Premier League welcomes the New Year.
The new year is underway. The Premier League season is done with half the year. It is mid-season in the League, and the second half awaits.
If the first matches of the New Year are any indication, it would not be a great advertisement for the League.
Four matches were played, and three of the so-called big clubs were in action. All three biggies were involved in goalless draws. The fourth match saw Crystal Palace and Fulham score one each.
While draws are a part of the game, it is the kind of football that was on worrisome display.
Liverpool looks tired.
Liverpool, the champions, were horrendous to watch. This was a squad that was strengthened with some marquee signings, each costing a bomb, which looked pedestrian in the field. The press and the fizz that one expects from Liverpool went missing. There was a sense of boredom in the players as they passed without any intent. The high-energy game that the Reds are capable of playing went missing.
After the game, Arne Slot suggested improvements in playing against teams that sit back and employ a low block. It would sound like a right reason, but then Slot may be better looking for the real reason. He could consider and weigh the fact that his team lacked creativity, and in every moment of the game, they were a second or two late. Slow to pass in the midfield, slower to push it to the wide wingers and slowest in reaching the crosses that reached the box.
Liverpool needs to improve significantly to secure a spot in the top four. It is the utter mess that Manchester United and Chelsea create for themselves that makes Liverpool’s position in the table what it is. They are where they are not because of what they do, but what others don’t do.
Manchester City has more to do.
Pep Guardiola would not have liked it a bit. The master of keeping up the title chase would be bitter about the evening. His team struggled and dropped two points while Arsenal got their three in style.
The City of Lights, Sunderland’s home turf, is not an easy place to go. The atmosphere is electric, and the fans are a handful when it comes to noisy support.
Despite having many players away on AFCON duty, Sunderland, led by the reborn Granit Xhaka, held their line and defended stoutly. City, with Rodri back after a long break, running the show, had chances but spurned them.
Erling Haaland was kept in check all evening by a brilliant Nordi Mukiele, who, along with Omar Alderete, is almost like the Saliba-Gabriel pair at Arsenal.
Manchester City were not clinical enough, and they will need to improve and sustain the improvement for the rest of the season if they have to keep Arsenal in their sights.
In a nutshell, Liverpool will need a miracle to go anywhere this season, while Pep and Manchester City, as in the past, can never be written off.
The second half promises much, but on the first day of the year, the script doesn’t look great.
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