A Pep Guardiola resignation is more likely than a revival after Ruben Amorim’s masterclass. It would follow the two most justified sackings in recent memory.
Sean Dyche
The edits of Dyche as a set-piece-loving Bane are frankly unimprovable in idea and execution. Nicolas Jover can keep his university degree, influences from other sports and career path which has taken him to numerous different countries. He merely adopted the dark arts which Dyche mastered at Burnley and Everton.
When catastrophising about Everton’s upcoming fixtures we absolutely were completely guilty of overlooking how Arsenal (a), Chelsea (h), Manchester City (a), Nottingham Forest (h), Bournemouth (a), Aston Villa (h), Tottenham (h) and Brighton (a) actually suits their manager. The Toffees do not face a team in the current bottom half again until February and Dyche would not have it any other way. An eight-week diet of low blocks and corners is his idea of bliss.
There will be bumps along that road because almost two months of facing six times more shots than you take is unsustainable, but the odd points and shock wins Everton pick up in that time will be no real surprise.
Nor, crucially, will they confound the critics. A 0-0 draw away at Arsenal is part and parcel of the Dyche handshake. It changes nothing and only further embeds the established schools of thought on either side. The problem has long been performances, results and approach against lesser teams, but for a while those complaints will be rendered irrelevant.
Ashley Young
An England international right-back ageing gracefully and unproblematically well into his 30s? It’s a Christmas miracle.
Liverpool
Even when they drop points they gain more momentum.
The Fulham draw crystallised an imminent and uncomfortable decision to be made on Andy Robertson – and quite unnecessarily confirmed that Cody Gakpo is not an option there moving forward – but the overall performance galvanised a Liverpool side which had lost its way somewhat, with the wider context of the weekend in which it came an added bonus.
Chelsea still do not quite fit into the equation but Arsenal look uninspiring and Manchester City are broken. Both sides have struggled against an excellent Fulham this season yet Liverpool largely controlled proceedings even with an early man disadvantage.
Arne Slot initially tinkered holding off on making substitutions until the end, when he brought on the players who combined for the second equaliser.
The way Liverpool started hinted at a continuation of the struggles against Newcastle and Girona, which themselves followed the euphoria of strolling past Real Madrid and Manchester City; the finish against Fulham suggested they had moved past that brief crisis of confidence.
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