5 Things We Learned – Manchester United slip while Arsenal & Tottenham steal the show

Jamie Thomas looks back at five things we can take away from the weekend’s derby double-header and other Premier League fixtures.

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1. Arsenal are their own worst enemies

Arsene Wenger was not wrong when he said Tottenham’s two goals were cheap. Harry Kane arrived at the back post to finish Mousa Dembele’s flick-on from a corner after Aaron Ramsey was caught napping.

Gunners goalie David Ospina later redeemed himself with a stunning double save from Nabil Bentaleb then Kane at 1-1. The keeper was like a wall at times yet, on occasions, he was infuriating because he just did not want to catch the ball.

Tottenham grafted in contrast to Arsenal after Mesut Ozil got the opener. They just didn’t have the same intensity which was epitomised by a tiring Kane, who worked tirelessly to worm his way between a lackadaisical Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal to nod in the winner.

2. City AF the pace

It’s tricky for a top team like Manchester City to play one of the league’s strugglers at home when they sit deep in their own half, stifling them and waiting for the counter-attack.

What you need for games like these against Hull is big physical players to get in the middle of it all and disrupt the play but City were without Yaya Toure or Wilfried Bony, who’re on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast.

Without a league win now in four games, the champions are letting their dreams of retaining the title slip through their fingers and they’ll need Toure back to help save them.

3. R they going to stay up?

Mauro Zarate gave Southampton something to think about as QPR slumped to a narrow defeat. But with the likes of Charlie Austin, Adel Taarabt, Eduardo Vargas, and Leroy Fer they have the potential to cause any team problems.

The problem is at the back. Whether they’ve gone with three, four or five in defence this season, QPR just have not got it right and it was the same story against Saints. Match-winner Sadio Mane missed a bundle of chances after some shocking defending before settling the matter when he turned Nedum Onuoha to fire in.

QPR have better tools in some areas than other teams in the danger zone but after gaffer Harry Redknapp’s shock resignation, they now need a manager who knows how to utilise them.

4. Rooney, RVP and Falcao shouldn’t be United

It’s a welcome selection dilemma for Louis van Gaal choosing between Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao to start up front. But playing RVP and Falcao up top with Rooney in the midfield has rarely worked this season.

Falcao and RVP are too static and don’t link well together. The Colombian missed another sitter, Van Persie was in and out of the game and Rooney was too deep.

Van Gaal said when he came in that he isn’t afraid to drop star players if they aren’t performing. It’s time for him to stay true to his word before United slip further off the pace.

5. Switch tactics

After the epic North London derby, Everton v Liverpool at Goodison was an anti-climax. Afterwards Toffees gaffer Roberto Martinez insisted the clash had been a ‘fascinating tactical battle’.

For the rest of us, it was simply boring. They cancelled each other out, much like Chelsea v City last weekend – but at least that one had a couple of goals. Sometimes tactics ruin games.

Rising star Jordon Ibe was the stand-out performer but Reds captain Steven Gerrard is now left hoping for a final showdown with Everton in the Europa League after this dull draw.

Read more from Jamie Thomas here.

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