Could Aston Villa be in the title race? Are Sunderland best-ever promoted side? – PL Hits and Misses | Football News

Should Villa be taken seriously as title challengers?

Aston Villa have laid down the gauntlet for a potential title bid after their remarkable comeback victory at Brighton. Unai Emery’s side overcame an early two-goal deficit to extend their winning run and continue to bear down on their above rivals.

Now third, six points off leaders Arsenal, who they welcome to Villa Park this weekend Villa are hitting a groove and taking full advantage of the inconsistency around them. Chelsea’s loss at Leeds has opened the door and Villa are intent on storming in.

Ollie Watkins, who has dealt with his fair share of criticism, is back among the goals. And whether he’s first choice or not, Donyell Malen has proved a capable goal getter.

Morgan Rogers’ performances have also stepped up with his assist tally now at three this season after Villa were incapable of finding the back of the net.

Emery has not only lauded his side’s performances on their run of wins but the execution of their roles, which has formed the bedrock of their consistency.

The season continues to meander as we approach the new year, so any effort to suggest any further challengers alongside Arsenal at the top appears futile. However, it would be silly to ignore this Villa charge, especially with their meeting with the Gunners up next.
William Bitibiri

Is Merino Arsenal’s best striker?

At what point does Mikel Merino come to be seen as striker who sometimes plays in midfield, rather than a midfielder who occasionally fills in up front? This was just the latest example of the 29-year-old playing the role as if a natural.

Merino has now either scored or assisted in five out of six starts up front for Arsenal since the Viktor Gyokeres injury that saw him drafted back into the role. In this game, he did both, heading home the opener, then sending Saka away for the second.

He has an astonishing total of 21 goals for club and country in the calendar year, 11 of which have come this season. His total of 14 with his head since the start of last term in all competitions is the highest by any Premier League player.

Arsenal have Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus available again, with Kai Havertz not far behind them, but they will likely all struggle to dislodge Merino, whose value to the side is not limited to his goals and assists. His intelligence makes his team-mates better.

When he is not hunting out chances in the box, he is dropping into midfield, interchanging positions with team-mates and generally confusing opposition defences. Since his move up front a month ago, Arsenal have smashed 15 goals in six games.

Something has clicked. And it has a lot to do with Merino. A makeshift striker might just be their best option in the position right now.
Nick Wright

Lack of maturity Chelsea’s Achilles heel

A damning 3-1 loss at Leeds may have been unpredictable for Chelsea – but the manner of defeat, and the profile of opponent, told a story all too familiar.

Enzo Maresca’s men entered the game in their best form of the season. They’d won five of their last seven in the league, including their impressive performances against Arsenal and Barcelona – arguably two of the world’s best sides.

But this is when Chelsea can be at their most beatable. We’ve seen it before – after a similar run of impressive victories over Benfica, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Ajax earlier this campaign, Chelsea lost to Sunderland at home.

Tonight – against another promoted side – yielded the same result. Without Reece James and Moises Caicedo, perhaps their two most mature players, the Blues lacked poise and composure, and looked lost at sea after conceding early on. Andrey Santos was bullied off the ball multiple times by the impressive Anton Stach, and Enzo Fernandez looked weak when dropping deeper into the midfielder.

Chelsea have proven, on their day, they can beat anyone. But the Premier League’s youngest side (average age 24y 178d) has shown a lack of maturity to beat lesser opposition on multiple occasions – and this time, it might have cost them any chance at the title.
Noah Langford

Liverpool’s fight diminishing

Liverpool’s first draw of the Premier League season could have been far, far worse for Arne Slot, with pressure growing amid a ragged run of defeats. Slot admitted post-match that Anfield may even be losing its fear factor. He’s probably right.

“It is clear that teams who play us think they can get a result,” he said, after narrowly avoiding a tenth loss in 14 matches. Sunderland were more than a match for the reigning champions, whose title defence looks weaker by the game. More worrying still is their feeble performance levels.

Plenty of players dip across a 38-game season, but rarely do entire squads dip to such an extent. This latest setback was borne out of a failure to compete with Sunderland’s intensity, second best in battles all over the pitch.

