EPL Review: Man United must keep fighting spirit; Mbeumo’s the real deal

Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 20 of the 2024-25 season.

Why can’t Man United always play with commitment?

All Manchester United fans wanted from Sunday’s match at Liverpool was a performance full of fight and courage.

They got both.

United played for the win against a Liverpool side that has won 82% of its games this season. They made mistakes, of course, with Matthijs de Ligt sliding by Cody Gakpo as the Liverpool forward equalized and later conceding a needless penalty for handball. But United showed enough fight and drive to steer home a 2-2 draw.

They set the tone early, completing 14 tackles before Liverpool could even win one, and turning Trent Alexander-Arnold, one of Arne Slot’s most reliable players, into a liability, sending a barrage of balls over top of him. Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte leapt into challenges, showing aggression instead of respect. Though United lost control at times, they were ultimately rewarded for the risks they took.

The Red Devils approached the Manchester derby with similar grit and stayed in it long enough to snatch a famous victory. They played even better as a collective Sunday at Anfield. It wasn’t only a byproduct of an uninterrupted week of training, which head coach Ruben Amorim had been waiting for since November, but a combination of effort and passion. United simply turned up and showed they can play ball.

But they seem to pick and choose when to show up and play hard. Amorim couldn’t coax the same fighting spirit out of his players in recent losses to Bournemouth, Wolverhampton, and Newcastle United. It may well be that United perform best as the underdog, when they have less of the ball and the chance to play more open games. Possession seems like more of a burden for this team, which often struggles to break down opponents who challenge them to do so.

As big of a statement a win over Liverpool would’ve made, it wouldn’t have magically saved United’s season. What’s important is that Amorim now knows his players have the belief to stand up to the kind of opponents the club hopes to one day match. They have to bottle that confidence and energy and unleash it in the coming games against Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Fulham. Or else the whole exercise lacks purpose.

Quick free-kicks 📝

No City turnaround yet, but one huge positive

Let’s get the biggest caveat out of the way: Manchester City won 4-1 against Julen Lopetegui’s deeply uninspiring West Ham United. There was no Jarrod Bowen, who could be sidelined until the end of February, and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola seems to get steadily worse. Vladimir Coufal was laggard and lost. Edson Alvarez, the bull terrier with no bite in the visitors’ midfield, ducked out of a header before City’s first goal.

And Pep Guardiola’s side was still vulnerable at the back and would’ve conceded more than once with better decision-making by Mohammed Kudus and others. This was far from vintage City, but at least there’s one massive plus from recent outings: Savinho and Erling Haaland’s connection. Savinho started to turn things around in the 1-1 home draw with Everton, and he’s netted a fine strike and assisted three Haaland goals in the two wins that followed. The second goal Saturday was the most pleasing as Haaland touched the ball once – a deft pass to Phil Foden – and then a second time to head it home after Savinho tore past Coufal and whipped in an unstoppable cross.

Chelsea aren’t the finished article

Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace provided further evidence that Chelsea aren’t ready to compete for the title. Enzo Maresca’s side isn’t responsible enough or clinical enough to finish off winnable games like the one at Selhurst Park. Until his players cut down on the giveaways they gift to opponents, they’ll be in for a fight just to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Chelsea controlled play in the first half but lost their composure in the second and seemed likeliest to concede as the minutes ticked by. Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez rolled a ball straight to an opponent, Jadon Sancho dribbled his way into trouble in his own end, and Cole Palmer’s turnover led to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 82nd-minute equalizer. Chelsea also missed a number of chances to build on their initial 1-0 lead, with mercurial striker Nicolas Jackson once again sending several shots wide and the team landing just one of 15 on target. While the Blues are making long-awaited progress, they’re far from the finished article.

Too many draws for Arsenal to win title

Even if Arsenal didn’t deserve much more than a point from Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion, they could’ve come away with a win. They started well enough, limited Brighton’s chances and only conceded when referee Anthony Taylor awarded a penalty for an unusual clash of heads on the edge of the area. But the Gunners have struggled to manage Premier League games and overcome the injuries and illnesses knocking star players out of action. They’ve now thrown away 10 points from winning positions, far too many for a team that could trail pacesetters Liverpool by as many as nine if they win their game in hand.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said many times that margins are small and every missed detail could prove costly. He unleashed pickpockets on his players as part of a preseason strategy to keep them sharp. But mistakes like the one that conceded the penalty keep happening. They’re momentary lapses that add up. Arsenal also can’t afford to flail on any more of Declan Rice’s phenomenal deliveries, which are virtual get-out-of-jail-free cards on difficult days like Saturday. Lacking the finish they’ve previously shown on set pieces, Arteta and Co. will have no choice but to go back to the drawing board if Liverpool take care of business.

Yes, Southampton might be that bad

It’s already been asked, and it’ll be explored in greater depth with each passing defeat: Are Southampton worse than Derby County? The Rams, who have the all-time worst points tally of 11 from the 2007-08 Premier League season, somehow had a more pitiful attack than the 2024-25 Saints. Their defense, however, didn’t have the same catastrophic pairing of anxiety and over-ambition. The Derby disasterclass alarmingly had more points at this stage of the season (seven after 20 matches) than Southampton have (six) after Saturday’s 5-0 humiliation at home to Brentford.

The reasons that Southampton are bottom of the table are clear to see. They’ve fired the fewest shots on target while allowing the most attempts on their own goal. Errors drained the team’s confidence; the diminishing belief led to more mistakes. And Ivan Juric, who succeeded the ruinously stubborn Russell Martin at the helm, may have the reputation of a disciplinarian from his time working in Italy, but he currently looks little more than a fall guy for a club that’s headed for a historically bad Premier League campaign.

Star performer 🌟

Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)

Mbeumo put together a complete performance for Brentford on Saturday. While the two goals stood out – particularly his left-footed rocket from close range – he was central to Brentford’s overall attacking play. Mbeumo whipped in crosses and corner kicks, released passes into the 18-yard box, and created five chances for his teammates. He made 81 touches – more than any other Brentford player – showing how much he relishes the responsibility of building their attack.

The obvious temptation is to play down his efforts. Southampton are, after all, the league’s worst team with the worst goal differential. But Mbeumo has played with ambition against teams big and small in the Premier League, dominating in wins over Newcastle and Ipswich Town while scoring goals against Chelsea and Arsenal. He’s the real deal.

Best XI 😎

(Source: FotMob)

Highlight of the weekend 🎥

Sancho is already closing in on the number of league minutes he amassed at Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund over the whole of last season, and the Chelsea winger has shown glimpses of what he’s capable of during those appearances. His dummy, dribble, and subtle prod toward Cole Palmer at Crystal Palace was magnificent.

Stat of the weekend 🔢

Everton need to find goals from somewhere soon – especially when Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Craig Dawson can’t add to his Toffees tally until March.

Social media moment 📱

Maybe this guy’s mother knows more about football than he thinks – and at least she helped Southampton fans enjoy some gallows humor during another awful day for the club.

Where we stand 👀

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