The Premier League never fails to provide plenty of issues to discuss, and the latest round of games didn’t disappoint.
Everton’s shocking display at Southampton, Antonio Conte’s inspired substitutions at Liverpool and Arsenal’s gutsy win at Burnley were amongst the weekend’s major talking points.
Sportslens takes a look at the big issues from the week 13 in the Premier League.
Everton need Big Sam – now
It’s been over a month since Everton sacked Ronald Koeman and they appear no nearer to appointing his replacement.
The snobbery of the club, and its fanbase, regarding the possibility of Sam Allardyce taking over has been staggering, and the indecision resulted in the former England boss distancing himself from the role.
Caretaker manager David Unsworth is totally out of his depth and while the board clearly covet a “sexy” appointment like Diego Simeone or Marco Silva they need to get real and quickly.
The club is in big trouble. It simply cannot afford to wait any longer. Do what it takes to get Allardyce in or face the very real prospect of Championship football next season.
He who dares wins (or draws)
Italy is famous for its defensive football, but Antonio Conte blew that stereotype out of the water at Anfield on Saturday.
A goal down against Liverpool the Chelsea boss hauled off a defender and two midfielders and replaced them with Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Willian.
His switch to a 3-4-3 formation reaped its rewards as Willian made it 1-1 with five minutes to go. Conte’s celebrations were exuberant, but his bravery had earned his side a deserved point.
Crouch to the rescue?
Stoke City’s 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday left them 15th in the table, just three points above the drop zone.
Manager Mark Hughes had talked up striker Peter Crouch ahead of the game, claiming he was ready to offer him a new contract, yet he seems reluctant to use him from the start of games.
Max Choupo-Moting is full of tricks but lacks an end product, while Hughes clearly doesn’t think Saido Berahino is the answer to his problems after leaving him out of the trip to Selhurst Park.
Crouch remains Stoke’s best hope of goals – Hughes must restore him to the starting line-up sooner rather than later.
Arsenal deserved their smash-and-grab at Burnley
Arsene Wenger’s side get plenty of stick for their inability to grind out results, but they did just that at Turf Moor on Sunday.
Arsenal lacked sharpness in the first-half, but they improved after the break and deservedly collected the three points.
The Gunners looked as if they would have to settle for a point, but Alexis Sanchez’s late penalty ensured Burnley’s resistance was broken.
Guardiola has improved Sterling
Raheem Sterling has received plenty of criticism over his inconsistency in the final third, but Sunday’s winner for Man City at Huddersfield was his 12th goal of the season in all competitions.
Sterling sometimes looks like Bambi on Ice when he gets into attacking positions, but he has definitely improved under Pep Guardiola.
The 22-year-old can be frustrating at times, but the City manager is gradually unlocking his potential.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
