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After each Premier League weekend, ` football expert Garth Crooks sums up his thoughts and introduces you to his team of the week.
Here's this week's selection – looking ahead to midweek games from the end of January. And as always, Garth discusses the game's most important themes in “Crooks of the Matter.”
David Raya (Arsenal): I was quite surprised by the way Mikel Arteta introduced Raya into the Arsenal team for the first time, especially when Aaron Ramsdale seemed to have done nothing wrong. However, since the Spanish goalkeeper took over the top spot, things have calmed down. His confidence has steadily improved with each game. He looked particularly confident in the 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest and even more confident in the 3-1 win over Liverpool. Back-to-back wins have seen the Gunners move within two points of Jurgen Klopp's Premier League leaders and Raya is starting to look like the real deal.
Conor Bradley (Liverpool): I saw this kid make his Premier League debut at Bournemouth and he immediately caught my eye. But what happened ten days later against Chelsea kept me in suspense. Firstly, Bradley can defend and secondly, the goal he scored against Chelsea was of the highest quality. I've seen current Liverpool strikers hurl balls towards the goal without much thought. Bradley's strike in the 4-1 win over Chelsea was so precise, if the Blues had had two goalkeepers in goal they wouldn't have saved it – it was a fabulous goal. What impressed me most about the full-back's performance was that he played the game as if he was part of the team.
Gabriel (Arsenal): It's been a fantastic week for Arsenal and especially for Gabriel. The defender wears his heart on his sleeve and is fully committed to the cause. Against Nottingham Forest he was in the thick of things and contributed to a resolute performance from the Gunners. However, it was his performance in defense against Liverpool that really impressed. He never missed a kick to Diogo Jota, who seemed like he lacked the physical presence of Darwin Nunez. Meanwhile, Gabriel's partnership with William Saliba reduced Liverpool's chances to a minimum. Liverpool blew Chelsea away in midweek and I was surprised that Nunez wasn't in the starting line-up. There was a time when Liverpool never changed their winning team. It might be worth returning to this philosophy.
Fabian Schar (Newcastle): Nobody could have predicted Aston Villa's outcome against Newcastle. Newcastle have had the most amazing, if not most turbulent, season. The taste of the Champions League meant that Eddie Howe's team came away empty-handed at times. Meanwhile, Aston Villa were unbeaten in the Premier League on home soil in 17 games but were succumbed to a 3-1 defeat due to the Magpies' disastrous performance after the winter break gave them enough time to recover. Schar showed a brilliant performance in both penalty areas, scoring two great goals and defending brilliantly at the same time. However, he had a much tougher time against Luton, in a 4-4 thriller at St James' Park four days later. Newcastle conceded four goals but picked up four points in two games and fell behind twice against the Hatters. Newcastle held their nerve and delivered a result after being 4-2 down, while Luton faded, which is why I still think they won't survive.
Phil Foden (Manchester City): Pep Guardiola's side sit second in the table after beating Burnley and Brentford in five days. Additionally, City are two points behind leaders Liverpool with a game left, which has likely taken the wind out of Arsenal's sails after their impressive win over Liverpool on Sunday night. What must be very worrying for everyone at the top of the table is the fact that City won both games without much trouble. Meanwhile, Foden looks regal. He assisted Rodri in his goal against Burnley in a 3-1 win over the Clarets and helped him score Brentford's most glorious hat-trick. If anyone thinks City are suffering from fatigue after winning the treble last season then I would advise them to think again. They are as impressive today as ever and are still the team to beat.
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace): Crystal Palace's 3-2 win over Sheffield United was a fantastic game of football. Palace needed a good performance after their 5-0 defeat to Arsenal and Sheffield United desperately needed points. Both teams gave it their all to secure victory but it was Eberechi Eze's performance that not only sent Selhurst Park into a frenzy but also produced two outstanding goals. His first required the most extraordinary improvisation and his second was just awesome. It's not just Eze's form that catches the eye, but also his ability on the ball. He's a great player to watch and he's the closest thing to Tony Currie I've ever seen. Like Currie, Eze handles the ball wonderfully, can go to either side and finish. The South Yorkshire club suffered on the night because of Eze's genius.
Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa): Aston Villa's 5-0 win at Sheffield United was an impressive recovery for Unai Emery's side. Villa suffered at the hands of Newcastle United earlier in the week but clearly took their frustration out on the Blades. Luiz prepared two goals within a few minutes, with the most beautiful passes that split the defense. The Brazilian was back to his best against a United side who look set to be at their best in the Championship next season unless they beat Luton at Kenilworth Road at the weekend. Meanwhile, Villa find themselves back in the top four at the expense of Manchester United and Newcastle – two teams who were playing Champions League football at the start of the season and expect to be back next season. However, Emery is very comfortable in Europe and his record at Sevilla proves that. He will be desperate to retain Villa's top four spot.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): Two massive goals in two crucial games for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka is no stranger to big games, but I doubt he will score two more important goals in back-to-back games all season. Saka scored the winner against Nottingham Forest, keeping the Gunners in touch with the league leaders, followed by Arsenal's opener against Liverpool at home. The game against Forest was a hard-fought affair and Arsenal were at their best. However, victory over Liverpool will have the Gunners talking about titles again – and that means Tottenham fans' favorite team will be Manchester City.
Elijah Adebayo (Luton): Their 4-0 defeat at Luton was a horror show in Brighton. Things started badly for the Seagulls and only got worse. Elijah Adebayo scored a hat-trick and was Luton's hero on the night. He maintained his goalscoring quality in the following game against Newcastle. I had sent Luton to the scrapheap months ago, but their season has suddenly become interesting. Tom Lockyer's return to the club following his cardiac arrest this season certainly motivated his teammates against Brighton and they seemed to carry that momentum into the game at Newcastle. However, if a team scores four goals away from home, they are not only expected to win, they are entitled to win. The very fact that Luton scored four goals and still failed to take all three points raises massive questions about their ability to stay in the league.
Matheus Cunha (Wolves): All thanks go to Wolves, who recovered brilliantly from their 97th minute home defeat against Manchester United and then scored four goals against Chelsea in just a few days. However, Chelsea were miserable against Liverpool, but even worse against Wolves. The men who traumatized the home team were Matheus Cunha, who scored the goals, and Pedro Neto, who provided them. The Brazilian striker capitalized on every mistake Chelsea made – and there were many. How can Chelsea have a billion-dollar team whose best defender is 39 years old and doesn't have a world-class center forward? Meanwhile, Gary O'Neil's position at Molineux continues to grow stronger.
Richarlison (Tottenham): Tottenham and Everton fans know that Richarlison is not one of my favorite players. In the past he has been irritable, nagging and dramatic, almost infantile, but since Son Heung-min's departure for the Asian Cup, the Brazilian has shown a side of him that I never thought possible. His goal, not to mention his performance in the 3-2 win against Brentford, was outstanding, while his demeanor after scoring twice in the 2-2 draw at Everton four days later was as respectful as I am never experienced from any other football player towards a former club player. Richarlison recognized not only the importance of the goals but also the devastating impact they could have on Everton's future. Putting his hands together and bowing to the Gwladys Street End in an apologetic gesture was as respectful as it gets.
The crooks of matter
The late, great Frank Worthington will always be remembered for scoring Bolton's goal of the season against Ipswich in 1979. However, towards the end of his career he was asked which were his best clubs and in typical fashion he replied: “Stringfellows, Tramp and the Millionaire. Footballers drinking and going to nightclubs is nothing new and was the norm in the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, you were considered pretty strange if you didn't.
Rashford has opted for a much more low-profile stance since his successful campaigns that led to the government's U-turn on free school meals during the pandemic. The problem for Rashford is that the striker is no longer scoring goals regularly for United. What is completely clear and has never changed is that if you score goals regularly, you can do and say almost anything you want.
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