Key events
Andy Robertson expected to be out for another month
More from Liverpool, whose left-back Andy Robertson’s recovery from a shoulder injury looks like sidelining him for the remainder of January, reports PA Media. The Scotland captain has been out since surgery in October after sustaining a dislocation on international duty.
It had been expected the 29-year-old would be close to a return in the new year, but Jürgen Klopp said the defender needs further rehabilitation time. “Robbo still needs more range in his shoulder. Obviously it was a big surgery. [He is] still not even close to team training or whatever,” he said.
“[He] can do a lot, everything without using the arm properly, which is obviously good, but on the other side shows us we still have a long way to go. For sure, I think, the full January he has to get closer and closer.”
Mikel Arteta was notably more circumspect over last night’s VAR kerfuffle – surrounding the allowing of West Ham’s first goal when the ball appeared to have crossed the byline in the buildup – than he was after a similar incident cost Arsenal at Newcastle. Here’s what he had to say about the game against West Ham in general:
Never mind all the focus on Arsenal’s slip-up last night, West Ham got everything right, and here’s some reaction from their striker Jarrod Bowen, courtesy of PA Media.
“It’s a massive win. We knew it was going to be difficult as these are a top side, but we managed to build on what we did against Manchester United,” Bowen told the club’s website. “I think, for us, we haven’t been consistent enough. We might have won one game and then the Fulham game springs to mind when we conceded five, and if we want to be spoken about to go to the top six and finishing higher in the division then we need to be consistent.
“I said after the Man United game that we needed to come here with a mindset to take points and we’ve done that. It’s those consistency levels … we play Brighton in a few days [Tuesday] and we have to go there and win that as well.”
Arsenal, on the other hand, could only reflect on chances not taken. “I think we created more than enough to score goals to win the game,” said their captain, Martin Ødegaard. “It was the little details and the little last pass or the finish that was missing. We have to learn from it and make sure we get sharper and better in front of the goals. The goals we conceded were too easy, so definitely in front of the goals, inside the boxes, that’s where the games are decided. We weren’t good enough.”
And now to Newcastle’s next opponents, Liverpool, the leaders. Jürgen Klopp has been riffing on why Liverpool’s defence has improved so much this season. “It’s just general defending, that’s how it is. Everyone buys into the way we have to work, not that the team didn’t do that last year but you lose too many balls in areas you don’t want to and you suffer – last year that was more of a problem. Recently we have stepped up counterpressing wise so that means everyone works better: midfield, front three, and the high line keeps opponents from having so many chances. It’’s just the effort everyone puts in.”
Newcastle, Klopp says, have been unlucky with injuries. “They’re not used to international [European] football, all the games they’ve lost they’ve had really good spells, they have a really good idea of how they want to play, but Eddie had to play too often the same lineup with all these games for a long, long time. But now they have five or six days between games and that helps, using that extra recovery time. We have a busy January and we all have to get through that.”
Diogo Jota’s return “is super important. … it’s so important these boys can rotate between them with all these games, if Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] can be back that would be outstanding too. Jota’s football brain is very smart, he understands the game particularly well, some players really understand the game on a different level and he’s one of them. He knows how to adapt to what your opponent is doing and he’s a great finisher. He scores [like at Burnley] but he misses chancse as well but it’s also about creating, and then they all can score. We need these boys.
In the last few games even when the results haven’t been good, we’ve found a good rhythm, not in a rush, and played the way we wanted, and that’s helpful. It gives you a good feeling, and momentum.”
Klopp then bristles a tad at being asked whether VAR should be looked at by the game’s authorities. “I really don’t think I should answer this, the things we discuss [on this] are not interesting any more. It just becomes ‘Klopp said,’ and it’s not helpful any more, We can talk about it on and on and on and the authorities have to be brave.” But as for binning it entirely: “Oh my God take me away – use it better, the right way.”
Eddie Howe has admitted he hasn’t had guarantees he’ll be able to splash the cash next month. Asked about transfers ahead of Newcastle’s visit to Liverpool on Monday, the managers said: “We haven’t had those assurances. It’s a difficult month when January comes around, financial fair play continues to play a part in decision-making so let’s wait and see.” Howe said he remained in frequent dialogue with Newcastle’s Saudi owners. “I always communicate with them win, lose or draw.”
Howe also praised Newcastle’s fans for sticking with them in this current lean patch. “Supporters have been second to none, we didn’t perform as we wanted to [in the Boxing Day defeat by Nottingham Forest] but supporters stayed with us.
“It’s been a difficult period, December was always going to be really tough – we’ve gone out of two competitions we were determined to do well in and our performances haven’t been where they want to be. We have to be strong, stand up and be counted and respond. January is a great opportunity for us to fight back and show our qualities.
The Newcastle manager said the return of Joelinton is a boost: “Whenever you lose a player of Joe’s quality it’s felt and it’s felt harder when other players are out, he showed that when he came on [against Forest] – his ability in the duels in the middle of the pitch is vital.”
Preamble
Morning everyone. It feels kind of strange to be previewing another round of fixtures when the previous one finished only late last night, but here we are: no one ever quite knows what day it is at this time of year and I for one plan a nice brisk Sunday stroll when the working day is done to clear away the cobwebs.
And so the top flight goes again tomorrow, starting at lunchtime with in-form Luton squaring up to Mauricio Pochettino’s wildly unpredictable Chelsea, before afternoon fixtures that include ostensible home bankers for Manchester City against Sheffield United and Aston Villa against Burnley, and who knows what for Manchester United at Nottingham Forest. We’ve got media conferences coming up today from Erik ten Hag, Pep Guardiola and Eddie Howe, among others.
One suspects Pep in particular will be in perky mood after Arsenal’s defeat by West Ham last night exposed failings in their title credentials, while Spurs will be licking their wounds after a 4-2 going-over by a Brighton side back to their ebullient best in the league. And of course with three days to go until the slammed-shut transfer window is prised back open again, there’s all sorts of conjecture to feed off.
There are also four Serie A fixtures this evening, with the leaders Internazionale visiting Genoa and the inconsistent champions, Napoli, have a tricky assignment against Monza. What’s more, there’s a full EFL programme too, with Championship leaders Leicester visiting Cardiff, who’ve improved since Erol Bulut took over, second-placed Ipswich hosting QPR and a tasty looking showdown between West Brom and Leeds. I also like the look of Oxford v Derby in League One and Bradford at home to the League Two leaders, Stockport.
Here’s some reading from last night to start you off:
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