Varane affirms his position in Man United's defense
The question is, why hasn't Erik ten Hag tried to put himself in Raphael Varane's position for nearly the past two months? The French midfielder returned to the starting lineup in the match against Bayern Munich, a team with a formidable attack. Despite making mistakes, Varane's performance was effortful.
In the match of round 17 of the Premier League, Varane responded to doubts with an impressive performance against Liverpool. Playing alongside veteran centre-back Jonny Evans, the duo helped Man United keep a clean sheet at Anfield.
This is Ten Hag's 8th central defender combination of the season. It seemed like a temporary solution, but the duo played well and calmly.
There are rumors that Man United will let Varane leave in January, but the French centre-back's experience and leadership are clearly invaluable. Remember, the former Real Madrid player has just returned after a long absence.
Newcastle's injury questions Eddie Howe
Newcastle's joy after a 3-0 win over Fulham was not complete, as Eddie Howe had to accept two new injuries. Fabian Schar has an buttocks injury, while Joelinton has hamstring problems.
With the scale of injuries on the rise, not only the medical department but also Eddie Howe's training method and playing style should be questioned.
Luckily for Howe, Lewis Miley's early opening goal and Raul Jimenez's damaging red card on Fulham's side helped them have the foundation to win.
Gabriel and Saliba add steel to Arsenal
Similar to last year, Arsenal led the Premier League before Christmas. The "Gunners" beat Liverpool in the rankings after a 2-0 victory over Brighton. In particular, the defense with the central defender duo Gabriel and William Saliba was the foundation to help them win all 3 points.
In a season where many areas of Arsenal's pitch were worse than last season, the defense became the mainstay. Since 2000, only Man United in 2012 2013 have won the Premier League, conceding an average of more goals per game.
Last season, Arsenal conceded 1.13 goals per game. However, after 17 rounds this season, Mikel Arteta's team has only conceded 15 goals.
A warning for Pep Guardiola
The mistake that led to Phil Foden's late penalty caused Man City to lose the victory to Crystal Palace. Pep Guardiola, despite disappointed results, still calls on his students to try their best in the next match against Everton on December 27
Man City is now in Saudi Arabia ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds. This is an opportunity for Pep's team to regain their spirit before returning to the Premier League race.
Pochettino seeks a suitable person for the "number 10" position
The match against Sheffield was the second time Mauricio Pochettino tested Cole Palmer in the "number 10" role this month. Once again, this plan was unsuccessful. Palmer seemed uncomfortable in the centre role and made less of an impact than usual.
Palmer played better when Pochettino moved to the right wing. He had more space and opened the scoring for Chelsea in a partnership with Raheem Sterling. Seven minutes later, Palmer added an assist for Nicolas Jackson, and Pochettino received praise for the change.
Chelsea have always struggled against their opponents' low defensive block and it is easy to understand why Pochettino has moved from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1, with Enzo Fernandez on the bench. Conor Gallagher and Moises Caicedo played as the lowest in midfield, while Palmer, Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk supported Jackson. Although ineffective, this approach will certainly still be further studied by Pochettino.
Everton continues to flourish
For the first time in 21 years, Everton have won 4 consecutive Premier League matches without conceding. Sean Dyche may not be bringing exciting football, but he certainly knows how to organize Everton in the best way.
Four of the defenders started last weekend with injuries, forcing Dyche to switch to a back five, including winger Dwight McNeil. Despite the changes, Everton were still comfortable throughout the match when Burnley only had 2 shots on target.
Burnley has 61% possession but rarely accesses dangerous areas and often has to shoot from a distance. The main defense was a solid foundation for Everton to beat their opponents 2-0.
