Premier League Week 20: Chelsea’s Hunger Stalls City, Liverpool Slip, Villa Roll On, Rice Saves Arsenal
|
Managerless Chelsea put up an impressive performance against City in a week where United continued to flounder, and Liverpool looked no closer to finding form. Manik Sharma writes.
|
Week 19 midweek flashback IN ONE OF THE MOST UNEVENTFUL and possibly underwhelming of New Year’s Day fixtures, Arsenal’s casual dispatching of Aston Villa deservedly caught the eye. This was a statement victory, given that the Gunners were missing their best player in Declan Rice. Elsewhere, boredom ensued as Liverpool and City drew blanks, Man United almost gifted Wolves their first win of the season, and Chelsea continued a hot streak of looking like a serious team before receding into blurry nothingness. The Blues would later headline the week, but more on that later. Watch Arsenal vs Aston Villa (4-1) match here via OTTplay Premium Declan Rice returns to power Arsenal over Bournemouth There is probably little doubt that — barring Erling Haaland’s astronomical scoring numbers — Declan Rice is the league’s most consistent player. Rice rarely has a poor game, and even though he was barely missed in the decimation of potential title-challengers, Villa in midweek, his return to the side was welcome. Against an excellent Bournemouth side, Arsenal toiled in the first half and looked well short of securing their lead at the top. Bournemouth, for that matter, should have led at halftime. Arsenal’s performances haven’t sparkled of late, and here too the Gunners embodied a mix of lethargy and tiredness. But then, the gunners’ pockets of talent run so deep, match winners arise from anywhere and everywhere. In stepped Rice, who found a way to drag a limp performance against a tricky opponent over the line with a precious brace. |
Villa bounce back instantly and impressively The midweek thumping by Arsenal wouldn’t have burst the Villa bubble, but it served as a comprehensive reality check. Had Villa followed that result with a weak performance, not many would have batted an eyelid. They have been terrific, but Villa can’t quite match the talent reserves of City and Arsenal. That said, it was impressive how instantly Unai Emery’s men bounced back by demolishing a sorry Nottingham Forest. Emery would be beaming at the turn of form his star striker Ollie Watkins has shown of late. Though the dependable John McGinn grabbed a brace, Watkins scored the standout goal of the game. If Emery can keep his striker fit and his midfield purring the way it has over the last few months, there is no reason Villa can’t build on their mightily impressive third position in the table. The title, though, may be beyond them. United look listless in the lucky draw against Leeds If any team deserved to walk away from this game with all three points, it was the Leeds team hosting United in one of English football’s most keenly contested fixtures. Ironically, Leeds are trending upwards, whereas United are stuck in mid-table limbo: neither good enough to bother those above them, nor cogent enough to crush those below them with any regularity. Against Leeds, United were lucky to be in the game by the time Matheus Cunha, their Brazilian talisman, scored an equaliser. United are missing key personnel, including their captain, Bruno Fernandes, but a glance at the options on the bench, and United’s squad looks well short of class and quality at this level. It’s a minor miracle they are still in contention for Europe, for the Red Devils neither have the players nor the club structure to compete at elite levels anymore. |
Liverpool drop points they never deserved in a thriller against Fulham It’s probably an indictment of the Premier League’s quality that Liverpool, despite having endured the club’s worst runs of form in history, sat in a Champions League spot before kick-off against Fulham. Liverpool’s form has somewhat picked up, but there is still no pattern of play, nor a sign that their new starlets have begun to click. Away to a strong Fulham side, the Reds looked listless in a first half they were lucky to end on parity. The cottagers scored an excellent opener, before Florian Wirtz latched onto a terrific run by Conor Bradley to equalise. Wirtz had barely made an impression by then, and in keeping with his time at Liverpool, sort of receded into oblivion thereafter. The game flitted between half-chances before it blew up again in injury time. The Reds must have believed they had won it at the death, but as has been typical of Arne Slot’s team, their brittleness showed at the last. No trophies can be won, let alone challenged for, with this sort of laziness at the back. Slot must do what he can and hope everyone around him in the league table remains just as poor and unpredictable. Everyone’s future seems to be in someone else’s hands. Managerless Chelsea hold their own against City In the marquee clash of the weekend, Chelsea, without a manager and possibly their best midfield player, more than held their own against Pep Guardiola’s side. City could be forgiven for thinking this was the ideal time to host the Blues — in disarray both on and off the pitch — but the team that turned up went punch for punch against Guardiola’s side. City predictably dominated possession and created more chances, but Chelsea remained a threat on the counter. The back line showed the kind of tenacity that is fitting of a team built on large money and deep potential. Chelsea’s players crunched into tackles, pressed with desire and continued to prod City’s defence until it eventually gave way in injury time. Not even Rodri’s presence in midfield — barring a few moments — helped City get the kind of calm and control they are used to. The two dropped points could cost City dearly. As for Chelsea, this performance suggested their season can’t be written off just yet. |
Postscript: Enzo Maresca’s impressive yet odd reign as Chelsea manager comes to an end Not many would be surprised by the departure of another Chelsea manager, but Enzo Maresca left the revolving door at football’s most absurd clubs with more questions than answers. The club’s league position is underwhelming but by no means disastrous. The performances this season have oscillated between poor and excellent. Again, nowhere near space that would qualify as catastrophic. And yet, relations between the manager and the ownership had visibly strained of late. Maresca had done a fine job, deserved more time, and yet you’d sympathise with him for walking away from one of football’s most peculiar clubs. Chelsea are competing on multiple fronts, but their transfer strategy doesn’t embody the sentiment that the club actually wants to win something. Then why the team needs a change of manager, or is the hotbed of such frictional politics behind the scenes, is a mystery. Whoever replaces Maresca will most likely do no better. That itself is the opportunity and the absurdity of the seat left vacant by him. Premier League matches come to you live and exclusive on JioHotstar, with an OTTplay Premium subscription for only Rs 149 per month. Don’t miss a minute! |
Like what you read? Get more of what you like. Visit the OTTplay website or download the app to stay up-to-date with news, recommendations and special offers on streaming content. Plus: always get the latest reviews. Sign up for our newsletters. Already a subscriber? Forward this email to a friend, or use the share buttons below. |
| | This weekly newsletter compiles a list of the latest (and most important) reviews from OTTplay so you can figure what to watch or ditch over the weekend ahead. |
| Each week, our editors pick one long-form, writerly piece that they think it worthy of your attention, and dice it into easily digestible bits for you to mull over. |
| In which we invite a scholar of cinema, devotee of the moving image, to write a prose poem dedicated to their poison of choice. Expect to spend an
hour on this. |
| | Hindustan Media Ventures Limited,
Hindustan Times House, 18-20,
Second Floor, Kasturba Gandhi
Marg, New Delhi - 110 001, India |
DOWNLOAD THE OTTPLAY APP ▼ |
| | If you need any guidance or support along the way, please send an email to ottplay@htmedialabs.com . We’re here to help! |
©️2025 OTTplay, HT Media Labs. All rights reserved. |
| | |
