Welcome to Radarthe Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to illuminate the must-know stories from up and down the Premier League. this week:
🔴 Jota strengthens the slot ahead of the Spurs test
🔥 Fulham progress despite the departure of Palhinha
⏲️ The evolution of Tierney, Zinchenko and Arsenal
Jota's return gives Slot options
Arne Slott was rightly praised as his tactical adjustments helped 10-man Liverpool salvage a 2-2 draw against Fulham. But it helped that he could call on Diogo Jota. “He did so well to score,” Thierry Henry said of his equaliser Monday Night Football.
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Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry analyze Arne Slott's tactics against Fulham
The goal was typical of a player with an uncanny talent for finding space as Jota positioned himself between the lines in the build-up to a chance before diving unmarked into the gap between Issa Diop and Jorge Cuenco to collect Darwin Nunez's pass and finish.
Diogo Jota positioned himself in a pocket of space between the lines before his goal
He then attacked the space between Issa Diop and Jorge Cuenca to receive the pass
Jota was on the pitch for just six minutes, making his first appearance in two months following a muscle injury. But the 28-year-old has a habit of scoring big goals. His return to fitness – he also came off the bench in Wednesday's Carabao Cup win over Southampton – is a timely boost.
The fact that he was appointed by fellow deputy Nunez provided additional encouragement. Nunez followed up his assist with his first goal in a month when he netted the opener in the win at St Mary's Stadium. Slott will be hoping these are signs of a turnaround.
With Federico Chiesa also back from injury, the Liverpool boss has a full range of strikers for the first time. Of course, Mohamed Salah continues to lead the team, scoring a remarkable 16 goals and 13 assists in all competitions.
But he is not the only contributor and all of them will be needed for what lies ahead. Sunday's trip to Tottenham, live Sky Sportskicks off a run of four Premier League games in 15 days and Chelsea stepped up the pressure to cut the gap to two points.
The stakes are high, even at this early stage of the season. But Liverpool now have a great back-up player in Jota and the added unpredictability of a full forward selection.
Their strength in depth could be the deciding factor in the title race.
Sunday, December 22 at 4:00 p.m
Start at 16:30
In Palhinha, no problem for Silva
Fulham face Southampton on Sunday after taking points from Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham during a four-game unbeaten run. Their strong start to the season is all the more impressive given that they lost their most important player in the summer.
The departure of Joao Palhinho to Bayern Munich has left a huge void, but Marco Silva's ability to develop his squad means the Portugal international, a midfielder who has made more tackles than any other Premier League player in the last two seasons, has not been missed.
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Watch free footage from the 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Fulham
The signing of Sander Berge from Burnley helped. But replacing Palhinha's outstanding defensive work required a collective effort, with Saša Lukić also impressive. The duo have formed an effective partnership of late as part of a revamped midfield.
Silva's willingness to adapt brought Palhinho to the club in the first place, who like him came in to replace Jean Michael Seri, a highly technical but weak playmaker, as the Fulham boss accepted the need for more physicality to survive in the Premier League. after promotion from the championship in 2022.
Sunday, December 22, 1:00 p.m
Start at 14:00
As it turns out, they not only survived but also thrived. Sunday's opponents Southampton, nine points from safety at the bottom of the table and without a manager following the sacking of Russell Martin, must wish they had adopted some pragmatism themselves.
Tierney is a reminder of Arsenal's evolution
Kieran Tierney made his first appearance for Arsenal since May 2023 in their Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, but his time at the club is coming to an end. The Gunners will listen to offers for him in January and his contract expires in the summer.
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Gabriel Jesus scored a hat-trick in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Crystal Palace
He will no doubt have many options. The left back has been plagued by injuries, but at the age of 27, he still has a lot to offer. His quality was reminded of the low cross from which Raheem Sterling should have scored after half-time against Palace.
Signing from Celtic for £25m a few months before Mikel Arteta replaced Unai Emery as manager in 2019, Tierney has been one of Arsenal's best players for a period; a key part of the team that won the FA Cup in 2020, although he plays on the left side of a back three. Some considered him a potential captain.
But looking back on those early years under Arteta ahead of his fifth anniversary in the job was a reminder of how much the side has evolved. Arsenal is unrecognizable, both in terms of personnel and style of play. Tierney's qualities have been made redundant by the arrival of defender and midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko in 2022.
Zinchenko, like Tierney, could soon be seen as another casualty of the side's evolution. Arteta's preferred left-back is now Riccardo Calafiori, a player who boasts the physical stature of a centre-back as well as the technical quality to operate in midfield.
Saturday, December 21, 5:00 p.m
Start at 17:30
And so it continues. Tierney isn't exactly Arsenal's longest-serving player. This is Bukayo Saka. But while Saka is synonymous with a new era, Tierney is the last link to the previous one.
Live Radar: What's on Sky this weekend?
Arsenal go to Crystal Palace for Saturday Night Football device, with coverage starting Sky Sports Premier League and The main event from 4:30 p.m. before the start of the match at 5:30 p.m.
Great week see rivals Fulham and Southampton go head-to-head in the early game, starting at 2:00 p.m., with Tottenham and Liverpool confrontation at 4:30 p.m. The coverage of that double header begins Sky Sports Premier League at 13:00.
Read last week's Radar column
Last week's column focused on how Ruben Amorim's Manchester United could exploit Manchester City's defensive weaknesses before doing so at the Etihad Stadium. There were also looks Daniel Munoz runs into the penalty area for Crystal Palace.