3 Talking Points From Gameweek 11 of the Premier League

11 Nov 2024 ScoreWaves Staff view

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Gameweek 11 of the Premier League had every football fan excited, and it certainly lived up to the billing. This round delivered everything fans hoped for: an intense London Derby, a thrilling five-goal battle, shocking upsets, and Liverpool making a statement in the title race. Now that the weekend’s action has wrapped up, here are the three takeaways from this exciting set of Premier League fixtures.

1) Is the Pep Guardiola Era Finally Over?

Manchester City are a team in crisis. Now, that’s a sentence many thought they would never hear till Pep Guardiola is at the helm. However, that’s exactly how things have transpired this season. On Saturday, the Cityzens succumbed to their fourth consecutive loss, as a youthful Brighton side came back from a one-goal deficit to clinch a well-earned 2-1 win over the reigning champions. This loss marked the first time in Pep Guardiola's managerial career that he has suffered four losses on the bounce. Apart from Brighton, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Sporting CP have all defeated City in the space of 10 days, albeit in three different competitions.

However, that doesn’t mask the fact that Manchester City and Pep Guardiola are in a malaise. Following the loss to Brighton, Guardiola addressed the growing talks about the end of the Manchester City era. He said, “Today in the press conference I was asked if it was the end of the era. I know people want that. I smell it for many, many years. What we have done in these years, people have said it's so difficult, but if somebody would like to beat us it is going to happen because in the next 50 years, we're not going to win all the Premier Leagues. It's impossible."

This is the most vulnerable a Manchester City side has looked since the 2019-20 season, when the team felt the void left by their former captain, Vincent Kompany. Now, a similar absence of a crucial player could be behind City’s recent struggles. The loss of 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri has been a tough blow. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, the 28-year-old Spaniard has appeared in 53 games across all competitions for City, and they’ve only suffered one loss with him on the pitch. His impact is clear: City’s win rate stands at 73.6% when he’s in the starting lineup, but without him, it dips to 58.3%. Having said that, it looked like City have learned to cope without Rodri, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September, as they won six and drew one of the games that immediately followed Rodri’s injury. However, further injuries to key players like Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, John Stones and Jack Grealish have had a detrimental impact on City’s season. With Liverpool now five points ahead of them in the title race, Pep’s City must quickly get their act together. However, the fixture list only gets tougher, as City welcome Tottenham Hotspur after the international break.

2) Tottenham Struggling to Find Consistency

Tottenham Hotspur are the epitome of inconsistency this season. One week, they’re celebrating big wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa, and the next, they’re stumbling with defeats to Galatasaray and Ipswich Town. Now into his second full season, Ange Postecoglou needs to strike the right balance between quality performances and consistent results. Despite impressive displays, the outcomes just haven’t matched the level of play. After their frustrating loss to Ipswich, Postecoglou didn’t shy away from responsibility, admitting that he’s accountable for Spurs’ ups and downs this season. He said, “If we’re inconsistent, that’s down to me. That's my responsibility. The inconsistency we're having this year, ultimately it comes down to me and my approach and something I need to try and fix and see if I can help the players in that area.”

Many thought that their 4-1 comeback win over Aston Villa would be the turning point of the season for Tottenham. However, a lackluster performance in their midweek UEL clash against Galatasaray – in which they lost 3-2 – was followed up by an even more embarrassing performance against newly promoted Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys were the only winless club in the Prem coming into this game, but goals from Sam Szmodics and Liam Delap handed Ipswich their first Premier League win since 2002. Following the loss, the Lilywhites now languish in the 10th spot, just one point above a dismal Manchester United side, who have endured immense criticism for their performances this season. To put Tottenham’s poor start into perspective, last season this time around, Spurs had already accumulated 26 points.

Spurs fans have been longing for trophies for what feels like an eternity, and while past managers have tried and fallen short, many believe Ange Postecoglou might finally be the one to break the 16-year drought. The signs are certainly promising: Tottenham lead the Premier League in goals scored, hold the second-highest expected goals (xG) tally at 21.6, and are right behind Manchester City in Shot-Creating Actions per game with an impressive 30.18. These numbers paint a picture of a team that’s not only thrilling to watch but also showing real progress. Now, the challenge is converting these stellar performances into consistent results. Their upcoming showdown with Manchester City after the international break will be a true test—a chance for Postecoglou to show his tactical nous and for Tottenham to prove they’re genuinely on the rise.

3) We Were All Wrong About Enzo Maresca

I’ll be the first to admit when I’ve been wrong, and I certainly got it wrong about Enzo Maresca. When he took over from Mauricio Pochettino, it was a tricky time for the club. After arguably being the most successful English team of the 21st century, Chelsea had fallen on hard times. Their recent seasons were marked by disappointment, first under Graham Potter, then Frank Lampard. Although Pochettino managed to steady the ship to some degree, he couldn’t secure a trophy or guide the team back into the Champions League. Many, including myself, thought Maresca might struggle to turn things around—yet here we are, and he’s proven those doubts wrong. Considering the turmoil Chelsea has faced over the past couple of years, it’s remarkable how quickly things have started to come together under Enzo Maresca. In just 11 games, the Blues have already established a clear identity and style of play—something that wasn’t as apparent under Mauricio Pochettino, despite his successful end to last season.

Even though Cole Palmer wasn’t at his best during Chelsea’s encounter with Arsenal, the Blues still stood toe-to-toe with the Gunners, matching them chance for chance, which highlights just how far this team has come in such a short space of time. A lot of that credit goes to the midfield duo of Moisés Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who provide the backbone for Chelsea’s system. The pair are tenacious defensively, breaking up opposition attacks and quickly switching the play once they regain possession. Their ability to disrupt the opposition’s rhythm and initiate transitions has been a key part of Chelsea’s transformation.

Against Arsenal, while Mikel Arteta’s side did well to shut down Chelsea’s dangerous transitions, it came at a cost. To limit Chelsea’s counterattacks, Arsenal had to commit more players forward, which left spaces open in defense. This gave Chelsea the opportunity to exploit Arsenal’s push for attacking dominance, proving that Maresca’s tactics are paying off and that his side is well-drilled, organized, and capable of competing with top-tier teams. Chelsea’s swift evolution is shaping up to be one of the more impressive stories in the Premier League this season.

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