Analysis

Jorginho excels as Arsenal overcome Liverpool, Man Utd finally back up a big win, Mauricio Pochettino under pressure - Premier League hits and misses

Plus: Lack of belief costs West Ham at Man Utd; Nottingham Forest show signs that they can get themselves out of Premier League relegation trouble after draw at Bournemouth

Monday 5 February 2024 13:55, UK

Jorginho helps put Arsenal back in the hunt

Mikel Arteta praised a string of Arsenal players in his press conference after their 3-1 win over Liverpool. Kai Havertz was "unbelievable" up front. Gabriel Martinelli brought a "streetwise" edge. But his warmest words were reserved for Jorginho.

"I always say that he is an example, a role model," said the Arsenal manager. "He has had an issue he has been carrying for months. But he is always the first one in and the last one out. For all the kids at the club, if you want to look at somebody, just look at him."

The 32-year-old was outstanding on his first Premier League start since November, bringing control, combativeness and composure to Arsenal's midfield. He passed with purpose and was alert to everything, allowing the hosts to dominate for long periods.

His inclusion provided added security alongside Declan Rice, with Havertz dropping back to form a box midfield together with Martin Odegaard. But Jorginho also dictated Arsenal's offensive play, making more passes in the final third than anyone else.

The quality of his distribution shone through. After half-time, there was a delightful pass to release Kai Havertz on the left. Earlier in the game, he created a great chance for Martinelli in similar fashion.

The final flourishes were left to others, with Bukayo Saka, Martinelli and Leandro Trossard the scorers as Arsenal racked up three goals, and an 'expected' total (3.52) higher than any side has managed against Liverpool since Opta started collecting the data.

But no player contributed more to their dominance than Jorginho. In and out of possession, he was crucial in securing a result which propels Arsenal right back into the title race.
Nick Wright

Man Utd finally back up a big win

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag had prefaced the game against West Ham with a word of warning in his programme notes. "One of our biggest issues this term has been our inability to gain rhythm, and good results have too often been followed by setbacks."

He would have been thinking of the home win over Chelsea that was followed by a 3-0 Old Trafford defeat to Bournemouth. Or perhaps another occasion in December when United beat Aston Villa only to lose to Nottingham Forest just days later.

In between those results came the unexpected draw at Liverpool that was followed up with defeat at West Ham. But this time it was different. After overcoming Wolves in the 97th minute on Thursday evening, United secured their biggest home win of the season.

The 3-0 win over West Ham was not a dominant display. The opposition had too many shots for that. This five-game unbeaten run in all competitions includes victories over Wigan and Newport in the FA Cup. But caveats aside, there is cause for some optimism.

Able to select what might be his strongest side, Ten Hag will be hopeful of developing the rhythm of which he speaks and the confidence that comes with it. He needs to buy time and results do that. It is Aston Villa away next. Win that and belief really will grow.
Adam Bate

Pochettino needs to be fireproof as fans turn up the heat

Mauricio Pochettino knew what he was walking into when he became Chelsea manager, but that does not make it any easier.

Chelsea finished 27 points off the top four in 2022/23, their worst season since the mid-1990s. They are on course to finish just seven points better off this time around.

There is no question Todd Boehly's spending has been as much of a blessing as a curse for Chelsea, and it has earned Pochettino a great deal more patience than many managers be afforded after losing to Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Everton and now Wolves - twice - in the space of barely half a season.

But a line has been crossed now. One four-goal humbling in a week is bad enough, and Liverpool are not a team any young, inexperienced side wants to face. But losing so heavily at home to a Wolves side who have been crippled by FFP restrictions and who were many pundits' outside shout for relegation at the start of the season - that is beyond the pale.

For the first time, the fans turned not only on the team but on Pochettino himself. His name was audible around the press box when his players trudged off at half-time, and not through messages of support. There were barely enough fans left at Stamford Bridge come the full-time whistle to give him any more abuse.

