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

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1) Madrik is not a big loss but Arsenal needs fresh blood

When Arsenal were as fired up as in the first half with Tottenham, it was tempting to wonder just where Mikhailo Modric was fitting in. In Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Arteta already has the strongest wingers in the Premier League. Was it worthwhile criticizing next year’s transfer budget and breaking down wage structures for a player who is not guaranteed to start? Instead, the Ukrainian took up his new long and lucrative contract with Chelsea. The fact that Gabriel Jesus’ injury would keep him out longer than expected must have also changed the strategic thinking. Finding a player who could replace the Brazilian will be tough, and while Eddie Nketiah continues to blink, working devilishly across the front at Spurs, the lack of more centre-forward options suggests Arsenal are a result of having the best starting line-up. In the Premier League rather than the deepest team. Quality boosts can still come in handy. John Bruin

2) Garnacho cameo hinting at rosy future for Manchester United

Manchester City paid £100m for his replacement, Jack Grealish, while Manchester United’s teenage left winger Alejandro Garnacho was bought for just £420,000 from Atletico Madrid. The Argentine was brave when he came, even against the experience of Kyle Walker, repeatedly making his way back into the England internationals despite losing in their early duels. With his tenacity and full understanding of where the ball goes, Garnacho was in the right position to set up the winner for Marcus Rashford. The winger’s attitude and professionalism are improving after concerns were aired earlier in the season. Garnacho’s next goal will be to establish himself as an effective Premier League player. United’s next target will be to tie him down to a long-term contract. The club is often cautious when it comes to offering big sums to young players, but beating rivals is imperative if United are to continue their upward trajectory. will unwin

3) Everton is stuck in a downward spiral of misery

“It’s a brutal sport,” Southampton owner Dragan Solak told a member of the club’s staff after Frank Lampard ran into a tunnel at Goodison Park. It was also a rough day for Everton and it was hard to see the manager, team and board recover from it. Solak went into the tunnel to personally congratulate every Southampton player on their first league win under Nathan Jones. He spoke at length to manager and inspirational leader James Ward-Prowse as he picked up a classy third win this week. Everton’s hierarchy was evident by their absence, as they were directed to stay away by their security advisors, thus missing out on mass protests against their mismanagement of the club. Everton players were held back from leaving the stadium after the match, also on security advice, and some were abused in their cars when they eventually left. The weather has been as bad as their form, and Lampard is still waiting for the amazing reinforcement Everton have needed since selling Richarlison in July, and he seems to have no answers. Landing beckons. Andy Hunter

Everton fans display a banner throughout after their defeat by Southampton to show their annoyance at the board. Photo: Chris Brunskell/Fantastasta/Getty Images 4) How much leeway did Moyes get?

At what point do previous achievements begin to count a little? David Moyes may already have passed that point long ago and, in fairness, the West Ham manager insisted he knew it was what mattered in the here and now that mattered. West Ham have taken one point from the last 21 matches available, occupy the final relegation place and are just outside the bottom of the table due to superior goal difference over Everton, their next two opponents, and Southampton. For West Ham, back-to-back sixth and seventh places seem like a long time ago. The same goes for Brendan Rodgers at Leicester, who are outdated after their successes in winning the FA Cup and finishing fifth in a row. “A lot of people are seeking jobs in this league,” Moyes said. “I’m not being silly, I’ve had enough games to understand.” Ben Fisher

5) The Brighton Scheme takes them to a new level

‘Club philosophy’ is a phrase that often raises eyebrows but you only have to look at Brighton to see that it means something. The loss of Graham Potter would have been devastating but a defined set of values ​​means a clear and directed process in terms of appointing his successor. Roberto De Zerbi came along and achieved unconditional success, as Saturday’s 3-0 win over Liverpool was the undoubted high point of the Italian’s tenure. According to Solly March, who scored twice, it was Brighton’s best display since their promotion to the Premier League nearly six years ago, and he should know he’s been at the club all that time. Mars also revealed the unique way De Zerbi communicated with his players. “He texts some boys at 1am with clips showing them what they can do better,” he said. “I haven’t had one yet and I don’t want anyone to wake me up — my wife won’t be happy!” Sachin Nakrani

