10 thoughts from the weekend's Premier League action

theScore examines the most important Premier League developments from the weekend, dissecting the biggest talking points after a busy slate of action.

Watford regressing under Ranieri

There probably won’t be a place for William Troost-Ekong in the starting lineup for Watford’s next match after his costly challenge during the battle of the Hornets and Bees. After conceding an injury-time penalty in Friday’s deflating loss to Brentford, manager Claudio Ranieri suggested the center-back was destined for a place on the bench.

But is that really the answer to Watford’s problems? After all, the incident was born out of Ranieri’s game plan and negative tactics, which cost the Hornets three crucial points in their bid for Premier League survival.

Watford – for whatever reason – went into the second half content with their 1-0 advantage and invited pressure by dropping into deeper positions. The result was disastrous, as Brentford fought back for 60 minutes to score an equalizer in the 84th minute before converting a penalty in the 95th to ensure Watford’s downward spiral would continue.

Final 10 minutes at Brentford Community Stadium: @BrentfordFC 2-1 @WatfordFC
??Goals: 2-0
?Shots: 5-0
?Touches in opp. box 8-0 pic.twitter.com/clSmNy2qdv

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 10, 2021

Although Ranieri’s arrival might’ve sparked far-fetched hopes that the Italian could work his Leicester City magic, it simply hasn’t worked out. One could actually argue Watford are worse off with him at the helm, owning one of the poorest defensive records since his return to the Premier League in October.

Jimenez costs Wolves against average City

The most bizarre moment of the weekend goes to Raul Jimenez.

The Mexican striker essentially wiped out Wolverhampton’s already thin chances of upsetting Manchester City after suffering an epic meltdown. As the first half was drawing to a close, Jimenez picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Rodri.

But things got really weird during the ensuing free-kick, as Jimenez apparently forgot he was walking on a tightrope and picked up a second yellow for refusing to back away from the ball. City supporters cheered as Jimenez tossed his head protector to the ground in disgust during his walk of shame.

There was an inevitability about the result, but in the end, Wolverhampton avoided embarrassment, losing 1-0 against a City outfit that looked surprisingly average. Pep Guardiola said after the game that his team played better when both sides were at full strength. Nevertheless, Wolves might’ve mounted a strong challenge had it not been for Jimenez’s moment of madness.

Arsenal can’t hide from Aubameyang distraction

A day after Mikel Arteta attempted to downplay reports of a rift with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the club revealed the Arsenal captain was unavailable due to a “disciplinary breach” ahead of Saturday’s clash with Southampton.

Aubameyang’s absence didn’t affect the outcome, as the Gunners cruised to a 3-0 victory over the lowly Saints. But the win won’t mask the problem or put an end to ongoing speculation about the forward’s future in north London.

Arteta didn’t get into specifics, but The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports Arsenal disciplined Aubameyang for arriving late from a team-approved trip abroad.

It’s the second time in 2021 that Arteta has disciplined Aubameyang, who was dropped before the north London derby last season after arriving late for a club function. There will undoubtedly be calls for Arteta to strip Aubameyang of the captaincy and demands for clarification on the 32-year-old’s role moving forward.

Salah is simply irresistible

Before Mohamed Salah swept home from the penalty spot on Saturday, Liverpool struggled to convert their superiority into a 1-0 lead. Aston Villa defended very well, clogging up central areas and denying clear-cut chances to Liverpool’s most dangerous players. Full-backs Matty Cash and Matt Targett tucked inside to limit the amount of penetration in the middle, and while Steven Gerrard seemed to regret being so conservative for so long, his choice was understandable. Few teams can play open football at Anfield without getting burned.

Still, if you give Liverpool enough time to find a breakthrough, odds are they will.

But the Reds needed Salah to do his thing to get the win they thought they deserved. When the 29-year-old finally found himself one-on-one with center-back Tyrone Mings – completing one of his trademark dribbles to draw contact and earn a penalty – it was game over. Salah’s invention was enough on a night when the hosts lacked a cutting edge.

The spot-kick itself was also superb: A shot struck with conviction against one of the game’s greatest agitators in goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

Salah not only scored the winning goal, he created it, showing why he’s one of the league’s best at moving the ball forward. Salah has 26 total chance-creating carries this campaign, second only to Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin and far more than any of the Egyptian forward’s teammates. That means, when Liverpool surge forward, they often look to Salah to carry the ball into dangerous positions. And he relishes the responsibility.

What’s up with Chelsea’s defense?

Chelsea blew a lead for the fourth consecutive match, allowing Leeds United to challenge for a point that few would’ve expected them to get at Stamford Bridge. You could see the tide changing in real-time: In the 15 minutes before tying the game, Leeds controlled 65% possession, completed double the number of passes, and upped their intensity. The resulting equalizer – which substitute Joe Gelhardt scored seconds after his introduction – was the only possible outcome after such a dominant spell.

Blues manager Thomas Tuchel mentioned before Saturday’s fixture that his side hadn’t paid enough attention to the details, something they had done obsessively on their way to Champions League glory last season. What happened against Leeds was part of a greater trend that should concern the German boss.

Opponent	Lead(s)	Final Result
Dec. 1 at Watford	1-0	2-1 W
Dec. 4 at West Ham	1-0 and 2-1	3-2 L
Dec. 8 at Zenit	1-0 and 3-2	3-3 D
Dec. 11 vs. Leeds	2-1	3-2 W

Tuchel admitted his team “stole” three points against Watford on Dec. 1 and needed to be “lucky” to beat Leeds. Those are not exactly the words of a manager who’s happy with the state of his players’ performances. At this juncture, with matchups flying by, no club is going to play the perfect game. But defensive solidity has underpinned so much of Chelsea’s recent success that, without it, opponents may sense an opportunity to strike.

