Liverpool it serrrius this year, Everton stopped Arsenal, whats going on with Manchester United ? (Video)

Liverpool 4 West Ham 1:This season championship may come along with Suarez

But it was a Samba star who Reds manager Brendan Rodgers was keen to praise after his side’s comfortable win.

Philippe Coutinho has only one cap for Brazil – starting in the 3-0 friendly win over Iran in 2010 – but Rodgers hopes he will be watching his midfielder, nicknamed ‘The Magician’ by his team-mates, at the World Cup.

Coutinho faces a battle to work his way into Luiz Felipe Scolari’s plans for next summer’s tournament on home soil, but Rodgers believes he is capable of making the cut.

“He is such a talent,” said Rodgers. “They obviously have such an array of talent but I am constantly on to Scolari about him because I know him from my Chelsea days.

“I have been on to him about Coutinho and Lucas. Coutinho is a brilliant player but I suppose they are looking at others. They have Neymar, Oscar and Bernard, so they have a raft of talent there – but Coutinho is an exceptional player for 21 years of age.

“All he can do is just keep playing and keep pushing his case and hopefully he might get into the squad.

“I email Scolari about him. My job is to reinforce my players. Felipe has asked me to keep an eye on the Brazilian boys and give him any feedback, even for ones at other clubs. But I’m only concerned about the ones that are here.

“Lucas has got into the squad, which was great, so hopefully Philippe can too. Obviously it is more difficult for his position as there is a lot of competition and players, but he is certainly at that level.”

Coutinho’s inventiveness helped break down a resilient West Ham side and Suarez put them into the lead just before the break as his shot was parried by Jussi Jaaskelainen. The ball came off the keeper and hit the helpless Guy Demel before rolling into the net.

Mamadou Sakho was the unlikely scorer of the second. The former PSG defender turned in Steven Gerrard’s free-kick via the boot of West Ham defender James Collins, even though it was a mis-hit.

Gerrard, who faces up to six weeks out with a hamstring strain, was taken off injured soon after having overstretched when making a cross, and West Ham found a way into the game.

Demel headed back across goal only for Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel to turn the ball into his own net with 24 minutes to go before Suarez finally got his goal late on. The striker powered in a close-range header with nine minutes left on the clock to kill off West Ham’s chances of an unlikely point.

Kevin Nolan was then sent off for a nasty challenge on Jordan Henderson to compound West Ham’s woes – they sit just outside the relegation zone on goal difference. Their afternoon was finished off with Joey O’Brien deflecting home a Suarez shot with six minutes to go.

Hammers manager Sam Allardyce said: “We are in a very difficult position at the moment. With the league and the position we are in, and also the amount of players we have already out, to have more not available is a big problem.

“That’s why I said Nolan’s dismissal was irresponsible. I know it came out of frustration, but he is experienced enough in his career and it is unlike him to do that type of thing.”

Liverpool vs West Ham Match Stats

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet 7; Flanagan 6 (Kelly 79), Sakho 6, Skrtel 6, Johnson 6; Allen 7, Gerrard 7 (Lucas 56, 6); Henderson 6, Coutinho 8, Sterling 5 (Moses 72, 6); Suarez 8. Goals: Demel 42 og, Sakho 47, Suraez 81, O’Brien 84 og.

West Ham (4-1-4-1): Jaaskelainen 7; Demel 5, Collins 6, Tomkins 6 (O’Brien 56, 5), McCartney 6; Noble 5; Downing 6 (J Cole 46, 5), Nolan 5, Diame 6, Jarvis 6 (Taylor 84); Maiga 5. Booked: Demel, Collins, J Cole. Sent off: Nolan. Goal: Skrtel 66 og.

Referee: M Oliver (Northants).

Liverpool 4 West Ham 1 Match Video

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Arsenal 1 Everton 1:Everton tried for Liverpool

When Mesut Ozil bundled the ball into the net in the 80th minute to finally beat Tim Howard, it looked like Arsenal would be banking all three points. But Gerard Deulofeu highlighted the spirit that now runs through Everton veins with a thunderous finish four minutes later to level.

In the final seconds Olivier Giroud hammered a drive from 25 yards that beat Howard but cracked the angle of post and crossbar and Wenger was left to rue the one that got away.

