ST's weekend football debrief 'Cold' Palmer needs to be hot again for Blues

'Cold' Palmer needs to be hot again for Blues

- Deepanraj Ganesan

The latest round of English Premier League action saw table-toppers Liverpool go 11 points clear after a crucial victory over against Manchester City, while second-placed Arsenal were defeated 1-0 by West Ham United. Here are three talking points.

SLUMBERING RED DEVILS NEED A YOUTHFUL JOLT

Depending on who you listen to, either Manchester United showed spirit in coming back to rescue a 2-2 draw against Everton, or the Toffees took their foot off the pedal while leading 2-0 on Feb 22.

While the reason for the Red Devils' recovery is up for debate, what was clear is that United have a habit of sleepwalking through the first 45 minutes. This was the 11th successive league match in which they failed to score in the first half from open play.

The last time Ruben Amorim's men scored from open play in the opening 45 minutes in the league was during a 3-2 defeat by Nottingham Forest last December.

A frustrated Amorim observed that his players seem to be letting "time pass". This passiveness is a key issue and, if his senior players are not competitive enough, then he needs to turn to the youngsters to inject the energy and exuberance that the squad lack.

Both goals and assists have dried up in recent weeks for Chelsea's Cole Palmer, who, earlier in the season, had registered 14 goals and six assists. PHOTO: REUTERS