Matchday 16 - Quick Round Up

Match Day 16 Round Up



Saturday 13th December


Liverpool 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

Two teams playing a similar style of football, just led to the almost inevitable conclusion - the one with the better players usually wins. It was pretty much that simple, Liverpool were just better at playing that way and showed signs of improvement after their recent dire form. BHA gave a decent account of themselves, though were lucky to have their Gomez only given a yellow card for a midriff high studs-first challenge on Wirtz. Liverpool were hit by a couple of injuries, losing their Gomez (again) in the first half and then his replacement at right-back, Szoboszlai, also, and very worryingly, went off late on. There are real worrying signs of a lack of fitness in the Liverpool camp, which a higher quality team than the Seagulls could have exploited.

Starmen:
Jones - popped up everywhere and showed some moments of real class.
Szoboszlai - linked up really well with Salah, after he came on, and generally played really well until he picked up an injury.
Salah - lifted the crowd and team, showed great energy and his strength was just phenomenal, absolutely battered the BHA left-back and made him look like a small child. Tried too hard to play in others rather than taking a shot at times though, but did get an assist to break yet another Premier League record. This one is for the most goal contributions to a single team.
Ekitike - looked quick and hungry. Gave the Brighton defence a torrid time with his movement and pace.

Flops:
Konate - erratic once more, far too prone to brain farts, even when having an otherwise good game. The rest of the defence are all over the place trying to cover for his rashness.
Mac Allister - absolutely dreadful. Offered nothing.
Isak - looks so slow and lazy right now. If he is carrying an injury, get it fixed rather than keeping on using him and risk destroying his confidence.
Gomez, D. - should have seen a red card for his ridiculous challenge.
Dunk - was ran absolutely ragged by Ekitike.
Kadioglu - was almost humiliated by the way Salah continually battered him physically. It really was a completely one-sided contest and strange Hurzeler never looked to change something to either give him help or put someone else on Salah.


Chelsea 2-0 Everton

Everton will no doubt be wondering how they got beat, as they really should have come away from the game with a few goals, but for the lack of quality in their finishing. The Toffees were the better side in the first half, with both goals conceded against the run of play, but Chelsea improved in the second. This was a game that showcased how badly Everton need some goalscorers, while Chelsea have players all over the pitch that can weigh in with goals, even if their strikers are not much more clinical than Everton's.

Starmen:
Gusto - a goal and an assist from right-back. He is given a lot of freedom to get forward and has begun to make good use of it over the last few weeks.
Palmer - just having him back in the team gives the crowd a big lift.

Flops:
Estevao - plenty of talent but he is struggling at the moment for form.
Barry - a decent striker up front for the Toffees would have changed that game.
Grealish - has reverted to his Manchester City form recently.
Tarkowski - not his best day.


Burnley 2-3 Fulham

A game that was not as close a match as the final score might suggest. For most of the 90 minutes, Fulham were clearly the better side and had taken a 3-1 lead early in the second half and it never looked like Burnley would be able to come back into it. Late on, in the 86th minute, the Clarets did pull one back, but it was little more than a consolation. It was a very much needed result for Fulham, who had been looking in danger of slipping into a relegation battle. Burnley look like a team that lack the quality needed to stand any chance of saving themselves from the drop.

Starmen:
Larsen - the one player that showed any level of skill and creativity in the Burnley team.
Sonne - was very impressive at right-back after coming on in place of Tuanzebe.
Wilson - two assists and a goal for the Welsh player.
Bassey - though his finishing left a bit to be denied after breaking through at one point, he got a goal and was excellent throughout.

Flops:
Hartman - looks out of his depth in the Premier League.
Tuanzebe - very uncomfortable at full-back.


Arsenal 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

A surprisingly difficult game for the Gunners, who most have expected to stroll to victory over struggling Wolves, but they needed two own goals to clinch the win. I am not sure whether Arsenal showed patience or whether it was just more overly cautious play, but they failed to really get at Wolves in the way it had been expected they would. Once they took the lead, thanks to Johnstone, they sat back and invited Wolves on. It very nearly bit them on the backside hard. The quality is there to overrun Wolves, but they play so far within themselves that they are taking a huge risk by not putting games out of sight. Wolves looked much better, they are finally starting to have the feel of a team playing for each other and their manager. They played a lot like Edwards had Middlesbrough playing, prior to leaving to take charge of his old team. It is a massive improvement and there is now hope that at least they will not end the season as the worst team ever to play in the Premier League, even if there is not much hope of survival.

Starmen:
Hincapie - was very impressive.
Saka - caused havoc throughout the game, running the Wolves defence ragged.

Flops:
Johnstone - even putting aside his own goal, his performance was once again erratic and looks nowhere near good enough for this level.
Strand-Larsen - looks a little disinterested.



Sunday 14th December

West Ham United 2-3 Aston Villa

It did look like a shock might have been on the cards, with Villa poor in the first half, going in at half-time losing 2-1 to a West Ham team that looked fully in control. Then Morgan Rogers stepped up in the second half and Villa once more picked up three points to keep them in the battle at the top, making it 6 straight wins. They never really played particularly well, but they still keep winning and that can be a good habit to get into. Are they genuinely title challengers? They will need luck with injuries, but they very well might be. The Hammers look like they might have enough to get themselves out of the bottom three by the end of the season, if they can pick up their form, there are a few other teams that look vulnerable right now, not least Brentford.

