5 thoughts from Saturday’s Premier League action

theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points from Saturday’s slate of action in England’s top flight.

Liverpool can’t find consistency

Jurgen Klopp offered several explanations for Liverpool’s 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest. None of them, however, pass the litmus test.

Klopp first bemoaned the number of chances his players missed at City Ground, suggesting his team played well enough to win. Then he pointed fingers at the Premier League’s unforgiving fixture list, arguing Liverpool couldn’t possibly play three times in six days without losing energy along the way. Finally, the German manager mentioned the short squad at his disposal and the injuries that robbed him of his usual starters, including Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.

But none of these excuses conceal the core issue behind Liverpool’s early-season struggles: a sheer lack of conviction and consistency from a group of players that has rarely, if ever, shown such significant cracks in the armor.

The challenges facing Klopp and Co. are nothing new. He’s complained about the Premier League’s schedule-makers many times over the years. He’s also dealt with injuries in the past. He and his players know how relentless the Premier League can be.

So what’s different? Klopp’s side doesn’t appear to have the confidence to win close games anymore. In years past, Liverpool would always find a way to top troublesome opponents, even if they required a late goal or generous offering from the match official. Now, opposing squads sense they can nick a point or three when the Reds stumble out of the gates. And that’s happened quite often: Liverpool have conceded first in seven of their 11 Premier League matches this season.

This is a team that barely trailed at all last season. Now the Reds face a deficit every other game – and they don’t always muster a response.

Awoniyi’s unforgettable moment

Taiwo Awoniyi surely had this one circled on his calendar.

The Nigerian forward spent six years at Liverpool. He didn’t make a single appearance for the club. Following his arrival at Anfield in 2015, the Reds shipped him out on loan seven times – to six different clubs – before selling him permanently to Union Berlin in 2021. After thriving in Germany, he returned to England this season as one of Nottingham Forest’s high-profile summer signings.

While the 25-year-old doesn’t seem to harbor any ill feelings, scoring the winning goal against the Merseyside outfit will undoubtedly carry extra significance regardless of what else happens this season.

“To score against Liverpool is a day I will never forget,” Awoniyi said after the match. “I will always be grateful to Liverpool for scouting me from Nigeria, and scoring against them is amazing.”

Football’s “immutable law of the ex” strikes again.

De Bruyne’s unfair advantage

Sometimes, even an outstanding team like Manchester City needs a moment of pure individual magic to get out of trouble. Kevin De Bruyne delivered that Saturday, helping secure a 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion with an exquisite goal that settled what was becoming a nervy, uncomfortable outing for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Leading 2-0 and seemingly cruising early in the second half, City found themselves knocked off kilter by Leandro Trossard’s goal in the 53rd minute. The visitors, having finally scored their first goal since Oct. 1, were clearly energized. Suddenly, they were zipping the ball around the slick Etihad pitch with purpose, pulling Manchester City apart and retaining possession in a manner so commonly associated with their hosts.

De Bruyne put an end to that, though, connecting on a picturesque strike from 25 yards out that satisfyingly curled into the top corner. Game over.

De Bruyne’s vision and passing ability are his most lauded traits, but his long-range shooting is a critical part of his arsenal – it’s key to both his personal success and that of his team. Shooting from outside the area is often dismissed as wasteful, and it’s true such shots typically yield lower-quality scoring chances. But when the Belgian star is the architect, the threat of a shot from distance can force the opposition to step out and open up defensively, creating lanes and pockets of space for others to exploit.

Combined with City’s unceasing movement off the ball and the intimidating presence of Erling Haaland, De Bruyne’s ability to unpick a lock with either a shot or a pass makes Guardiola’s team nearly impossible to stop.

Rediscovering winning mentality

Spending £60 million to acquire a 30-year-old defensive midfielder is not the wisest allocation of funds, even for a club with unlimited resources. And no, Casemiro was never going to be the answer to all of Manchester United’s midfield issues. But the decorated Brazilian – more than just about anyone else in the Red Devils’ squad – is, quite simply, a winner.

For United, a club trying to rediscover its once infallible winning mentality, that matters.

United didn’t sign him for his scoring ability, of course, but Casemiro’s last-gasp header that earned a point against Chelsea on Saturday – and the impassioned celebration that followed – showed how the former Real Madrid stalwart is quickly becoming a leader at his new club. With Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly intent on sulking his way out of town instead of using his lofty status to uplift the whole team, Casemiro’s presence has become even more crucial.

The five-time Champions League winner understands what it takes to galvanize a unit. With Erik ten Hag imposing his style and a culture of accountability while Casemiro provides some much-needed know-how, United truly appear to finally be on the right track.

The list keeps growing

Jota. N’Golo Kante. Reece James – most likely. Raphael Varane could be the latest name on the list of players who will miss the World Cup due to injury.

The French defender left Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea in tears after suffering an undisclosed ailment in the second half. Varane was visibly distraught, his teammates consoling him before he slowly walked around the outside of the pitch and straight down the tunnel. With the World Cup less than one month away in an uncompromising and oversaturated schedule, players know that any injury suffered now likely spells the end of their World Cup hopes.

Ten Hag said it’s too early to know the extent of Varane’s issue, but the Frenchman’s intense reaction was concerning. Should he miss significant time, his absence will be a huge issue for Manchester United and, indeed, France. Varane’s budding partnership with Lisandro Martinez has been key to Manchester United’s recent resurgence, while the reigning World Cup champion is already facing multiple key injuries heading into Qatar.

A word, too, on the reaction of Chelsea fans to Varane’s misfortune. Jeering or shouting at any injured player is crass and disrespectful, but with the additional context of the World Cup – something of which every fan is aware – any supporters making crude gestures or shouting at a clearly devastated Varane deserve to be singled out and shamed.

That kind of reaction to an athlete’s misfortune is truly bizarre. When fans actively celebrate an injury, it’s clear football’s tribalistic nature has gone too far.