Chelsea are awful in both boxes. Judging by xG deficit, they have the second-most wasteful strike force in the league. They have now shipped 39 goals this season - more than the combined tally of Jose Mourinho's back-to-back league winners of 2004/05 and 2005/06.

There is talent in this team. But there is no collective. Individual quality will not paper over the cracks of a lack of wider cohesion. Pochettino is far from the only one at fault for that. But he is the one who will carry the can if things do not improve quickly, because Stamford Bridge is already turning toxic. It is only going to get worse.
Ron Walker

Alisson, Van Dijk not alone in Liverpool struggles

The defensive mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker for Arsenal's second goal dominated the post-match fall-out at the Emirates Stadium. But they were not alone in their travails.

In fact, there are other Liverpool players who can count themselves lucky not to have come under closer scrutiny. That calamitous second goal was the turning point, of course. But Arsenal created enough chances to win the game twice over.

Their entire defensive unit struggled in the face of Arsenal's speed and incisiveness. The returning Trent Alexander-Arnold could not get near Gabriel Martinelli and nor could Ibrahima Konate. Joe Gomez was similarly poor on the opposite flank.

In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister was the only one to emerge with any credit. Either side of him, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones allowed the game to pass them by. Harvey Elliott struggled too following his second-half introduction as Arsenal maintained the upper hand in midfield until the end.

Further forward, Liverpool got nowhere near the levels of recent performances, mustering a solitary shot on target and totalling a meagre 0.41 expected goals to Arsenal's 3.52. Diogo Jota's heavy touch when put through on goal in the first minute set the tone for a poor display.

Alisson and Van Dijk were the fall guys in the end. But their errors for the second goal were symptomatic of a dismal collective performance. Liverpool must regain their focus quickly.
Nick Wright

Lack of belief costs West Ham

This was quite an odd game. Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 win and at no point looked like they would lose against West Ham, yet were dominated in the shots and expected goals categories and allowed their visitors nearly 50 per cent of the possession.

Despite that, Andre Onana was only forced into one notable save - and that came in the 11th minute. West Ham's best chances fell to Emerson, their left-back.

The Hammers were still in the game until another Kalvin Phillips error set up Man Utd's third goal late on, yet they never made a concerted effort to put pressure on their hosts.

Perhaps that's not surprising when you look at David Moyes' record at Old Trafford - he has failed to win in 17 Premier League games as the visiting manager.

Remarkably, the only manager to endure a longer run without winning at a Premier League ground is also Moyes, at both Anfield and Stamford Bridge.

Did he, or his team, believe they could win? The fact they played the entire game without a No 9 and chose to leave Danny Ings on the bench was curious.

After a bright first half of the season, West Ham have failed to win in their first six games of 2024. Their hard work is in danger of being undone.
Joe Shread

Forest show signs they have enough to get out of trouble

There was conviction in Nuno Espirito Santo's voice when he responded to being asked whether Nottingham Forest should have taken more than a point from their trip to the south coast in a post-match interview at the Vitality. "Yes, it could have been more," he said.

This was not just a manager with a biased view of his own team. Forest gradually grew after going behind, with all five of their shots in Dorset hitting their intended target. Bournemouth were the Premier League's form side throughout November and December and they were left limited, particularly after the break.

Had they been able to capitalise on Philip Billing's late red card for cynically catching Callum Hudson-Odoi on the Achilles, there probably wouldn't have been a huge volume of complaints.

The point they earned moved them a further point clear of the relegation zone. It has given them a temporary reprieve, even though Brentford above them and Luton below them still have games in hand. Those are matters for another day, though.

By no means does this team look like they are prepared to accept their precarious position. There's plenty of post-Steve Cooper confidence, new signings still to be bedded and players yet to return from AFCON to bolster the numbers.

Take that and the fact Luton having stunned Brighton in midweek and held Newcastle to a 4-4 draw on Saturday, there's extra pressure on the clubs at the bottom to up their game to avoid getting left behind.
Dan Long

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