not have had the steel to see that result. But their improvement is clear as West Ham heads into their next two games against Burnley and West Brom with renewed confidence.
Charlotte Marsh