His mood afterwards was more subdued than one would perhaps expect from a man whose team are perched so high, and on a weekend when Chelsea and Manchester United were beaten and Manchester City held to a draw.

Wenger’s frustration lay in Everton’s tactics of high pressing and what the Arsenal manager viewed as cynical fouls referee Howard Webb did not come down hard enough on.

He was also unhappy with Everton’s equaliser, with Romelu Lukaku offside in the build-up and then trying an overhead kick that he felt impeded Laurent Koscielny.

“The problem is that Everton put very good pressure on us when we got the ball back to stop our flow,” said Wenger. “When we got out of the pressure and got into the passing, they stopped us every time with a foul.

“The disadvantage of putting the pressure so high is that if you are not winning the ball back, you can be outnumbered after that and to just make a foul without being punished by the referee is a huge advantage because after that you play 10 against 10 in one half again.

“For their goal Lukaku was offside and he made a foul, but the referee didn’t give it. Koscielny can head the ball but he cannot do it because of the overhead kick.

“Deulofeu, you have to give him credit. He took his goal very well. You have to accept it.”

Despite dropping two points, Wenger says it is now time to take his side seriously as genuine title contenders.

“It depends what you call serious,” he said. “As long as we are five points ahead, you cannot rule ourselves out.”

Wenger’s mood was not helped by his team missing three one-on-one chances and Everton dictating the game for the first 35 minutes, on a high after their midweek victory at Old Trafford.

England manager Roy Hodgson was at the Emirates and had the luxury of looking at two of his central midfield jewels, Jack Wilshere and Ross Barkley.

Barkley dazzled for much of the match. Wilshere was stifled, like Arsenal’s midfield, by Everton’s more robust smothering game. While he was replaced after 68 minutes, Barkley picked up the man-of-the-match champagne.

Barkley’s willingness to run at opponents, incisive passing and barrel-chested power was too much for Arsenal.

Arsenal finally turned the tide at the end of the first half, creating decent chances, but found Howard in impressive form. Gareth Barry eventually caught up with Ozil after his humiliation at the last World Cup by the German, but only to trip him and get a yellow card.

Wenger sent on three substitutes at once to try to force the win with Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott and Mathieu Flamini adding guile, pace and a strong verbal presence respectively.

It worked as Arsenal finally got their breakthrough in the 80th minute, as Rosicky’s crossfield ball was headed across goal by Walcott to Giroud.

He missed his kick, but Ozil was following up to hook the ball into the roof of the net.

Martinez urged his team forward and they hit back swiftly. Barkley fed Bryan Oviedo who crossed into the six-yard box. Lukaku missed the ball with his overhead kick and it fell to Deulofeu, who took one step to his right to get an angle past Kieran Gibbs and unleashed a venomous shot that flew through Wojciech Szczesny’s arms.

The disappointment for Arsenal was acute at that moment. But their fans would do well to cast their mind back to this time last year. Then they were seventh and 15 points behind the leaders – a certain Manchester United.

Arsenal vs Everton Match Stats

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Szczesny 8; Jenkinson 6, Mertesacker 7, Koscielny 7, Gibbs 7; Arteta 7, Ramsey 6 (Rosicky 68, 6); Wilshere 6 (Flamini 68, 7), Ozil 7, Cazorla 5 (Walcott 68, 6); Giroud 7. Goal: Ozil 80.

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Howard 8; Coleman 7, Jagielka 7, Distin 7, Oviedo 7; McCarthy 7, Barry 7; Mirallas 6 (Deulofeu 79), Barkley 9 (Naismith 90), Pienaar 6 (Osman 71, 6); Lukaku 6. Booked: Barry, McCarthy, Howard, Deulofeu. Goal: Deulofeu 84.

Referee: H Webb (South Yorkshire).

Arsenal 1 Everton 1 Match Video

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Manchester United 0 Newcastle 1:Cabaye put United middle of the table

Conviction had been conspicuous by its absence from their football. The power and force so long associated with United’s play at Old Trafford was nowhere to be seen.

Even when they went behind to a goal from Yohan Cabaye in the 61st minute, there was little sense that David Moyes’ team would conjure up an equaliser to at least avoid their first home defeat against Newcastle for 41 years.

