Bournemouth 3-3 Arsenal: Second-half Cherries retreat tempts Giroud sting of the tail

High-pressing, right-wing overloads, and quick balls in behind the Arsenal defence put Eddie Howe’s side firmly in the driving side, but a second-half retreat played into Olivier Giroud’s hands, costing Bournemouth all three points in dramatic fashion. Continue reading

Leicester City 4-2 Manchester City: Pep’s square pegs come a cropper against rampant champions

Pep Guardiola’s insistence upon fielding players out of position within a bewildering array of tactical systems that they scarcely understand led to a facile evisceration by Claudio Ranieri’s under-fire champions. Continue reading

Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal: Toothless Wenger selection extends Mou hoodoo

Although Olivier Giroud’s late header earned his Arsenal side a scarcely-merited point, Arsene Wenger’s undue preoccupation with possession – at the expense of penetration – resulted in the Frenchman’s 12th consecutive failure to inflict defeat on José Mourinho. Continue reading

Manchester United 0-0 Burnley: Heaton heroics and first-half conservatism foil ten-man United

Tom Heaton’s heroics, paired with the dismissal of Ander Herrera, limited the impact of Manchester United’s second-half tactical rejig, ensuring that José Mourinho’s side paid for yet another anaemic first-half performance by dropping two points to Sean Dyche’s Burnley. Continue reading