Arsenal their own worst enemy as Michael Carrick’s dream Man Utd start continues – Premier League hits and misses | Football News

Arsenal are their own worst enemy

Arsenal appeared to be in complete control of their match with Manchester United when Lisandro Martinez accidentally turned a cross from Martin Odegaard into his team’s net in the first half. But when calm minds were needed, they instead allowed chaos to take over.

Brian Mbeumo’s equalizer came from a terrible error from Martin Zobimendi, but it was the second time he had got behind the Arsenal defense in the eight minutes after the opening goal. Bruno Fernandes had missed an excellent opportunity earlier as well. In other words, Arsenal cannot say they were not warned.

Their composure was shattered and they spent the rest of the match struggling to pick up the pieces, their audacity reflecting the mood among their fans. Arsenal are the leaders of the Premier League, but that does not appear to be the case inside the Emirates Stadium at the moment.

Patrick Vieira questioned the team’s mental strength afterwards, but the most damning assessment came from the former Manchester United captain. “They have to go back to basics and accept this challenge rather than fear it,” Roy Keane said.

The fear stems from the way previous title challenges have ended. Increasingly, it seeps into their performances. The goalless draws with Liverpool and Nottingham Forest were not disastrous, but the alarm bells are now starting to ring.

It was the first time since December 2023 that Arsenal had conceded three goals in one game, but the way they shot themselves in the foot looked familiar. They have developed a habit of making things more difficult than they have to be.

They still have a four-point cushion. But this is a team and fanbase struggling to shake off the burdens of previous seasons.
Nick Wright

Carrick’s dream with Manchester United can continue to improve

Manchester City – tick. Arsenal – tick. Michael Carrick could not have hoped for a better start as Manchester United manager, and he can only continue to improve.

Carrick has breathed new life into United, unleashing his forwards from Ruben Amorim’s old 3-4-3 formation and restoring the club’s ‘DNA’ – fast wingers and attacking football against the top two teams in the Premier League.

He boldly threw in Benjamin Sisko as a replacement for the injured Patrick Dorgu late at the Emirates at 2-1, when the hard-working Mason Mount could easily have been picked off to help Luke Shaw stifle Bukayo Saka.

Cisco advanced through the middle and attack-minded Matheus Cunha was diverted to the left, the winning goal coming when he managed to drift into space before netting.

“We’re not exaggerating about it,” Carrick said, but some Manchester United fans left the Emirates Stadium singing “We will win the league.” They now sit in the top four, and although a title challenge is highly unlikely, a place in the Champions League is more achievable.

The next five matches for Manchester United will be attractive: Fulham, Tottenham, West Ham, Everton and Crystal Palace.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was unbeaten in his first 11 matches, winning 10 of them, when he took charge on a caretaker basis in 2019. It was that run that earned him a three-year contract.

With 15 games remaining, another former Manchester United player could stake his claim for an extension to his coaching spell.
David Richardson

Konsa is the best defender in England

Is Ezri Konsa the best English centre-back in the Premier League currently? It’s hard to argue against it.

Newcastle away is a fierce fixture. Instead, Konsa made it look calm. This, more than anything else, is the sign of defense at the highest level.

What stood out was not the powerful tackles or sliding blocks, but rather his positioning. Konsa was always where Newcastle didn’t want him to be. He was reading the game two or three seconds faster than those around him.

There is a maturity to his defending now that suggests he is a player who truly understands the risks. When to go out, and when to hold the line. It was a performance that exuded sophistication and intelligence.

This wasn’t a one-off either. Konsa’s consistency has been excellent for some time, which perhaps explains why he started six of England’s World Cup qualifiers.

At the moment, Konsa plays with authority, composure and a football mind that raises the level of those around him.

If England are looking for a defender they can trust when the pressure rises this summer at the World Cup, Konsa makes a compelling case.
Lewis Jones

If Tottenham are in the relegation battle, then so are Palace

Crystal Palace have had a difficult six weeks.

Mark Guehi has left for Manchester City, Oliver Glasner has announced he will leave the club at the end of the season, and speculation is rife over the future of Jean-Philippe Mateta – not to mention their embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Macclesfield.

