Talking points from the Premier League weekend

From the rece for a Champions League finish to a heated relagation battle, here are the talking points from the weekend's Premier League action.

Published : Jul 13, 2020 21:15 IST

There are only three game weeks left in the current Premier League season.
There are only three game weeks left in the current Premier League season.
lightbox-info

There are only three game weeks left in the current Premier League season.

The following are talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:

Another twist in race for Champions League football

The race for the Champions League qualification took an interesting turn on Monday when the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) announced its decision to overturn Manchester City's two-year European ban.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United knew City's ban could have opened up Champions League spot for the team finishing fifth but that is no longer on the table .

The most concerned team should be Leicester, which is in free fall after collecting two wins from its last 11 league games.

Brendan Rodgers's side will drop out of the of the top four if Manchester United beats Southampton later on Monday.

Pope piles pressure on England No.1 Pickford

Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp was left frustrated after coming up against an inspired Nick Pope, who repeatedly denied the newly-crowned Premier League champions during the 1-1 draw with Burnley at Anfield.

“There were moments when it was Liverpool against Nick Pope,” Klopp said after the match on Saturday.

Pope has recorded a joint league-high 14 clean sheets this season, alongside Manchester City's Ederson, and has made a strong case to add to his two England caps.

Jordan Pickford has been England manager Gareth Southgate's preferred choice but the Everton goalkeeper's far from convincing displays since the restart may have left the door open for Pope ahead of the international fixtures in September.

Relegation battle set for frantic finale

Norwich City became the first club to suffer relegation this season after a 4-0 defeat by West Ham United, but other teams in danger were back fighting to retain their top-flight status at the weekend.

West Ham United, Watford, Bournemouth and Aston Villa recorded victories to breathe life into the relegation battle with three matches remaining.

Meanwhile, Graham Potter's Brighton & Hove Albion has been impressive to collect seven points since the restart to move up to 15th and face three midtable sides - Southampton, Newcastle United and Burnley - in its remaining matches.

“We still need points, from my perspective. We're still fighting for those,” Potter said. “We have to try to focus on getting as many as we can from the remaining three.”

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment