Welcome to The Debrief. In his Sky Sports column, Adam Bate combines data and opinion to examine the key stories from the latest Premier League matches. this week:
How Man City won against Liverpool West Ham’s Fernandes pass Gueye still closing in on Everton
Bernardo’s key role in Man City’s victory
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Premier League match highlights between Manchester City and Liverpool
Josep Guardiola and Arne Slott agree that Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool was a game decided by a duel, but that’s not why the term is often used. It was a matter of tactics and technique, not physicality or asking for more physicality.
“It’s also easy for players to win duels if the game plan and tactics work,” Slott admitted. “We struggled a lot with them bringing so many players into the middle of the pitch,” he added. “We were always one or two goals short in midfield.”
This was a deliberate ploy by Guardiola to emphasize the importance of duels to his players and control the game. “We’ve talked a lot about this the last couple of days,” he explained. It’s not about winning the ball, it’s about stopping Liverpool from getting the ball.
“In a duel, everyone is thinking about how I will win the ball,” Guardiola pointed out after the match. “But what about the duels when I have the ball and don’t lose it? What about when I’m under pressure and I keep the ball and make the extra pass?”
There was a clear example of how this made a difference right at the start of the match. Look at the image below. Bernardo Silva was deep in his own half and was being pressed hard by the opponents as he headed towards his own goal. That’s not ideal.
Bernardo Silva withstood Liverpool’s pressure here
However, Bernardo managed to free himself and from this position sent a pass forward at an angle towards Erling Haaland. Within seconds, City burst past Liverpool and the ball landed exactly where they wanted it – at the feet of the sensational Jeremy Doku.
Midway through the second half, another example. In this image, it seems almost inconceivable that Bernardo could twist and turn away from trouble before sending a pass into Haaland’s chest, but the result is the same. Doc is cleared again.
Bernardo Silva is under pressure again and picks up the ball, but somehow finds Erling Haaland
Bernardo’s brilliance was that he was able to receive the ball in crowded midfield areas and pick out teammates more effectively than anyone else. Despite City’s deeper role, he remained the most successful passer in the final third.
Bernardo Silva completed the most passes in the last third of the pitch
Even in the second half, Bernardo impressed when Slott countered this by adjusting his set-up, substituting Florian Wirths and Hugo Ekitike, and at times putting extra players in midfield. The moment immediately after the passage of time was a perfect illustration of this.
At first glance, there was nothing noteworthy, so after creating some space, I chose to pass backwards. However, the game was met with applause from the crowd as Liverpool were pushing and the fans were desperate for possession. Bernardo, as usual, could smell the game.
“If you look at how we played today, he is a master,” Guardiola said. “Tempo, how he wins the ball, how he accelerates, decelerates, his instincts to know where the space is, how he manages the situation and so much more. He’s one of the cleverest players I’ve ever met.”
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Josep Guardiola said the players and staff gave him a good present by winning against Liverpool.
It wasn’t that long ago that many wondered if Bernardo’s time at the top was coming to an end. Liverpool have been accused of being ‘long-legged’ after this defeat, a criticism the Portuguese midfielder faced for much of last season.
Guardiola acknowledges the drop in performance, but takes a different view of it. “Last season, Bernardo struggled, but he was there. Every single game, he was exhausted. After the 50th or 60th minute (of a game last season), he couldn’t run another minute.”
“At one moment he said: ‘Pep, I’m exhausted. My heart is no longer there, my legs.’ But he was there. And I told the players and him many times that it will never be forgotten. That’s why he is my captain, because even in the bad moments he was there.”
The win against Liverpool was a good moment.
And Bernardo Silva was there too.
Fernandes’ progressive pass
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Highlights of the Premier League match between West Ham and Burnley
Matheus Fernandes hasn’t had a spectacular start to his West Ham career, but since coming on late to score the winning goal in the defeat to Leeds, he has been hugely impressive as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side cruise to a much-needed win streak.
In Saturday’s 3-2 win over Burnley, Fernandes completed 52 of 53 passes and took more touches than any of his team-mates, showing why West Ham paid Southampton. No player created more chances on the pitch.
The presence of Freddie Potts in midfield also seemed to help, with the midfield trio alongside Lucas Paqueta looking more solid, with the trio making three tackles each. But Potts has allowed Fernandes to focus on more progressive passing.
He was the player who received the most passes from both Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen. Fernandes arrived for a fee in excess of £40m, but the 21-year-old is probably the kind of player West Ham need to sign after their recent market misadventures.
Guyet high speed press
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Everton and Fulham
Idrissa Gueye scored his second goal in seven games in Everton’s 2-0 win over Fulham, equaling the number of goals he has scored in his previous 46 games. It was a result of him running far further into the opponent’s penalty area than usual.
The midfielder had five touches in the box. Not only is this the most for an Everton player, it is also only the second time in his Premier League career that he has achieved it, the last time being against Sunderland in 2017 during his first spell at the club.
Idrissa Gueye takes the lead with a high-speed run while pressing in the central zone
Gueye has been on and off at Paris Saint-Germain and is still in good form. With 351 fast runs during press this season, he still ranks among the top 10 players in the Premier League. Very impressive considering he is currently 36 years old.
“He’s not a spring chicken,” manager David Moyes said in April. However, when it comes to the central zone of the pitch, Gueye actually ranks at the top in this pressing metric. His tackle numbers are down slightly, but this was a reminder of his continued importance after a bit of a dip in form.
