Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Manchester City are inevitable. It’s the quality that struck such fear into Manchester United in a derby that rarely seemed destined to be anything other than victory for the champions. And that includes the 48 minutes United were a goal ahead. Liverpool and Arsenal could only look on in vain hope, even when Erling Haaland delivered one of the greatest misses in Premier League history. City kept their cool. United’s latest derby humbling reminded there is so much more to Pep Guardiola’s team than the Kevin De Bruyne-Haaland partnership. At 23, it can feel like there are no more worlds to conquer for Phil Foden, the match-winner. And Rodri, who performs the same safety-catch service Sergio Busquets supplied for Guardiola’s Barcelona team, remained switched on in the dying seconds to rob Sofyan Amrabat and set up a cleansing goal for Haaland. United players left the field exhausted by attempting to live with the untouchable.

Erik ten Hag reached for “small margins” in lamenting a derby defeat he argued might have gone his team’s way. His suggestion that his team’s defending was “brilliant” might also raise eyebrows. Ten Hag’s credibility is further damaged by 11 Premier League defeats. Perhaps one day a United side might pitch up at the Etihad, Emirates or Anfield and not merely attempt to defend deep. That seems some time away. To follow his heartfelt contribution to the Players’ Tribune, Marcus Rashford, isolated up front, reportedly playing through injury, showed off his best and more frustrating facets. His first-half goal was a thunderbolt from a player who often assumes centre stage in the derby. Then came a second-half showing where he struggled as the out-ball for United’s overworked defence before playing an unfortunate role in City’s equaliser by losing out to Kyle Walker’s greater speed and muscle.

Presumably Mark Clattenburg, hired by Nottingham Forest as a referees’ analyst, is about to earn his money, though quite how remains to be seen and, in any case, events at the City Ground on Saturday have added several rows to his timesheet. The image of Clattenburg, a former Premier League referee, being blocked from entering the match officials’ dressing room after the final whistle – a shelter for his former colleagues after Liverpool’s contentious 99th-minute winner – serves to ponder his seemingly limited powers. His main task in the aftermath was to soothe the pain for the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis. The surreal sight of Clattenburg – also the pantomime villain referee in Gladiators, the rebooted tea-time television show – holding court in the mixed zone, an area usually reserved for elite players to make low-rent post-match assertions to the media, should they wish, also begged the question: what exactly do Forest think they can gain with his help?

Evan Ferguson is a terrific prospect, physically gifted and blessed with touch, imagination and composure. But it’s often said that young players get their first season for free, exploiting opponents unfamiliar with their style, and Ferguson is experiencing that drop off now, 10 goals in 25 appearances last term reduced to six in 32 so far this. He has not scored since November, and while he is too good not to right himself, he is bereft of confidence and in desperate need of a break. So the question for Roberto De Zerbi is whether that break should constitute a rest, Ferguson removed from the team for his own good, or something going his way, a solution available only if he continues playing. Meantime, though, Brighton are struggling, a home draw with Everton followed by FA Cup exit at Wolves and convincing defeat at Fulham – which is to say that however he does it, De Zerbi must reanimate his young striker as a matter of urgency. Match report: Fulham 3-0 Brighton

Having first played at Kenilworth Road in 2016 when he was a young winger at Exeter City, Ollie Watkins knew what to expect. But it still needed the substitute Lucas Digne to seal a vital victory for Aston Villa after two goals from Watkins in the first half had been cancelled out by a resurgent Luton. The 28-year-old, who played against Luton four times in League Two before facing them again with Brentford in the Championship, now has 16 Premier League goals for the season and looks a certainty for England’s Euro 2024 squad. “It is an amazing story and I kind of pinch myself all the time, and I am just enjoying it,” said Watkins. “I feel confident, if I miss a chance I am not thinking about it too much. It’s on to the next one. My mentality is just fully focused on the next action and believing in my ability. I am established in the Premier League now. I am right up there with the top goal-scorers and really enjoying my football.”

It was fitting that Goodison Park showcased the difference David Moyes can make although, as they went through their desperate repertoire of “sign on” and “sit down if you’re unemployed”, perspective was probably not the strongest suit of the West Ham fans present. While Moyes’ old club face a third successive relegation battle and the threat of a second points deduction, with dreadful football served on top, his current employers have the latter stages of European competition on their minds for a third consecutive year, more points than last season and the promise of more to come with Lucas Paquetá returning to fitness alongside Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus. A Europa League last-16 trip to Freiburg on Thursday brings further anticipation. As Moyes said: “I hope we can start to use the fact we are a bit more experienced in Europe. I thought the first season we weren’t quite sure, we lost in the semi-final through a bit of naivety and how to play the games and the referees. I think we have learnt from that. And the money the club must have made from the European runs has been huge for them.”

After fine counterattacking goals from Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento secured Newcastle a 3-0 home win against Wolves a verbal contest kicked off. While the visiting manager, Gary O’Neil, claimed his side’s dominance of possession was down to their “quality” and the defeat attributable to “bad errors”, Eddie Howe maintained Newcastle’s first clean sheet and home victory of 2024 was all about “tactical change”. Few locals would disagree; in place of the gung-ho high press that, in recent weeks, led to the concession of far too many goals, Newcastle retreated into safety first, contain and counter, mode. With the right-back Kieran Trippier rarely venturing over the halfway line and the latterly vulnerable left-back Dan Burn well protected by Joe Willock, Fabian Schär was able to showcase stellar distribution skills as he created three goals from central defence. O’Neil remained insistent that Howe choreographs teams one way but, for once, he got it, largely, wrong.

Eberechi Eze only managed 65 minutes on his return from a hamstring injury but still made an enormous impact. It was his surge that brought the free-kick from which he scored and, while Palace sat deep and sought to contain Spurs, his every touch felt a potential threat. If he is back to fitness after a stop-start season, he may be just in time to secure a place in the England squad for the Euros. England will probably take four or five wide forwards to Germany. Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden are certain to go but the other slots are up for grabs, with Jack Grealish struggling for form and fitness and Marcus Rashford out of sorts. Anthony Gordon is another obvious candidate, but he is yet to be called into the senior squad while Eze was selected for the games against Malta and North Macedonia in June. “The whole of England knows Ebs is a great player who can decide games,” said Oliver Glasner.

Considering Sander Berge’s second full season in the Premier League will almost certainly end in relegation, like his first, the Norwegian is showing that he is more than capable at this level. First he was relegated with Sheffield United and Burnley are going the same way but he looks the most likely of the Clarets’ players to earn himself a move away from the Championship. He has the physicality, intelligence and quality on the ball to make a difference at this level but it is often hard to show this in a struggling team. Against Bournemouth he often broke up play and drove Burnley forward, helping to create good opportunities. But Vincent Kompany’s attackers are blunt when it matters. Berge enjoyed winning promotion with Sheffield United last season but he will surely prefer another shot at the Premier League sooner rather than later.

Paul

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