Starmen:
Potts - looks a very good young player,
Bowen - in the first half, he was by far the best player on the pitch.
Rogers - dragged Villa to the win, not quite single-handedly, but certainly reminiscent of Steven Gerrard at his best with Liverpool.
Tielemans - his return from injury has given the Villans a midfielder with more creativity, something they were badly missing while he was on the sidelines.

Flops:
Wan-Bissaka - had a poor all-round game.
Paqueta - not as good as he likes to think he is.
Diouf - too weak defensively.
Watkins - well off his game still.
Konsa - made a lazy error which led to one of the Hammers' goals.


Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle United

Newcastle have looked terrible this season, particularly away from home, and completely failed to really get up for their Tyne-Wear derby match. Sunderland, on the other hand, were on it from the kick off and looked like a team that really cared about the result. Despite that, it took an own goal by Woltemade to split the two teams, with a lack of real quality attacking play in the game. It was a game that will have lifted the Mackems, who had hit a poor run and faced talk of bubbles bursting. The Toon, on the other hand, are having a torrid time on the road in the league and will need to fix that or questions will be asked of Howe's position.

Starmen:
Alderete - looks a very good defender.
Xhaka - a genuine leader.
Fee - just for the moment of skill on the sidelines, which raised the already feverish Sunderland fans to another level.
Thiaw - without him, this defeat would have been heavier.

Flops:
Elanga - anonymous.
Livramento - had a very poor game.


Nottingham Forest 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Frank's shithousery tactics were of little use against Dyche, who knows them all and has used them himself in his time at Burnley to keep them alive. As such, it was a completely one-sided match, with the Londoners well beaten. They were woeful, mainly due to the way Forest set up. Forest, on the other hand, were excellent and looked like the team looking for a top half position, rather than the one in a relegation battle. If they continue to play like this, they will not have to worry about the drop.

Starmen:
Murillo - the Forest defence looks so much more solid with him in it.
Sangare - two assists and a goal for him, he looks transformed this season after a difficult couple of years.
Hudson-Odoi - finally showing signs of being the player he was expected to be. Two goals and an assist for the winger.

Flops:
Richarlison - spent most of the game trying to climb out of Murillo's pocket and failing.
Gray - the youngster made an error which led to a goal for Forest and generally struggled in midfield.
van de Ven - lots of pace, but not the best at actually defending.
Romero - far too busy trying to pick fights to play.


Crystal Palace 0-3 Manchester City

A very comfortable win for City, as they look to keep the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the table. Palace looked to have little to offer and were well beaten. It looks like the European campaign is catching up with them now. For Man City, it was very similar to the old City that won 4 Premier League titles in a row - they simply overran Palace and had an in form, clinical striker to take the chances that came to him.

Starmen:
Haaland - two more goals for the big Norwegian striker.
Foden - scored the other goal in a performance that was much improved.

Flops:
Henderson - a game to forget for the former Man Utd man.
Sarr - offers little to the team.


Brentford 1-1 Leeds United

A tough match for both, with the result probably a fair one in the end, neither really deserved to lose. It was not a game that will live long in the memory, it was short on quality play but high in effort, with both teams giving their all. They looked exactly what they are, two teams likely to be in a relegation battle for the rest of the season. However, on the plus side, both teams are clearly capable of surviving if they get a bit of luck on their side and can keep up the effort made in this match.

Starmen:
Kayode - as well as being an excellent full-back, his long throws are a potent weapon.
Henderson - the leader of the team and scored their goal.
Gudmundsson - drove forward well from wing-back, as well as getting back to protect against Ouattara as much as possible.
Ampadu - held the midfield together and protected the defence well.

Flops:
Ouattara - had so many chances to do something but wasted them. He is quick and strong, but brainless.
Tanaka - I really like the Japanese player, but he struggled to get into the game.



Monday 15th December

Manchester United 4-4 Bournemouth

An exciting game littered with mistakes by the defences but lit up by some lovely play going forward. Bournemouth lost their defensive midfielder, Adams, to injury early in the match and looked wide open afterwards, Man Utd just look very weak in defence generally. It was very much a game for the viewer to enjoy, though both managers will have been having palpitations on the touchline at the defending! Bournemouth's defending was comical at times, with a bunch of defenders that desperately need upgrading upon.

Starmen:
Fernandes - he may not be liked by opposition fans, but he is still a fantastic attacking player. He did contribute to the lack of defensive protection but he made up for it with an assist and goal.
Cunha - a constant menace, he may not be a traditional front man, but he is a good foil for Mbeumo's pace in behind, while linking up well with Mount and Fernandes.
Tavernier - not the greatest player but always gives his all and picked up a goal and an assist.
Semenyo - caused the United defence no end of problems.

Flops:
Lammens - should have done better with the free kick and his all round play was not at the level we have come to expect.
Shaw - a terrible touch to give the ball away and then showed all his typical poor attitude by doing nothing to rectify it, other than stroll back while Bournemouth took it on and scored. He gets away with so much, but his fitness and attitude stinks up the place every time I see him play. It is little wonder he has weight issues, he has a lazy and sloppy attitude to everything he does.
Yoro - was given a torrid time by Semenyo.
Smith - nowhere near good enough when at his best, now he is well past it and struggles badly to keep up with play.
Truffert - gave away a goal and looks short of the level required.
Petrovic - had a disastrous game. It is little wonder Chelsea were so happy to get rid of him on this showing.

Written by Tris Burke December 17 2025 07:27:03