The walls of Man City are crumbling… again
Just when you think Manchester City have this winning football game figured out, they move two steps away from another Premier League title.
Brentford – who went into the match with the second-best home record in the league after Liverpool – is certainly not an easy place to go. But to battle as hard as Manchester City did to take a 2-0 lead and then let it slip through their fingers is another worry.
It was far from their worst performance this season, but until the 66th minute their finishing was wasteful. In fact, they could have been well behind had Brentford not missed good opportunities at the other end.
But the attack probably wasn't the problem. Kevin De Bruyne rolled back the years for Phil Foden's opener with a superb cross and Savinho looked lively, grabbing an assist and hitting the post.
During his pre-match press conference, Pep Guardiola admitted that his team's defense has not been good enough this season. Unfortunately, the players proved him right.
The old Manchester City would have seen such a match. But once again Pep and his players found the walls collapsing around them. Whether this will lead to an increase in transfer activity in January remains to be seen, but it was another reminder of Manchester City's problems this season.Charlotte Marsh
Potter uses his luck to get off target
Graham Potter is already working his magic at West Ham. What Julen Lopetegui would have given for a victory that was in some ways as fortuitous as this. Only six ball contacts in the opponent's penalty area. Three goals from three shots on target, from an xG of 1.1. Potter will hope it will always be this way.
The former Brighton and Chelsea boss had three training sessions and Friday's FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa to get his ideas across to his new players.
Yet the Hammers, sometimes shabby under Lopetegui, already look something approaching a functioning, well-coached football team. They were helped by some terrible defending from Fulham, with goalkeeper Bernd Leno in particular having an evening to forget.
Potter will be annoyed by the way two Alex Iwobi crosses flew straight in, maintaining his average of two goals conceded per game this season.
He will also be aware of how Fulham hit the crossbar twice. But he will also be encouraged by the way in which, after pushing their luck, they overcame a late barrage to claim a first home win since December 9.
Potter had vowed to be 'creative' in choosing his formation, with his attacking options depleted by the absences of Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Fullkrug, Michail Antonio and Crysencio Summerville. That will be necessary, despite the promising signs that Bowen will be back earlier than planned. For now, he can toast this somewhat fortuitous victory. Ben Grounds
Wasting Chelsea a worry for Maresca
Straight out of the blocks it was the Cole Palmer show – the Chelsea show – against Bournemouth.
Palmer was at his magical best, his dummy and finish giving the Blues a deserved lead. They were completely dominant with thirteen shots, five of which were on target. The crucial statistic, however, was that they only showed one goal at half-time.
Nicolas Jackson's wait for a goal continues. He was lively against the Cherries but lacked incisiveness. Three of his seven attempts resulted in saves from Mark Travers.
He wasn't the only one to blame as waste proved costly as Bournemouth got back into the game and Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca admitted his side's second-half decline was worrying.
Chelsea were eventually given a 'get out of jail' card by James' free-kick in stoppage time, but Enzo Maresca's side are now five games without a win in the league.
It's not a crucial result in terms of their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, but they will need to find ruthlessness in front of goal if they want to stay in the top four.Oliver Yew
Finally, the last laugh is with change
Arne Slot was the target of the Nottingham Forest supporters throughout the match, even his choice of shoes was a cause for criticism. With Liverpool one behind in the second half, they started the chant 'Arne Slot, it's happening again', a reference to Forest's win at Anfield.
The Dutchman forced a smile in their direction and although he didn't quite have the last laugh, his team did force the equalizer that maintains Liverpool's unbeaten Premier League away record. It came as a result of his own intervention after a bold change.
Bringing on Kostas Tsimikas for the struggling Andy Robertson was clear enough, but removing Ibrahima Konate for Diogo Jota took some imagination. Ryan Gravenberch dropped into defense and Luis Diaz briefly operated in a deeper role in midfield.
Slot's game-changing decisions have been praised since the opening weekend, but rarely will a move pay off as quickly as this one, with both substitutes combining for the equalizer. He wanted a win. But this could still prove to be a valuable point for Liverpool.Adam Bate
Murillo sums up Forest's determination
There were some excellent performances from the Nottingham Forest players against Liverpool, but Murillo was probably the best choice, just ahead of goalkeeper Matz Sels, whose saves were so important.
The centre-back worked like a magnet on the ball in the Forest box and deflected almost everything. His total of 18 game appearances was the most of any player in any Premier League match all season.
The previous highest total? Murillo was also responsible for this and made fifteen clearances in Forest's draw against Brighton in September. The 22-year-old is breaking his own records and making his mark on the Premier League and continues to thrive. Nick Wright
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