Chelsea delivered a performance worthy of a solid title contender to dispose of Leicester, unrecognizable after playing the troublemaker in the Champions League race in recent seasons. With 29 points, the Blues are six lengths ahead of Manchester City, who play on Sunday, and West Ham, beaten at Wolverhampton (1-0), while Leicester lagged behind in 12th place with 15 points.
Since his name has been circulating among Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s possible replacements at Manchester United, Brendan Rodgers seems to have lost his paw with the Foxes who have only taken one point in the last four league games.
Antonio Rudiger, with a head thrown back on a corner from Ben Chilwell (0-1, 14th) and N’Golo Kanté, with a shot from the left, after an unopposed climb of 20 meters (0-2, 28th) punished the opposing defensive gaps from the first act.
Despite a reaction of pride from Leicester in the second half, Christian Pulisic hit the nail on the head (0-3, 71st), twenty minutes from the end of a one-way match.
Manchester United again desperate
Facing Watford, 17th before this game, it’s hard not to believe that the players have abandoned their coach and have no desire to wait until the end of the season to see change, as the management seemed to prefer until here. Lack of offensive as well as defensive combativeness, general apathy after the goals conceded, the Red Devils, 7th at 12 lengths behind the leader, seemed extinct.
Only David de Gea, who twice stopped a penalty – quite badly shot – from Ismaïla Sarr, given to withdraw, showed a tad of character. However, he could not prevent Joshua King (1-0, 28th) and Sarr (2-0, 44th) from giving the Hornets a deserved advantage at the break.
And while Donny van de Beek, off the bench at the break, gave hope to his family (2-1, 50th), Harry Maguire, far from his performance in the selection during the truce, found a way to be expelled for a failed tackle after too long a control (69th). Watford killed all suspense at the end of the match by Joao Pedro (3-1, 90 + 2) and Emmanuel Dennis (4-1, 90 + 5).
With a capital match in C1 at Villarreal on Tuesday, a trip to the leader Chelsea on Sunday and then the reception of an Arsenal in great shape the following Thursday, United can completely sabotage their end of the season over the next three games and handing over the helm to Solskjaer would seem like an extremely risky bet.
Successful start for Gerrard
For his first match on the bench at Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard stopped his side’s 5-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over Brighton. Aston Villa has thus increased its lead on the red zone to 4 points, even if its 15th place remains poor.
Gerrard’s predecessor Dean Smith, who has already bounced back at Norwich, also pulled off his entry with a 2-1 win over Southampton, the second of the season only for the Canaries, still 19th. On the other hand, Newcastle have still not taken off from last place being held in check by Brentford in a crazy match (3-3). Appointed at the start of the truce, Eddie Howe, tested positive for Covid and not on the bench, was able to measure the work he will have to accomplish.
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