1. Jordan Henderson the unsung hero of Liverpool’s success
Luis Suarez will take much of the plaudits following his hat-trick in Liverpool’s 6-3 win over Cardiff today, and deservedly so.
Nevertheless, one player who rarely attracts the same level of superlatives while still being quietly impressive is Jordan Henderson.
Quite simply, it is difficult to imagine Liverpool enjoying the same level of success without the ex-Sunderland man, who was initially much-maligned after he didn’t quite fit in seamlessly at Anfield following an expensive transfer there.
Yaya Toure sometimes gets compared to Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira, but surely Henderson is more similar in style with his dynamic running, first-rate tackling and exceptional work-rate — these qualities were key to United’s midfield being overrun against the Reds last week.
Moreover, he showed a level of variety to his game this afternoon, with a David Silva-esque through ball to sublimely set up Liverpool’s first goal, at a time when they were in desperate need of inspiration.
2. Wayne Rooney’s goal one of the best ever in the Premier League
Wayne Rooney has received considerable stick recently owing to the lucrative new contract he has just signed, but there is no doubt that the England international is a special player.
He is no stranger to spectacular goals — his famous bicycle stick against Manchester City stands out in the memory — but today against West Ham, he produced an effort that rivals any of his previous strikes.
As the ball bounced favourably into his path just inside the West Ham half, the forward showed the instincts that all great players possess, swiftly checking to see the position of the goalkeeper Adrian before lobbing him expertly from all of 55 yards.
Fittingly, David Beckham was in the stands watching on, and whether Rooney’s goal is superior to the former star’s famous strike against Wimbledon is 1996 is debatable, yet there is no doubting that the England striker is currently at a phenomenal level that even Beckham never quite reached.
3. Arsenal surely out of the title race
Arsenal’s tepid performance against Chelsea today means they have now just won three of a possible 17 games against Premier League Champions League qualifiers.
The loss also means Arsene Wenger has still to beat a Jose Mourinho-managed Chelsea side in 11 attempts.
Statistics should always be considered critically, but these ones leave little room for ambiguity.
The Gunners will point justifiably to the ridiculous sending off of Kieran Gibbs, but even with 11 men, they were overpowered.
While their exquisite football with an emphasis on technical prowess has brought them a certain level of success, Arsenal are all too often brutally bullied by the bigger sides.
Wenger may thus need to seriously reconsider his philosophy and transfer policy if he seeks to reverse this trend anytime soon, as once again, it has cost the Gunners dearly.
4. Long looks at home with Hull
Shane Long looks finally ready to show the type of consistency that Ireland fans have (no pun intended) long been hoping he’d acquire in his game.
The Tipperary native had a significant influence on Hull’s win over his former club, West Brom today. The 27-year-old scored a goal and won a penalty, as Steve Bruce’s side went one step closer to Premier League survival.
The fact that international teammate Seamus Coleman has scored as many goals this season as the forward, highlights not only the Everton player’s excellent form, but also suggests Long has underachieved of late — six goals for a striker at this stage of the season is simply not enough.
That said, Long appears to have a manager who has complete faith in him, starting him in most games, and he has now scored as many goals in eight appearances for Hull this season (three), as he managed in 15 games for West Brom since the start of the campaign — not exactly Suarez-esque admittedly, but a steady improvement nonetheless.
5. Goal difference could be crucial
Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool won 6-0, 5-0 and 6-3 respectively today.
Sometimes when teams go a goal or two ahead, their intensity level drops, knowing that they have the game under control.
Yet such behaviour was scarcely evident today in the ruthless manner that these title-contending teams dispatched their hapless opponents.
Their increasingly freescoring tendencies perhaps represents a growing acknowledgement of how tight this race for top spot is likely to be, and that goal difference may ultimately be an integral factor in deciding its outcome, as was the case in 2012.