6) Badiachel entered the match on his Chelsea debut

Benoit Badiachel looked a little nervous on his Chelsea debut. There were a number of disproportionate approvals from the former Monaco defender, who moved to Stamford Bridge for £33.8m, and a worrying moment when he lost track of Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha. However, Badiachel, who came on to replace a disappointing Kalidou Koulibaly, stepped up as the match progressed. He earned applause from the crowd when he snubbed Zaha at one point and formed a solid partnership with Thiago Silva when Palace were trying to cancel out Chelsea’s 1-0 lead through the dying stages. “I thought Benoit was good,” said Graham Potter. “It was a good game for him. You can see his qualities. He passes the ball well. When he needed to head the ball he did. He’s obviously adjusting to the Premier League and that will take some time as a young player, so I think he’ll get better and better.” Jacob Steinberg

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Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertisements, and content funded by third parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Chelsea newcomer Benoit Badiachel is battling Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha. Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images 7) It’s time for Leeds fans to grow up

Almost all of Leeds’ good work in defeat by Aston Villa on Friday came via Wilfried Genneto, the 19-year-old Italian winger. Afterwards Jesse Marsh said Gnonto plays “like he’s 7 feet tall” but unfortunately the Leeds manager also had to answer questions about fans’ chanting of Gnonto, which refers to the size of his penis. Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out said the chant, sung by Leeds fans throughout their defeat at Villa Park, perpetuated harmful and offensive racial stereotypes. Marsh suggested that the player was tired of it. “Willie’s a good guy and he’s not going to come out and say he doesn’t like it,” said Marsh. “But the truth is, he thinks it’s time to move on from that lyric.” bf

8) Bees outpace more glamorous competitors

Brentford for Europe? He’s not a particularly fanciful proposition for the team that now stretches unbeaten to seven matches and who have already put both Manchester and Liverpool clubs down this season. Thomas Frank’s side are one of several modestly sized teams in the top flight who are putting their wealthier colleagues to shame this season. As Liverpool and Chelsea operate under the weight of smug expectations and underwhelming signings, and Everton and West Ham slip from one crushing defeat to the next, Thomas Frank’s men – with Fulham and Brighton above them in sixth and seventh – show how a lean and motivated squad can punch through the weight. A bit of luck also helps, of course, which Brentford duly got with a penalty decision that gave them the opener. But few would argue they didn’t earn it—over the course of the game and all season when they met every challenge with the kind of spirited bravery that is a world away from the heavyweights beleaguered in the division. Alex Hess

9) The returning duo provides a boost for the magpies

Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Fulham will almost certainly be remembered for Aleksandar Mitrović’s extraordinary penalty, which canceled out the Fulham striker’s unintentional and completely unintentional double touch after he had slipped through the run-up to the game. Marco Silva’s strong criticism of referee Robert Jones, for only awarding that penalty after VAR intervention, might also merit a footnote, but the lasting legacy could be a return to form and fitness for both Alexander Isak and Newcastle’s Alain Saint-Maximin. While the £60m Swedish striker made his first Premier League appearance since September by scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute from close range after coming off the bench, Saint-Maximin himself’s performance as a second-half substitute suggests he may He finally returns. to the best of his ability. The French winger’s slow recovery from hamstring problems has seen him start recent matches on the bench with Joelinton moving forward from midfield to the left wing, but on that evidence Saint-Maximin finally looks set to return to the starting line-up for Eddie Howe. If Newcastle want to qualify for the Champions League, they will definitely need Saint-Maximin and Issac. Louise Taylor

Alain Saint-Maximin is back in the Newcastle squad after injury. Photograph: Richard Callis/MB Media/Getty Images 10) Rodgers needs fresh faces at Leicester

Brendan Rodgers knows he needs to unleash the kind of response he inspired after Leicester City’s disastrous start to the season, when they picked up just one point from seven games. Their pre-World Cup resurgence – a narrow defeat by Manchester City punctuated their run of six wins in all competitions – was followed by four successive defeats in the Premier League. The Leicester boss, who have lost nine first-team players to injury and a lack of new signings this month, appears to view squad depth as the main way they will progress away from the relegation zone. He said, “The board members and the people behind the scenes try to get the players we want to help us improve, and I’ve always felt that support. This continued.” Leicester have targeted Fiorentina winger Nico Gonzalez and FC Copenhagen left-back Viktor Christiansen, but if Rodgers can once again get around the Titanic, it could be the biggest achievement of his coaching career to date. Peter Lansley

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