We take you the hits and misses of the Sunday Premier League promotions.
Van Dijk Vulnerability exposed by Fulham
Arne Slot came to Fulham to defend Virgil van Dijk after the 3-2 defeat of Liverpool, and said that every defender can have difficult moments against strikers as physical as Everton's Beto and Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz. But this was another display to show vulnerability at the 33-year-old.
Van Dijk, normally imperious, had trouble losing Beto's running in the 1-0 win over Everton in Midweek and Muniz got too easy for the goal that turned out to be decisive in Craven Cottage. The touch of the striker was brilliant. That was not Van Dijk's positioning.
He was not the only Liverpool defender who struggled in the game. In fact, they all did that. Ibrahima Konate was graciously replaced by lock halfway through the second half, but the Liverpool -Baas would have been justified to take off one of them.
Curtis Jones could only direct the cross of Timothy Castagne to the path of Ryan Sessegnon for the opening goal and Andrew Robertson was culpable for the second, his weak pass about his own goal that Alex Iwobi could score. Robertson hurried to try to correct his mistake, but only ended the shot of Iwobi past Caoimhin Kelleher.
Van Dijk's Error, getting the wrong side of Muniz and having him pick a high ball from heaven, closed a disastrous spell of 14 minutes that Liverpool leaves with work to cross the line. Their title is not in danger, but a third defeat in four competitions in all competitions, and more defensive fencing of mostly reliable players, is reason for concern. Nick Wright
De Bruyne situation seizes the need of Man City to rebuild
This was not how Kevin De Bruyne was meant to end his career in Manchester Derby.
The script is written for the midfielder of Man City to give the brightest rivals of the club a final explosion of magic. It was not in the scoreless draw at Old Trafford.
De Bruyne came in the game with the best chances created per 90 record in the Premier League this season. But playing in a free false nine role, he did not succeed in creating a single chance. He had two routine efforts directly with Andre Onana, in a largely ineffective display.
And the summons where the city is currently. Without Erling Haaland there is a lack of a threat in advance and it also emphasizes the age problem with the city.
De Bruyne started a big game for City at 33. Behind him in the city of midfield was Ilkay Gundogan, 34, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic, both 30. Everyone in the attacking spinal City is exactly the one or two years too old. And it turned out.
The city was flooded in midfield and lost 76 percent of the first half of duels – with United a real threat on the counter. It was not the first time that City has been exposed, which emphasizes the need for a rebuilding. Sam Blitz
Casemiro rolls back with monstrous shows for the years
Player-of-the-match awards are of course a subjective beast and Gary Neville knows more about football than I will ever do. But Bruno Fernandes, player of the game, Gary? Real?
The Portuguese Maestro is in great shape at the moment and looked most likely that he unlocked a game that had already been forgotten once the full -time whistle was blown, but there was only one excellent player at that pitch earned those distinctions and that was Casemiro.
I gave the Brazilian a fair bashen in the past year. He saw it off last season and it might be surprising that he is still playing in the Premier League. Well, based on this version, he is still a Premier League player.
He brought a phenomenal version for his back four. He sniffed danger. He made tackles. He led a good example.
The 11 tackles he made were the most player in the Premier League this season. He also won 13 duels, most player and the joint-mest won by a United player in a single match this season.
It was monstrous. Lewis Jones
Maresca's selection GOK is counterproductive
Eyebrows were certainly erected when the Chelsea team magazine entered Brentford without Cole Palmer or Nicolas Jackson in the starting XI.
Both players returned from an injury in the victory over Spurs on Thursday and, with the rapid turning until Sunday, Enzo Maresca left his most important attack options on the couch. What does he keep them for? The quarterfinals of the Conference League against Legia Warschaw on Thursday?
It was certainly a gamble, especially with Chelsea gave the chance to strengthen their position in the top five and close the gap to the third Nottingham-Bos placed after their defeat against Aston Villa.
What followed was a matte first half performance from Chelsea, who had no advanced edge without Palmer and Jackson.
