Inter 3-0 Genoa: Player ratings as Romelu Lukaku fires Nerazzurri to comfortable win

Inter continued their Serie A title push in style on Sunday afternoon, as goals from Romelu Lukaku, Matteo Darmian and Alexis Sanchez swept aside Genoa at San Siro.

Lukaku’s strike set the tone for what would be a comfortable outing for the league leaders, as he took a pass from Lautaro Martinez in his stride within the first 30 seconds and charged towards Mattia Perin’s goal, eventually finding the bottom corner.

Inter had nine shots from within the box in the first half, the pick of the bunch coming from Martinez as he attempted to get the better of Perin with a spectacular overhead kick.

Antonio Conte’s team looked utterly dominant and just as anxieties were beginning to grow about whether the second goal would arrive, they found it. Lukaku, at the centre of everything, brought the ball forward and played in Darmian, who fired across Perin for just his second goal in Inter colours.

The home side hit their stride from there and had a third goal ten minutes later when Sanchez, fresh off the bench, headed in at the back post. There was a lengthy VAR delay after the goal was initially ruled out for offside on Lukaku, but it was eventually given, and sealed a comfortable win for Inter.

Let’s get our teeth into some Inter player ratings, shall we?

A rare touch for Handanovic A rare touch for Handanovic
A rare touch for Handanovic | Stefano Guidi/Getty Images

Samir Handanovic (GK) – 7/10 – Had his gloves tested a few times and was generally solid. Wore a cap in the second half which was nice to see.

Milan Skriniar (CB) – 6/10 – Busier than the other central defenders but only really had a couple of awkward clearances to deal with.

Stefan de Vrij (CB) – 7/10 – Held Inter’s shape together, saw more of the ball than any other player and played quarter-back for long spells. Strong performance.

Alessandro Bastoni (CB) – 6/10 – Keen to take risks on the ball but sometimes sloppy in possession.

Darmian was busy down the right Darmian was busy down the right
Darmian was busy down the right | Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Matteo Darmian (RWB) – 7/10 – Saw plenty of the ball in the final third. Gave Lennart Czyborra a lot to think about with his attacking runs and, while his killer touch was sometimes lacking, he made up for it with a great low finish for the second goal.

Nicolo Barella (CM) – 9/10 – Carted himself from box to box with no real regard for his own safety and took a sore one from Cristian Zapata for his troubles. Rattled the bar from 25 yards and played an underrated role in the buildup to the first goal. Instrumental.

Marcelo Brozovic (CM) – 8/10 – Pressed aggressively and covered plenty of ground from defensive midfield. Also instrumental

Christian Eriksen (CM) – 5/10 – Try as he might, he just doesn’t look natural in a midfield three.

Ivan Perisic (LWB) – 6/10 – Quiet by his standards. Doesn’t seem entirely suited to the wing-back role but pulled it off with minimal fuss.

A sight you definitely don't want to see as a keeperA sight you definitely don't want to see as a keeper
A sight you definitely don’t want to see as a keeper | FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/Getty Images

Lautaro Martinez (CF) – 7/10 – Fed Lukaku for the opener and made his presence felt with a busy attacking performance. Had hearts in mouths with a stunning overhead effort that fell into Perin’s grateful gloves. Not his most vibrant performance but kept defenders guessing with his inventive link-up play.

Romelu Lukaku (CF) – 8/10 – Holding the ball up and laying it off to Darmian one minute, thundering past defenders and sticking the ball in the bottom corner the next. Should’ve had a hat-trick by half-time but happy to make do with a goal and an assist.

Alexis Sanchez (Martinez, 76) – 6/10 – Had the ball in the net within about 1.5 seconds even if VAR kept him waiting.

Roberto Gagliardini (Brozovic, 76) – 6/10 – On to shore things up in midfield and did a capable job.

Ashley Young (Perisic, 84) – N/A

Danilo D’Ambrosio (Darmian, 84) – N/A

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Gareth Bale shows he’s still got it to bring fresh hope to Tottenham’s season

From Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – An interesting topic-turned-meme brought about by Tottenham’s ‘All or Nothing’ Amazon Prime documentary was Danny Rose’s perception of himself.

