1. Mata is key for United
JUAN MATA NETTED his fourth goal of the season last night and with it claimed all three points for United. The Spaniard has been overlooked at times this season by van Gaal but each time he has played, whether starting or from the bench, he’s staked a claim to be in the team every week.
His first goal of the season back in August earned United a point away to Sunderland, he then scored in the 4-0 thrashing of QPR, he grabbed the winner against Crystal Palace last month and scored another winner last night.
The 26-year-old’s main role in the team is that of creativity but he also has a knack of popping up and finding the net — something that is a bonus to United.
Mata has started just nine of the club’s 14 games so far this season, and has three times been an unused substitute. His occasional absence is mainly down to the system van Gaal has deployed as, when he has started, he has been used on the left (like last night), and not in his favourite central role.
Earlier in the season the former Chelsea man was being used in a central role behind Rooney and Van Persie but that has since changed, with Rooney being moved into a deeper role, shunting Mata out wide.
He seems to be coming around to it though, as the goals and his general play would indicate, and his starting berth in three of United’s last four consecutive wins would also suggest that van Gaal is coming around to playing him every week.
2. What should Brendan Rodgers do with Simon Mignolet?
The Belgian stopper has received a lot of stick in the last few weeks as mistakes have mounted up.
He was poor in the defeat to Crystal Palace, made a mistake that gifted Ludogorets the first goal of the game in Bulgaria and made another howler last night.
Football is a harsh game, and to to do well in it, managers have to be able to make harsh decisions. This is one of those times, a time when Brendan Rodgers has to decide whether or not to drop his goalkeeper.
The 26-year-old looks to have lost all confidence, despite Rodgers himself maintaining confidence and trust in him. While the mistakes were mounting up, the manager stuck with him, and then stuck with him again after Ludogorets. Last night was surely one mistake too many though.
Granted, Leicester’s goal will be chalked down as Mignolet’s, but the Belgian was somewhat unlucky with how the ball rebounded off the post and hit him, even though, he shouldn’t have been beaten at his near post. The mistake made to gift Esteban Cambiasso an open goal is simply inexcusable, however.
Rodgers certainly has a difficult decision on his hands as dropping his goalkeeper could destroy his confidence altogether, but can he afford to take the risk of him making yet more mistakes?
3. Alexis Sanchez the saviour again for Arsenal
For 70 minutes at The Emirates, Arsenal were outclassed by Southampton. But, just like on Sunday, The Saints were given a lesson in the harsh reality of football when, with six minutes to go, Toby Alderweireld had to be withdrawn. Ronald Koeman had already used all three of his substitutes, and five minutes later, Alexis Sanchez scored the winner.
It was the Chilean’s ninth Premier League goal and yet another occasion where he dragged The Gunners out of a hole. The 25-year-old surely has to go down as one of the Premier League’s best signings this season, if not the very best.
Of Sanchez’s nine league goals, six have either earned a draw and given Arsenal a one-goal win. The other three came courtesy of a brace in a 3-0 win over Burnley and another in a 2-1 loss to Swansea.
Without the goals of Sanchez, Arsene Wenger’s team would be seven points less well-off and floundering in 13th place.
To say the former Barcelona man is vital to The Gunners would be an understatement.
An injury to Wenger’s key man would spell serious trouble for his team, but as it is, they’re only two points off the Champions League places.
4. What’s happening to Everton?
Going into this evening’s game, Hull City were third from bottom and on a run of four Premier League losses in a row. But, thanks to yet more poor defending from Everton, they became the fifth Premier League team to come away from Goodison Park with a result this season.
The Merseyside ground is not the fortress of previous years. The Toffees have only managed four wins this term with shambolic defending costing them time and time again and an over-reliance on Romelu Lukaku leading to a lack of goals.
The simple one-two between Nikica Jelavic and Sone Aluko around Sylvan Distin in the lead up to the goal and the subsequent Aluko finish at Tim Howard’s near post showed mistakes not befitting the experience of two such players.
Roberto Martinez may need to dip into the transfer window next month to pick up a centre-back capable of replacing the ageing Distin. Without such a move, it’s difficult to see Everton getting near a European place.
5. Déjà vu at Stamford Bridge
Last season, Tottenham dominated early on and lost 4-0 to Chelsea. This time around, they dominated early on and lost 3-0.
Though there are signs that Spurs are improving slowly but surely — as evidenced by their hard-fought 2-1 victory over Everton at the weekend — tonight’s game was a stark reminder of how far they are off challenging a top side.
Critics questioned how Chelsea would cope with the loss of star striker Diego Costa, and they responded with a clinical performance against their London rivals.
Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba and Loic Remy each punished lackadaisical Spurs defending, as the league leaders recovered admirably from the points they dropped against Sunderland at the weekend.
Tottenham made only one, ostensibly defensive-minded change from their impressive defeat of the Toffees, with a midfielder (Erik Lamela) replacing a striker (Roberto Soldado).
Yet curiously, this sole alteration did not necessarily enhance their prospects at the back, as the recalled Argentine international was brushed off the ball far too easily just prior to Jose Mourinho’s men’s all-important opening goal.
- Paul Fennessy