Long before the end, the crowing away supporters knew the glory of this day had been captured. They sang exultant songs, and who could blame them? When you’ve waited so long, it feels extra special.

The contrast with the resignation of the home fans was stark. Another home defeat hurt badly, but there was no collective mood of anger. The majority appear to understand that this is a team in transition – with a new manager replacing a legend and too many players either past their prime or not quite good enough.

A couple of new signings in the transfer window next month are clearly needed, particularly for the central midfield area where none of the men tried by Moyes this season have been commanding save for Michael Carrick, absent with injury.

Yesterday, summer signing Marouane Fellaini wasn’t even on the bench because of a bruised back. Instead, there was Phil Jones and Tom Cleverley, but the young England internationals are not yet the solution, if they ever will be.

If Carrick is missed, that was true even more here of the suspended Wayne Rooney. He has brought dynamism and delight to Old Trafford in the past few months – and in this game there was only despair.

With Rooney out, they opted for a pairing of Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernandez in attack, with the Dutchman playing as a withdrawn striker behind the Mexican.

The tactic was not effective, save for one superb cross-field pass from Van Persie that delivered United’s best chance of the game to Hernandez. His shot was brilliantly saved by Newcastle keeper Tim Krul.

A few minutes later a Patrice Evra header struck the post and was prevented from bouncing into goal when it cannoned back off the arm of Vernon Anita.

The contact was inadvertent, and referee Andre Marriner waved away claims for a penalty. Evra’s error in the 62nd minute led to Newcastle’s winner. He bungled a clearing header and Moussa Sissoko escaped clear down the right wing. He crossed low to Cabaye, whose shot took a deflection off Nemanja Vidic and into goal.

Otherwise, scoring chances were at a premium in a tight match where both teams pressed their opponents into repeated midfield mistakes.

Newcastle, though, kept their cool and control of the ball better than the reigning Premier League champions.

Moyes had one gamble up his sleeve, the introduction as substitute of young England winger Wilfried Zaha in the final 20 minutes for his first Premier League action.

It proved futile. Zaha had one opportunity, and curled his shot wide.

What creative spark there was for United came from Adnan Januzaj, but he faded in the second half along with his team-mates after the goal.

Newcastle’s victory was their fourth in five games, and manager Alan Pardew has catapulted free of his critics. He said: “I hope the players get credit for their performance. The headlines may focus on Manchester United, but we deserve some plaudits.

“This victory is above even winning against Tottenham and Chelsea this season. Our players were very conscious of that 41 years not winning here, and they really wanted to do it.

“I told them to try a different style today, to keep the ball and control the game – and they did it. We made it difficult for United.”

So they did. But they faced a Manchester United who are clearly shorn of confidence. Turning that round is now the test for Moyes as he ponders how hard to go in the transfer market.

Manchester United vs Newcastle Match Stats

Manchester United: De Gea 6; Rafael 5 (Valencia 76, 6), Evans 5, Vidic 6, Evra 6; Jones 6, Cleverley 5 (Anderson 69, 5); Januzaj 6, Van Persie 5, Nani 4 (Zaha 68, 6); Hernandez 7.

Subs not used: Ferdinand, Lindegaard, Young, Welbeck.

Newcastle: Debuchy 6 (Yanga-Mbiwa 83), Williamson 7, Coloccini 7, Santon 6; Tiote 7, Anita 6; Gouffran 5 (Ben Arfa 57, 7), Cabaye 7 (Ameobi 78, 6), Sissoko 8; Remy 6. 

Subs not used: Cisse, Gutierrez, Elliot, Obertan.

Booked: Cabaye, Anita.

Goal: Cabaye 61.

Att: 75,233.

Ref: Andre Marriner.

Manchester United 0 Newcastle 1 Match Video

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English Premier League Match Week 15 Results

Saturday, 7 December

Southampton 1 Man City 1

Stoke City 3 Chelsea 2

West Brom 0 Norwich City 2

Crystal Palace 2 Cardiff City 0

Sunderland 1 Tottenham 2

Sunday, 8 December

Fulham 2 Aston Villa 0

Arsenal 1 Everton 1

Monday, 9 December

Swansea City 20:00 Hull City

Barclays Premier League Match Week 15 Table

 

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