The Briefing: Who Can Challenge Liverpool, Vulnerable Haaland, and Man Utd’s Struggles with ‘Olimpicos’?
Greetings and welcome to a unique festive installment of The Briefing, your go-to source for the key discussions surrounding the Premier League.
On Boxing Day, eight matches unfolded, impacting the standings across the board. It was a phenomenal day for Liverpool, who surged seven points ahead at the summit following their 3-1 victory over Leicester and Chelsea’s unexpected home loss to Fulham.
Manchester City faced another costly defeat against Everton, while Manchester United suffered further misery and, for the umpteenth time, Nottingham Forest enjoyed a remarkable day.
Here, we analyze the standout moments.
Liverpool are in control – who can halt their momentum?
In title races, some weekends elevate potential into reality.
Boxing Day might be remembered as the day Arne Slot’s Liverpool transitioned from being merely early frontrunners to a side with the trophy firmly in their sights.
After coming from behind to triumph over Leicester 3-1, they now boast a seven-point lead at the top with a game in hand over Chelsea. Arsenal, the only other significant contender within striking distance, trail by two points and have a crucial match against Ipswich on Friday.
While Liverpool has occupied the top rung of the title race in previous years, this season is different; they are not being chased by Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s squad previously left no room for mistakes in 2018-19 and 2021-22, when even 97 and 92 points were insufficient for the title.
The absence of City in the competition has allowed another team to dictate the pace for the first time since 2019-20, when Liverpool clinched their first title in three decades by 18 points.
Mohamed Salah netting Liverpool’s third against Leicester (Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
They widened such a gap early on that they avoided the typical relentless pressure of a title race where shifts in momentum are common. A similar trend is appearing this season, having dropped only nine points in a campaign where every leading club frequently loses points to non-‘Big Six’ opponents.
Liverpool is poised for a 94-point season, demonstrating performance at the level City has established as the standard.
Arsenal trails 11 points behind the pace they set two seasons ago and six points behind last season’s. While they remain in contention, their experience from the last two seasons could serve them well in the new year, but Liverpool enjoys a margin for error that Arsenal lacked in their recent campaigns.
And Chelsea? Enzo Maresca has repeatedly claimed that his young squad isn’t ready to be viewed as title challengers, but that’s what all managers assert until they find themselves entrenched in contention. Their struggle to close out the Fulham match may suggest he’s onto something.
Contrarily, Liverpool remained composed after falling behind. They exude an assurance that they possess the offensive power to rectify any circumstance, a confidence that distinctly sets them apart.
Why does Manchester United keep conceding ‘olimpicos’?
Manchester United fans worldwide encountered an unwelcome term this week: ‘olimpico’ — a goal scored directly from a corner.
Coined in 1924 when Cesareo Onzari struck for Argentina against Uruguay, the reigning Olympic champions, it’s a club that includes the likes of David Beckham, Christian Pulisic, Thierry Henry, and Megan Rapinoe (twice).
Once an infrequent occurrence, it has become a new source of suffering for United, who conceded the same goal twice in a week with different keepers. Altay Bayindir was the first victim in the 4-3 Carabao Cup loss to Tottenham: a cross from Son Heung-min curled into the net after he struck it while facing 90 degrees away from his target, akin to a golfer executing a sand wedge to generate spin.
Matheus Cunha executed a nearly identical technique on Thursday, further sealing United’s fate with their fourth Premier League defeat in five matches.
The cross landed directly over Andre Onana, who was sandwiched between Matt Doherty and Santiago Bueno. The Cameroonian failed to adequately disentangle himself, and as he attempted to punch the ball away, he misjudged its trajectory, resulting in the goal. Very few, apart from Onana, contested the decision.
UK readers watch here:
A man down, and now a goal down!
Matheus Cunha’s corner swings STRAIGHT IN and Wolves lead Man Utd 😱#PLonPrime #WOLMUN pic.twitter.com/H0T3LvhzxG
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024
U.S. readers watch here:
A MATHEUS CUNHA OLIMPICO GIVES WOLVES THE LEAD OVER MAN UNITED. 😲
📺 USA Network | #WOLMUN pic.twitter.com/qAH9yMv7PT
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2024
Ruben Amorim has several issues to address, with Onana’s reliability in goal being one of them. His penchant for creating drama at unnecessary moments (in the first half Harry Maguire was left exasperated when he theatrically tipped over a straightforward header) and his failure to command his penalty area culminated in Cunha’s olimpico.
It’s likely that other teams will emulate this strategy in 2025.
How a grimace highlighted Haaland’s vulnerabilities
There once was a time when Jordan Pickford making faces during a penalty would elicit only an amused reaction from Erling Haaland before he launched the ball into the net.
However, the Manchester City forward now finds himself in an unexpectedly human situation.
With the match tied at 1-1, Haaland faced off against Pickford, who widened his eyes and stuck out his tongue, reminiscent of a Haka, the ceremonial war dance performed by New Zealand’s rugby union team. Inhaling deeply and puffing out his cheeks, Haaland attempted to maintain composure, but his efforts fell flat.
Jordan Pickford attempts to distract Erling Haaland before his penalty (Amazon Prime)
His feeble penalty was easily deflected by Pickford, and while he converted the rebound, it was ruled offside. This marked his seventh penalty miss from a total of 54 attempts, with two misses occurring in the last two months alone, amplifying City’s slump to just one win from their last 13 outings.
Since the beginning of November, they have accumulated the joint-fewest points (5) alongside bottom-placed Southampton. In contrast, Haaland has netted just three goals across his last 12 starts.
During the match against Everton, the Norwegian recorded merely 22 touches and two shots. It’s not uncommon for Haaland to seem peripheral to the game, given that his primary strength is his finishing. However, his big chance conversion rate has plummeted from 46.9 percent and 41.1 percent in his first two seasons to just 34 percent this season.
Jordan Pickford saves Erling Haaland’s penalty (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
The air of inevitability has vanished, and so has the trepidation felt by opponents, underscored by Everton’s late counter-attacks, in which they should have scored a winner.
While City’s earlier domination left some spectators unphased, their recent decline has imbued their characters with a sense of humanity. Once seen as a goal-scoring machine, Haaland now appears relatable, especially after remarking to Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta to “stay humble” following a last-minute draw in September.
If City hopes to escape mid-table mediocrity, they require Haaland to quickly regain his former prowess.
Farewell Amazon – your presence will be missed
And so, we bid adieu to Amazon Prime’s time in the Premier League; brief as it was.
Friday marks the last two fixtures the part-time broadcaster will air before its Premier League contract concludes at the season’s end. From 2025 to 2029, Sky Sports and TNT Sports will emerge as the sole live broadcasters in the UK under a £6.7 billion agreement.
That deal proved too steep for Amazon, prompting their decision to refocus on presenting sporadic Champions League matches instead.
Will their departure be felt? Did they offer anything truly beneficial or different to our viewing experience? Certainly, the coverage was mostly high-end, particularly given their limited involvement during the season.
Presenting all 10 matches in a single matchday was novel and particularly effective during Boxing Day, with eight encounters taking place. When Amazon first entered the Premier League scene in 2019, viewers dealt with an annoying stream delay, making it tricky to navigate social media without stumbling upon spoilers. However, limiting social media engagement wasn’t necessarily a bad outcome.
Aside from that minor issue, there were few complaints; Amazon adhered to a convention similar to Sky Sports and seemed to heed viewer feedback when selecting presenters and pundits, such as the nostalgic reunion of Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara on Boxing Day, while seasoned broadcaster Jim Rosenthal appeared alongside astute analysts like Martin O’Neill and Les Ferdinand.
Chris Kamara back and reporting live from the City Ground! 🙌#PLonPrime #NFOTOT pic.twitter.com/WNCKKAdVTc
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024
If only TNT Sports would consider viewer preferences as well.
Amazon’s farewell day took on a somewhat challenging viewing experience, not due to any emotional distress over their departure, but due to the thick fog blanketing the country. In Nottingham, the mist rolled in from the Trent (perhaps someone should pen a ballad about that).
As Lucy Ward noted during the Wolves versus Manchester United match, attempting to retrieve the ball from Cunha was akin to trying to tackle fog.
Ultimately, Amazon’s exit is unlikely to drastically alter the Premier League broadcasting scene, as they only showcased 20 matches per season. Yet, they successfully illustrated to their competitors how football ought to be presented.
Forest’s fire is a boon for football
The infectious euphoria at the City Ground was hard to ignore as Tottenham Hotspur walked away as the latest victims of Nottingham Forest’s Nuno-lution.
Players were lifted high, the crowd sang in unison, and the air was filled with the sounds of dancing to Freed from Desire.
Forest now finds themselves third in the Premier League, a position they’ve attained not merely through luck but through relentless organization, a complete team effort, and spirited attacking play.
Against Spurs, the emphasis was less on the creativity of Morgan Gibbs-White (who assisted the winning goal with a pinpoint through ball) or the striking prowess of Chris Wood, but rather their unwavering resolve.
With seven clean sheets already, their defensive strength is palpable, and should this continue, a permanent position in the top four seems feasible, especially as Spurs and the two Manchester clubs struggle.
Nottingham Forest fans reveling in their team’s rise in the standings (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Is it feasible for Forest to maintain this momentum? There’s little to suggest otherwise.
Previously, the Champions League spots seemed reserved strictly for Newcastle and Aston Villa, but the unusual league landscape this season suggests a potential shift in power dynamics, however temporary it may be.
For fans around the nation, competing with the major and wealthy clubs in England now appears a realistic endeavor once more. That’s a significant positive.
What lies ahead?
Friday
Sunday
- Leicester City vs Manchester City (2:30pm; 9:30am ET)
- Crystal Palace vs Southampton (3pm; 10am ET)
- Everton vs Nottingham Forest (3pm; 10am ET)
- Fulham vs Bournemouth (3pm; 10am ET)
- Tottenham vs Wolves (3pm; 10am ET)
- West Ham vs Liverpool (5:15pm; 12:15pm ET)
Monday
- Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion (7:45pm; 2:45pm ET)
- Ipswich Town vs Chelsea (7:45pm; 2:45pm ET)
- Manchester United vs Newcastle United (8pm; 3pm ET)
