What we learned from the Premier League weekend

• We discuss things we learned during the weekend’s Premier League games including, Manchester United’s midfield jewel, and Chelsea’s rock-solid defense.
  

We discuss things we learned during the weekend’s Premier League games, including, Manchester United’s midfield jewel, and David Moyes’ role at West Ham.

Liverpool injuries pile up

Diogo Jota injury. Photo/ Sky Sports

Following their merciless display against Brentford, which resulted in a 4-1 victory in west London, Liverpool maintained their lead in the Premier League. Although Jurgen Klopp’s choices were further reduced against the Bees, Mohamed Salah’s comeback was a welcome boost as the Egyptian scored and assisted.

Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, and Darwin Nunez added to the medical team’s heavy burden for the Reds in a week that saw Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago, Stefan Bajcetic, and Joel Matip join them in the treatment room.

Nunez’s substitution was described as a precaution, and there is hope that the Uruguayan will be ready for the Carabao Cup final the following week, but Jones and Jota’s chances of recovering are becoming poorer. Jones, who had been playing well lately, hobbled off due to an uncomfortable ankle injury, while Jota, whose manager said he “looks the worst,” departed the field on a stretcher following a similarly unfortunate incident.

Luckily, the Reds have quality in reserve with Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo looking impressive off the substitute at Brentford. However, if his quadruple-chasing team continues to lose games in the upcoming weeks, Klopp will be worried.

Arsenal title challenge continues

When this conversation began at the end of last year, a lot of it focused on Arsenal‘s need to buy a striker in January. Since the start of the new year, the Gunners have ridiculed the idea that the club’s main impediment to winning the championship is the absence of a consistent goal scorer.

After winning 6-0 against West Ham the previous weekend, Mikel Arteta’s squad dominated Burnley to win the Premier League for the fifth time in 2024. They did this at Turf Moor with a five-goal effort.

For the first time in history, Arsenal started a calendar year with five straight league victories. During that run, they scored 21 goals and allowed only two goals against. In addition to Martin Odegaard’s superb performance as the team’s creative center, Bukakyo Saka has been in outstanding form and scored two goals against Burnley.

This season, only Liverpool (59) has scored more goals in the Premier League than Arsenal (58). Lately, their goal-scoring onslaught has addressed concerns about their firepower and put the North Londoners squarely in the title fight.

Chelsea’s solid defence

Axel Disasi. Photo/ Goal

Given their uneven seasons with an inconsistent Chelsea club, Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill, the defensive combo, probably won’t be too happy with their efforts thus far this season. Each has had difficulty securing the positions they want in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans, playing full-back for extended stretches of the season.

For Saturday’s trip to Manchester City, Pochettino decided to start Disasi and Colwill in a defensive axis. The two players reacted with far better performances in their favorite positions. At the Etihad, Disasi cleared 16 balls, more than any other Chelsea player in the previous eight seasons. He was a magnet for loose balls in the area. In what was perhaps his strongest defensive performance since joining from AS Monaco, the Frenchman was commanding at the back.

Colwill performed admirably with Disasi, filling in admirably in the center while Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile were not there. The 20-year-old was efficient with his delivery forward as usual and recorded ten of his clearances. Pochettino may favor this combo going forward, given that they battled to achieve a 1-1 draw against the champs.

Kobbie Mainoo stars for United

Kobbie Mainoo. Photo/ Sky Sports

With every match, Kobbie Mainoo‘s fan base gets more, and this past weekend, the Manchester United youngster had yet another age-defying display.

In a match when the Red Devils faltered after a fast start and had to withstand a storm at Kenilworth Road, Erik ten Hag’s team won 2-1, but it was by no means convincing.

Mainoo, the most collected player on the field at eighteen, was the lone exception to the terror that was spreading to the other side. He was poised and graceful when in control of the ball, finishing six dribbles against Luton, recovering it nine times, and remaining composed under duress.

Ian Wright is one of the people who has urged Mainoo to be included in the upcoming England team. Mainoo, who has only made 11 league games, is a strong candidate for inclusion in the Euro 2024 squad. It is uncommon to find that degree of calm under pressure. United is holding a valuable asset.