Could Liverpool miss out on Champions League qualification?
Liverpool suffered their third straight defeat at the weekend by losing 3-1 to Leicester having been 1-0 ahead. Jurgen Klopp said after the game that his side are out of the title race and having fallen outside the top four as well; Could Liverpool miss out on a Champions League place for next season? The reds dropped down to 6th this week following wins for both West Ham and Chelsea who moved above them into 4th and 5th with their wins over Sheffield United and Newcastle last night. They've only won twice in the league since Christmas and have lost five with three of those coming at home which is surprising because they've usually been very strong at home over the last few seasons. Part of the reason for this form has been down to not pressing as well as they normally do and the loss of Jordan Henderson in midfield along with the amount of changes at the back. Henderson's absence in midfield has had a massive effect on the team because they're missing his energy in the middle of the park and his presence there gives the front three the licence to make the runs in behind and press from the front. The skipper is the one who leads the press whenever he's in midfield which allows the front three to put pressure on the defenders of the opposition. Liverpool haven't had a player like that since he's been moved to centre back due to the amount of injuries they've had in that department. They've made several changes at the back recently with the three main ones all out injured which has disrupted the flow of the team. The reds need to find a settled pairing to use for the rest of the season or they could finish outside the top four.
Is Ralph Hasenhuttl under pressure again?
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was under pressure at one stage last season which was when his side lost 9-0 to Southampton following an average start to the season. Having lost six games in a row including another 9-0 defeat; Is the Austrian under pressure again? I'm asking this question simply because the Saints have lost their last six games on the trot and have won just once in ten league games which is very worrying for them. This is the kind of form that puts managers under pressure and especially when they're in a relegation battle. I don't think Southampton will sleep walk their way into a relegation battle but they could drop further down the table with some tough fixtures coming up for them. The Saints have got Chelsea, Leeds and Everton in their next three games which could see them as low as 16th or 17th if they were to lose all of them which could put Hasenhuttl's job on the line if that was to happen. They're still in the FA Cup and could reach the Semi finals if they beat Bournemouth in the next round but if they don't sort their league form out over the next few games, the pressure could be back on the Southampton boss.
Is Pierre Emerick Aubameyang back to his best?
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is beginning to return to his best form with 5 goals in his last 5 games including a hat trick against Leeds on Sunday. So is the Gabon superstar back to his best? Ever since signing that new contract at the start of the season, Aubameyang had struggled to find his best form as he scored just twice between signing that contract and Christmas. He was in lacking in confidence which was shown in his performances at the time and part of that was down to the amount of chances he wasn't scoring and the lack of service he was getting. But now Arsenal are more free flowing than they were a couple of months ago, Aubameyang is getting more and better service because he has creative players around him Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. He didn't have that earlier in the season but with Smith Rowe and Saka in the team, he'll get better service and if he can continue this kind of form between now and the end of the season, we'll see if he's back to his best.
Is Josh Maja the man to fire Fulham to safety?
Fulham's main struggles for most of the season have been scoring goals because they haven't had a clinical no.9 in front of goal. But in new signing Josh Maja, they might have found someone who can solve their problems after the new boy scored twice on his debut in the win over Everton on Sunday. This got me asking if he is the man to fire Fulham to safety. Maja was in the right place at the right time for both of his goals against Everton as he got on the end of Ola Aina's cross to poke the ball in the net for the first and tapping in the rebound off the post from Harrison Reed's shot for the second. These are the kind of goals that any Premier League striker would score most of them turn out to be important goals for their team in whatever they're fighting for. Especially when you're in a relegation battle. Fulham haven't had that kind of player all season with Aleksandar Mitrovic and Bobby Decordova Reid not scoring enough goals and the team not being able to turn draws into wins. But with Maja already off the mark, they'll be hoping that he can add more and if he can between now and the end of the season, he could be the man to lead Fulham to safety.
Can Timo Werner finally discover his best form at Chelsea?
Timo Werner finally ended his long wait for a goal in the Premier League last night as he netted the second in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Newcastle. After finally ending his goal drought; Can he finally discover his best form in a Chelsea shirt? Werner did everything but score during his goal drought by showing good movement off the ball and getting into good goal scoring positions. But he hasn't been able to put the ball in the back of the net. He's helped his team out in creating chances for his teammates which he has done in his last few games which is good but as he's a striker, you'll want him to score more as that is his job. With his goal drought finally over, Werner will be hoping to score more between now and the end of the season because goals give players confidence and that is what Werner has been lacking for the last two months. If he can score more goals between now and the end of the season as well as create chances for his teammates, we could see Werner finally hit some form which will be vital if Chelsea are to finish in the top four.
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