Liverpool show strength in depth as hopeless West Ham attack should worry Graham Potter – Premier League hits and misses

Strength in depth key for Liverpool’s title challenge

For long periods, it looked like it wasn’t going to be Liverpool’s day.

Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold didn’t have their shooting boots as the ball continued to flash wide of the target. Darwin Nunez – the hero of the hour for Liverpool – planted a free header wide from Andy Robertson’s cross before blasting a terrible effort over the crossbar from 30 yards as it looked like the Reds were heading for a third straight league draw to start 2025 and more dropped points in the race for the Premier League title race.

But Nunez and Liverpool eventually came good, and it is Arne Slot’s ability to be able to empty Liverpool’s bench with fresh attacking options that could be critical in their bid to win a first title in five years.

Liverpool, who were even without the injured Diogo Jota, racked up an incredible 37 shots at Brentford – a record for an away side in the Premier League – but it was their ability to sustain that pressure with fresh legs that eventually got them over the line.

It was Nunez who came to the rescue on this occasion but Harvey Elliott, who has not had as many minutes as he would have liked this season, also played a key role from the bench with an assist for the second.

If Mo Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo don’t get you, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott will! And when other sides in the league are struggling with injuries and depleted squads, that depth could be the crucial factor in Liverpool’s bid to bring the title back to Anfield.
Oliver Yew

Blunt West Ham deliver alarming attacking display

West Ham fans could smile at the stat that they’d scored from all three of their shots on target against Fulham on Tuesday. But few saw the funny side of their team’s attacking play against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

No shots on target and next to no threat at all in the final third. Mohammed Kudus led the line this time instead of Lucas Paqueta but whatever Graham Potter had planned, this was an alarming display.

There were groans around the ground as Lukasz Fabianski and his centre-backs repeatedly exchanged passes in the first half, with seemingly no intention of going forwards. Palace can be hard to break down but at times West Ham looked uninclined to even try. Better to keep possession than attack and risk losing it?

Of course, the absences of Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Michail Antonio have reduced their attacking options. But West Ham fans expect far more thrust from their teams, regardless of who is available.

It is still early days in Potter’s reign and he will hope more training ground time will lead to more cohesive performances. But, on this evidence, the mentality of the group needs to shift into a more attacking mindset.
Peter Smith

Mateta continues red-hot form in front of goal

Corner flags beware, Jean-Phillipe Mateta is in red-hot form.

His brace against a dismal West Ham means that Crystal Palace’s marksman now has four goals in his last three games. It’s a run that started since the turn of the year with those four matching his return for the season prior to 2025. After a slow start to the season, he looks back to his domineering best, linking up with Eberechi Eze to burst West Ham’s new manager bubble as they linked up for another goal.

By setting up Mateta again, Eze has now provided eight Premier League assists for Mateta, with no Palace player assisting a team-mate more often in the competition’s history. The tally matches the previous record with Michael Olise also assisting Eze eight times.

Mateta’s form may have dipped towards the start of the season, but his overall consistency is what’s pleasing Palace boss Oliver Glasner. Speaking after the game he told the press: “When he gets the ball somewhere around the box and he gets a free finish, then it’s very often a goal. He was the same, but he’s also really hard-working, like all our attackers.

“He always needs the players around him who can give him the ball, but then when he gets it in the right areas, and this is what we’re working on day by day with the whole team, then we know that he has an amazing finish.”
William Bitibiri

When Bournemouth click, it’s magical

Justin Kluivert will rightly steal the headlines, his match-winning contribution made all the more impressive by his all-action display. The Dutchman was happy to run the hard yards out of possession, hustling in his defensive half before coming alive when Bournemouth launched their characteristic counter-offensive.

But such a pulverising defeat – Newcastle haven’t lost by three goals at home since December 2021 – was only possible with synchronicity all over the field. As Andoni Iraola acknowledged post-match, Bournemouth delivered a beautifully ‘complete’ performance. They made Newcastle look average in every department. Alexander Isak was anonymous.

Bournemouth did what very few teams have, or will, do to Eddie Howe’s side at St James’ Park. To have the bravery to go toe-to-toe, consistently hunting for high turnovers, with a team that have won nine in a row in all competitions is daring. We’re talking about the Premier League’s most in-form club.

But Iraola only knows one way. His transitional style is fascinating to watch when it clicks and Saturday’s display was a stellar example of everything clicking perfectly.
Laura Hunter

Newcastle’s pursuit of club-record run proves step too far

All good things must come to an end – but for Eddie Howe it just had to be his old side Bournemouth who ended their nine-game winning run in stunning style.

The Cherries’ victory means Howe is yet to beat his former club, having now lost twice and drawn four of the six league games against them since he departed.

Howe blamed “fatigue” for the heavy defeat and it did look a step too far for his side as they aimed for a club-record 10th straight win in all competitions.

Their hugely disappointing performance saw in-form striker Alexander Isak, who had scored in his previous eight Premier League appearances, fail to register a shot from open play.

Fortunately for Howe and his team, they now have a full week to recover for a much-needed break and recovery after a hectic run of games.

Howe will also be pleased that it is rock-bottom Southampton away next giving the Magpies the perfect chance to get back to winning ways quickly and put this thumping loss behind them.
Declan Olley

Pressure building on Ruud

These are fraught times for Ruud van Nistelrooy, the worst run of results that Leicester City have endured in over two decades – and right at the start of his reign. The Foxes were not even in the relegation zone when he arrived. In this form, they appear doomed.

His predecessor Steve Cooper was not too popular with the supporters at the King Power Stadium but this was a lower point than any he had to endure. There were multiple chants of sack the board and others aimed at sporting director Jon Rudkin too.

But Van Nistelrooy did not escape. The ongoing frustration about James Justin’s inclusion is likely to come to an end soon following the signing of Woyo Coulibaly but Jordan Ayew is also a target for supporters, while fan favourites are denied minutes.

Ayew was jeered when Facundo Buonanotte finally came on for him, while there was anger at the removal of Bilal El Khannouss. Picking what fans perceive to the ‘wrong’ team might not always make headlines but the toxic scenes that follow do tend to.

Van Nistelrooy says his players have to deal with it but the problem is that when things start to go wrong, resilience is lacking and things unravel. They were in it against Fulham but there is a fragility to this team. Foxes never quit. But they do lose seven in a row.
Adam Bate

Europe on the horizon for Fulham?

After easing their way into the fixture at the King Power, Fulham cruised to victory without getting out of second gear.

Emile Smith Rowe marked his 100th Premier League appearance in style after nodding home the opener, which was quickly followed by Adama Traore climbing off the bench to side foot his effort expertly – which is not often said about his style of play – into the bottom corner.

Marco Silva’s side always appeared to be in control of the game and have now solidified their spot in the race for European football after climbing into ninth – just two points shy of Aston Villa and Man City ahead of them.

It has been 13 years since the Cottagers last dusted off their passports for a trip round Europe but with Raul Jimenez recapturing his finest form, Harry Wilson shining off the right and the duo of Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi flying on the opposite flank, those dreams could become reality by the end of the season.
Patrick Rowe

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