Week 12 has been eye-opening to Premier League followers, as Manchester Metropolis continued to slip, Liverpool discovered a method to thrive, and Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim lastly made his debut for the legendary membership.
It was a wild week of motion that even took the job of 1 PL boss, as we noticed a (fairly shocking) .
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There’s nonetheless a giant recreation to go, with Newcastle United able to going sixth if they’ll beat visiting West Ham United on Monday afternoon (Watch stay at 3pm ET on USA Community, ).
Listed below are 10 ideas about Week 12 (up to now) from our writers, as , , and share their observations from the newest 9 video games of the 2024-25 Premier League season.
10 issues we discovered from Week 12 of the 2024-25 Premier League seasonMohamed Salah saves the day for sloppy Liverpool
The sport after a global break is at all times difficult for the large boys and this journey to St Mary’s proved simply that for Liverpool. They had been caught on the counter, regarded sloppy in massive spells both aspect of half time, and had been dragged right into a scrap within the wind and rain. However they obtained the job carried out. Simply. Like Liverpool, it took Mohamed Salah a very long time to get into full move. He now has 10 targets and 6 assists up to now this season as Arne Slot’s aspect wanted their essential man to rescue them after they had been 2-1 down with simply over 25 minutes to go. Positive, Liverpool had dominated play and had been creating probabilities and forcing Southampton into making large errors defensively. However it regarded like they could undergo a shock defeat till Salah made probably the most of a seemingly simple ball excessive to masterfully prod it previous the onrushing and out-of-position Alex McCarthy. The Egyptian winger stored his cool to slam residence the winner from the penalty spot and smashed the put up late on as he chased a hat trick. Salah was the distinction. He often is and his heroics arrange an enormous residence recreation at Anfield in opposition to Man Metropolis subsequent Sunday. The benefit within the title race is Liverpool’s and Salah is the ace up their sleeve. His contract negotiations are getting simpler for his advisors by the minute.
Odegaard-Saka reunion serves up pleasure for each Arsenal stars
Bukayo Saka has been implausible this season and boasts a Premier League-leading eighth help following this win over the Tough Timber, however the freedom he has when opposing again strains need to respect Martin Odegaard leads the English winger to rarefied air. Talking after the sport, . Arsenal haven’t misplaced when Odegaard performs greater than a minute this season, and it’s enjoyable to remind Gunners supporters that he’s nonetheless 25 for a couple of extra weeks whereas Saka is barely 23 years outdated. Each gamers are world class, and Saka is taking part in at a Ballon d’Or caliber. If Arsenal can win one thing this season, perhaps he will get that nod?
Scientific Spurs destroy Metropolis’s bounce again bid
Let’s get this out of the best way — This wasn’t a four-nil recreation within the sense that Metropolis produced a number of probabilities and might need scored twice within the first quarter-hour. However an uneven Erling Haaland and friends couldn’t profit from these probabilities, whereas James Maddison and Spurs scored each of theirs and that meant this slumping Man Metropolis aspect had extra stress on their shoulders. Metropolis got here out of the traps in effective feather and confirmed the power and resilience of champions. The one factor that would harm that vibe was happening a objective. Two targets? Oh, the deficit appeared an anchor at occasions. Metropolis will enhance with wholesome — Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Nathan Ake, and Jack Grealish all weren’t match sufficient for a full recreation as Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku, and Ruben Dias joined Rodri on the shelf — however will they it collectively in time for Liverpool subsequent weekend?
Bruno Fernandes looms massive as attacking patterns present finest glimpse of Amorim’s plan
Late within the first half at Portman Street, we noticed a protracted, lofted ball from Casemiro as he sought a rampaging Pink Devils attacker excessive of the Ipswich again line. That attacker? Diogo Dalot, who was taking part in left middle again within the again three. Amorim could properly be capable to ship a high-octane, elite-talent model of what Chris Wilder did with Sheffield United and — to a much less direct extent — what Ange Postecoglou desires to do at Spurs. Amad Diallo as a wing again with a real middle again behind him labored properly and offers hope to United’s huge gamers who would possibly’ve anticipated to be squeezed out by what occurs atop a again three. The set-up, nonetheless, did showcase how efficient Bruno Fernandes will be with security behind him and numbers out huge and in entrance of him. The captain, like Casemiro, usually keyed the locks to Ipswich’s again line. He must be feeling good about his potential below countryman Amorim.
