Premier League round-up: Kane is world class after all

Surprise of the weekend… Zlatan stays on the pitch

There were those who were grumpy that Zlatan Ibrahimovic elbowed Tyrone Mings in the coupon. There were those who were outraged that Mings tried to stamp on Ibrahimovic’s head, and that Ibrahimovic had tried a stamp of his own a fraction earlier. Some people were fuming that both players had stayed on the pitch.

Read more: Zlatan misses penalty as 10-man Cherries hold United at Old Trafford

In pictures: Manchester United v Bournemouth

It was heartening to see, then, that when Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry were asked at half time whether Ibrahimovic should have retaliated, they both happily said, ‘Probably not, but I’d have done the same and that Mings was asking for it.’ It was wonderful. Football thrives off Helen Lovejoy outrage at players, and these two were quite happy to just say, ‘Yeah, what of it?’

Nobody wants to go back to the days of players having their careers ended or legs broken on purpose, and nothing that these two players did to one another would have done that. It was just good, old fashioned fun, and football is better for it when players are content to smack clumps out of one another and then get on with the game.

Read more: Ref loses control in ugly Zlatan/Mings clash – then he forgets to send off player

Read more: We stopped practising penalties – Mourinho

The only surprise is that Kevin Friend missed the chance to admonish them both sternly and send them off the pitch (it is not a surprise that this happened because of Friend’s own incompetence).

Best goal of the weekend… Nathan Redmond

Credit Nathan Redmond for going from a child eating refreshers in post-match interviews, when he played for Birmingham City, then negotiating the black hole of Norwich, to actually now appearing worthy of an England call-up.

Redmond took a risk in joining Southampton, as Ronald Koeman departed to be replaced by Claude Puel. There was a track record of Southampton coping as manager after manager was replaced, and player after player left for Liverpool, but with every loss of player and manager, a repeat became less likely.

Read more: How Watford v Southampton unfolded

Premier League in pictures: Saturday March 4

Redmond was rarely an imposing figure for Norwich or Birmingham, which is no surprise as a young, small winger. But against Watford he showed a new commitment to appearing in the box not just to assist, but to add goals to his game. Redmond wasn’t the only person to contribute to the goal, he was merely there to finish of an impressive team move for Southampton. Nevertheless, he remains just 23 and has not yet stopped improving since his early first team debut. There could be a great deal more to come.

Most important goal of the weekend… Roberto Firmino

The game between Liverpool and Arsenal was a chance for two skittish sides to settle their nerves. Arsene Wenger doesn’t seem especially bothered anymore, tired of life and tired of the team that he has had a free hand in creating. Jurgen Klopp has blustered ever more unconvincingly, flailing on the sidelines as his tactics of running a mediocre squad into the ground has started to be less effective in 2017.

Read more: How Liverpool v Arsenal unfolded

Read more: Liverpool beat Arsenal to go third in the Premier League

Firmino’s early goal helped settle the tie early. Liverpool remembered how it is that they are capable of playing under Klopp, demonstrated by their last-minute, devastating counterattack to make it 3-1, courtesy of a superb Alan Lallana through-ball. Arsenal remembered that, without Mesut Ozil (sick) and Alexis Sanchez (Wengered), they had nothing going for them, and duly rolled over in the first half. There was too much for Sanchez to do in a single half. Liverpool can build on the victory for confidence, and Arsenal fans can add another tepid defeat to the list .

Disappointing weekend for… Alexis Sanchez

Sanchez must wonder what the point is. After the game, Wenger claimed responsibility for the development of the player, the one who he bought, fully formed, from Barcelona at 25. Sanchez since then has not changed his style or effectiveness, he has just been positioned in the middle of the pitch because his technique, calm, strength and pace makes him the club’s most talented and dangerous player.

The only thing that has changed in Sanchez is that this season he seems absolutely sick of Wenger’s ess, and the ess served up by his colleagues. Wenger said that the reason was tactical, which is damning – there is not a single tactical approach that Liverpool could take, and Arsenal could take, at the same time, which would stop Sanchez being the best player on the pitch. Arsenal played in precisely the manner that will alienate Sanchez to the point that even if he found London the most thrilling city in the world, and didn’t care for money, he must be tempted to simply move to Chelsea and play with grown ups. Honestly, even joining Spurs would now be a step up. Having been dropped so provocatively, few would blame him for such a choice.

Playing for a move to Real Madrid… Harry Kane

Harry Kane may be mildly miffed that he was unable to get his hat-trick but he and Dele Alli again used the solid and driven base that Spurs provide them to pick off yet another side. They conceded from a slip, not some great weakness in their central defence.

Their attacking success was no fluke though. Kane’s best goal came when he spotted a touch of space ahead of him, and more to Joel Robles’ right. It wasn’t easy, but he leathered a shot, his traditional early strike, and took the ‘keeper by surprise.

AS IT HAPPENED: Spurs 3 Everton 2

READ MORE: Five lessons learned from Spurs’ victory over Everton

Kane was perhaps a tad hubristic to talk up his own talent in the last week, because it allowed people to point out that he’s not actually won anything, yet. But that’s hardly his fault. He puts away the chances given to him, and he creates plenty for himself by being confident of his own exceptional talent.

It’s too early to say whether he is world class, but if he made a move to a truly big club it would be foolish to assume otherwise. Spurs might have struggled against Everton if he had not been there to break the deadlock, and Mauricio Pochettino knows it – hence being removed for the far less impressive Vincent Janssen with time to spare.