With Manchester City facing Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, Liverpool had a chance to pull ahead of their fellow challengers atop the Premier League table.
In the end, Liverpool had to settle for a scoreless draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford. However, the gap is only one point, so the race is still too close to call.
Here are three winners and three losers from Matchday 27 in the Premier League.
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WINNERS
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Four players were limping in the first half, three were eventually replaced and yet Man United kept Liverpool at bay.
That also kept Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s unbeaten league record intact, and it was thoroughly deserved.
United only conceded seven shots and they were all low-quality attempts, as evidenced by the expected goals from the game.
Solskjaer’s side had a tendency to leak chances to the opposition so it was a positive sign to see United nullifying Liverpool altogether.
The big concern now are the injuries sustained by Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Ander Herrera. But for this weekend, the club can be satisfied with Sunday’s result.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Having not started a league match since Dec. 16, Henrikh Mkhitaryan needed a strong performance on Sunday. He delivered exactly that, and then some.
The Armenian was involved in both goals for Arsenal in their victory over Southampton, which catapulted the Gunners into fourth place. Mkhitaryan also got it done defensively, contributing four tackles and tracking back regularly to ensure Saints couldn’t double up the flanks.
With added competition for places after Denis Suarez’s arrival, it’s imperative that Mkhitaryan maintains this form. So far, so good.
Miguel Almiron
Newcastle United is now four points clear of Southampton for the final relegation place in the Premier League. Newcastle fans can thank their attack for that.
Actually, to whittle down the list even further, Miguel Almiron is who should be praised. He completely transformed Newcastle’s attack. All that was missing was his first goal in English soccer.
Miguel Almirón vs Huddersfield Town:
46 touches
23/28 passes
6 key passes
3/4 shots on target
1/4 shots off the woodwork
1/1 dribble
1/1 tackle
1/1 long ball
1/1 through ball
1 interception
1 foul wonAll that was missing was a goal, but it’s coming. pic.twitter.com/9vfGPARyOr
— The Spectator's View (@thespectoview) February 24, 2019
Sure, it was Huddersfield Town but this sort of performance can galvanize a team. Not to mention this was Almiron’s first start for the club. Surely he’ll only become more comfortable and effective with each appearance.
LOSERS
Tottenham’s title aspirations
It was supposed to be over around the holidays, but Tottenham came storming back into the title race. Now, though, it might be done for good.
Harry Kane returned, yet Tottenham suffered a crucial 2-1 defeat to Burnley on Saturday. Spurs are still six points adrift, but their odds of winning the league are less than one per cent, per FiveThirtyEight.
As far as the title is concerned, Tottenham has a long way back.
Claude Puel
Finally, after months of endless rumours, Claude Puel was sacked as Leicester City manager on Sunday.
Considering Leicester hadn’t won a match in any competition in 2019, it’s not a massive surprise. The 4-1 loss to Crystal Palace must’ve been the final straw for the board.
The question now: Who’ll replace Puel? Brendan Rodgers has been tipped as a replacement, so the club is thinking proactively. Whether it’ll lead to stronger results remains to be seen.
Southampton
Somehow, Southampton has been sucked into the relegation zone. Four straight league matches without a win can do that, though.
The 2-0 defeat to Arsenal leaves Saints in a precarious situation. A massive showdown with Fulham awaits, then it’s back-to-back matches versus Manchester United and Tottenham. Anything less than a victory over the Cottagers could leave Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side in real danger.
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