Football never ceases to amaze. As Sunday evening made Manchester City's cloud even darker and lifeless, Liverpool's was golden, they had just beaten the champions 2-0 inflicting their fourth defeat in a row and Arne Slot was finding life in the Premier League brilliant perhaps even therapeutic, we all need joy at times and Liverpool have not looked this happy for four years. An eleven point gap over the most dominant side in England over the past decade and a healthy 9 point gap from 2nd place, life was rosy. That feeling of serenity would last for 72 hours when Liverpool who had not only beaten City but made Real Madrid look ordinary in the Champions League recently dropped points away to Newcastle. The game finished in an epic 3-3 draw and it could have been even worse for the Reds who were trailing twice in the game. Then again it could have been even better when Mohamed Salah, by far the player of the season, scored two second half goals in a 15 minute spell to put his side 3-2 up. It felt cheeky, it also felt like this Liverpool side can do anything. Newcastle themselves have rocked the boat this season and already have a mixed bag of results, some have even suggested that manager Eddie Howe is under real pressure to keep his job, and yet football won out at the end. Fair enough not for anyone associated with Liverpool but you sensed for neutrals enjoying the game that Howe's side deserved a point, something from the game. And that came in the form of Fabian Schar who scored like a Roy of the Rovers character in swashbuckling action, a hero at the death for the Newcastle fans.
Liverpool have rarely dropped points this season and have won 35 from 42 points on offer with just one defeat and none on the road. Given that Newcastle had lost their last home game by 2-0 against a struggling side like West Ham this game may have felt like it was over before a ball was kicked, the script would not read that way and Newcastle did themselves proud. It shouldn't go unnoticed that Anthony Gordon, a product of Everton scored on the night and while there is a somewhat estranged relationship between Evertonians and Gordon with the way he left, that goal and especially had it turned out to be the winning one would have been appreciated anyway by Toffees. So all of a sudden the league looks a little different. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all won their games and now the gap to Liverpool for Arsenal and Chelsea is 7 points, that's an achievable target, for City it's 9 and they have welcomed back Kevin De Bruyne who does make such a difference in the middle of the park, City finally picked up what turned out to be an easy 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. Chelsea battered Southampton 5-1 and while we are not even halfway into the season one can see that the Saints along with Wolves look the most likely to go down. And what of Ruben Amorim who just can't seem to win away from home? Jokes aside he has only had two trips so far as manager of Manchester United but a 1-1 draw and a 2-0 loss to Arsenal won't be seen as anything positive, but Amorim has time on his side and it will be interesting to see what he can do even in a months time when his side again face Arsenal at the Emirates in the FA Cup.
Everton haven't had much to shout about this season but scoring 4 goals in one game to smash Wolves 4-0 would have been very much welcomed. Everton have a tough set of fixtures in December and so beating the likes of Wolves has to be a given, and it was for them. The three points will feel like six for Sean Dyche but the club are still lacking goals and a natural goalscorer. Everton have now scored 14 times and only three other sides have fewer but even the game against Wolves has to be met with some cynicism when talking about how many the club scored. Facts will tell us four goals of course but two of those were scored by Wolves player Craig Dawson who is now by way of fact Everton's joint second goalscorer of the season, one behind Dwight McNeil and the same number as Dominic Calvert-Lewin. One has to wonder if this season will be Calvert-Lewin's last for the club? He will be remembered for important moments if it is, one of those highlights was getting the winning goal against Crystal Palace in 2022 which capped a stunning 3-2 comeback and kept Everton up. However in almost 9 seasons Calvert-Lewin has managed just 70 goals in all competitions and just 17 in the past four seasons. That type of return is a poor one and not acceptable for a club like Everton whose ambitions are to remain in the top flight.
Premier League: To be relegated: Southampton 1.10, Ipswich 1.57, Leicester 1.66, Wolves 2.50, Everton 3.25
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