Maybe the Blues’ spiraling form is due to a lack of balance, or even the absence of N’Golo Kante, who’s out injured. Maybe it’s because Tuchel’s defenders are flying forward and leaving space behind them. Whatever the reason, it’s an ongoing concern that could have consequences in the title race.

Jorginho proves penalty-taking prowess

After missing a pair of crucial penalty kicks in World Cup qualifying – misses against Switzerland that denied Italy victories and an automatic berth in Qatar – Jorginho seems to have rediscovered his mojo from 12 yards. The 29-year-old shot high to the left and low to the right to keep Chelsea from dropping more points at Stamford Bridge. He increased his conversion rate to 88% – the highest of any Premier League player who has scored at least eight – and tamed concerns about the effectiveness of his trademark hop, skip, and jump.

Jorginho was even playing through pain from a back injury. He has played in 66 matches in 2021, so it’s remarkable he even put himself in a position to save his team.

“There was not only physical effort for him, but also it has been mentally very, very demanding,” Tuchel told reporters afterward.

Rangnick still has work to do

Last weekend, Manchester United showed glimpses of the vision Ralf Rangnick hopes to execute during his time as manager. Rangnick was “positively surprised” with the way United attacked the game and pressed in the opening few minutes. They couldn’t maintain that intensity for 90 minutes, but Rangnick left his first match with optimism.

Saturday’s narrow 1-0 win over bottom side Norwich City didn’t offer as much compelling evidence. United looked nervous throughout, and while they collected a second consecutive clean sheet, they only did so because of David De Gea’s brilliant shot-stopping. Given they were facing the league’s worst outfit – not to mention a side riddled with injury and COVID-19 concerns – United needed the Spaniard to intervene far too often. Norwich created high-quality chances, not just stuff of the speculative variety.

In the end, United needed a relatively soft penalty call to get the winning goal. Cristiano Ronaldo fell to the ground as Norwich’s Max Aarons jockeyed for position with the Portuguese superstar, and while there was enough contact to uphold the initial decision, the Video Assistant Referee may not have given a penalty if match official Darren England hadn’t initially pointed to the spot.

Maddison instrumental in ending Leicester’s skid

A visit from Newcastle United was just what Leicester City needed to ail their woes.

After appearing to unravel in the weeks leading up to Sunday’s contest at King Power Stadium, the Foxes beat the relegation-threatened Magpies 4-0 to end their three-match losing skid in all competitions and record their first clean sheet since September. The confidence-boosting victory was sorely needed for a Leicester squad that was fresh off getting knocked out of the Europa League with Thursday’s loss to Napoli.

The impactful James Maddison, who was involved in all four goals, ensured a return to the win column. After controversially drawing a penalty in the first half, the English midfielder was instrumental in the buildup to Patson Daka’s goal after his gorgeous pass split Newcastle’s defense open, helping the Foxes double their lead.

?? Man of the Match, @LCFC’s James Maddison
44 touches, 4 in opposition box
Completed 23/28 passes
Won 8/11 duels
Won a penalty
Assist for Tielemans
2 shots, 1 on target
5th goal this season – 4 in last 6 apps pic.twitter.com/9TbSU4CXGR

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 12, 2021

Sunday’s Man of the Match, who assisted Youri Tielemans’ second of the contest, finished Newcastle off with a goal of his own. It was a stellar performance and one that Leicester will hope to see repeated as they aim to qualify for Europe next campaign.

Gallagher is the league’s most underrated player

Conor Gallagher continues to shine for Crystal Palace. Another game, another match-winning performance – and his efforts involved more than just goals.

?? Man of the Match, @CPFC’s Conor Gallagher
71 touches, 8 in opposition box
Completed 45/48 passes
6x possession gained
3 chances created
7 shots
2 goals – youngest of the 14 players with 6+ PL goals this season pic.twitter.com/LGv5O83Oo0

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 12, 2021

Consider how he completed his brace on Sunday: With Palace leading Everton 2-1 in second-half stoppage time, Gallagher forced a turnover in the final third and lashed a sensational shot off the underside of the crossbar and in. The 21-year-old has an outstanding level of awareness and commitment, and he’s the main reason Palace have enjoyed success this season.

Consider this as well: Gallagher has scored 41% of Palace’s goals in the Premier League this campaign. No player in the English top flight accounts for a larger chunk.

Chelsea were wise to lend Palace their talented midfielder for the season. Finally, they seem to loan out players to develop them, not just to pawn them off. Gallagher’s the leading man on a team with few aspirations other than mid-table security, and under a proactive manager in Patrick Vieira, he’s unlocked his attacking potential.

COVID-19 wreaking havoc again

If it wasn’t obvious before, the Premier League – along with the rest of the world – isn’t out of the woods yet when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The concerned tone in Antonio Conte’s voice last week should give you a pretty good idea of how serious the pandemic continues to be, as the manager revealed the severity of the outbreak that rocked Tottenham Hotspur last week.

“To speak about football today is impossible,” said the Italian, who added that he was feeling a “bit scared” after confirming 13 players and staff members had tested positive. Tottenham’s next two matches were called off – including this weekend’s clash against Brighton and Hove Albion.

The league’s situation only deteriorated as the weekend progressed when news emerged that both Manchester United and Aston Villa are reportedly dealing with their own outbreaks ahead of midweek matches that could now be in doubt.