Premier League Review - Spurs now in the race for the title

Manchester City have checked out

Manchester City have checked out for the rest of the season, then. They have the team and the players, and even the know-how, on how to beat Spurs, and instead they blew it. Even more impressively, they blew it despite coming back with a late equaliser. Losing late on, having already conceded, suggests a lack of interest in focussing on their job and doing what can be expected of them. That should be no surprise, as City have underperformed since October (and for most of last season, in truth). They all now know for certain that Pep Guardiola will arrive, and most of them will know which club they will be at already. Yaya Toure, for example, knows he’ll be off in the summer.

Spurs, however, have won seven games in a row, an impressive run of form for any club in the world. For them, it is a demonstration of the understanding and verve that Mauricio Pochettino has given this new side. In those seven games, they have scored 19 goals and conceded just four. It’s not like Leicester City, who have outscored their opposition despite regularly conceding, it’s perhaps something more sustainable. This has meant that Spurs have the best defensive record in the league, and a goal difference that is superior to Arsenal by nine goals. With such an upturn in performance, it will not even be a shock if Spurs win the league. Poor Arsenal. Again.

Arsenal keep the pressure to a minimum

Leicester cannot complain about the defeat. They have only themselves to blame. Danny Simpson earned his red card, and Aaron Ramsey’s vituperative reaction isn’t gamesmanship, but touchiness over his career after Ryan Shawcross broke his leg. Marcin Wasilewski’s hapless challenge on Nacho Monreal was slightly nasty, obviously late, and appeared unwise. Ordinarily you could criticise a player for such a silly decision, but after playing with 10 men for so long, and under such pressure, such things are inevitable when you’re limited to using humans in your team.

For Arsenal, they were on the cusp of throwing away their season, again, but Danny Welbeck’s anomalously effective intervention, so late in the game, has returned them to favourites for the title. However, given how often they have stumbled, and with the Champions League disappointment almost inevitable in their next tie, Arsenal cannot consider the title theirs until it is in their hands. The pressure has increased on them with this win, but it would have been even greater on their manager had they failed to win against Leicester.

Aston Villa have the holiday brochures out in February

There are sometimes games which you can remember as the moment that a manager lost his players, or a side lost faith in themselves, or the club itself. Manchester City lost 8-1 to Middlesbrough on the last day of the season when they were still under their previous ownership. Brendan ‘Brendan’ Rodgers’ players gave up completely on the last day of the season away to Stoke, presumably assuming he was already toast. Now, Aston Villa players turned up in body, and in their head they were happily replaying the start of Die Hard. They got smashed 6-0 against Liverpool. A Liverpool, let’s remember, who are even worse than Manchester United this season.

Now, Villa might not have been funded to the tune necessary to stay up. Remi Garde may have been given a hospital pass by inheriting a side managed by Paul Lambert and then Tim Sherwood. Villa might have an owner who has lost interest in the world’s most expensive hobby, owning a football club. And as poor as the squad is because of all those factors, they should not cave so pathetically, especially at home, to a mediocre side. Garde is likely to be kept on by Villa next season, because at some point they have to take the sensible option - but it’s obvious that they need yet another clearout, if only to stop them collapsing in on themselves in extreme financial distress. Given the efforts of the current squad, that is no bad thing.

Louis van Gaal should be sacked, just as he should have been last week

Congratulations to Louis van Gaal, he is the world’s most optimistic and positive man. There’s no other explanation for describing United’s form as like champions, or saying the way they are playing is ‘sparkling.’ The only other option is that he’s incapable of, if not admitting the truth, then at least putting a more workable spin on a miserable situation. Manchester United have been awful for most of the season, and it’s getting worse. The undefeated runs are getting far shorter, and are achieved against worse sides.

The last three games before the defeat against Sunderland were Derby, Stoke and an unambitious Chelsea. The next few are against Midtjylland twice, and Shrewsbury, teeing them up nicely for an absolute battering against Arsenal when all that is done. It’s an established cycle: an indictment of the stagnant board, outmoded management and substandard squad. Jose Mourinho is not yet scheduled to be brought in before the summer. It seems United are happy to play woefully for at least another three months.

Sunderland took advantage of that, and their spirited attack and disciplined defence was enough to see them to three points. They’re still in the relegation zone, but if the players can convince themselves that they’re at the start of yet another resurgence, then they might carry themselves - armed with Sam Allardyce’s new signings - over the line.

Norwich City demonstrate why they are on the cusp of relegation

Norwich City must have been confident. They had taken all that West Ham had to offer after an hour, and they were 2-0 up. The goals, from Wes Hoolahan and Robbie Brady, hinted at the kind of quality that such a ridiculous television deal can give a side, even if it may be relegated. It was a chance to put distance between them and the relegation zone, but it was not to last. Despite West Ham’s injuries, and despite their exertions for two hours against Liverpool in the FA Cup in midweek, it was not enough. Dimitri Payet’s return from injury has given them yet another player who can make the difference, to add to Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho and Manuel Lanzini, when they are fit, and he created one, and scored the other. Norwich City must have been confident, but their lack of steel in defence cost them.