5 top talking points from the weekend’s Premier League action
Published:Everton, Tottenham and Newcastle hit headlines
The dust has settled on another busy weekend of Premier League football.
There was plenty of drama. Manchester City were made to sweat on Sunday, while things got worse still for Everton.
So before a full flurry of midweek action, the Coral News Team runs through the five major talking points from Saturday and Sunday…
Koeman wasn’t the Everton problem
Since Ronald Koeman was sacked at Everton, the Toffees haven’t shown a single ounce of improvement.
The Merseysiders were hammered 4-1 by Southampton on Sunday, and the scoreline flattered David Unsworth’s side.
The Saints had failed to score in 10 of their previous 13 home games, yet every outfield player had a shot on target at Jordan Pickford on Sunday.
Everton are completely lost. If Koeman was the problem they would have improved by now.
They’ve played Leicester City, Watford, Crystal Palace and Southampton since he left, collecting a measly four points.
The art of winning when playing poorly
Each of Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham struggled to break down their opponents this weekend.
But while the former trio all managed to bag three points despite being below their best, Spurs could only draw at home to West Bromwich Albion.
It’s the third time the North Londoners have produced such a result, having also drawn at home to Swansea City and Burnley this season.
It means Mauricio Pochettino’s men slip outside the top four, and are now a mighty 13 points off Man City.
With difficult trips to Leicester and Watford in the next six days, Spurs might drop a few more points before Christmas arrives.
Trouble for the Toon Army?
For the first two months of the campaign, Newcastle United looked to have erased any thoughts of a relegation battle.
But a 3-0 defeat at home to Watford on Saturday was the Magpies’ fourth defeat in succession.
They’ve scored just once in that spell, and they’ve faced winnable opponents in Burnley and Bournemouth in that time.
While talks of a £300m buyout continue, Rafa Benitez has work to do to ensure that any prospective buyers are purchasing a club in the top tier. Next up are successive away trips to a newly-galvanised West Brom, and then Chelsea…
Hammers aren’t out of the woods yet
When Mark Albrighton put Leicester City 1-0 up early on in their Friday night clash at West Ham, Irons supporters could have been forgiven for being downbeat.
But Cheikhou Kouyate’s equaliser on the stroke of half-time inspired the home fans, and the Hammers could well have won the game in the second period.
It’s a first point under the David Moyes era, and could prove a crucial turning point for the club’s fortunes.
The pressure doesn’t ease though. Moyes must get something from his new side’s trip to his old club Everton on Wednesday night.
That’s because the Hammers then play Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in succession to kick-off December.
Watch the Eagles soar
After losing their first seven games, Crystal Palace have collected eight points from six, including Saturday’s late win over Stoke City.
That ratio equates to more than 40 points over a full campaign.
And a look ahead suggests the Eagles can continue their revival.
Roy Hodgson will look to collect a hatful of points in their next six games. They play Brighton, West Brom, Bournemouth, Watford, Leicester and Swansea before Christmas. Expect them to be out of the bottom three when Santa comes knocking.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing