Man City still falling short of Guardiola's search for perfection - Hits and Misses
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal A lot of the pre-match talk surrounded what's next for Viktor Gyokeres, with the Swedish forward not quite at the level amid pressure from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz on the way back from injury.This latest outing against Everton - where he scored a first-half penalty which won the game - had fewer question marks and was more of a step in the right direction.Everton 0-1 Arsenal - Match report & highlightsAs it happened | Teams | StatsThe goal was a positive but there were other moments too. Gyokeres now has five - but crucially it looks like there's a better understanding with his team.Sam BlitzChelsea going in the right direction after Maresca's 'good week' Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Newcastle’s match against Chelsea in the Premier League.
Under-pressure Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca would have been a worried man at half-time at St James' Park with his side trailing 2-0 and without a shot on target in the first 45 minutes.After what the Italian had described as his "worst 48 hours" at the club following last weekend's win over Everton, and subsequent reports linking him with the Man City job were Pep Guardiola to leave the Etihad next summer, the last thing he needed was a lacklustre first-half showing from his players.Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea - Match report & highlightsAs it happened | Teams | StatsThe visitors had four shots before the break, all off target, creating zero big chances with an xG of just 0.24 as Maresca's Chelsea obituary was being prepared.But, whatever the Blues boss said to his players at the interval - and he "promised" there were no angry words - it worked as Chelsea stormed back in the second half to earn a deserved point after nine shots, four on target, for an xG of 1.02.And so after beating Everton last weekend and coming back to earn an excellent point at Newcastle on Saturday, in between which they progressed to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, Maresca's troubled week has become a "good" one."My last week has not been complicated, it has been good," he said after the game."We beat Everton, we beat Cardiff and we drew Newcastle away. Not only is he scoring, six goals in his last five games, he is showing the striker's instinct which looked for so long like it had escaped him, potentially forever.His first against Palace was an opportunistic back-post tap in after his initial shot from a long throw had been saved.
It's a shame none of his team-mates were able to convert.He of course had his own moments where he should have scored, but his goal was one from a player full of confidence. Even if they are seeing history.Adam BateBallard is Premier League quality Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Brighton’s match against Sunderland in the Premier League Dan Ballard is thriving in the Premier League.