The Sky Sports football writers analyse Saturday’s Premier League action, with Liverpool set to have a big decision to make this summer about the future of striker Darwin Nunez.
What to do with Nunez – keep or sell?
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s win against Southampton in the Premier League
Those responsible for deciding what Liverpool do with Darwin Nunez in the summer have an unenviable task. When he is bad, he is very bad and a borderline liability for a team that are pushing for major trophies. But when he is good, he is a difference maker.
That was on show perfectly in Liverpool’s win over Southampton in a game of two halves for the Uruguay striker.
The first 45? You would be putting the ‘for sale’ sign up in the summer. Nunez wasted three chances, two of which were defined as big ones by Opta, meaning he has now missed 0.99 big chances per game since the start of last season. No Premier League player has missed a higher ratio per 90 minutes.
If the missed chances were not enough of a red flag, the fact the red mist descended before the break when he decided to completely take out Kyle Walker-Peters with the ball nowhere to be seen made it a half to forget for the striker.
But Arne Slot is paid to make big calls and keeping Nunez on was a big call – and one which he benefitted from as Nunez turned into the £80m striker Liverpool thought they signed, netting the opening goal and then winning the penalty. He turned the game in Liverpool’s favour.
So do you keep or sell? I have no idea. Nunez is such a riddle.
Lewis Jones
Blunt City put CL hopes in jeopardy
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Nottingham Forest’s win over Manchester City in the Premier League
Nottingham Forest deserve huge credit for their defensive display. Manchester City are not the first side to struggle to break them down this season. But the listlessness of their attack will worry Guardiola nonetheless.
Nico hit the post from long range but the visitors’ 14 shots in total were worth a mere 0.85 expected goals, a figure which underlines how they struggled to create high-quality openings.
Their defensive issues have been the focus of their poor season but all is not well in the attacking third either. This was the seventh Premier League game this season in which they have mustered under 1.0 expected goals. That is something which only happened five times across the whole of the last campaign.
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Despite making a costly error, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola refused to blame goalkeeper Ederson as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest
Guardiola said failing to qualify for the Champions League would not be the end of the world in his pre-match press conference. His side’s issues, in attack as well as defence, suggest it is a reality he may yet have to confront.
Nick Wright
Fundamental Forest frustrate Man City
The overwhelming feeling from Nuno Espirito Santo’s press conference was pride and joy – but he was quick to point out the key reasons behind the win.
“Organisation and help were fundamental,” he said. He is not wrong.
Forest sat deep inside their half and frustrated City, suffocating any space for the likes of Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva to operate in and denying Erling Haaland the ball whenever possible.
That frustration spilled into City’s display in front of goal. When they were not speculatively trying their luck from distance, they were snapping at chances that the likes of Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne would dispatch in years gone by.
Nottingham Forest’s average positions against Man City
At the other end, Forest flooded forward with pace, intent and, when it mattered, a degree of composure.
This City side are a shadow of their former selves but that should not take away from the outfit they faced on Saturday.
Forest find themselves in third place because they are, as Pep Guardiola correctly pointed out, very good.
Patrick Rowe
Expect a strong Palace contingent in the England squad
Thomas Tuchel watched his second Crystal Palace match on the bounce as they beat Ipswich
Thomas Tuchel loves a trip to Selhurst Park at the moment. The new England boss was at Crystal Palace to watch the Eagles put four past Aston Villa last time out in the Premier League and he returned to watch Oliver Glasner’s side beat Ipswich.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Crystal Palace’s win against Ipswich in the Premier League
Palace were the most-represented club in Gareth Southgate’s 26-player Euro 2024 squad and with a number of English talents on display once again, Tuchel may be keen on following suit for his first squad in charge of the Three Lions.
Adam Wharton impressed once again in midfield, while Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi also played their part. Dean Henderson will be vying for the England No 1 spot after consistent displays between the sticks.
With left-back seemingly up for grabs, Tyrick Mitchell – who was first capped in 2022 – will also be hopeful of a recall. Eddie Nketiah is another – after earning his one and only cap in 2023 – who will have hoped to have impressed Tuchel.
Glasner was asked after the game whether it was a compliment that the England manager had taken such a keen interest in Palace, to which he said it was a credit to the club’s hierarchy.
Whatever they are cooking over at Selhurst, it seems to be working.
William Bitibiri
Are Brighton timing their Champions League run to perfection?
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Highlights from the Premier League clash between Brighton and Fulham
When Brighton were destroyed 7-0 at Nottingham Forest at the start of February, they were languishing down in 10th in the Premier League, with their season threatening to fizzle out.
Fast forward just over a month and Fabian Hurzeler’s side have roared up to sixth, level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea [albeit having played a game more than the Blues] after beating Fulham late at the Amex to register a fourth successive top-flight win for the first time in almost 44 years.
The German was quick to dampen expectations after the game, telling his players to “focus on the next challenge”, but with fifth place looking increasingly likely to bring Champions League football next season – and all its associated riches – it really is now all to play for in the final 10 league matches of the campaign.
Sure, it is incredibly congested in that fight to make Europe’s Premier club competition, with even Brighton’s defeated opponents on Saturday still in with a chance – but with clashes to come against top-five rivals Man City, Aston Villa and Newcastle, the Seagulls have their Champions League fate in their own hands.
Richard Morgan
Villa show grit to overcome CL hangover
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Highlights from the Premier League clash between Brentford and Aston Villa
Aston Villa dug deep at the Gtech Community Stadium to earn a crucial victory and overcome a mental hurdle.
Unai Emery’s side haven’t responded well to playing in the Champions League this season with only one win in eight attempts after playing in midweek.
Villa hadn’t taken three points after a European fixture since beating Wolves 3-1 in September, a seven-game winless run that was finally ended at Brentford.
Their back four defended superbly, particularly Tyrone Mings and Axel Disasi, while stand-in goalkeeper Robin Olsen was faultless. They prepared for a battle and won it.
Villa won’t play again in the Premier League for over three weeks and by that time could be in the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals as they head into their final nine league games to secure European football again. It promises to be some finale.
David Richardson
Brentford home form undoing European push
The Gtech Community Stadium was the most feared Premier League ground in the country earlier this season – now everyone will want to go there.
Brentford won seven of their first eight games at home – and drew the other – which made up for their nine-game winless run on the road that included seven defeats.
But the form has flipped with Thomas Frank’s side now on their longest winless streak at home in the top four tiers since a run of nine in 2006 in League One. It is seven games without a win, featuring five losses. In contrast, they’ve won their last four away matches.
Bryan Mbeumo leaps to control the ball against Aston Villa
Brentford hammered in 26 goals in their golden run at home earlier this season but now they have well and truly dried up with just one in their last four.
And to compound their woes, Brentford are the only side across the top four tiers of English football without a home clean sheet this season. They’ve conceded in each of their last 16 league games.
So much for home comforts.
David Richardson
