The Premier League saw yet another interesting weekend produce some moments of magic and here is a look at the winners and the losers from the action.
Manchester City
Manchester City bounced back from their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle to win 3-1 against Arsenal. The win ensured that they moved within two points of league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. City managed to win but there was a nervousness to the side that Pep Guardiola will be worried about if they are to hunt down Liverpool. The champions can’t afford any more slip-ups but a win against an opponent in the top six is definitely what they needed to ensure that they keep the pressure on the Reds.
Wolves and Nuno Espirito Santo
Wolves have continued to show why they deserve to be in the top half of the table following an incredible first season in the Premier League since their promotion last summer. Their consistency has been very impressive when you consider that they won their last three fixtures against Leicester, West Ham and Everton. The win ensured that they equaled their highest tally of 11 victories in a Premier League season, which came way back in their 2010-11 campaign.
Eden Hazard and Gonzalo Higuain
Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard scored a brace each as Chelsea secured a 5-0 win over Huddersfield at Stamford Bridge. Higuain showed excellent movement for his first goal and grew in confidence after opening his Chelsea account early in the game. Hazard for his part linked up well with Higuain and took both of his goals clinically, pointing to a potentially productive partnership in prospect. Maurizio Sarri will most definitely be happy with what he saw here.
Losers
Huddersfield and Fulham
Jan Siewert suffered yet another heavy defeat as Huddersfield head coach within two weeks of taking over from David Wagner. The Terries have been linked with the drop for quite some time now and there is nothing to suggest that they can turn things around. They have taken one point from a possible 36 and if Siewert’s first task was to take them above that miserably low benchmark, then things have not gone according to plan.
Time is equally running out for Fulham, who were handed a defeat by Crystal Palace during the weekend. The appointment of Claudio Ranieri was supposed to be the beginning of a turnaround but things have stagnated for the Cottagers. The fact that they finished the game without a single shot on target points to a much bigger problem with their strike force and we doubt they can compete favorably in the top flight.
Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez was handed his first Premier League start under Ole Gunner Solskjaer but the Chilean didn’t do much to warrant continued selection in the side. Sanchez worked hard but he lacked the extra sharpness once on the ball. Despite being one of the most highly rated forwards in the league he was unable to register a single shot on target or create a goal scoring chance. He always seemed to be on the fringes when United went forward and was substituted early with his place taken up by Anthony Martial.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth continued with their inconsistent season after suffering a 2-0 loss away to Cardiff. Just days earlier they were flying high after beating Chelsea 4-0 at home. Eddie Howe will have been disappointed by the showing from his side, especially to a team struggling to get out of the relegation zone. Admittedly they have punched beyond their weight this season but they will need some bit of predictability in the future.