Welcome to The Briefing, your go-to spot every Monday for the latest buzz in football. This season, The Athletic dives deep into three of the biggest questions sparked by the weekend’s matches.
This past weekend had it all—Liverpool hanging on by a thread for another hard-fought win, Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma delivering one of the most jaw-dropping touches you’ll ever see, Omar Marmoush helping Manchester City breeze past Newcastle, and David Moyes’ thrilling revival at Everton showing no signs of slowing down.
In this edition, we’ll be discussing: Should Ruben Amorim take the heat for Manchester United’s growing struggles? Is Mikel Arteta facing a creative challenge as Arsenal’s injury woes pile up? And what’s the latest on Liverpool’s nerves as they battle for the title? Get ready for all that and more!
Even in the circumstances… should we expect more from Amorim?
It’s tough to be overly harsh on Ruben Amorim right now, especially considering the long list of injuries that have completely crippled his Manchester United squad. With a lineup that had to feature a makeshift XI against Tottenham and a bench packed with literal kids, it’s hard to blame him for all their struggles.
But let’s take a step back—Amorim’s now managed United for 14 league games, and his record stands at eight losses, four wins, and two draws. That’s exactly one point per game. While that’s not quite relegation form yet (the last time a team averaged one point per game and still went down was in 2010-11, when 39 points wasn’t enough for Blackpool and Birmingham), if you project that over an entire season, it’s a recipe for disaster.
There have been flashes of hope—a dramatic win over Manchester City at the Etihad, an FA Cup triumph over Arsenal (on penalties), a hard-fought draw at Liverpool, and a perfect record in the Europa League. But the big question remains: where’s the progress?
Sadly, when you look at this team, it’s clear—they’ve actually gotten worse since the Erik ten Hag days. And with injuries still piling up, plus the potential loss of their most dynamic attacker, Amad, for the rest of the season, it’s hard to see a clear path to improvement anytime soon.
While Manchester United’s dismal on-pitch performance is hard to ignore, we can’t let it distract from the deeper issue at the heart of the club—the ownership. No matter how you want to define it, the true root of United’s problems lies in the hands of the Glazers and the current regime under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
For years, the Glazers have drained resources from the club, leaving it underfunded, and now Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures are creating even more chaos. Long-serving staff are being axed in the name of saving pennies, yet the decision-makers continue to make disastrous calls—like hiring and firing sporting director Dan Ashworth within six months, which cost around £5 million—and they still remain in place.
In many ways, Ruben Amorim was set up to fail. A manager known for trying to implement a bold, new style was thrust into the job mid-season with little chance to lay the groundwork. Had the powers that be made this decision in the summer, they could have saved money by parting ways with Ten Hag earlier and given Amorim a pre-season to put his ideas into action. Maybe, just maybe, United wouldn’t be in this mess.
That said, even with the odds stacked against him, Amorim must still take some responsibility. The fact remains that, despite the incredibly challenging circumstances, Manchester United has only gotten worse under his watch.
Will Arteta have to get creative to avoid having to pick Sterling?
Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Leicester on Saturday certainly wasn’t a classic, but it was a gritty, hard-fought victory that showed a different side of the Gunners. While it didn’t exactly fit the “game that champions win” cliché, there was something satisfying about seeing Arsenal battle through to a relatively scrappy win with two well-executed late goals.
But despite the positive result, there was a noticeable feeling of sadness—particularly when watching Raheem Sterling.
It’s hard to believe that Sterling only turned 30 two months ago, considering how long he’s been part of the footballing landscape. He made his debut for Liverpool at just 17, and by 18, he was playing a pivotal role in their near-title-winning campaign under Brendan Rodgers. At his peak, Sterling was a sensational sight—electric pace, perfectly timed runs, and key goals for both Manchester City and England.
But lately, it’s been tough to watch. His performance against Leicester was particularly sobering. You couldn’t help but feel for him at times—his once electric game now reduced to a shadow of its former self, like a faint echo of the star he once was. It was a hard reminder that sometimes, even the brightest flames fade.
For Arsenal, Saturday’s win highlighted a growing challenge: to keep the pressure on league leaders Liverpool, Mikel Arteta will need to get incredibly creative with his attacking options due to injuries to key players like Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz.
This will be a real test of Arteta’s adaptability as a manager—how well can he improvise in difficult situations? His tactical tweak on Saturday worked, with Mikel Merino stepping up as an auxiliary centre-forward, using his strength and heading ability to secure the win. But whether this strategy is sustainable over a long stretch remains uncertain.
Adding to Arteta’s dilemma is Raheem Sterling’s struggles on loan from Chelsea. It feels harsh to keep bringing it up, but if Sterling continues performing at this level, almost any alternative will seem more appealing—even if it means thinking outside the box. Moving Merino to the middle, shifting Leandro Trossard to the left, or experimenting with defenders like Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, or even Myles Lewis-Skelly on the wing could all be considered viable options.
Arteta himself mentioned that centre-back William Saliba had even volunteered to play up front, which he presented as a joke, but that kind of unconventional thinking might be exactly what Arteta needs to explore.
The return of Saka and Martinelli in about a month should provide some relief, but with tough fixtures ahead—against Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, and Manchester United before the international break—Arteta’s creativity will be tested like never before.
Is This the Most Neurotic Title Race in Recent Memory?
This Premier League season feels like a survival of the fittest, where the team with the most players left standing might end up on top. One of the key reasons Liverpool are currently leading the table is their ability to keep key players fit for most of the season, a luxury many others have not enjoyed.
However, Liverpool’s biggest challenge isn’t physical; it’s mental. Their second-half performance against Wolves at Anfield on Sunday was bafflingly familiar—a loss of composure that has crept into their game a few times this season. While it hasn’t cost them too many points yet, it’s an unsettling trend.
Having gone 2-0 up by the 38th minute, Liverpool became cautious and disjointed after the break, playing as though they were afraid to lose. It was as if they felt a slip-up would invite immediate competition, despite the fact that, in reality, no one is breathing down their necks at the moment.
Even if they had drawn with Wolves, Liverpool would still have been five points ahead of injury-plagued Arsenal and six clear of a Nottingham Forest side that has struggled in recent weeks. Chelsea and Manchester City would be well behind. In terms of points, they’re in a comfortable position—and right now, it’s their title to lose.
There’s something oddly compelling about the way teams this season seem to be running scared, like a kid bolting away from a snarling dog they believe is about to take a big bite. Only, there’s no actual threat—just a pack of yapping puppies.
It’s a strange kind of anxiety, but honestly, it makes perfect sense.
Before this season, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City rewired our expectations, making us think that the default state for Premier League champions is an unstoppable machine—one that treats a final tally of 90 points as nothing more than the bare minimum. But here’s the truth: City are the exception, not the rule. They’re the outliers. Liverpool, on the other hand, represent what champions used to look like—brilliant, yes, but with clear flaws. Even the best have their off moments, like nervy halves against teams like Wolves.
And honestly, it’s much more fun for the neutral to watch a team that, despite being likely the best in the league (and perhaps even Europe) this season, still has its vulnerabilities. It creates a sense of unpredictability, a hint of jeopardy—albeit a remote one.
Add in the weaknesses of the would-be challengers, and you’ve got the recipe for a thrilling, neurotic title race. And you know what? That’s exactly how it used to be, and it’s what makes this season so exciting.
