United fightback, City falter and more was expected from Sarri-ball...what we learnt from match-day 24 of the English Premier League

It was a mid-week of surprise results with huge ramifications for the English Premier League table. Here EconSport dissects the major talking points from all the action of match-day 24


Ole time: United show steely side and resolve in fightback
(Manchester United 2 vs 2 Burnley)

Nine on the bounce looked sure, rubber stamped even before the players took to the pitch. Such is the kind of form United were in having racked eight victories in all competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Victories that have told us do much about the United squad, much more than Mourinho made many see, and believe. Burnley though didn't come to play party guests. Still it was unexpected they would gatecrash the party. This after all was a side still swimming clear of relegation waters, not the one of last season that surpassed expectations. The 2-2 draw that unfolded though told us as much, as each of those eight victories amassed so far. What would be the reaction should they go a goal or two down? Here was the answer. Fight back. 

Paul Pogba made no mistake in converting a late penalty kick to spark United's comeback


Jesse Lingard won the late penalty to give Manchester United hope

They might not have snatched all three points having stared at defeat with only three minutes of normal time remaining, but Solskjaer's side took something. Not just a point but belief as well and that unbeaten run goes on.  The susceptibility at the back, which saw yet another clean sheet elude the Red Devils, was clear, but also clear was the fighting spirit and character to rise up from their slumbering slow start to the game. A start in part attributable to the display of the incomers--Romelu Lukaku and Andreas Perreira. The former, recalled to the starting lineup after recent sharp displays, had a decent outing and could have grabbed an assist had Marcus Rashford gotten his bearings right when put through on goal early on, the latter less so. The absence of the characteristic fluidity and crispness in attack coincided with the return of Lukaku up front, as Rashford shifted to the wings, and it was no mere coincidence. The Belgian for all his strengths didn't dovetail nicely with the English whizkid. His intensity and sometimes lack of mobility hinders the free flowing football Solskjaer has clearly set out as the blue print for his side. There was no lack of effort but it just was not as fluid as recent weeks, when the pace of Lingard and Martial either side Rashford down the middle worked a treat. Which calls into question Lukaku's role in the side,at least in the immediate term. It's a plus to have a striker of his caliber from the bench, but would he accept a support-cast role? For Perreira however, it was a shoddy showing. In place of Ander Herrera, he lacked the energy, pressing and intensity the Spaniard brings to the team,and was a bystander for most part of the game. When he did choose to get in the thick of things, it was in the wrong direction. Sold short by a poor Phil Jones pass, he took one too many touches and lost possession in a dangerous area. Seconds later , De Gea was picking the ball out of the net. Minutes later his number was up as Jesse Lingard came on in his stead and Sanchez replaced Lukaku.

Victor Lindelof scored right at the death after Alexis Sanchez, on in place of Lukaku, saw his initial header saved by Tom Heaton

Manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could not hide his glee as the late equaliser saw United come from two goals down to claim a point and are just two points outside the top four

 That vibrancy returned as Burnley stunned Old Trafford with a second from Chris Wood. After Lingard won a penalty which Paul Pogba, who was highly influential, cooly converted, you sensed this was far from over. The belief and determination in the eyes of those clad in Red as they went in search of d equalizer. It came deep in stoppage time, Ole time, it used to be Fergie time, as a vastly improved Victor Lindelof smashed home to earn United a point. Though two were dropped, it still left them two points behind Arsenal in fourth and in the hunt for a champions league spot, plus preserving that unbeaten run, and showed that United can summon a response faced with adversity. 

City falter as title race hots up
(Newcastle United 2 vs 1 Manchester City)

Twenty-nine goals plundered since the turn of the year you could hardly fault Manchester City's stars for being confident of victory heading to face a difficult but limited Newcastle side. Barely had the whistle gone than number thirty followed. The Geordie home faithful would have feared their side were in for a hiding. On the sidelines though Coach Pep Giardiola didn't wear a happy look: it was more of a tectchy one. He sensed a problem. City had stopped. Stopped doing what had seen them blow away opponents in recent weeks. What left many still sensing that they could catch leaders Liverpool at the summit. They did not stop running or hassling or dominating possession. But that ruthless streak that saw them hunt for more had been replaced by a perceived arrogance in their play. Confidence had turned complacency. City's last three league losses to Crystal Palace and Leicester City and now Newcastle United have a common strand: the Citizens led in all of those games yet contrived to go from three points to zero. Newcastle stayed in the game --you have to for a team of City's class. You could feel they sensed their moment would come and they waited patiently.