Maresca knew it and quickly introduced Jackson and Palmer, and Chelsea's prospects changed completely. Jackson gave them a central point and Palmer, together with Pedro Neto, gave the blues a lot of attacking impulse.
In the end, neither of the players could help to break the impasse, because it ended aimlessly with the point that chelsea had nervous look over their shoulder at the champions League qualification.
Brentford missed an advanced edge in Chelsea Draw
Brentford has long waited for a home victory against Chelsea. The last time it happened – in October 1938 – the Second World War had not even started. And the 87-year-old waiting will continue after the scoreless draw at the Gtech.
That does not mean that they had no opportunities to win. In fact, they had 12 shots less than Chelsea, but they only generated 0.1 xg less than the blues (1.22 versus 1.32).
There was promise, especially in the first half. Mikkel Damsgaard sent a free kick whistje just over the bar, Bryan Mbeumo passed Reece James and broke a trademark low shot just past the post, while Kevin Gusto Gusto Schade gave all kinds of nightmares.
They save their best late, with Robert Sanchez who made two saves, Yoane Wissa sent a blind-headed millimeters past the post and Sepp van den Berg on their way of a point-blank range. However, the net was not rimpt.
If there is nothing else, Thomas Frank can be happy this season with a first clean lei at home in the competition – but it could certainly have been more.
Battering Ram Muniz makes his stamp on Liverpool
Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz took his goal brilliant against Liverpool, in which he fox Van Dijk with a sublime touch of a high ball, but the performance of the striker was usually about brutal strength. He made it a hellish afternoon for both Van Dijk and Konate.
The 23-year-old completed only four passes before his withdrawal into the second half, but he threw himself a total of 19 duels and won 10 of them. He hurried and cried the defenders of Liverpool, won mistakes and made his mark. The cheers who greeted his name when he was replaced showed how much the supporters of the home appreciated his efforts.
Muniz continues to play the role of Understudy instead of the leading man, with Raul Jimenez usually the first choice of Marco Silva in advance, but this was just the latest example of his effectiveness and it only came days after he scored as a replacement in the defeat against Arsenal.
He now has eight Premier League goals in just 895 minutes promotion this season and 11 goals in all competitions. Van Dijk and Konate will not lovingly remember their afternoon against him. Nick Wright
Juric certain saints will not set another undesirable record
Southampton boss Ivan Juric was adamant.
Southampton became the first team in the Premier League history that was relegated with no fewer than seven games of the remaining season, but it is again an undesirable record that the South-Coast Club is absolutely desperate to avoid between now and the end of the season and that was Derby's Trek of only 11 points when in 2007 08.
The saints have a meager 10 points to their name with seven games to play, so they only need two to establish a new record and they are confronted with colleague thrust Leicester City on the King Power on 3 May – but, after they have only won two games throughout the season, there is no guarantee that they will manage it. Rich Morgan
Do traces Momentum for Europa League QF?
During the tranquility of Tottenham's victory over Southampton, Spurs seemed to have a real momentum on their way to the crucial Europa League quarter final on Thursday against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Brennan Johnson's Double had the home team up 2-0 up in a first half in which they saw six shots on goal, 21 touches in the opposition box and 58 percent of the ball.
But due to full -time, the doubts and pessimism had been taken back while Spurs admitted late to set up an unnecessary nervy finish in an underwhelming second half, because they only had two shots on goal, four touches in the opposition box and 44 percent owned.
In all honesty for the players, their attention was probably already used to the first stage on Thursday.
There were encouraging displays from player-of-the-match Johnson and midfielders James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall-But Spurs needs more from Captain Heung-Min Son, who was one of the first replacements that Ange Postcoglou made.
While the Australian admitted his accident over the second half of his team, he acknowledged the importance of only their second win for home competition of 2025, so that they “ready for a big night on Thursday”.
But Postecoglou will know deep down that a second half like that will end their season against Frankfurt – and possibly his reign.
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