Premier League hits and misses: Manchester United’s strong chin, Manchester City’s killer instinct | Football News

Keep calm and carry on: it’s the United way

2:59

This Manchester United staff nonetheless do lots improper – however one factor they’ve right down to a tee is with the ability to take a punch. They’ve a robust chin.

Ademola Lookman was the most recent opposition participant to attain the primary objective in a United fixture, that means the league leaders have now gained seven Premier League video games having gone behind this season. That equates to 21 factors picked up from dropping positions – 11 greater than the next-best report, posted by Liverpool.

Conceding first is seemingly when United are at their most snug. That strain to go and chase a sport brings out their game-changing expertise. At Fulham, it was Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba who rose to the event, placing in excellent performances backed up by high quality ending.

As we method the midway stage of this bonkers season, United clearly want to point out extra elements than simply staying calm in matches to maintain a title bid. However one factor of their favour is their ceiling stage – they have not reached it but. There may be with out query extra to return from a staff that also have but to actually put in that “wow” efficiency that reeks of a possible title winner. Absolutely there’s one is across the nook quickly.

‘Maintain calm and keep it up’ would be the message in the interim although.
Lewis Jones

City show winning touch that champions need

3:19

Manchester Metropolis have been flying for a while now and a sixth consecutive Premier League win took them high of the desk on Wednesday night time, albeit solely whereas they waited for Manchester United to play catch-up.

The style of their win over a very good Aston Villa aspect was extra spectacular than simply one other three factors shifting them superficially to the place of champions.

In each packing containers, Metropolis did what they needed to, one thing over the previous yr and a half they have not finished sufficient. Their gradual begin to the season owed a very good deal to being unable to kill video games off – scoring solely as soon as to attract with West Ham, West Brom and Leeds, and none in any respect when overwhelmed 2-0 at Tottenham in November.

It regarded prefer it might be a equally irritating night time towards Villa to halt their surge up the desk, however they’d the profitable contact that it’s good to get three factors when you find yourself not at your greatest.

What number of instances of their back-to-back title-winning seasons did we see them dig it out late on? Bear in mind Sterling versus Southampton, even Kompany versus Leicester? Possibly Silva versus Aston Villa could have its personal web page of their historical past books if they’re high of the pile by the tip of the season.

There’s a lengthy solution to go, however with Ruben Dias and John Stones trying the strong partnership nobody may have predicted and the objectives beginning to circulate once more in assault – even with out Sergio Aguero – Metropolis are as within the combine as they’ve been for a very long time.
Ron Walker

Everything but the goal for Fulham

Scott Parker is a supervisor who wears his coronary heart on his sleeve. There was no hiding the frustration he felt watching Ruben Loftus-Cheek squander two implausible probabilities to tug stage towards Manchester United. He is aware of probabilities like those Fulham are creating want to start out dropping and the Cottagers want to show plaudits into factors.

Defensively all is fairly rosy with a fine condition to Fulham’s play while in midfield, with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa on the coronary heart, they knock the ball round with nice confidence. Nonetheless, it is within the field the place they crumble. Since their 2-1 win over Leicester in November, they’ve scored simply 4 objectives, the bottom return of any Premier League aspect throughout that interval.

Loftus-Cheek was the perpetrator this time round, additional enhancing the flaw inside his sport in entrance of objective. A participant in his place, carrying that form of expertise actually ought to have extra than simply 10 Premier League objectives to his title in 90 appearances.
Lewis Jones

Stratford finally a happy Hammers home

3:01

One factor that has been understandably misplaced amid the surprise at West Ham’s type this season is how they’ve lastly, lastly turned the London Stadium right into a fortress.

It could be unfair to counsel the one factor the Hammers wanted to enhance their house type was to play in entrance of an empty stadium as a result of their type has been constructed on 14 factors from 9 away video games as effectively.

However back-to-back wins in Stratford, such a weight across the neck of the membership for therefore lengthy, means solely Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis have picked up extra factors at house.

A lot of that comes right down to eradicating their smooth underbelly. Issues have been trying good when Jarrod Bowen chested in an injury-time opener towards a newly assured West Brom on Tuesday night time, however the second Matheus Pereira equalised 5 minutes after half-time, you questioned whether or not this was going to be a well-recognized capitulation.

Not this time. Having weathered the storm for a couple of minutes, Declan Rice twice got here shut earlier than Michail Antonio turned on a sixpence to fireplace in a beautiful winner.

The 30-year-old Antonio deserves his personal point out. Larger, maybe higher, attacking gamers have come to the London Stadium to take West Ham to the following stage. He has seen all of them off. At his peak, when match, he’s able to main the road of a staff heading for Europe. And the indicators more and more counsel the staff behind him are adequate to get there too.
Ron Walker