Salomon Rondon struck to bring Newcastle back on level terms


The turnaround waa complete as Matt Ritchie kept his composure to convert from the penalty spot after Fernandinho's foul

 Like a fighter taunting his opponent, teasing him to keep coming, making him feel untouchable, and then in a flash a blow from nowhere. Salomon Rondon struck to level proceedings and when Fernandinho fouled Sean Longstaff , Matt Ritchie's left boot struck the killer punch from the penalty spot. Guardiola would have been raging silent!y at his players for letting standards drop in the tight race with Liverpool. A first defeat of the year sent an important warning: they cannot afford to let up in being hot on the heels of Liverpool. A chance to reduce the gap to one and tighten the screw had been passed up. Pep would no doubt take plenty of steps to prevent a reoccurrence. City had handed a gift to Liverpool, it was up to the Reds to gleefully accept it and surge seven points ahead.

Are Klopp's men starting to feel the pressure?
(Liverpool 1 vs 1 Leicester City)

You needn't be well versed in psychology to sense the many thoughts running through the minds of the Anfield faithful on a cold night on Merseyside. The feeling was palpable. Could Liverpool capitalise on Manchester City's slip 24 hours earlier? Sadio Mane's early opener however settled some nerves. But as the game went on and a single goal was the only barrier between both sides, nervousness crept in, even in the stands. When the pressure is high, even the most vibrant of atmospheres--and there are few more raucous than Anfield-- can turn anxious. And the pressure is indeed high, not exactly sky high, heading into the final third of the campaign, with Liverpool now five points clear of City. Give that to Klopp before the season began and he would snap your fingers off for it. Back to the earlier question, they did capitalise --four points turned five despite the 1-1 draw courtesy Harry Maguire's leveller--but it was not quite in the boldest of manners. Neither was it the most confident of responses. Many might feel the title is Liverpool's to lose, it's better leading the race than playing catch up. Jurgen Klopp's men have the strike force--Salah, Mane and Firmino are a very formidable combination-- a solid defence and a steely midfield, but do they have the character to go the distance? Their manager is seeming nonplussed in the face of it all, calling for calmness from his players. The coming weeks would offer a clue if it's a call well heeded to.

Wolves hammer Hammers as Arnautovic makes limp return after transfer saga ( Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 vs 0 West Ham United)

The most appalling aspect of this loss, capped with a dreary display was that Wolverhampton Wanderers got no more than they deserved. If anything, the score line summed up proceedings perfectly. West Ham were hammered, battered, blitzed and outclassed –a second limp display in the space of a week, after the limp loss to League One basement boys AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup is sure to raise questions. What now for Arnautovic –is he in it for the long haul? How about the under-performing stars, of which Andy Carroll seals top spot, who Manuel Pellegrini might be eyeing to move on to free up funds in beefing up an imbalanced squad? Wolves had the imprints of cohesion, intensity and desire all over their make-up, the show from Pellegrini’s men however was far less than the sum of their parts.  Defeat here marked a third straight loss since the mettlesome 1-0 victory over Arsenal just over a fortnight ago. That is a major issue with West Ham: for every one stride taken forward, they seem to take two backwards. A 2-0 win over Fulham –a fourth on the bounce at the time –was succeeded by a loss by the same score line at home to Watford and a run of one win in four games prior to Arsenal. The big man, Arnautovic, was back after the mini transfer saga following unsettling interest from China and the amounts involved. His desire to leave for new pastures—more money-spinning than greener—was pretty much clear, what is unclear though is how the fans, who he waved goodbye to at the London Stadium, welcome him back into the fold long-term —if he will stay around that long. This though was no bang return. As he hobbled off with injury with over a quarter of the game remaining, his impact was negligible.

Raul Jimenez scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season in Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 dismantling of West Ham United

A minute silence was held for Cardiff striker Emiliano Sala before kickoff

Returning hitman Marko Arnautovic hobbled off in the second half with injury

The whole West Ham team had barely made any impact: no shots on target for the ninety told the story. Talking about impact, Wolves striker Raul Jimenez , on loan from Benfica, notched his 11^th and 12^th goals in an eye-catching  season so far. He is not alone in the list of fantastic displays. Rui Patricio, Ruben Neves, Moutinho, Jota, you can reel them off your fingers. Nuno Santo’s men are showing no signs of weakened blows as they keep punching above their weight. Currently occupying a European spot, in seventh, it would be a remarkable feat if they clinched a European ticket come May. For West Ham, out of both cup competitions, a top eight finish should be the targeted return after their summer investment. To achieve that, Pellegrini has 14 matches to contend with and those salient questions too.

