Welcome back to Premier League round up’s on INMR, where this week I’ll be covering game week 12. This game week saw Liverpool fly eight points clear, Tottenham smash Manchester City and Ruben Amorim make his managerial debut for Manchester United. All that and more coming up – enjoy!
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What happened during match day 12?
Premier League action returned at the King Power where the Foxes fell short against Chelsea. Arsenal got back to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
10-man Brighton held on against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace held Aston Villa to a 2-2 draw and Everton vs Brentford ended goalless. Wolves picked up a vital three points at Craven Cottage as they beat Fulham 4-1.
The final match of the day was at the Etihad where Pep Guardiola’s contract extension celebrations where dampened by Spurs in some fashion. Ange Postecoglu’s side beat the Champions 4-0, inflicting a fifth consecutive defeat for Guardiola.
On Sunday, Southampton made Liverpool sweat in a 3-2 defeat. Mohamed Salah saved the day again before revealing more news on his future.
Man United boss, Amorim, started his reign with a disappoiting draw to Ipswich. Marcus Rashford scored early on but the Red Devils couldn’t build on the advantage.
Finally, the game week ended at St James’ Park where a struggling West Ham side shocked everyone by beating Newcastle 2-0. Aaron Wan-Bissaka secured the victory with his first goal for the Hammers.
What did we learn?
Enough is enough for Leicester – The Foxes 2-1 defeat to Chelsea was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Steve Cooper was sacked 24 hours later after just five months in charge.
According to talkSPORT, the decision was driven largely by owner Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha.
He had concerns over Cooper’s playing style and also his relationship not just with the Leicester fans, but with players inside the dressing room as well.
Potential successors include Graham Potter, Ruud van Nistelrooy and David Moyes.
Leicester currently sit 16th, just one point clear of the relegation zone.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere is still hope for Wolves – Craven Cottage is one of the hardest places for visitors to pick up points in the Premier League.
When relegation threatened Wolves not only win but thrashed Fulham there, it makes you look up.
The 4-1 win could have saved Gary O’Neil his job and now they can push on to turn around their season. The win allowed Wolves to leapfrog Crystal Palace and Ipswich.
Somehow Wolves aren’t in the drop zone, but now they need to use this momentum to their advantage. In their next five fixtures, O’Neil’s men face five of the bottom eight; a fantastic opportunity to change the narrative of their season.
City are in crisis – Five in a row. What an earth is going on? This is unprecedented stuff for the Champions.
City were smashed 4-0 in the own backyard by Tottenham. James Maddison ran the show, picking up a birthday brace and the Player of the Match award.
There was plenty of reason to celebrate before the game, Rodri returned to show off his Ballon d’Or and Guardiola had signed a two year deal. But by full-time, there was nothing to smile about.
City face Feyenoord next in the Champions League and need to get back on track before their blockbuster clash with Liverpool on Sunday.
Moment of match day 12:
This week, the best moment came after Liverpool’s victory over Southampton, where Salah spoke out on his future at the club.
The Egyptian has contributed to 16 goals this season in 12 matches but is yet to receive a contract extension offer to prevent him leaving for free in June 2025.
He said: “Well, we are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club,” the 32-year-old told the media after the match at St Mary’s. “I’m probably more out than in.
“You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. But in the end it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December and I haven’t received anything yet about my future.”
Asked if he was disappointed there had been no offer from Liverpool, Salah said: “Of course, yeah. I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans’ hands. Let’s wait and see.
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Written by Isabelle Newnham
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