FanSided Premier League Week 12 roundtable

This weekend in the Premier League, Harry Kane made his presence felt for Tottenham against West Ham, Arsenal ground out a draw at Old Trafford and Yaya Toure came in from the cold for Manchester City. In our weekly roundtable, FanSided’s soccer staff share their reactions. 

Kane provides much needed boost for Tottenham

Michael Harshbarger, @TimHalpert

Tottenham hadn’t won a game, in any competition, since Oct. 2 heading into Saturday’s match against West Ham. They were also the only undefeated team left in the Premier League, having conceded a measly six goals in their first 11 games.

But even with their stellar defensive record, Tottenham need to, you know, actually win games to keep pace with the top four teams. Being unbeaten is great, but a consistent failure to turn draws into wins will result in a mid-table finish, unacceptable by Tottenham’s recent standards.

The match against West Ham was their second consecutive Premier League London derby. Although the matchup is certainly not as high-profile as the one against Arsenal, finding a way to secure all three points was more important than it’s ever been for a Spurs side trying to remain relevant in the title race.

A loss or a draw on Saturday would have left them only a few points clear of underperforming Manchester United and perennially mid-table Everton, as well as seven or eight points behind leaders Chelsea. A win, on the other hand, would keep them within shouting distance of Chelsea, three points behind both Liverpool and Manchester City, and one point behind rivals Arsenal. I guess you could call it a pretty big game.

Spurs fans will be happy their club went with the winning option.

But the three points didn’t come easy. In fact, Tottenham didn’t take the lead until the first minute of stoppage time. They would have to equalize twice on the day. One of those equalizers came from 20-year-old Harry Winks — according to some Tottenham fans, he’s now the best midfielder in the world — to the delight of both Spurs and England supporters. If you would like to see an example of pure happiness just check out Winks’ reaction to scoring his first ever Premier League goal.

But it would be Tottenham’s other, more experienced Harry that played the hero on Saturday. With two minutes left in the match, Spurs trailed West Ham 2-1. Three minutes later, they were ahead 3-2.

Harry Kane’s first came off a cross from substitute Heung-min Son that West Ham’s keeper Darren Randolph actually directed to the feet of Kane with his fingertips. It was a simple enough tap-in. Two minutes later it was Son again setting up Kane, this time by drawing a penalty that Tottenham’s number 10 buried calmly past a diving Randolph.

Kane scored a three-minute brace at the death to save the match for Spurs, and in the process reignited what was looking like an increasingly listless bid for a top four finish.

With both Harrys, a staunch and disciplined back line, and their first win in almost two months, Tottenham will feel confident about their chances of securing a Champions League spot, and hopeful of battling for a Premier League title. Regardless of where they end up, Spurs are currently still relevant in the Premier League thanks to Kane’s dramatic late double.

Giroud helps Arsenal maintain unbeaten run

Peter Johnstone, @9PniJ2

The last time Arsenal won at Old Trafford in the Premier League was 2006. Since then they have been outplayed, choked or just lacked belief in their ability to get a good result against one of their biggest rivals. Although they only came away from Manchester with a point it must have felt like a victory for Arsene Wenger and his side.

For the majority of the game the Gunners were lackluster. A team that is known for its creativity seemed to lack ideas. Mesut Ozil was a passenger in the game while Alexis Sanchez had little to no effect on the match. The first half was more evenly contested than the second but over the course of the 90 minutes it was certainly Manchester United that deserved to take all three points. Jose Mourinho’s side looked like doing just that when Juan Mata finished perfectly from an Ander Herrera pull back, putting the Red Devils 1-0 up.

On the broadcast I watched the commentary team were rightly criticizing Arsenal for their woeful performance and lack of intent. In the second half the only real chance they created was the one which Olivier Giroud powered into the back of the net with an impressive header. However, that header could prove to be one of the most poignant moments of Arsenal’s season. In recent seasons there’s no way Wenger’s side would have won that match.

The Frenchman would have tried his best to change the game while still encouraging his side to play the free-flowing soccer for which they’re known. Instead he brought on the burly center-forward Giroud and the direct winger Alex 0xlade-Chamberlain — at right back. I could understand Giroud’s introduction, but playing Oxlade-Chamberlain at right back was beyond me.

It turned out to be the perfect move from Wenger. In bringing on an attacker in a defensive position he confused the United players. They weren’t sure how to mark Oxlade-Chamberlain which led to him being matched up with Marcus Rashford in a one-on-one situation that the Gunners equalized from.

