{"id":468730,"date":"2026-02-09T15:39:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T15:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/468730\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T15:39:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T15:39:08","slug":"premier-league-10-talking-points-from-the-weekends-action-premier-league-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/468730\/","title":{"rendered":"Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend\u2019s action | Premier League"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>1<\/p>\n<p>Reds left to nurse self-inflicted wounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Arne Slot was close to landing a coup against Pep Guardiola, the coach he admires most. Then came more of the individual errors that have ruined Liverpool\u2019s title defence. Aching weaknesses within Slot\u2019s squad were exposed again. Dominik Szoboszlai playing Bernardo Silva onside for Manchester City\u2019s equaliser was an error midfielders playing full-back will make. Szoboszlai\u2019s late red card was, though, foolish. Alisson\u2019s foul on Matheus Nunes for Erling Haaland\u2019s decisive penalty was another rush of blood. Liverpool\u2019s huge summer spend was motivated by their executives\u2019 belief in buying the best individuals to unlock the Premier League\u2019s tactical cages. City\u2019s key individuals showed such a policy can pay off, with Silva inspirational, Gianluigi Donnarumma making the save that sparked the game\u2019s chaotic final scenes, Marc Gu\u00e9hi looking an astute defensive signing and Haaland supplying Silva\u2019s goal. City had been unconvincing but their mentality held, allowing them to eventually profit from Hugo Ekitik\u00e9\u2019s misses and the waning of Mohamed Salah. John Brewin<\/p>\n<p>2<\/p>\n<p>Strand Larsen strikes right note for Glasner<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Oliver Glasner revealed that Jean-Philippe Mateta will decide whether to have an operation on his injured knee after seeing a specialist on Monday \u2013 a move that could rule him out of the World Cup. But the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/crystalpalace\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Crystal Palace<\/a> manager was delighted with the impact his replacement, J\u00f8rgen Strand Larsen, made on his debut against Brighton. The Norway striker looked rusty but provided Palace\u2019s attack with a focal point in a much-needed victory that eased any relegation concerns \u2013 and could have added to his solitary Premier League goal so far this season. \u201cI think three, four times we didn\u2019t find him with our crosses, because he has great movements,\u201d said Glasner. With a \u00a348m price tag, the pressure will be on Strand Larsen to deliver. Wednesday\u2019s home game against struggling Burnley will be a good opportunity for him to break his duck. Ed Aarons<\/p>\n<p>J\u00f8rgen Strand Larsen made a promising start to his Crystal Palace career. Photograph: Jeff Mood\/ProSports\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n<p>3<\/p>\n<p>Gy\u00f6keres finds his shooting boots<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Not everybody is convinced by Viktor Gy\u00f6keres but, after coming off the bench to score twice against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/sunderland\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sunderland<\/a>, the Sweden striker now has eight goal involvements in his last eight games. Mikel Arteta was clearly delighted. \u201cHe has the type of character that we expected,\u201d the Arsenal manager said. \u201cI love that he is so focused on the pressing and he has a genuine desire to help the team. He came on when the game was a little more open. Today he had more help around him. What really makes a difference is the consistency he shows to train and to understand every day. It\u2019s difficult to know what he is feeling: he looks at you and he is just the same but when you feel confident, when you feel important, when you feel at your best, that\u2019s when you can take your game to the highest level.\u201d Jonathan Wilson<\/p>\n<p>4<\/p>\n<p>Bees\u2019 wing switch works wonders<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Partway through the first half at St James\u2019 Park, Keith Andrews asked Keane Lewis-Potter and Dango Ouattara to swap wings. Both were already playing well but Brentford\u2019s manager decided Lewis-Potter would be better deployed down the right, where he could cramp the style of Lewis Hall. Ouattara was ideally suited to remind everyone that Kieran Trippier is now 35. The switch formed the bedrock of a 3-2 victory for the visitors, with the excellent Ouattara creating one goal and scoring the late winner. It was Newcastle\u2019s third straight league defeat and left Eddie Howe in an introspective mood. If many of his team\u2019s problems stem from the fatigue engendered by a congested fixture list, the fact his side scored from a corner and a penalty and only asked Caoimh\u00edn Kelleher to make one serious save suggests they need to do more with the ball. Andrews, tellingly, said: \u201cIt\u2019s always slightly chaotic here and you need to deal with the chaos.\u201d Unless Newcastle\u2019s passing becomes more considered, that chaos threatens to engulf them. Louise Taylor<\/p>\n<p>Dango Ouattara (left) wheels away after making it 3-2 to Brentford late on. Photograph: Lee Smith\/Action Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n<p>5<\/p>\n<p>Practice makes perfect for Mbeumo<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Bryan Mbeumo\u2019s opener featured Kobbie Mainoo running from Tottenham\u2019s goal towards Bruno Fernandes\u2019s corner from the left and turning the ball, without looking, to the forward, whose finish was guided, inch-perfect, into the bottom right corner. Yet in practice the routine did not go well. \u201cWe did it once, it didn\u2019t work out, but this one was the most important,\u201d Mbeumo said of a goal that helped <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/manchester-united\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Manchester United<\/a> to a fourth consecutive league win. Michael Carrick\u2019s team are up to 44 points with a goal difference