Joe Gomez, praised for his solidity in victory over West Ham at the weekend, lost eight of the nine duels he contested. Mo Salah lost all four of his after being introduced in the second half. Even Dominik Szoboszlai, widely accepted as Liverpool’s most athletic and physical midfielder, only won one of five ground duels.

Overall, Sunderland made more tackles, more interceptions and more blocks, while also landing more shots on target at the opposite end. How has this happened?
Laura Hunter

Farke’s new formula gives Leeds hope

Daniel Farke seems to have stumbled upon the perfect formula for Leeds United just in the nick of time with his new 3-5-2 formation, providing hope for the club in their fight for survival.

The Leeds boss says he always planned to stick with the shape that produced such a spirited second-half fight in the defeat at Man City, although kept his cards close to his chest in the lead up to the game.

It was just the fifth time that Farke had not lined up with a back four in the Premier League yet, despite his lack of familiarity with the 3-5-2, Chelsea were left flummoxed by Leeds’ change of approach and had no answer.

Asked if this could be his new set formation, Farke said: “Yes, of course it can be. I always mention, my football is never married to base formations, I’m addicted to principles.

“For me it was always clear that we have to be flexible during this season, way more flexible than we had to be last season. For that, of course, it can be a fitting formation.

“I think it’s important for us to be flexible and also a bit unpredictable.”

Leeds can now keep their opponents guessing, but there is little doubt about which formation brings the best of the players in Farke’s squad. This is surely the path forward.
Zinny Boswell

Are Sunderland the GOAT of promoted teams?

Sunderland have taken 23 points from 13 games, have beaten Chelsea and drawn with Arsenal and Liverpool. This points haul is the best return by a promoted team since Wigan’s 25-point effort in the 2005/06 season. That’s not just good. That’s era-defining good.

At Anfield, they showed this isn’t a team lucking its way through tight games or leaning on last-ditch heroics. Sunderland’s chance quality, territorial control and defensive structure have matured at a terrifying pace for a squad expected to be propping up the division. The composure in possession and the aggression out of it was a devastating combo and to perform with that swagger at a place like Anfield was quite remarkable.

With 23 points already banked, the trajectory is bordering on unprecedented. Keep this pace and Sunderland won’t just eclipse Wigan’s record, they’ll put themselves on the shortlist for the greatest promoted team the Premier League has ever seen.
Lewis Jones

It doesn’t need to be same old, same old for Burnley

Scott Parker has set a Burnley benchmark fans will expect him to draw on more despite failing to find the net, again, against Crystal Palace.

After an all-too-familiarly insipid opening half full of possession and neat build-up but no end product whatsoever, he changed things around at the break and immediately saw a different team.

Substitute Jacob Bruun Larsen improved things from the restart but it was the introduction of Hannibal Mebrji and Marcus Edwards which helped take the game to Palace.

For the last half-hour Burnley finally had some bite, creating more xG in one half than in six of their full matches.

They still did not score, but they hit the crossbar and were a Chris Richards goal-line clearance away from levelling things up. And that without losing their defensive shape – Palace managing just three shots all game.

Parker’s reluctance to attack has been a topic of concern for fans all season, but this shows another way is possible – and it looks more fruitful.

Fans will expect to see more of it. But will they?
Ron Walker

Even Derby’s record looks a test for Wolves

Rob Edwards had appeared encouraged that his first full week of work with his new players had resulted in an improved showing even in defeat at Aston Villa. But Wolves’ performance in losing at home to Nottingham Forest showed why they are doomed.

It is eight defeats in a row in all competitions now for the team 12 points from safety at the foot of the Premier League table. Their last five games – three under Edwards – have not even yielded a goal. Against Forest, even getting the ball near it proved a challenge.

The Wolves boss admitted that he had asked his players at half-time if they were scared, so cautious were they in their work, seemingly reluctant to attempt forward passes, runs or dribbles. Jorgen Strand Larsen was again an isolated figure up front.

That Wolves have found themselves with a squad so short on quality damns their recruitment but that is not Edwards’ immediate concern. He has 24 Premier League fixtures left to fulfil and even Derby’s ignominious record of 11 points feels far away.
Adam Bate