Liverpool's Premier League Title Hopes: Is a Victory Within Reach? And Why Manchester City May Face Tough Times Ahead

The Saturday late kick-off carried its usual special atmosphere, but there was an extra buzz in the air at Anfield as Liverpool prepared to take on Aston Villa. With Manchester City's recent defeat, the chance to pull five points ahead was within reach, adding an extra sense of excitement to the match.

Liverpool extend lead - could they win this title?

Liverpool seized that chance, punishing Villa with two counter-attacks, one in each half, the first set up by Mohamed Salah and the second finished by him. There were moments of control but that pace on the counter-attack remains a feature of this team.

In beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on Tuesday, Luis Diaz had been the hat-trick hero with Cody Gakpo also on target. Here, Diaz moved wide to accommodate Darwin Nunez who duly delivered the breakthrough goal. Salah, of course, remains the chief architect.

With Diogo Jota to return, the firepower is there for Liverpool, the form of Curtis Jones proving a reminder of the options in midfield too. The schedule looks demanding throughout the winter but there are some signs that Arne Slot could manage the workload.

It was not the perfect performance from Slot's side, not the perfect night either with Trent Alexander-Arnold going off injured before the interval, but there is a momentum to Liverpool's season that Arsenal and Man City lack. It is 15 wins from 17 for Slot now.

City might be expected to regroup during the international break, but that five-point lead brings belief. Maybe it will not need north of 90 points to claim this particular Premier League title. If so, 28 from 11 puts Liverpool ahead of the game. Anfield is abuzz again.

Adam Bate

Man City have big problems - and things may get worse

Why are Man City less convincing now? They seem to have holes from front to back - and at the back, Rodri's absence looks likely to be the critical factor. Brighton created eight big chances in their 2-1 win according to Opta - that is the most City have conceded in a single game under Pep Guardiola.

Since Rodri's injury, City have been so open on the counter-attack. In all competitions, they have conceded 26 shots from fast breaks this season - that is more than any Premier League side.

With the Spaniard out, City are simply unable to snuff out teams breaking them in the transitions, and therefore have less dominance on a game.

That load to stop fast breaks has been shared out in this City team to little effect. Mateo Kovacic has been unable to stop the flow and not even Kyle Walker's pace can bail them out. The right-back was constantly troubled by Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan down that flank, it was no surprise that Brighton's equaliser came from that side of the pitch.

The second goal? Rodri's absence could be pointed out again. How easy was it for Carlos Baleba to find Joao Pedro with a pass through the middle of the pitch? Then for Pedro to find Matt O'Riley for the winner?

If there was not any doubt before, Man City miss Rodri.

And things may get worse. It is Tottenham next after the international break before a trip to Liverpool, both are live on .
Sam Blitz

Smith Rowe shining for Fulham

With injury-hit Crystal Palace forced to field Marc Guehi and debutant Justin Devenny in a makeshift midfield, Emile Smith Rowe must have been licking his lips. The in-form Fulham forward feasted on the space he was able to find in that area of the pitch, picking out the runs of his team-mates beyond a stretched defence, and finding the net himself. The narrowest of offside calls saw him miss out on a second goal.

It was a performance which may have been aided by Palace's problems but it underlined the fine form rejuvenated Smith Rowe has found at Fulham. Having watched him up close twice in the space of a week, it is clear to see the confidence and verve which propelled him into the spotlight at Arsenal is back. After all his injury problems that is something to be celebrated.

His influence has helped Fulham rise up the Premier League table. But how high can Smith Rowe go? During the past international break there was plenty of debate about who should fill the attacking roles in the England team. Going into this international break Smith Rowe again is not in the squad. But if he keeps playing like this the picture could look very different come March. Thomas Tuchel should be paying attention.
Peter Smith

Problems piling up for Palace

After steps forward against Tottenham, Aston Villa and Wolves, Crystal Palace were suffering again on Saturday, when their bare-bones squad was beaten 2-0 by Fulham. Wolves' win at Southampton has darkened their situation. Just one point and goal difference spares them from a place in the relegation zone.