At a time where he was averaging an error leading to a goal every 23 minutes (citation needed), Rose stormed into José Mourinho’s office demanding to play more, even threatening to speak to Daniel Levy about the situation.

Eventually, Rose pursued an exit in the 2020 January transfer window, with Bournemouth and Newcastle interested. He asked Levy about any contact with AC Milan. The Spurs chairman was visibly shocked that the question about one of the world’s most prestigious clubs was even put to him.

The mentality it takes to get to the top is something the ordinary person will likely never understand – the hours, days, weeks, years of sacrifice are almost unrivalled.

Rose was once the best left-back in England, but has been on a sharp decline since 2018. He must have known that he wasn’t at that level, but at the same time, he might have turned a blind eye to his waning abilities, engaging in some sort of doublethink.

The same situation could also be applied in part to Gareth Bale, who put in his best performance since returning to Spurs in their 4-0 win over Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Two of Spurs' greatest ever players are forming some great chemistryTwo of Spurs' greatest ever players are forming some great chemistry
Two of Spurs’ greatest ever players are forming some great chemistry | Julian Finney/Getty Images

Tottenham fans remember Bale as a flying winger who became one of the biggest goal threats in Europe when given the keys to manipulate the attack as he saw fit. At Real Madrid, he stacked up his personal highlight reel on the biggest stages, before quietly (sometimes loudly) fading out of the limelight in recent seasons.

A 31-year-old Bale rejoined Spurs with the same technique he always had, but a far different player physically. Can you recall the last time you saw Bale skin his man?

Injuries and fitness issues have taken some of the Welshman’s peak years away from him, and he arrived back in north London injured and without a pre-season. It would have been a miracle for Bale to hit his stride before Christmas. When he started, you could see his disappointment upon substitution. When he was brought on, you could see his overwhelming rustiness and inability to match the pace of the game. Surely Bale knew this wasn’t the real him.

Mourinho has backed Bale to manage his bodyMourinho has backed Bale to manage his body
Mourinho has backed Bale to manage his body | Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images

Tottenham topped the table in December but ran out of steam, with one of their issues being their inability to find a third attacker to keep up with and take the load off Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. The team around them pretty much collapsed too, while murmurs of squad unrest and the hierarchy’s interest in RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann have crept into the bigger picture.

Bale, much like Dele Alli, has scarcely featured this season. Unlike Dele, you can understand why. He’s spoken about managing his body, Mourinho has spoken of his trust in Bale to manage his body. Euro 2020 is around the corner and with the colourful injury history he has, it’s understandable that he wouldn’t want to overdo it in such a compact season.

Bale and Dele have the quality to save Tottenham's seasonBale and Dele have the quality to save Tottenham's season
Bale and Dele have the quality to save Tottenham’s season | Julian Finney/Getty Images

The duo’s reintegration into the squad has coincided with some better team performances. After a winter spent hibernating in their shells, Spurs look confident on the ball, they have a direction; there aren’t many valid excuses for their abysmal form, but maybe that injection of quality was what Tottenham needed to reset themselves.

Bale put Tottenham ahead on Sunday after 68 seconds – his fastest goal in the Premier League. He picked out Kane with a 50-yard pass for their second. And when all had seemed lost in hope of rediscovering his pace, he even left Burnley defender Charlie Taylor in the dust, breezing past him like he was Maicon.

With Spurs fans’ heart rates just about returning to resting pace following one of their most enjoyable halves of football in years, Bale got them racing again with an emphatic finish early in the second half to put the game beyond doubt, before being substituted with 20 minutes remaining.

Quality players will always find a way to coexist, and Bale’s linkup with Kane and Son felt natural. Three of the league’s stellar names were on the same wavelength, and they were making the others around them better for it – Lucas Moura has now scored two goals in two games with that trident on the pitch together, for crying out loud.

