VAR was a headline act for all of the fallacious causes as soon as once more and it may show to have critical implications within the title race, which is effectively and actually again on after league leaders Arsenal dropped factors once more.
Elsewhere, one crew who has not misplaced because the World Cup break continues to considerably fly below the radar whereas a 10-second counter-attack highlighted why Liverpool could possibly be about to lastly flip a nook.
Review the weekend that was within the newest version of Premier League Talking Points!
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VAR-CICAL SCENES PROVE COSTLY
The PGMOL publicly apologised to each Arsenal and Brighton after a stunning Saturday for officers on the sector and within the VAR room.
Brentford’s equaliser on the Emirates did undergo a prolonged VAR test for off-side and a possible foul by Ethan Pinnock. But of their haste to then restart the sport, VAR didn’t test for off-side towards Christian Norgaard earlier than he squared for Ivan Toney to move in.
Brentford’s equaliser towards Arsenal shouldn’t have stood, however a human error from the VAR official allowed it to be confirmed. Picture: SuppliedSource: Supplied
Brighton had been additionally left aghast as Pervis Estupinan’s aim in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace was wrongly dominated out by incorrect drawing of the off-side strains by the VAR official.
PGMOL admitted each had been instances “human error” however they had been removed from the one baffling calls.
Chelsea had been additionally on the fallacious finish of a horrendous miss from VAR after the Blues had been omehow denied a late penalty of their 1-1 draw at West Ham when midfielder Tomas Soucek saved Conor Gallagher’s shot low to his left.
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, Alan Shearer, Danny Murphy and Gary Lineker ripped into VAR.
“You couldn’t make this up, actually … I don’t know what to say aside from it has been a horrendous day for VAR” Shearer mentioned.
Murphy replied: “I get to some extent the place I discover it actually troublesome to grasp how inefficient it’s. It’s changing into tedious.”
Lineker added: “Deary, deary me. We’ve acquired one other ricket.”
Liverpool lastly break shedding run | 02:26
13-SECOND COUNTER-ATTACK PROVES REDS ARE BACK?
It is perhaps a tad early to formally declare Liverpool are again to their greatest.
But, within the Reds’ 2-0 win over a struggling Everton facet, there have been sufficient glimpses to show that possibly, simply possibly, this crew would possibly kick into gear for the second half of the season.
Under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp, the Reds have develop into the most effective counterattacking groups within the Premier League, if not Europe.
However, that factor of their recreation had began to slide of their traditionally dangerous marketing campaign.
Star winger Mohamed Salah had misplaced kind, accidents throughout the board had depleted the squad and it appeared a endless 2021/22 marketing campaign had lastly caught as much as Klopp’s crop of Duracell bunnies.
Yet it took all of 13 seconds to remind the soccer world that Liverpool are nonetheless a pressure to be reckoned with.
That measly period of time is all it took for Liverpool, who had simply watched Everton defender James Tarkowski’s header smack the publish, to go from one finish to the opposite, completed off with a tidy Salah end.
Was this the aim that proved Liverpool would possibly lastly be again? (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
It was, as The Times’ Henry Winter wrote, “Klopp’s philosophy in movement.”
“This was what Liverpool followers craved, their crew enjoying with all their previous swagger once more, scything opposing midfields and defences open,” Winter mentioned.
“This was Klopp’s philosophy in movement. Liverpool’s neighbours may solely complain concerning the heavy steel.
“Everton had been torn aside.”
The second aim wasn’t fairly as quick, however as soon as it acquired going, it was as quick as lightning and culminated in January recruit Cody Gakpo scoring his first Liverpool aim.
With Virgil van Dijk, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino all on the bench and nearing full health, this Merseyside Derby could possibly be seen because the turning level of their season.
Klopp hasn’t smiled like this in fairly a while. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
GUNNERS FEELING THE HEAT?
Despite the injustice surrounding the circumstances of Brentford’s aim, there can be considerations for Mikel Arteta that Arsenal are starting to falter simply forward of a showdown with City on Wednesday.
The Gunners nonetheless have a recreation in hand on the defending champions to go along with a three-point lead, however City will go prime on aim distinction ought to they win on the Emirates.
Leandro Trossard’s first Arsenal aim to open the scoring on Saturday confirmed precisely why Arteta was eager to bolster his attacking choices within the January switch window.
But the presence of Gabriel Jesus is beginning to be missed up entrance and there stays an enormous artistic burden on Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
After dropping simply seven factors of their first 19 league video games of the season, Arsenal have let 5 slip away in two weeks towards Everton and Brentford.
Arteta’s facet have dropped essential factors of their previous two video games. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE SURPRISE SIDE AT THE TOP OF THE FORM LADDER
Since the Premier League has resumed after the World Cup, solely two groups have been undefeated.
One of these groups is Newcastle United who, in reality, haven’t misplaced within the league since September final 12 months.
The different? Brentford.
Thomas Frank’s facet have 5 wins and 5 attracts to their title because the Premier League’s return.
Critics might level to the actual fact the Bees have confronted 4 of the underside 5 in that point, drawing simply as soon as in that span of video games in a scoreless consequence towards Leeds on January 23.
But Brentford have additionally drawn towards Spurs and league-leaders Arsenal in addition to a 3-1 overcome Liverpool which, regardless of the Reds’ well-documented struggles this season, isn’t any small feat.
Thomas Frank has masterminded a surprising season for Brentford. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Star striker Ivan Toney, who had scored 10 objectives earlier than the break, has added 4 within the 10 video games since, together with one within the draw towards Arsenal on the weekend.
But towards the Gunners, it was his all-round recreation that made him such a menace for Arsenal’s backline to cope with.
According to Opta, Toney received 12 of his 13 aerial duels, with lots of them coming towards Arsenal’s William Saliba, who has a powerful top benefit over the Englishman.
Toney’s motion in open play and off set items additionally triggered Saliba all kinds of complications all through.
It was a efficiency that epitomised the three-word message Frank advised his troops earlier than the sport: “Be cool, courageous and aggressive.”
With a possible European journey subsequent season on the playing cards, it’s a mentality Brentford should proceed to make use of onwards.
Ivan Toney celebrates after scoring Brentford’s equaliser towards Arsenal. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
SAINTS PULL TRIGGER IN DESPERATE BID TO SURVIVE
That consequence proved to be the ultimate straw for the Saints board as they sacked a supervisor for the second time this season.
Nathan Jones received simply certainly one of his eight league video games in cost throughout a turbulent three months at St. Mary’s.
The outspoken Welshman had lengthy since misplaced the religion of the Southampton assist, with many followers questioning why it took the homeowners this lengthy to understand the error of their methods.
Southampton are rooted to the foot of the desk, 4 factors adrift of security.
The variety of sides Southampton can realistically hope to catch within the battle to beat the drop is rapidly dwindling.