Their absentee number is extensive - there were two goalkeepers and three teenagers on their bench. At Selhurst Park, Will Hughes' suspension added to an injury list including chief creator Eberechi Eze and forward Eddie Nketiah.

Hughes will be back for the trip to Aston Villa after the international break but now Daichi Kamada will be missing after his straight red. Of the players in the treatment room? "It could be that no one comes back," said boss Oliver Glasner. "Maybe one. Maximum two straight after the international break."

Even with those mitigating circumstances - how could a makeshift midfield of Guehi and Devenny cope with Fulham's playmakers? - Glasner was less than impressed with his side's performance. "We made too many easy mistakes," he said, listing similar errors against Nottingham Forest and Wolves.

With Palace's absence problem seemingly not set to lighten substantially over the next two weeks, Glasner has plenty of hard work to do on the training ground to get more out of what he has got. "The players looked tired but also mentally tired," he said. They must freshen up quickly for the real fight they look to have on their hands right now…
Peter Smith

Baleba the next star off the Brighton cab rank

When Brighton sold Moises Caicedo, you just knew they had a plan.

There was one man they wanted and paid Lille £23.2m for him.

It has taken time for it to look like money well spent, but Carlos Baleba is starting to look the real deal in this Brighton midfield. He changed the game for the Seagulls when springing from the bench at half-time in their exciting 2-1 victory over Manchester City.

Fabian Hurzeler said he called for more patience and guile with the ball at the break. Baleba was listening as his performance optimised everything his manager wanted. He was brave with the ball, clever with it when receiving it and ran all over the City midfield with his raw pace and power. That is where you can hurt Guardiola's men in their current malaise - they lack intensity and legs in the middle of the pitch. Brighton exposed it after the break with Baleba at the forefront of a magnificent 45 minutes.
Lewis Jones

Wolves beginning to piece it together

Wolves have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League - but they put that behind them for the crucial fixture against Southampton.

O'Neil's team saw less of the ball - only 28 per cent of it to be exact - but limited Southampton to just one shot on target as they won 2-0.

They were organised and disciplined throughout, which will be welcomed by management, players and the fanbase.

"We were solid," O'Neil said after securing the first clean sheet of the season. "Took a bit of moving around as their shape caused us some issues. We spoke about being humble enough about defending low."

As this performance shows, Wolves have sufficient quality in the squad to threaten teams in this league through the likes of Matheus Cunha and Joao Gomes.

Scoring has never been the problem, it is shutting teams out which has caused them to plummet down the standings.

If they can build on this resilient defensive performance and carry it over into future fixtures, Wolves will avoid relegation with ease.
Patrick Rowe

Saints continue to struggle in the final third

Staying on the topic of goals - but for all the wrong reasons in Southampton's case. No team has scored less than them in the Premier League and this game showed exactly why.

Russell Martin's side had 72 per cent of the ball at Molineux - but this translated to just 0.60xG in front of goal.

In fact, despite having almost triple the amount of possession, Saints recorded just one more touch than their opponents in the penalty area.

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It is a statistic which only highlights the serious problem plaguing Southampton and Martin is well aware of it.

"We should do more with the ball," he said. "To be in the final third as much as we were, I would expect us to have something to show for it. It is not good enough. We were made to pay for individual errors.

"We played really good football until we got there. There has to be more. The only thing I am disappointed with is that we did not create more."

Goals are the only thing that will keep them in the Premier League and without them, their fate could be decided relatively soon.
Patrick Rowe

West Ham must start games better

"I don't remember a quality first half."

That was Julen Lopetegui's take on an awful opening 45 minutes which did little to lift the gloom at the London Stadium. By the end, West Ham had marginally improved, but it was not enough to prevent loud boos ringing out at full-time as they drew 0-0 with Everton.

After 11 games in charge, many supporters have made up their minds on their new manager. Jordan Pickford made six saves - his most in a Premier League match since April - but Lopetegui pointing out how the Everton goalkeeper was among the best players was clutching at straws.

A better side would have punished just how poorly West Ham started, and addressing how sluggish they have been in first halves throughout the season is something Lopetegui is yet to rectify. It was not until the 44th minute that Pickford had a save to make.

