Best Games of Matchweek Twenty-one!

Liverpool 3–1 Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool came into this game in extremely disappointing form. For the whole of January, they hadn’t managed a single goal, and their chances to retain the title were slipping away. Tottenham were in fairly good form and looked to settle the score from the reverse fixture, where they lost 2-1 at Anfield.

Liverpool were by far the more dominant force in this game. The Reds may have had a “weak” line up compared to a totally fit squad, but they showed yet again that skill can come from hard work alone. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who before this match was being criticized for not producing, set the wrongs right, and pulled off his best performance of the season. He was a menace in the attack, and a colossus in defense. Jordan Henderson, who only a few seasons ago was laughed at for being “no Steven Gerrard” (a Liverpool club legend) proved yet again why he is Liverpool’s key player, injecting much needed energy into their defense. 

Usually Henderson would be playing as a midfielder, but due to Liverpool’s injury woes, the skipper, along with other players, will have to switch positions. Unfortunately for the Reds, Joel Matip suffered yet another injury, which could leave him out for weeks. That being said, it was a great team performance from the Reds.

The first Liverpool goal came when Henderson lofted a delicious ball onto the chest of Sadio Mané. The Senegal international then squared it into the box, for Roberto Firmino to tap home. However, Hugo Lloris will be frustrated that he didn’t pick it up; a lack of communication between him and Eric Dier allowed for the ball to get past them both. The second goal happened when Mané made a lovely turn to get into the box. His shot, aimed towards the far corner, was palmed away by Hugo Lloris. However, the ball fell right into the path of Alexander-Arnold, who half volleyed the rebound into the opposite corner, giving Lloris no chance. Again, Lloris will be disappointed with himself that he didn’t secure the initial shot. The Reds sealed the deal late on, when Alexander-Arnold put in another great cross. Again, it probably should have been dealt with, this time it being Joe Rodon’s fault for not clearing the ball. Mané was on the end of the cross, firing the ball into the roof of the net, unstoppable for any keeper. Liverpool are well and truly back.

This was quite the disappointing game for Tottenham. You could really tell that something was off- Jose Mourinho, who is normally reserved during the game, was animated all throughout, yelling at his players. Now, we don’t know who he was yelling at exactly, but we know who was royally messing up. For starters, the entire Spurs defense. Not a single player in the back three filled me with much confidence. All three of the goals that the Lilywhites conceded were preventable-- from the lapses in concentration, as well as from miscommunication. Lloris was at fault for the first two goals, and Rodon, who I really like as a young center back, made a complete mess of the third goal, not seeing Mané behind him. All in all, this was definitely a game to forget for the back line. In midfield, Matt Doherty and Serge Aurier were overwhelmed by the relentlessness of the Liverpool midfield, who won the ball back with ease. This was no doubt an evening to put behind them as well.

However, there were a few positives to take from this game for Tottenham. For instance, their attack was as cynical as ever. More specifically, Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min. In fact, the duo almost opened the scoring early on in the third minute, when Kane released Son with an excellent pass, through the Liverpool back four. The South Korean took one touch, and rifled a low shot under Alisson. However, replays showed that during the build up to the goal, Son’s foot was marginally offside. The goal that Spurs did get was a beauty. From inside the box, Aurier passed the ball out of the area to an unmarked Pierre Højberg. The Dane thrashed the ball from 20 yards with the outside of his boot into the far corner, leaving Allisons to dive in vain. What a way for Højberg to score his first goal in Tottenham colors. Still, at the end of the day, Spurs came away with nothing, and that’s what matters most. 

Liverpool come out of this scintillating game victorious. The red side of Merseyside were simply too good for Jose Mourinho’s team, and Liverpool will be looking to rejoin the title race after a fantastic away performance. For Tottenham, they know that they have what it takes to bounce back from defeat, and will soon clash with Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea in early February to do so.

Manchester United 0–0 Arsenal 

Both Manchester United and Arsenal were in fine form entering this game, so it was hard to guess a winner. However, Manchester United needed a win more than Arsenal did, as the Red Devils were still contending for the title, and had just lost an embarrassing game at home to Sheffield United.

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Arsenal were constantly put under pressure, but they responded to it, keeping a clean sheet. While Arsenal’s center backs had a slightly shaky game today (mainly David Luiz), the rest of the team made up for it. Thomas Partey, one of the driving forces behind the Gunner’s defense, showed his positioning qualities just like he did for Atletico Madrid. Hector Bellerín had a really solid performance today as well, although he was outpaced and was physically lacking for some parts of the game. However, none of this would have mattered if it weren’t for Bernd Leno. The German was simply sensational today, pulling off one of the saves of the season. Fred received the ball on the edge of the penalty box, and curled a shot that was destined for the top corner. However, Leno was there, nicking the ball out with a fingertip save. That was just one of many important stops the German made to keep the Gunners level. In my opinion, he was definitely the man of the match. 

Just because Arsenal were very stout defensively, doesn’t mean that they didn’t have their fair share of chances to score. Alexandre Lacazette could have opened the scoring in the 65th minute from a free kick. The Frenchman’s curled effort from right outside the box left David De Gea flat footed, but hit the woodwork. Only a few seconds later, a ball that was lofted into the box by Luke Shaw, and deflected onto the feet of Smith-Rowe. The youngster hit a dangerous shot, but De Gea was there to make a great save. Martin Ödegaard’s debut for the Gunners wasn’t too eventful, as he was subbed in late and didn't make too much of an impact. However, Arsenal needed someone to make an impact, and that person would have been Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Arsenal's main man is programmed for big games like these. Unfortunately, the striker was out yet again, due to family matters. I feel that if the ball had come to Aubamayang instead of Smith-Rowe, Arsenal would have come away with three points. Nevertheless, they must be content with a point, as they could have gotten nothing. 

Man United will be FUMING after they missed an opportunity to collect three massive points against a top six club. The red side of Manchester had 5 really good opportunities, but all were squandered by poor finishing. Anthony Martial is one of the most inconsistent Premier League strikers that I have seen for a long time. One match, he could be scoring in the Manchester derby, but another day like today, he could be totally off. Martial bumbled around for the rest of the game, after being subbed on early because of Scott McTominay’s injury. Another player who was a shadow of himself was Marcus Rashford. The England International is the most consistent goal scorer for the Red Devils, but today simply wasn’t his day. He just didn’t look focused. Rashford received the ball just outside of the six yard box, and you would have bet that he would have tucked it away. However, he took too long, trying to skill his marker out. Soon, the goal was obscured by defenders. That was probably the best chance that United had to score, and he blew it with his arrogance.

Because of all of the chances that United had to score, not many would be surprised to hear that the midfield was excellent today. Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba were again instrumental in the majority of those chances. However, I did notice that many of their great opportunities came from crosses on the wings, rather than what they normally do, which is feed passes through the middle. That being said, it's good news for them to know that they have another source of dangerous passes: Luke Shaw. He played a more advanced role than usual. I must say, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should keep him playing like he did today, and if he does, United may have another trick up their sleeve. On the right side of the field, I would like to see more from Aaron Wan-Bissaka. His performances have been relatively quiet, but on a good day he can be impenetrable. All the good things aside, this has still been a case of United bottling three points.

Manchester United will feel the most hard done by this match, as their chance to close on first place Manchester City crumbles, leaving them four points behind. Arsenal will have to be happy with this draw as well, but will have to prepare for yet another tough game, this time against Wolves.