Arteta must find a solution soon
Every Premier League manager is under pressure and every Arsenal manager is under pressure, but unless results improve quickly Mikel Arteta will soon be experiencing a more intense version of the pressure. Even though he has done a good job over the last few seasons, he has been paid and now has a player he likes at every position and a variety of alternatives, making success no longer a bonus but a necessity. But opponents now have better control over how to stop their team, closing down their attackers to force infield play where only Martin Ødegaard can reliably score, and they also lack a reliable striker who can make up for their poor performances. Make sure the good deeds do not go unrewarded after the events against Liverpool. A new striker would help, but Arteta also needs to change his team’s style quickly to prevent the season, and perhaps the support of his players, from getting away with it. Daniel Harris
Sunderland coming in and out of the pitch
It’s been a sobering few days for Sunderland. They were outplayed by Newcastle, their possession-oriented approach was badly exposed by a team adept at pressing, and their lack of pace or height in forward areas left them with no alternative strategy. But it also became clear that they still had a long way to go off the field; The naive decision to redecorate the Black Cats Bar with Newcastle slogans is the latest example of fans feeling the new leadership is neglecting them and their views. No one doubts that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus received a bad inheritance and under his management the club rose and its finances became much better, leaving them on the fringes of the play-offs. However, the decline of the Stadium of Light continued. The North Stand roof is leaking, too few hand dryers in the toilets work and the whole place needs a spruce (and that’s before you get hit with the lack of working screens and the intermittent lack of Wi-Fi in the press box). What was supposed to be an asset began to look miserable. Jonathan Wilson
Gilmour fulfilling his potential
Roberto De Zerbi named Jan Paul van Hecke and Billy Gilmour as Brighton’s two best players. The latter struggled to get minutes early last season and his move from Chelsea looked unlikely to work. He was a consistent performer in midfield against a tough Championship opposition at Stoke, keeping things moving as Brighton took their time to get into the swing of things. He repeatedly found clever passes to break the lines and maintained discipline as the likes of Van Hecke rushed beyond him to join attacks. João Pedro grabs the headlines but there are a number of Brighton players who are constantly improving under De Zerbi’s gaze. Gilmour has played more games this season than last and is set to be Scotland’s key player in the Euros; ready to take center stage. Won’t be won
De Bruyne’s return was a great support
Kevin De Bruyne’s return in the 57th minute against Huddersfield was very pleasing. City missed out on him despite being top of the Premier League. As Rodri assumes leadership of the team, no one, even within City’s all-conquering squad, can match the Belgian’s qualities as the team’s creative director and inspiration. Her brunette hair is longer than last season, and her body is a little more voluminous. Last season De Bruyne sacrificed himself for the cause and later admitted that he was playing with a torn hamstring. In his absence, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva have shown their qualities but neither offer De Bruyne’s direct action style. They also do not have the same telepathic connection with Erlng Haaland, another person who recently disappeared. He is now 32 years old, where frequent injuries can hinder even the best players. City fans will know to appreciate him while he is still around. John Brewin
Broja’s body language is very important
Armando Broja took Mauricio Pochettino’s constructive criticism to heart following Chelsea’s win over Preston. Pochettino said he was pleased with the striker’s excellent goal but believes he should have smiled more. “As the boss said, I can make my body language more positive,” Broja said. “Sometimes I’m a little hard on myself. The manager is just trying to take that burden off my shoulders. I try to take that advice into consideration because he helps me every day. I just need to smile more and be a little more positive.” Opening the scoring with a fine header was a source of joy. Broja is looking to build momentum after returning from a serious knee injury. “When you go on a run where you don’t get many points, you can fall a little bit,” he added. “It’s not a great feeling, but scoring in a game like this makes up for it. ” Jacob Steinberg
Little sympathy for Nuno’s complaints
Nuno Espírito Santo would eliminate the FA Cup replays. “I think it should have ended that day,” said Nottingham Forest’s head coach. Had Forest beaten the opposition two tiers below them, they would have had a fortnight’s rest before their league trip to Brentford. Now the plans need to be redrawn. Nuno’s thoughts are shared by many Premier League players, including Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp. But it’s no surprise that those further down the food chain have little sympathy. “This is our 35th game of the season,” said Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley. “Premier League teams didn’t play like that. They take international breaks; They get permission. We don’t understand this. Let it be with him. Look at resources, funding, facilities, staff; We don’t have these. Tough. Let’s continue. This is football. Let’s play.” Many FA Cup traditionalists would agree wholeheartedly. Sam Dalling
The brutal Villa heeds his lessons
It’s remarkable to say this in both historical and current context, but Matty Cash’s late winner at Middlesbrough sent Aston Villa into the FA Cup fourth round for the first time since 2016. Last year’s embarrassment against Stevenage was just the tip of what happened. An infuriating iceberg for the eight-time winners – Unai Emery later admitted his team had talked about the 2023 giant kill several times in the days leading up to the trip to Teesside – and if a team were to end the bonnet it was the current tie, which has a weekend off from Premier League excitement . “This is a cup and prestige,” said Emery, adding that the FA Cup is a target, although not a priority. “We will try. “We’re not going to rule out the possibility of trying something.” Andy Brassell
Manning burnishes reputation
Liam Manning has been named one of the country’s most promising young managers for some time now and the 38-year-old, a former manager of West Ham’s Under-23s, has given a taste of his style on his return to east London. After a tentative start, Bristol City were ambitious, resourceful and creative; It caused serious problems with overloads in the outside area and rotations in the middle. It remains to be seen whether Manning, whose players clearly heeded his half-time call for courage, can lead the Robins into the top six of a typically frantic second tier, where sixth place is five points clear of 14th place. They need more advanced technology. But Tommy Conway’s beautifully worked equalizer looked a sign of things to come and if Manning is backed, then perhaps he can be the man to turbo-charge a club that is consistently falling short of its considerable potential. Nick Ames
Hoedt unhappy despite Hornets’ win
Dean Whitehead, Watford’s assistant head coach and a member of the Stoke team that reached the final in 2011, spoke to the team ahead of their match against Chesterfield about the so-called magic of the FA Cup and its capacity to cause upset. Watford’s survivors reached the final in 2019). Their captain Wesley Hoedt also spoke, emphasizing the need to match the work pace of their opponents. “That’s something we didn’t do in the first half and it’s something we need to look at because it’s not acceptable,” he said afterwards. “The whole team was very slow. Instead of running and doing the things we needed to do, we were just wandering around. I really stressed before the game, and the master did that, that we couldn’t be lazy and start slow.” Watford got away with it and came back from a goal down in stoppage time to beat their excellent and superbly supported opponents, but would often fail to win while revealing many of what Hoedt calls “the little details that bother me”. Simon Burnton
No sunlight for blades
“Time is of the essence for us,” said Chris Wilder, who was happy to be able to enjoy the “feeling of victory” in Gillingham before refocusing on his Blades’ Premier League relegation fight. But Dubai, where many clubs will spend their January holidays in warmer climates, can wait.
Wilder’s team will remain in South Yorkshire. “We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said, and plans to use this time to reintroduce his ideas to the club when he returns on December 5. “This is just a normal work week and we will be working for the next two weeks; “We didn’t have time to work with the actors,” he continued. At Priestfields, Manchester City loanee James McAtee was outstanding, his vibe reminiscent of Cole Palmer. “He knows a little bit about it,” Wilder said. “He’s a Manchester boy, a Salford boy, he’s not a shy kid and he backs it up.” John Brewin