Well, that was hardly Boxing Day 1963. Liverpool v Southampton was unsurprisingly the biggest margin of victory in the Premier League this weekend, but the champions-elect were somehow the only team to score three goals or win by a two-goal margin.
No drubbings sets up an interesting worst XI of the weekend, with no Southampton or Manchester United representatives, which feels weird. As always, match ratings are taken from WhoScored.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga (Bournemouth) – 5.44
The Bournemouth goalkeeper saved Ederson and Alisson after their errors leading to a goal with a foul on Heung-min Son in his box, helping Tottenham Hotspur come from 2-0 down to eventually earn a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
In the most entertaining match of the weekend, Kepa only made two saves and misplaced 12 of his 25 attempted passes. He’s dropped down this ranking.
RB: Nelson Semedo (Wolves) – 5.99
We were treated to a clash on the big screen between Wolves and Everton on Saturday evening. Jack Harrison finally scored his first Premier League goal of the season before Marshall Munetsi’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw.
Playing right-wing-back, Semedo had a forgettable night, making zero key passes, completing zero dribbles, winning no aerial duels, being dispossessed four times and being dribbled past once.
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CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – 5.83
No heavy defeats for the relegation fodder of the Premier League means there is an opportunity for some big names to creep in the worst XI, and that has happened with Virgil van Dijk, who would probably win PFA Player of the Year if Mohamed Salah was not allowed.
Van Dijk and Alisson decided to run it back to their Arsenal brainfart last February by handing Will Smallbone an unlikely opener for Southampton at Anfield. Even with the bottom club ahead at half-time, Liverpool’s comeback was never in doubt. Shooting towards the Kop, they came from behind to win 3-1, with Salah scoring two penalties to extend Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League.
CB: Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur) – 6.02
Making his first appearance since lasting 15 minutes against Chelsea on December 8, Romero had an afternoon to forget in Spurs’ Desmond against Bournemouth.
The Argentine international lasted an hour this time around – probably because he wasn’t rushed back this time – and Spurs went 2-0 down four minutes later. Romero committed two fouls, had an error leading to a shot, lost possession 13 times, misplaced 13 passes and made zero tackles or interceptions.
LB: Victor Kristiansen (Leicester City) – 5.85
The first of three Leicester players in the worst XI, Kristiansen was substituted late on after a fairly uneventful match-up v Jadon Sancho.
CM: Kalvin Phillips (Ipswich Town) – 5.21
What are we going to do with you, Kalvin?
Crystal Palace v Ipswich somehow only had one goal, with Dean Henderson and Alex Palmer making 10 saves between them, but the decisive strike from Ismaila Sarr came via a Phillips error. Well, it went down as an error led to a goal, but it was very harsh. He lost a 50-50 against Daichi Kamada and Sarr latched onto the loose ball to dink over Palmer.
Besides the debatable error, Phillips failed with his two dribble attempts, was dribbled past once, made zero interceptions, committed two fouls and was dispossessed once.
CM: Yves Bissouma (Tottenham Hotspur) – 5.85
Hooked at half-time on a booking, Bissouma did not play horrendously but Ange Postecoglou had seen enough.
The Malian midfielder had an error leading to a shot and was dribbled past once.
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CM: John McGinn (Aston Villa) – 5.92
An abysmal opening 45 minutes between Brentford and Villa was quickly forgotten when Unai Emery’s side scored two goals in the first five minutes of the second half, though their second was disallowed for an offside against Ollie Watkins.
McGinn’s midfield partner Youri Tielemans – in the Premier League XI of the season – had the highest rating of the match on a rubbish afternoon for the Scot.
RW: Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur) – 5.84
Poor Johnson failed with his two dribble attempts, lost his only aerial duel and contributed nothing defensively before, like Bissouma, being substituted at the break.
His replacement (Son) won a penalty and scored from the spot to equalise. Bissouma’s replacement (Lucas Bergvall) assisted Pape Matar Sarr’s goal.
LW: Bilal El Khannouss (Leicester City) – 5.75
Leicester City suffered their fifth straight Premier League defeat to nil at Chelsea on Sunday. After winning and drawing their first two under Ruud van Nistelrooy, their only points have come away to Tottenham Hotspur, scoring in only two of their 12 defeats under the Manchester United legend.
El Khannouss has been a positive in an otherwise miserable campaign for the Foxes and the Moroccan playmaker could not do much against Enzo Maresca’s side, completing zero key passes and being dribbled past three times.
ST: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) – 5.99
Vardy was helpless in defeat at Stamford Bridge and a 5.99 is far from horrendous, to be fair to him.
His only shot of the afternoon was on target but other than that, the Leicester legend was anonymous and Van Nistelrooy would have been as well playing an extra defender – or himself.
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