Premier League hits and misses: Are Manchester City really title favourites? | Football News

City finding their groove, but are they favourites?

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Such is the weird nature of this Premier League season, Manchester Metropolis are fifth after 15 video games, but are actually the bookies’ favourites to win the title. That is with out significantly taking part in effectively this season, and with diminished firepower.

It is easy to be dazzled by Pep Guardiola’s aspect after they’re within the form of temper that noticed them breeze previous Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. They’re nonetheless the most effective Premier League group to look at, and even with out a recognised striker Guardiola once more confirmed his tactical dexterity.

They’re inside touching distance of Liverpool although talismanic Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t hit the heights of final season – however his first non-penalty aim within the Premier League this season, alongside an impressive all-round show, might sign the beginning of one other interval of peak De Bruyne.

These tipping Liverpool will level to their performances even within the absence of Virgil van Dijk. These tipping Metropolis will say the identical for the absence of Sergio Aguero.

However this could all include a warning. Chelsea performed into Metropolis’s palms on Sunday, going for an early blitz however receiving a bombardment themselves, and even when Aguero does return, it is not assured he’ll hit kind right away. And being really easy on the attention, which little question informs ideas, doesn’t essentially imply consistency and factors.

Liverpool are nonetheless the most effective all-round group within the Premier League, however one factor is turning into clear: there will likely be no title race with out Manchester Metropolis, and Metropolis’s subsequent six fixtures are beneficial.

They face Brighton (house, seventeenth in Premier League), Palace (house, 14th), Aston Villa (house, seventh), West Brom (away, nineteenth), Sheffield United (house, twentieth) and Burnley (away, sixteenth) earlier than Liverpool away on February 6.

Gerard Model

Chelsea must show personality to escape the pain

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Frank Lampard was eager to emphasize following Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester Metropolis that the trajectory of a group’s rebuild does not head in only one route. There will likely be peaks and there will likely be troughs, however this has been a fallow winter thus far for his impressionable aspect.

Pep Guardiola’s males arrived at Stamford Bridge crammed with well-documented distractions, nevertheless it did not present as soon as they settled after 10 minutes and duly schooled the hosts. Lampard fronted up with some preventing discuss after a fourth league loss in six when taken to job over members of his vanquished group being established gamers.

“If you say established gamers… Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are younger,” Lampard retorted. “Ben Chilwell remains to be younger… I’ve spoken about a few of the biggest gamers on this league needing time to adapt.

“I do not assume it is a level of analysing every particular person as they are younger. Coming into a brand new group with out a pre-season there should come a time, when it’s important to say it is a case of studying classes. These Metropolis gamers have been taking part in collectively for a while, which is why I say this can be a lesson.

“I anticipated difficulties and I do know that turning into title contenders does not come straightforward. One month in the past, folks had been asking me if I used to be signing a brand new contract however now, we have misplaced 4 video games. The stress is all the time there. I used to be conscious of that once I took the job, however we’ve got to maintain going. Now we have to match the degrees of Metropolis and I do know it’s going to take time.”

Lampard has some extent; Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic began right here collectively for the primary time however Sunday’s newest setback being judged a steep studying curve will not suffice for some.

It is not the way in which it has been through the Roman Abramovich period, as Lampard is aware of solely too effectively, however the membership hierarchy should settle for the method concerned in reaching the requirements set by Metropolis and Liverpool over the previous few seasons. Lampard stays on secure floor and he’ll lean on the marginal positives.

Billy Gilmour and Callum Hudson-Odoi each seemed shiny off the bench, and the 16-game unbeaten run earlier within the marketing campaign demonstrated Chelsea’s undoubted potential. They need to now present the persona and management of Metropolis to flee this era of ache.
Ben Grounds

Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures

Solar Jan 10 – Morecambe (H) – FA Cup third spherical

Fri Jan 15 – Fulham (A) – Stay on Sky Sports activities

Tue Jan 19 – Leicester (A) – Stay on Sky Sports activities

Wed Jan 27 – Wolves (H)

Sat Jan 30 – Burnley (H)

Wed Feb 3 – Tottenham (A)

Leicester loving life on the road

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You possibly can reel off the stats relating to Leicester’s excellent away kind this season. Their victory at Newcastle was their seventh of the season – already matching their whole tally from final time period. 22 of their 32 factors have now come on the street, however they needed to do dig in at St James’ Park.

Regardless of taking a 2-0 lead within the second half with great finishes from James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, it can’t be stated that Leicester significantly dominated proceedings. Newcastle ended the sport strongly – Andy Carroll scoring with an equally as spectacular strike – and the Foxes wanted to pay attention to keep away from letting a two-goal lead slip by way of their fingers.

They finally got here by way of with one other away victory and supervisor Brendan Rodgers instructed Sky Sports activities: “It turns into a warfare within the final 10 minutes. That actually happy me as a result of it reveals we will win several types of video games, to only coming from behind but in addition if we have to see the sport by way of.”

The historical past bodes effectively too. Leicester are the nineteenth top-flight aspect to win a minimum of seven of their first 9 away video games of a season – not one of the earlier 18 have completed outdoors of the highest 4, whereas 50 per cent of these sides have gone on to win the division that season.

Certainly, Leicester are actually only a level behind joint-league leaders Liverpool and Man Utd, and in a season that appears to be happening to the wire, they’ll probably be within the combine. Nonetheless, they have to begin replicating their away kind at house in the event that they wish to mount a critical title problem.
Charlotte Marsh

Perspective needed for Newcastle?

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As Rob Hawthorne stated on Sky Sports activities commentary, Newcastle are by no means greater than a defeat away from a disaster. With no Premier League victory since early December and only a level taken over the festive interval, the frustration on Tyneside is constructing.

However is there some perspective wanted, significantly over Christmas? They confronted the ever-dangerous Man Metropolis, league leaders Liverpool and prime four-chasing Leicester, who’ve the most effective away document within the Premier League. They produced a powerful defensive efficiency in opposition to the Reds and equally pissed off Leicester within the first half on Sunday.

Nonetheless, the focus slipped after their midweek exertions and sloppy play allowed Rodgers’ aspect to do what they do greatest – counter-attack. As Steve Bruce instructed Sky Sports activities: “I did not assume we deserved to lose the sport however we have been punished and that is one factor we’ve got to be taught – we preserve getting caught on the counter-attack. That is the one factor we wish to do however preserve getting caught the opposite approach.”

Let’s additionally not neglect, Newcastle have seen two of their key gamers – Jamaal Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin – hit laborious by Covid whereas accidents have additionally been a priority. Victories in opposition to all three in such a short while was all the time going to be a tall order, and so they nonetheless have an eight-point cushion to the underside three.

With per week now earlier than going through Arsenal within the FA Cup, it offers Bruce and Newcastle time to regroup. They face winless Sheffield United subsequent within the league, which presents the prospect to select up an vital three factors.
Charlotte Marsh