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Three talking points from the Premier League

football10 November 2024 08:45| © AFP
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Liverpool stretched five points clear at the top of the Premier League after an unprecedented collapse for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City continued in a 2-1 defeat at Brighton.

Arsenal's winless run also extended to four league games to fall nine points off the pace after a 1-1 draw at Chelsea.

Liverpool took full advantage in grinding out a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa to take a huge step towards just a second league title in 35 years.

 

AFP Sports looks at three talking points from the Premier League weekend.

- City run out of gas -

For the first time in his managerial career, Guardiola has now lost four consecutive matches as his injury-hit side faded in the second half at the Amex.

Erling Haaland gave the visitors a halftime lead, but City were penned back and eventually punished late on by Brighton substitutes Joao Pedro and Matt O'Riley.

"The level we are playing is really good in certain moments but we are not able to continue for a long time," said Guardiola.

"We were not consistent to maintain our game and our intensity and press and be aggressive for 90 minutes."

Guardiola is counting on the return of key players from injury to turn the tide after the international break.

However, he also conceded that after four consecutive titles, it may now be another team's time to shine.

City host Spurs in their next outing before a visit to Liverpool on December 1.

Defeat at Anfield could give the champions a mountain even they cannot climb against a Liverpool in ruthless form under Arne Slot.

- 'Dark and difficult' days for Arsenal -

If City were to be knocked off their perch, Arsenal were expected to be the ones to take the crown at the beginning of the season.

After finishing second to Guardiola's men in each of the past two campaigns, Mikel Arteta's squad was tooled up with more reinforcements in a bid to land a first league title since 2004.

But they have won just three of their last nine matches in the competition.

"When it gets nasty, show your teeth and show how much you want it," Arteta urged his players after Chelsea came from behind to claim a point at Stamford Bridge.

"When you are in Disneyland, everything is beautiful and everyone is nice to you. When it gets dark and difficult, that is the time to show your courage."

Yet there was a flicker of hope for the Gunners despite dropping two more points.

The absence of influential captain Martin Odegaard with an ankle injury had been crucial but the Norway midfielder finally made his first Arsenal start since August 31 and provided a sublime pass for Gabriel Martinelli's opener.

- Slow starts puzzle Postecoglou -

Tottenham could have moved into the top four with victory over Ipswich but instead slipped to 10th after the visitors secured their first Premier League win for 22 years.

Spurs paid for a familiar slow start as for the 13th time in 15 home league games in 2024 they fell behind.

In eight of the previous 12, Ange Postecoglou's men battled back for victory but this time left themselves with too much to do after Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap gave Ipswich a 2-0 halftime lead.

"From my perspective, unacceptable, because we started the game nowhere near the levels we needed to be," said Postecoglou.

The former Australia boss is still struggling for answers to an inconsistency that has dogged Spurs for decades.

Comprehensive wins over Manchester United, Aston Villa and West Ham have been mixed with five defeats in 11 league games.

"We've been inconsistent this year, fair to say, we shouldn't be that inconsistent," he added. "When you are, that responsibility lies with me to try to help the players overcome that."

 

 

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