Premier League

Klopp takes aim at Wilder as Spurs ride pony in title race – Five things we learned from the EPL

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Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool

Tottenham returned to the top, Sheffield United remain rooted to the bottom and Manchester City got back in the groove.

Meanwhile, Chris Wilder found himself accused of selfishness by Jurgen Klopp.

Here we look at five things we learned from the Premier League this weekend.

Klopp takes aim at Wilder

Jurgen Klopp called Chris Wilder “selfish” after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at Brighton (Peter Powell/PA).

Jurgen Klopp called Chris Wilder ‘selfish’ after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at Brighton (Peter Powell/PA)

Liverpool boss Klopp had already made clear his frustration over fixture scheduling and Premier League clubs not being able to make five substitutions this term prior to his side’s 1-1 Saturday lunchtime draw at Brighton – but as he did so again in a heated post-match interview at the Amex Stadium; a new element was a dig at his Sheffield United counterpart, Wilder. Asked about clubs voting against the five-substitute rule, Klopp called Wilder ‘selfish’ before adding: ‘They have three subs and one point if I am right.’ It seems unlikely the two bosses will be on each other’s Christmas card lists.

More misery for the Blades

Chris Wilder's Sheffield United remain winless in the Premier League this term after a 1-0 loss at West Brom (Lindsey Parnaby/PA).

Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United remain winless in the Premier League this term after a 1-0 loss at West Brom (Lindsey Parnaby/PA)

If that made for a less-than-enjoyable start to the weekend for Wilder, things got worse later in the day when his bottom-placed side were beaten 1-0 at West Brom, who had been the only other side in the division yet to win this season. That made it nine defeats in 10 games for the Bramall Lane outfit and things really are starting to look worrying now in the troubled follow-up to their impressive 2019-20 campaign.

Tottenham on top again

The team currently leading the division are Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham, who moved back above Liverpool on goal difference on Sunday following a 0-0 draw at his old club Chelsea. The Portuguese played things down afterwards, insisting his side are not in the title race, describing them as ‘not a horse … just a pony’. It remains to be seen how they fare over the full distance – but what Mourinho, a three-time Premier League winner with the Blues, might achieve with Spurs is an increasingly interesting question.

Cavani makes an impression

Also on Sunday, Edinson Cavani gave the clearest demonstration yet since his his move to Manchester United last month that he can still make a significant impact. Having come off the bench at half time at Southampton with his side 2-0 down, the 33-year-old Uruguay striker proceeded to tee up a Bruno Fernandes goal and then add a brace of headers as the visitors sealed a 3-2 win.

City find their shooting boots