For once, Wenger had out-thought his arch rival Mourinho. For once, he played the game instead of the beautiful game. Finally, Arsenal look like the title challenging team they have threatened to be for most of the past decade. They’re unbeaten since the opening day of the season, and instead of playing graceful football at all costs, they’ve shown a willingness to grind out results like a relegation-threatened side.

One of the most important things to take from this match was Giroud’s performance. The Frenchman has played a supporting role so far this season, despite having an impact in every game he’s played in. He would have been disappointed not to get the start against United, especially after watching Sanchez drop deep for the majority of the game and Theo Walcott offer very little going forward.

Yet when he came on he gave it his all and played for the team. That sounds like something a good professional should always do. Yet when you’re playing well and you don’t start it must be difficult to muster the energy. Giroud did manage to find that energy, though even in his goal celebration you could see his disappointment at not being played from the start. Despite tying the game, the French international looked like he had just knocked in a consolation in a 6-1 defeat. His post-match interview reiterated this. There wasn’t even the hint of a smile on his face.

We’re almost a third of the way through the season and it’s clear this is not the Arsenal team of recent years. Everyone should be afraid of Wenger’s side because even when they aren’t playing well they’re taking points. They will get their hands dirty and do whatever it takes to get a result. This looks like it will be the most closely contested Premier League title in years, and if Arsenal continue to show their newfound steely resolve, they’ll be right in it to the death.

Toure shows his worth for Manchester City

James Dudko, @JamesDudko

Yaya Toure reminded a lot of people about a lot of things this weekend. The Manchester City outcast thawed out from manager Pep Guardiola’s deep freeze to score twice to beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and keep City in the thick of the Premier League title race.

In the process, Toure reminded all the smart fans, the statistics boffins and the pundits that he’s still a viable option in England’s top flight. The Ivory Coast midfield colossus also reminded City fans what they probably shouldn’t have forgotten: He’s still a match-winner, even at 33.

Most of all, though, Toure sent a clear message to Guardiola. The message read that the player he coached at Barcelona still has a significant role to play in the success of his latest project.

Guardiola ought to have received the message loud and clear. Toure’s two-goal destruction of Palace can’t be a one-off. He has to start more often.

Toure made the trek to the Camp Nou in 2007 after a successful stint with AS Monaco. He flip-flopped between playing as a holding midfielder and a makeshift center-back on Guardiola’s watch. But Toure has always belonged further forward.

Remember when Gary Neville verbally eviscerated Toure in front of a Sky Sports camera in 2015, complaining the African powerhouse didn’t do his duty as a central midfielder? Well, the whole rant rather missed the point about Toure. His game has never been defined by what he does defensively. Instead, his true value has always been his influence in the final third.

It’s how he helped guide City to a pair of Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups, as the difference-maker for first Roberto Mancini, then Manuel Pellegrini. When Mancini’s squad made a late push to the title in 2011-12, it was Toure’s clutch goals, as much as Carlos Tevez finally deciding to join the party, that earned them the big prize. He was even more prolific for Pellegrini, powering his way to goals and assists at an alarming rate and, as usual, delivering in the biggest games.

Once he was moved further forward, Toure became City’s ultimate closer, the man for the big occasions. City suitably accommodated his goalscoring instincts by protecting him. Toure never had to worry too much about defensive chores. He usually had a minder to handle those for him. It was Netherlands hard man Nigel de Jong during the Mancini era, while Brazilian Fernandinho gave Toure room to roam for Pellegrini.

Against Palace, Guardiola showed he understands how best to use Toure today. He wisely put him alongside both Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan in a formation that morphed into a midfield diamond with Toure at its tip. From there he had the freedom to do what he does best. Namely, get goals and win matches for City.

Guardiola, who against Palace looked like a manager suffering the much-fabled culture shock at the intensity of the Premier League, used Toure creatively to riff on a formula that was beginning to look stale in recent matches.

It’s precisely the point about Toure’s value to Guardiola and this season’s City. He can be the extra dimension every title-chasing squad seeks, but so few actually manage to find. Sergio Aguero will continue getting goals. Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva will still create chances. But Toure’s ability to decide matches in an instant, either in the air, on the deck, from a free-kick or on a trademark muscle march through defenders not keen on tackling a man mountain, will give City too many weapons for teams to handle.

Toure’s still too effective to leave out. Guardiola needs to forget the spats with agents and make big Yaya a fixture of City’s best starting XI again.