Tottenham’s league position of eighth does not reflect the talent they have in their squad, but Sunday’s win is one of the first times in months that they put in a real performance worthy of a team fighting for a Champions League place, in the hunt to win the Europa League, in the final of the EFL Cup.

Spurs have six games to play in March, plus a rather needless international break at the end of it. Mourinho’s going to have to lean on his whole squad if he’s to navigate the month without more speculation regarding his future making the headlines.

He’s not going to be able to play every game, but when he does, Bale can help salvage Spurs’ season yet.

For more from Sean Walsh, follow him on Twitter!

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Harvey Barnes to miss 6 weeks & needs surgery after suffering knee injury

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that Harvey Barnes will be out for at least six weeks after picking up a knee injury.

Barnes suffered the blow in the second half of his side’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. Reaching to control the ball, his knee buckled and he collapsed to the turf. After receiving treatment his leg was heavily strapped and he was then stretchered off.

Barnes has been in excellent form this seasonBarnes has been in excellent form this season
Barnes has been in excellent form this season | Michael Regan/Getty Images

After the game, Rodgers told talkSPORT that Barnes would require surgery to correct the problem. He also confirmed that the injury is likely to keep the 23-year-old out for at least six weeks. This means that Barnes will miss England’s World Cup qualifying games against San Marino, Albania and Poland later this month.

It also rules him out at a crucial juncture in Leicester’s season with the race for Champions League qualification hotting up. The Foxes currently sit third in the Premier League with games against Burnley, Brighton and Sheffield United up next.

However, they have a long list of injuries that will hamper their chances of finishing in the top four. Aside from Barnes, James Justin, James Maddison, Ayoze Perez, Dennis Praet and Wes Morgan are also out.

Jonny Evans was also forced off in the second half against Arsenal. Rodgers explained that this was due to a calf strain, with Evans set to have a scan to reveal the full extent of the problem imminently.

These two injuries, plus the defeat, capped off a truly miserable 72 hours for Leicester. On Thursday they were dumped out of the Europa League by Slavia Prague, who beat them 2-0 at the King Power Stadium.

Rodgers will be hoping that these disappointments do not lead to a slide similar to last season, where the Foxes won just three of their final 12 games and dropped out of the top four on the final day.

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Chelsea 2004/05: The defensive record that will never be broken

In recent years, Jose Mourinho has probably taken the whole ‘defence wins you games’ cliche a little too far.

A lot of his recent teams have been hyper-focused on defending – you only need to look at the criticism of his Tottenham side for how infuriating they can be to watch at times – but in the boss’ defence, he has an incredible reason to play the way he does.

In the 2004/05 season, his first in England, Mourinho’s Chelsea conceded just 15 goals en route to winning their first Premier League title and flipping English football upside down.

Mourinho's career reached another level that seasonMourinho's career reached another level that season
Mourinho’s career reached another level that season | JIM WATSON/Getty Images

With Petr Cech in goal and John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho at the heart of the defence, Chelsea were unbeatable…almost. They lost just once all season – a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in gameweek nine – and that was it. Chelsea rode their unbreakable defence all the way to a historic title.

The Blues were just so, so good. Conceding 15 goals was simply ridiculous, and it’s turned both 2004/05 Chelsea and Mourinho into the gold standard against which every elite team are compared.

Arsenal’s Invincibles in 2003/04? 26 goals against.

Manchester United’s title-winning 2007/08 side? 22.

2017/18 Man City? The team who won 100 points? 27.

The 2019/20 Liverpool side sometimes described as the best team in league history? 33.

This City team currently odds-on to win the treble? They hit 16 in their 26th match.

Not only are those numbers more than 15, but they’re considerably higher. Nobody, not even any of the best teams the league has ever produced, has come anywhere close to equalling that return. It’s ridiculous.

It’s impossible to imagine what kind of defence would be needed to match 2004/05 Chelsea. Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Virgil van Dijk and Vincent Kompany are four of many big names who have fallen short.

