Is City’s reliance on Erling Haaland a problem?
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Watch for free: Premier League match highlights between Manchester City and Bournemouth.
Of the 20 goals Man City have scored this season, 13 have come from Erling Haaland’s boots or head.
Subtracting Maxime Esteve’s two own goals against Burnley in September, Haaland’s team-mates have contributed just five goals.
One of them was Nico O’Reilly’s composed finish against Bournemouth on Sunday. The first goal in these eight matches was not scored by the Norwegian talisman.
does that matter? Man City are second in the league in scoring and have only lost once since August. Haaland himself has said that this is the shape of his life, and by the first weekend in November he had scored 26 goals for club and country, an astonishing record by anyone’s standards. By these metrics, good luck, Erling.
But as former City goalkeeper Shay Given pointed out on Super Sunday, this only works as long as Haaland stays fit.
Omar Marmouche is a very capable secondary player and Rayan Cherki had his best performance to date against Bournemouth and showed signs of contributing with a goal and an assist.
But no one in this City team would support their star forward’s display of ruthless calm. Without him, the win against Bournemouth would have been very different.
This is the bridge Pep Guardiola will have to cross if Haaland is out. Say anything bad about Rio Ferdinand, just enjoy him for now.
Ron Walker
Bournemouth’s next unbeaten run could start here.
Tyler Adams equalizes against Bournemouth at the Etihad
Bournemouth finally lost to Man City on Sunday for the first time since the opening weekend of the season, but there is no reason to leave the pack chasing Arsenal.
Sunderland’s win over Everton on Monday night would see them drop from second to fifth this weekend, but even with a rare defeat, the Cherries have done enough this season to suggest they can maintain their momentum heading into their first European season.
They were playing well until Nico O’Reilly scored their third goal in the second half, but they struggled to score from open play. Unsurprisingly, Antoine Semenyo appeared to pick up an injury in the second period, leaving 19-year-old forward Eli Crupi Jr. facing his toughest test in just his seventh Premier League appearance.
These are not the games that will define their hopes for this season. They had never won a point against Man City and they would be up against the best striker of their lives. And Rayan Cherki is dazzling in the midfield.
They were still looking for a comeback goal with 10 minutes remaining, but Andoni Iraola couldn’t let them go anyway. And if they can choose from a perfectly suited team, which is in some ways a luxury for a Spanish coach who spent time on the south coast, there is no reason why they can’t start an unbeaten run now. Or, more likely, after next week’s trip to Aston Villa.
Ron Walker
Why are Newcastle so bad on the road?
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Free to watch: Highlights of the Premier League match between West Ham and Newcastle.
Eddie Howe said he couldn’t give his Newcastle side credit for their limp defeat to West Ham. He was right.
The dynamism, energy and strength that was associated with Howe’s side remained on Tyneside as West Ham produced their best performance of the season. Howe rotated key members of his team against Tottenham in midweek, so fatigue was not thought to be the cause. And the London Stadium is not a bear’s den where away teams are sometimes swallowed up. Howe seemed very confused in his post-match press conference about how stale his team looked.
Despite being outmatched through half of the game, they produced just 0.54 expected goals. There was just one shot on target in that time frame, and West Ham actually had more touches inside the opposition box in the second half. Since winning the Carabao Cup in March, the Toon have only won one of their nine Premier League games at St James’ Park away. Thriving on the streets is a problem.
lewis jones
Potts leaves a big impression
Freddie Potts almost scored on his Premier League debut
The only thing missing from Freddie Potts, making his first Premier League start for West Ham, was a goal.
And Tomas Soucek came close after his close-range finish was ruled out for harsh offside by VAR.
Apart from that, it was a perfect full debut for the West Ham academy product, who is the son of former West Ham defender Steve Potts. He is 22 years old so he has had to be patient until he gets his chance, but he impressed on loan at Portsmouth last season and based on his performances, he could well adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
He was smart in possession, but most importantly, he screened the backline with great authority and competed with great authority in duels. This is something this West Ham team has lacked all season.
The Hammers now have a “unique player” to root for. He made a huge difference.
lewis jones
