Premier League hits and misses: Liverpool’s injury crisis and Leeds on defense | Football news

Matip deepens Liverpool’s injury crisis

West Brom’s late draw at Anfield was a heavy blow for Liverpool, but Joel Matip’s injury, which occurred some 20 minutes earlier in the game, could prove more costly.

The 29-year-old trudged through the tunnel clutching his groin at the hour mark, and Jurgen Klopp offered a grim prognosis afterward: “Joel told me he felt something on his adductor, and that’s obviously not too good,” he said. . “He was in great shape again, but we have to accept it and move on.”

Liverpool, who no longer have their first-choice center-back partner Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez due to knee injuries, now face the prospect of navigating a frenzied streak of games with young Rhys Williams, Nathanial Phillips. and Sepp van den Berg as the only natural central defenders.

Fabinho will continue to replace, of course, but Matip’s injury is especially poorly timed as Klopp’s team prepares for a series of three away games in 10 days, against Newcastle, Southampton and Aston Villa, followed by the visit. Manchester United in January. 17.

The Reds can hope to have beefed up their defensive options by then: Sky sports Expert Jamie Carragher insists it’s imperative that they do so, but the January market gets even more challenging when everyone knows exactly what they need and how much they need it.

Liverpool are at risk of being held back for club sales, but if their only alternative is to try to defend their title with a selection of inexperienced youngsters and a repurposed midfielder, then they must do whatever it takes to bring in reinforcements.
Nick wright

Should the Spurs be concerned about recent form?

It seems like it was a long time since Tottenham led the Premier League. The ecstasy of those big wins against Manchester United and Manchester City in an impressive undefeated streak has now been replaced by a worrying slippage in form.

Spurs have won just one of their last six Premier League games, although that was the North London derby, and José Mourinho’s tactic of sitting back and soaking up the pressure once again proved to be part of their draw downfall. Sunday with the Wolves.

It is true that it was a long time to try to hold on to victory after Tanguy Ndombele’s first match after 57 seconds. But the Spurs only had one shot in the second half and none on target after the 21st minute. The usually effervescent Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane had only two shots between them.

The Wolves had seven in the second half alone and poor defense from a corner allowed Romain Saiss to score a well-deserved draw at the end.

After the game, Jamie Redknapp said Sky sports: “The disappointment is that they had it in their hands. If you’re going to sit still, you’re looking for trouble. This was not something unique. There are many, many games where this is happening. It is now becoming a pattern.

“And the more it happens, the more the players start to get negative and think ‘it’s going to happen again.’ I think this is a big problem for Jose right now.”

Mourinho played his cards close to his chest when asked about his team’s lackluster attacking display, but whether from fatigue, lack of focus, or something wrong elsewhere, Mourinho needs to find a quick fix to keep Spurs in between. the first four.
Charlotte Marsh

Big Sam puts his stamp on West Brom

West Brom’s performance against Liverpool demonstrated why Sam Allardyce remains the man of reference for Premier League clubs in crisis. His latest assignment may turn out to be his most difficult yet, but 11 days after his reign, there is already a feeling of something poignant.

It looked like the Baggies were going to have a long night when Sadio Mane scored Liverpool’s opener. With Mohamed Salah back in the starting line-up, the home side looked stronger than the one that put Crystal Palace seven goals before Christmas.

But West Brom was outstanding from then on, happily handing over possession to Liverpool and gleefully repelling whatever was thrown at them. The four in the back were disciplined and compact. Callum Robinson and Grady Diangana voluntarily backed down to stay six behind.

The result was that Liverpool did not get their second shot on goal until the last minute of regulation time, instead sending a series of half chances over and over the shoulder. West Brom was simply too hard to take down, too well organized and too tough.

As the game progressed and Liverpool’s frustration grew, West Brom also became dangerous on the other end, counterattacking with pace and purpose and ultimately testing Alisson Becker more times than the Reds tried to. Sam Johnstone. “What a fantastic job they did,” Allardyce smiled afterward.

The 66-year-old is now undefeated in his last four visits to Anfield, and it is a testament to the effectiveness of his methods that each of those results was achieved with a different club. West Brom remains five points from safety, but with Big Sam at the helm they won’t go down without a fight.
Nick wright

Phillips reinforces weak Leeds defense

There has been a lot of criticism for the Leeds defense in recent weeks, and rightly so, especially after their 6-2 humiliation against Manchester United at Old Trafford last week.

Heading into play, Leeds had the worst defensive record in the Premier League conceding 30 goals, including 13 in their last four Premier League matches.

They had also conceded the most goals in the Premier League from set pieces this season with 14, something that surely Burnley had planned to exploit.

But Leeds, inspired by Kalvin Phillips, who Marcelo Bielsa moved to the heart of a three-man defender, held firm against a physical Burnley.

Skillfully assisted by goalkeeper Illan Meslier and defenders Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk, Phillips, playing in a role that has not served much this season, produced an excellent performance as the hosts collected their first clean sheet in more than a month.

He put his body on the line on several occasions to make some crucial blocks and also directed his head to the ball on several occasions as Sean Dyche’s side bombarded the Leeds area.

Phillips is a player with a great ability to adapt to playing in different positions on the field and the times showed that he has had to play as a center-back in the back three, every time he has done it he has had good responses, and he did it today “, Bielsa said after the victory.

And judging from his performance, it could very well be a position we will see him in more and more in the coming weeks.
Oli Yew

Brighton needs to lose the bad luck tag

At least Brighton came up with another point, rather than being labeled ‘unfortunate losers’ again. West Ham was poor in the first half, Really poor, and it took a double substitution in the interval to ignite any kind of life on a stagnant side.

The Seagulls are becoming synonymous with bad luck. The pre-match data included a typical nugget, suggesting they had sent in seven more goals than expected this season, according to xG. There is a similar story at the other end of the field: scoring four fewer than expected.

But there is no escape, Brighton were bad luck, again, and he fully deserved all three points at London Stadium, taking most of the possession, goal attempts and effort.

His style is surprisingly expansive and attractive, but the final product is still largely ineffective, but somehow it is about to click. Perhaps a fit Adam Lallana, forced to retire at halftime, could exert a more creative influence and help make those opportunities unmissable.

They may just need time to “click”, but Graham Potter’s men must embrace the cliché of making their own luck; otherwise, there could be a much harsher dose of bad fortune in May.
Adam smith