of +10 yet Mbeumo is keeping calm. \u201cWe just want to take it game by game, train as hard as possible and keep working,\u201d he said. He now has 10 goals in 21 appearances since signing last summer. Jamie Jackson<\/p>\n<p>6<\/p>\n<p>Angel can be more than fourth Gomes<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the end, there were just the three Gomeses on the pitch at the same time for Wolves at Molineux: Rodrigo Gomes entered at half-time to join Jo\u00e3o Gomes and the new signing Angel Gomes. Toti Gomes was absent with a thigh injury. Angel Gomes, who joined on loan from Marseille on deadline day, enjoyed a decent debut against Chelsea. The 25-year-old, who aged 16 became Manchester United\u2019s youngest player since Duncan Edwards, impressed in difficult circumstances. Wolves were 3-0 down inside 38 minutes but the midfielder showed glimpses of quality. Sixteen months on from his England debut, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/premierleague\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Premier League<\/a> chance could help get his career back on track. \u201cHe\u2019s got that killer pass, maybe something we haven\u2019t quite had,\u201d said the Wolves head coach, Rob Edwards, who worked with Gomes when he was part of England\u2019s Under-20s setup. \u201cHe\u2019s got those forward passes in the locker and hopefully we\u2019ll see a lot more of it, the more integrated he gets.\u201d Ben Fisher<\/p>\n<p>Angel Gomes gave Rob Edwards some cause for cheer. Photograph: MI News\/NurPhoto\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n<p>7<\/p>\n<p>Rayan shines again on stellar home debut<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rayan has played just 109 minutes for Bournemouth but Andoni Iraola is already having to tamp down the hype. Aston Villa\u2019s defence gave the Brazilian teenager little room in the first half but one run past a dumbfounded Lucas Digne set the scene. When Rayan set off for his solo equaliser Digne looked around desperately for help, but it was already too late. Rayan also showed off his physical capabilities and headed one loose ball off the crossbar. Iraola gave a reminder that playing with flair is only part of the job, saying the 19-year-old can \u201ccover a little bit our lack of physicality, to help us even in the aerial duels, in the set plays\u201d. A cramping Rayan departed on 87 minutes and Iraola preached caution before Tuesday\u2019s trip Everton. \u201cHe\u2019s 19, comes to the best league in the world probably, he is used to playing a different rhythm.\u201d JB<\/p>\n<p>8<\/p>\n<p>Disasi adds steel to Nuno\u2019s defence<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">It has taken a while but Nuno Esp\u00edrito Santo finally has a clean sheet in his West Ham reign, at the 24th time of asking. In many ways, keeping out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/burnley\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Burnley<\/a> for 90 minutes is a limited achievement considering the hosts\u2019 lack of cutting edge in the final third, but at least it\u2019s a platform to build on. The goalkeeper Mads Hermansen was recalled to the starting lineup for the first time since September and, despite early nerves, put in a solid performance. More promising was the calm and measured debut of Axel Disasi, who arrived without playing a minute this season at Chelsea. Having been part of Enzo Maresca\u2019s infamous bomb squad, the centre-back was able to ease his way through the afternoon at Turf Moor and could prove a shrewd signing in what will be a tight relegation battle. Will Unwin<\/p>\n<p>Axel Disasi on the ball for West Ham. Photograph: Phil Oldham\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n<p>9<\/p>\n<p>Silva exposed in game of two halves<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Marco Silva\u2019s in-game management was lacking during Fulham\u2019s defeat. The match changed after half-time. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/everton\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Everton<\/a> took control in midfield and David Moyes made two attacking substitutions when they were 1-0 down. Silva did not turn to his bench until it was 1-1. The frustration for Fulham is they should have been out of sight by the end of the first half. They were the better side but missed a host of chances. Silva said he warned his players that a reaction was coming from Everton. Did he tell himself the same thing? Everton pressed higher and forced Fulham back. A problem for Silva is that his go-to defensive midfielder, Sasa Lukic, is injured and was not available to shore things up during the second half. Did Fulham miss a trick by not signing cover for the Serbian? Silva had other options on the bench but was outdone by Moyes. Jacob Steinberg<\/p>\n<p>10<\/p>\n<p>Calvert-Lewin for England?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cEngland\u2019s No 9\u201d was the chant reverberating around Elland Road as Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season. Slightly tongue in cheek but a compelling narrative is starting to form around an international recall. The facts speak volumes. This is Calvert-Lewin\u2019s best goal-scoring season since 2020-21, when he was an England regular and in the best form of his career at Everton. No Englishman has more goals in the Premier League this season than the 28-year-old, who was instrumental in Leeds\u2019 3-1 victory over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/nottinghamforest\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nottingham Forest<\/a>. Thomas Tuchel will clearly need cover and backup for Harry Kane at the World Cup. While Ollie Watkins and others are options, Calvert-Lewin\u2019s form is becoming difficult to ignore. His move to Leeds was a gamble for both parties, but it has paid off handsomely. Aaron Bower<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"1 Reds left to nurse self-inflicted wounds Arne Slot was close to landing a coup against Pep Guardiola,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468731,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,596,85],"class_list":["post-468730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/468731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}