Now, if Tottenham are mentioned in conversations about the battle against relegation, then the Eagles – level on points with Tottenham, but sitting in 15th place – should be mentioned too.

Since the 2-1 win over Fulham on December 7, they are now eighth without a win in the Premier League.

In fact, they have now failed to win any of their last 11 matches in all competitions (D4 L7), the longest current winless run for any team in the Premier League and the longest winless run for the Eagles at 13 matches between January and March 2023.

They picked up two points in the league during that run and scored just three goals, while shipping 18.

There have been plenty of signs that they can avoid being drawn into the mix that will take shape in the coming weeks, but for now, they just need to win, and with tough trips to Nottingham Forest and Brighton next time out, it’s hard to see where that will come from.
Dan Long

Damsgaard’s injury is a concern as Brentford lack creativity

As Rob Green said, Nottingham Forest were not spectacular but effective. But that was more than enough to weaken Brentford for only the second time at home this season.

The home side had two good chances before half-time, attempting 35 crosses but only forcing one genuine save from Matz Szils during the 90 minutes at the Getek Stadium. They faced a Forest side that played the pinnacle of Sean Dyche football for most of the game, but they played themselves into their own hands.

Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic will smack it all away all day long. Brentford did not move Forest enough, and on the rare occasion they made something of a clever pass that they almost scored.

The timing of the visitors’ goals, which ended the game as they did, could not have been much better and showed a Brentford attack that was successful but had few ideas to combat the visitors’ low blocking.

Brentford will not face Dyche every week. But losing Mikkel Damsgaard to a knee injury will not help their cause given the lack of truly creative alternatives in midfield. Keith Andrews himself said it was a pleasure to watch the Danish midfielder play, and more than anyone else he hopes his diagnosis is not serious.
Ron Walker

Newcastle’s summer signings fail to fill Isak’s void

Newcastle’s summer recruitment in the forward areas was intended to ease the pressure of life without Alexander Isak. Instead, he began emphasizing how difficult it would be to replace him.

The 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa looked like a case study in attacking deficiency. A lot of effort and a lot of running but very little crack. When the game needed a spark, Eddie Howe turned to the bench and never got a real boost.

Jacob Ramsey, Anthony Elanga and Nick Woltmad – at a combined cost of £175m – all had chances but the game slipped away from them. Ramsey looked lost, Elanga’s pace never translated into a finished product, and Woltimade looked isolated against Villa’s centre-backs.

Meanwhile, Yoani Wessa, another summer recruit, couldn’t find space to threaten from the start.

This is where Isaac’s absence looms large. He doesn’t just score goals, his movement and intelligence have won games for Newcastle. Without it, the attack appears flatter, easier to contain, and more predictable.

Recruitment is always judged over time, but at the moment early evidence suggests Newcastle have not found the right mix to cover Isak’s unique profile.
Lewis Jones

Estevao sparks interest from Chelsea

Joao Pedro was Crystal Palace’s player of the match but Estevao continues to impress. The 18-year-old Brazilian became the youngest Chelsea player to score and assist in a single Premier League match since Neil Shipperley in 1993. At different times.

His goal in the 3-1 win was sublime, showing not only speed, but skill and strength to deny a quality defender in Tyreke Mitchell. The end was decisive, as he shot the ball past Dean Henderson. No wonder Chelsea supporters want to see more of him.

It was Estévão’s first goal since the win over Barcelona in November, although Chelsea as a whole have been in a bit of poor form since then. It was their first away win in the Premier League since beating Burnley that month, ending a run of five matches without a win.

There are a large number of options for Liam Rosenior in the attacking positions at Chelsea. This, coupled with some fitness issues, has led to Estevao making more substitute appearances than starting appearances since their loss to Leeds in early December.

But Estevao’s potential far exceeds that of his peers in Chelsea blue – not just for the future but the here and now. No player has scored more goals for the club at the same age during the Premier League era. His impact at Selhurst Park appears to be just the beginning.
Adam Pat