"The first half was not good but we had four or five clear chances in the second," said a bullish Hammers boss. "Sometimes it is about having personality to grow up in situations. We need to have the attitude to be one aggressive team."

That West Ham only had 78 per cent passing accuracy - their lowest in a home league match this term - suggests the players are also starting to feel the pressure. Lopetegui will hope he has the opportunity to help his side mature after the international break.
Ben Grounds

Everton lack the 'devil' without McNeil

This gutsy goalless draw was not the sort you wanted to lose. Seven days ago at St Mary's, Everton managed to be on the receiving end of a late sucker-punch, and when Danny Ings came on as a second-half substitute, many of those who had made the journey south to the capital would have feared a similar outcome.

Only Pickford's brilliance ensured that would not be the case, but in truth neither side deserved a win from a joyless encounter desperately lacking in quality.

Crysencio Summerville's defending was actually the highlight of a dreadful opening 45 minutes. His moment at the other end came from a rare flicker of guile as Lucas Paqueta dissected Everton's defence.

"It's a good point and good clean sheet," said Sean Dyche. "We couldn't find that edge in the final third or that bit of devil which could have made a difference."

It is clear to see what Dyche means about finding the devil. It is no surprise, given Dwight McNeil was missing through injury. No player has played more passes into the box (including crosses) in the Premier League this season than McNeil heading into the weekend (86).

Full-back Vitalii Mykolenko shanked an effort wide on his wrong foot. It was a moment characteristic of the confidence levels of two teams navigating the Premier League's bottom half in a game that certainly will not live long in the memory.
Ben Grounds

Travers banging on the door for Kepa's job

Bournemouth's last two impressive results, a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa and the 1-0 home win over champions Manchester City, were in part thanks to the fine goalkeeping of deputy Mark Travers, standing in for the injured Kepa Arrizabalaga.

But his player-of-the-match performance at Villa Park and a point-blank stop to keep out Erling Haaland in added time were not enough to convince head coach Andoni Iraola to keep him in the side at Brentford with Kepa once again available after returning to fitness.

Iraola's change, perhaps predictably, knowing Kepa's frailties at dealing with crosses and Brentford being one of the most direct teams in the Premier League, shone an unwanted spotlight on the goalkeeping situation at Bournemouth with the Spaniard struggling as the Cherries lost 3-2.

Kepa flapped at crosses throughout the game, and it was his inability to hold on to a ball into the box that led to Brentford getting the throw-in from which Yoane Wissa headed in a first-half equaliser.

But the most glaring of errors on a difficult afternoon for the Chelsea loanee, signed for a world-record £71.6m fee for a goalkeeper from Athletic Bilbao in 2018, was his failure to cover his near post for Mikkel Damsgaard's equaliser in the second half.

Iraola defended his goalkeeper in his post-match press conference, in which Kepa was the most asked about topic, but even the head coach acknowledged he could have done better for Brentford's second equaliser.

The Bournemouth boss will have plenty of time over the international break to consider how he handles this situation moving forward. But there is a decision to make with Travers, now 25, likely to be seeking more game-time and Kepa's future beyond this season unclear.

Travers is banging on the door for Kepa's job, and it is becoming harder and harder to ignore.
Zinny Boswell

The restart kings reign supreme

Brentford made headlines earlier in the season for scoring in the first two minutes for four Premier League games running. They repeated their party trick, mid-game admittedly, against Bournemouth, equalising to make it 2-2 just 21 seconds after the restart.

No sooner had Bournemouth taken the lead through a wonderfully worked set-piece goal finished off by Justin Kluivert than they were picking the ball out of their own net. It was a killer blow, one that likely decided the game, turning the momentum on its head.

Iraola, the Bournemouth boss, was frustrated after the game because his side knew what was coming but could not stop it. "We know. Everyone knows. They score a lot of goals after kick-offs. They go back and then go long on the left. You have to be better than them."

Bournemouth, on this occasion, were not. Others have tried and failed to stop Brentford, the Premier League's restart kings. Man City, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves fell victim to this earlier in the season. Likely others will follow, too.