sponsor's image

Robbie Savage’s Winners & Losers: Saints can take my record; Fulham for Europe?

Robbie Savage

In association with Planet Sport Bet, Robbie Savage will give us his Winners and Losers from the weekend’s action…

Robbie Savage is personally invested in Southampton’s record-breaking wretchedness, while crediting Fulham for a magnificent performance to beat Liverpool…


Robbie’s winners

The winners of this weekend’s Premier League action have to be Fulham. What a win it was against Liverpool!

They were 1-0 down and came back to win 3-2, with exciting, dynamic football, and loads of creativity.

The goal from Rodrigo Muniz, that touch to get it out of the sky, to hold off Van Dijk, to bring it down, turn then smash it in… it was a wonderful, wonderful goal.

Fulham are only four points behind the Champions League places as it stands, up to eighth in the Premier League table. Can they get European football? Can Fulham get Champions League football?! It would be unbelievable.

As it would be for Nottingham Forest. Even when they lose, they win…

Forest paid for a couple of first-half mistakes at Aston Villa, who themselves clawed back some ground in the race for the Champions League. But it hasn’t cost Nuno’s side too dearly since neither Chelsea or City below them really took the opportunity to move within a win of them.

Crystal Palace‘s win on Saturday won’t have a huge impact on the European chase but it was massive for the Eagles to win their derby of sorts.

You can understand the celebrations at full-time since Palace were facing almost a quarter of an hour of added time with nine men. Brighton did them a favour with a red card of their own during stoppage time, but it was still a show of resilience from the Eagles to earn their first top-flight league double over their rivals.

If there was anything left in the relegation battle – there wasn’t really – there definitely isn’t now after Wolves came from behind to win at Ipswich.

Wolves have Pablo Sarabia to thank for sparking their fightback, the substitute scoring their first before teeing up Jorgen Strand Larsen for the winner.

 


Robbie’s losers

The losers have to be Southampton – the earliest team relegated from the Premier League. Can they beat the record of Derby?

If you look at every single picture that’s ever published about that Derby side, I’m on it – there were other people in that Derby team!

Can the Saints beat 11 points? That’s the big question. They’ve got two wins, that Derby team got one. Can they avoid being the worst-ever Premier League side?

Of the so-called big six, only Spurs won this weekend. Liverpool were sloppy at Fulham but Arsenal were not good enough at Everton to really capitalise and allow us all to pretend that the title race might not be over after all.

Mikel Arteta denied having an eye on the Champions League clash with Real Madrid in midweek, but it’s hard to make a case for them beating Real without a swift and dramatic improvement in form.

Enzo Maresca heavily rotated his Chelsea XI at Brentford – it did not work – while Manchester City were similarly lacklustre in the derby.

Given United’s woes this season, you can understand Ruben Amorim’s game plan to sit deep and hit City on the break but, defensively, United were very comfortable and might argue they should have won the game. Regardless, it was clear from early on that both sides were more interested in not losing than making a genuine attempt to win the derby.

Robbie Savage is a brand ambassador for Planet Sport Bet

🚨 DO NOT MISS THESE FROM F365
👉 16 Conclusions on Man Utd 0-0 Man City: Fernandes brilliant, Garnacho poor, Guardiola shows ‘lack of class’
👉 Manchester United are stuck in limbo: they need to fail properly and get relegated

F365 Features Robbie Savage