Chelsea’s protection holding them again from title rivalry
Midfield and assault are stacked and fluid for Chelsea; The one issues holding them again are defensive lapses of focus. They’ve stored simply two clear sheets in 12 video games this season. Chelsea wasted some large probabilities at Leicester and it was nearly too straightforward for the kids. Every recreation they appear to surrender a flurry of huge probabilities in a five-minute spell and that arrived simply earlier than half time on this recreation. They had been then sloppy. They gave away a late penalty and will have given one other away earlier than that. Enzo Maresca’s aspect had been great in assault with Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson getting higher individually and as a collective every week. However on the again there may be simply sufficient unease to make a dominant efficiency like this uncomfortable for a couple of spells. Defensively they’ve to enhance and that’s the solely factor holding Chelsea again from being a real title contender this season. They’re properly forward of the place all of us thought they’d be this season.
That actually didn’t seem like Brighton
A victory at Bournemouth is a good outcome, and this one strikes Brighton (fifth place – 22 factors) up one spot within the Premier League desk after 12 video games. That’s 4 wins in six PL video games for Brighton, who didn’t win a single recreation in September and appeared to be struggling early in Fabian Hurzeler’s tenure. That’s now not the case after back-to-back wins over Manchester Metropolis and Bournemouth (thirteenth – 15 factors), the latter of which additionally beat Man Metropolis in latest weeks. That’s two vastly spectacular victories to set the Seagulls on the correct path once more.
Worrying defending continues as Villa ought to return to counterattack
Aston Villa’s dramatic rise below Unai Emery has been constructed on a strong defensive basis, group, and high-pressing to unsettle opponents. The issue is, opponents now know learn how to counteract most of these ways. Aston Villa’s defensive high-line was ripped aside on a number of events by counter-attacking kings Crystal Palace on Saturday and Villa may haven’t any complaints had they misplaced this recreation. Sure, they’re lacking Ezri Konsa, Boubacar Kamara, and Andre Onana by damage in midfield and protection and the total again duo of Matty Money and Lucas Digne had been rested with one eye on Juventus in midweek, but it surely’s Villa’s system quite than personnel that wants a tweak. They press so excessive up the pitch however proper now they lack power and cohesion and Emery ought to return to a extra counter-attacking strategy which noticed Villa excel throughout his preliminary six months in cost. Emery usually tweaks his ways inside his normal taking part in philosophy and he is aware of Villa simply can’t be this open on the counter defensively. They’ve conceded eight targets of their final three video games and in the event that they wish to qualify for the Champions League once more they need to be extra compact on the again.
Brentford ought to tie down world-class Thomas Frank
Sure, the headline-writer is aware of that Frank has a cope with the Bees by the 2026-27 season and that’s ages away within the managerial world, however perhaps they need to actually discover rope and preserve his agent from with the ability to communicate with another groups. The Dane is that good, and matches like this 10-man scoreless draw flash part of his magnificent managerial acumen we don’t at all times get to see from him. The Brentford boss is aware of learn how to make changes in assault, and multi-goal video games are outdated hat for the Bees on Frank’s watch, however to see the relative calm and management from his aspect whereas down a person for greater than 45 minutes is particular. Everton are removed from sturdy in assault below Sean Dyche, but it surely’s outstanding that Frank’s set-up held the Toffees to only 0.73 xG within the second half. Actually good efficiency. Elite boss.
Wolves’ subsequent large (outgoing?) star
Matheus Cunha was the star and he was the star once more in opposition to Fulham, taking his season tally to seven targets, three assists. If not in January, a handful of Champions League golf equipment needs to be after the 25-year-old Brazilian subsequent summer season. Simply check out , (under, abbreviated) and also you’ll see not solely a participant who’s main Wolves’ assault in a giant means, but in addition a well-rounded participant who places in a shift defensively, holds the ball up fairly properly, carries it very properly and will get others concerned. As the sport will get increasingly position-less, gamers like Cunha are going to command extraordinary switch charges.
Rather more to return from Ruben Amorim at Manchester United
For all the pieces this match taught us about Ruben Amorim — — the most important certainty is that we should always not dwell a lot on who performed, how lengthy they performed, and perhaps even the place they performed at Portman Street. Amorim regarded like a person who was taking in a wealth of data and deciding what to course of and what to save lots of for the movie. Alejandro Garnacho is electrical but in addition younger. He regarded immature and value his staff probabilities, however he was additionally in place to make these probabilities occur. How does Amorim learn that? Casemiro sprayed the ball across the park and helped Bruno Fernandes unlock the Ipswich again line, however Manuel Ugarte was getting back from worldwide break and Kobbie Mainoo from damage so who is aware of the place the Brazilian matches into Amorim’s plans. All 5 gamers who subbed into the sport — Joshua Zirkzee, Ugarte, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, and Luke Shaw — may simply grow to be common starters, and Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, and Harry Maguire had been all absent by damage or health. There have been moments that United delivered a glimpse of the longer term, as Amorim promised earlier than the sport, however principally there’s so so so so a lot work to be carried out at Outdated Trafford.