Winners and Losers : Premier League Gameweek 16

The final Premier League matchday before the World Cup begins has effectively set the tone for the rest of the season once it resumes again.

Coaches know what they miss. Club hierarchies know who they need & clubs and fans alike know what’s the task ahead of them. And from those final full-time whistles across England, here’s our set of Winners and Losers from gameweek 16.

Also read: Mukesh Ambani & Liverpool: Why It Could Be Just What The Club Needs

Winners

Arsenal

Trust the process. Mikel Arteta may not be an Arsene Wenger or a Pep regen, but he has got Arsenal playing some of the best football in Europe. They sit atop the league with a 5-point lead, the joint-best defense in the league, and the second-best attack behind City; the 2-0 win against Wolves with Captain Odegaard scoring a brace puts Arsenal in an exceptional place.

There’s a sense of vigor and hunger in this team; their squad depth can be questioned but there’s no lack of intent or quality in this Arsenal side. 

The previously distant thought of the English crown coming back to London, particularly the red half of London, does seem very plausible now.

Bentancur & Spurs

Arguably the most entertaining match of the week took place in London, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Finishing 4-3 to Spurs, it was a fiery affair from the get-go. Leeds lead, Spurs equalize, Leeds hit back before the clock struck 45′.

The second half began with a bang too with Spurs equalizing only for Leeds to regain supremacy at the 76′ minute. And then it was time for the Rodrigo Bentancur show. 2 goals in 3 minutes from an xG of 0.35, the score read 4-2 and that meant Antonio Conte’s side will go into the break sitting in the Champions League places.

What it means 👇#ConteCam pic.twitter.com/pVpBUuSVCo

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 14, 2022

Manchester United

A Manchester United performance that’s reminiscent of the clutch United performances of yesteryear. An Alejandro Garnacho cameo for the history books. That’s what it took for the Red Devils to beat Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Eriksen opened the scoring with a poke in only for Daniel James to be exquisite once again on the counter & against United. Garnacho came in to replace Elanga in the 72′ only to begin and end the move in the dying seconds to get United the 3 points.

Considering the shambolic state they were in, and the awful performances they’ve had to endure; a 5th place finish in November is not so bad for Erik ten Hag, especially considering that it’s only a +3 away from fourth along with the game in hand.

As United showed glimpses of their past glory, Garnacho showed that there’s another prince in town for the Old Trafford faithful; similar to how a boy from Madeira took to the place all those years ago.

Losers

Manchester City

Southgate’s snub, Toney’s masterclass. The only issue was that City were caught amidst the friendly fire and had to take damage. City struggled to break through the Hornets’ low block with their usual City flair.

Meanwhile, Toney was at his efficient best; accumulating 2.13 xGOT from an xG of 1.01. An insane overperformance, which no one expected. Definitely not City at least. Foden’s brilliant strike was enough to pull one back but resilience from Brentford won in the end. 

City pushed higher and higher for the winner as time went on and eventually shot themselves in the foot. A 5 point gap at the top for the reigning champions. City will have to do more if they’re to win the league again.

Everton

Relegation scraps aren’t new at Goodison as the recent past suggests. The season is long and a lot can change even from now onwards. But, Everton will be kicking themselves for this one. Pickford’s gift granted Bournemouth the lead. And the Cherries went on to get 2 more from set-piece scenarios.

Getting outplayed by Bournemouth, a direct rival in the anticipated relegation scrap is not a sight that exudes any fan with confidence. 64% possession and just an xG of 0.83 was also telling. 

January is crucial for Everton as their lack of a no. 9 is as obvious as day and night, but in the current market; the question is who though?

West Ham

Not all London sides seem to be at their best, particularly West Ham. A loss at home to Leicester adds insult to injury. David Moyes’ spending during the summer has not set off yet and is taking its toll.

Bowen’s dip in form really hampered the Hammers’ impetus in attack. Scamacca & Paqueta are still to settle in and nothing just seems to be clicking for the club. 12 goals from an xG of 19.7 from 15 games explains it all.

There’s been massive underperformance and they are bearing the brunt of it.

“It’s fine margins. It is fine margins. We’re causing our own mistakes at the minute.. And.. It’s costing us big time.”, said Declan Rice after the game against Leicester.

West Ham are better than this; they have to be. Their fans expect much more & they must show it on the pitch in terms of results, especially if they want to keep themselves in the Premier League.