Surely better was expected from "Sarri-ball". 
(Bournemouth 4 vs 0 Chelsea)

As glum faced Chelsea stars trudged off the field, face bowed down, probably contemplating on a performance that scored an 'A' on the dreadful board, the most significant reaction perhaps had come from the away support in the stands twenty-five minutes before the end of what was a shambolic display by Maurizio Sarri's men. "You do not know what you're doing", they chanted after Sarri subbed off new loan signing Gonzalo Higuain--who it must be said had put in a muted performance up till that point. We knew the maverick, outspoken, astute tactician, that is Sarri, divided opinions while in charge of Napoli. However after leaving many impressed with his work in the early part of this campaign as Chelsea kept pace with Liverpool and Manchester City, we never knew he changed opinions so quickly. Too much meaning should not be read into what some might call an angry knee-jerk reaction of the fans to a below-par display. This though was some reaction. Sarri, a former banker, surely knows he is running thin on credit. Those lines on motivation came forth again. "He was struggling to motivate 'his players", he said post-match. Isn't that what he is paid millions to do? That point became more curious considering Chelsea ran fewer miles than Bournemouth: 69.9 to 73.9. One team clearly wanted it more. Indeed, it shows Chelsea's problems run deeper than a simple Morata-Higuain swap. The Argentine, a former Sarri pupil at Napoli, was brought in to be a fox in the box; he had one touch in Bournemouth's box for 60 minutes of football. He would get better with time after developing an understanding with his teammates, his class assures of such. However, on the back of Chelsea's heaviest defeat in over 20 years, since a 5-1 loss to Liverpool in 1996, does Sarri have the luxury of time? At the Bridge, owner Abrahimovic is known for being time conscious. He doesn't wait too long before pressing the 'change button'. Previous coaches have been gone for less than failing to score in three consecutive away games as Sarri's side have done--a first under the Russian owner. You would have to go back seventeen years to 2002 since that happened. So where does this all leave Sarri? Out of the top four, probably temporarily depending on results in the coming weeks, his position has been questioned in recent weeks. Getting the intensity and zip ,when in possession of the ball, back will be a good place to start securing that position. The issues in midfield still persist. Can Jorginho adequately shield and screen an often exposed back line, like Ngolo Kante does? Sarri seems to have placed his money and utmost faith in the new Italian signing to do so. Chelsea fans would hope those downcast stars who trudged off the pitch still have enough in Sarri to coax better performances and snap this current rut of form.

HERO MITROVIC INJECTS A RUSH OF NITRO INTO FULHAM’S SCRAP FOR SURVIVAL (Fulham 4 vs 2 Brighton & Hove Albion)

When the blast of referee Lee Probert’s whistle brought an end to the thrilling action, half-time boos had turned to loud cheers: Craven Cottage went up in decibels. A feeling of relief and reassurance permeated the air, as Fulham, ably led by the irresistible and powerful force up front in Alexander Mitrovic, launched and accomplished a staggering comeback from two goals down to triumph 4-2 and inject life into their push for survival. After 45 minutes, they looked woebegone: bruised on their own turf, and booed by their own fans. In the face of gloom, they roared back with vigour and valor, fight and spirit.  All is not lost after all and that attitude was typified by Mitrovic. At times he seemed to be on a one-man mission, ploughing through anything that stood on his way. The determination shown in his first goal here, beating two defenders and goalkeeper to head home for the equalizer after Callum Chamber’s sublime volley had halved the deficit, set the spirit for others to follow. Such zeal and never-say-die attitude is what turns zero points to three and snaps a three match losing sequence.

Glenn Murray scored twice as Brighton raced into a two goal lead by half time. (Image Courtesy: Dailymail)

But Alexander Mitrovic's double inspired Fulham, who lie 19th on the log, to a stirring comeback

Too powerful to handle, it was a classic centre-forward display from the big Serbian

Not yet assured of EPL status for another season, they still lie five points from safety, but here was a layer, something tangible, to build on for the crucial 14 matches that lie ahead. Fourteen vital steps! Fulham have the potential of a good side: their tally of 25 goals scored is only bettered by three teams in the bottom half of the table –West Ham, Bournemouth, and Brighton. It is defensive frailties that are their greatest undoing –most self inflicted. They are table toppers in the list of leaky defences across the top-five European leagues, having conceded a whopping 53 goals in 24 games –an unwanted crown. While other teams tend to bend and suffer in rough patches during the game, Fulham break easily, feebly. They crumble. They certainly looked to have done so, again, when Glenn Murray’s double had Brighton two up by the interval, and make no mistake, it could have been more. Much more! A different side, rarely seen in recent weeks, emerged after the break however. Resolve etched all over. None exemplified that better than Mitrovic. His double took him to 10 league goals for the season –a princely return, considering the circumstances. A glance at the upcoming home fixtures and it is easy to see why this was a much needed victory. Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are the next visitors in succession to Craven Cottage. Those games sandwiched in between away games at West Ham, Southampton and Leicester City. They would need all the luck and pluckiness they can muster in those games. At least they know they have the reliable Mitrovic up front: feed him and he will score.