Whenever anyone wonders why Mourinho is so infatuated with defending, it’s because such an approach is what took his career to the next level. Sure, winning the Premier League title did him well, but to shatter records and build an unrivalled behemoth was more important.

Chelsea were a cut above the restChelsea were a cut above the rest
Chelsea were a cut above the rest | ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

Whenever any new all-time great starts to emerge, Mourinho and Chelsea’s names are there. Sure, this year’s City side might have won 20 games on the bounce, but they’ve come up short in the goals conceded column, just as the rest of the all-time greats have done.

Defence does win you games, it’s true. If you concede 15 goals across a 38-game season, you’re in with a good chance of winning it all, and Mourinho knows that better than anybody on the planet.

He may well dream of matching that tally with another team, but it’s not going to happen. It will never happen. The kind of quality needed to ship just 15 goals in a season does not exist and may well never exist again.

Next year, the comparisons will be back. Whichever team climbs to the top of the standings will be compared to Chelsea yet again, and as is always a case, they’ll come up short.

You may not like what Mourinho is doing these days, but deep down, there’s a method to all his madness.

For more from ?Tom Gott, follow him on ?Twitter!

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Leicester 1-3 Arsenal: Player ratings as Gunners come from behind to stun Foxes

Arsenal came from behind to beat Leicester City 3-1 at the King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon, putting in a commanding display against the Champions League hopefuls.

The Foxes capitalised on a defensive mix-up to seize the initiative in the seventh minute, with Youri Tielemans rifling home from an acute angle on the right of the penalty area. The Gunners were awarded a penalty seven minutes later, but VAR ruled the offence took place outside the box, changing the punishment to a free-kick.

The visitors did equalise on 39 minutes however when David Luiz escaped the attention of his marker to head Willian’s free-kick into the far corner of the net.

Arsenal were offered the chance to enter the dressing rooms ahead on the stroke of half-time when Wilfred Ndidi handled in the box, and Alexandre Lacazette dispatched the spot-kick with ease.

Mikel Arteta’s men clinched their victory over the Foxes in the 53rd minute when Nicolas Pepe tapped the ball over the line from inside the six-yard box to round off a wonderful team move from the Gunners.

Let’s check out the player ratings from a surprising afternoon at the King Power Stadium.

Less than impressedLess than impressed
Less than impressed | Pool/Getty Images

Kasper Schmeichel (GK) – 5/10 – Had little hope of getting across his goal to Luiz’s well-placed header and dived the wrong way for Lacazette’s cool penalty. Not great on the third.

Timothy Castagne (RB) – 5/10 – Had to keep the marauding Tierney quiet, blocking his crosses and sticking tight to his man. Completed lost Luiz on the free-kick to allow the Brazilian to equalise. Disappointing.

Jonny Evans (CB) – 6/10 – Not at his best and couldn’t keep it together as those around him crumbled. Went off injured.

Caglar Soyuncu (CB) – 5/10 – Had to help out Thomas on the odd occasion, who had trouble with the tricky Pepe. Made sure the winger felt the full force of his strength.

Luke Thomas (LB) – 4/10 – A very complicated afternoon for Thomas. Couldn’t live with the trickery and movement of Pepe and picked up a yellow card for a drastic intervention in the first half. Understandably subbed at half-time, poor lad.

The goal hero The goal hero
The goal hero | Pool/Getty Images

Ricardo Pereira (RM) – 5/10 – Offered a more defensive presence higher up the pitch, while letting Castagne to bomb on from behind him. Had his own troubles marking Pepe in the second half.

Wilfred Ndidi (CM) – 5/10 – Avoided conceding an early penalty after VAR rescued him. The assistant referee was less kind to him when penalising the midfielder for a stray hand in the box.

Youri Tielemans (CM) – 6/10 – Broke the deadlock with a clinical finish on the angle. Somehow allowed the ball to squeeze through his legs for Pepe to tap home the third.

Harvey Barnes (LM) – 6/10 – Stung Leno’s palms with a fierce drive from distance. Too central. Struggled to find possession and cut a pretty isolated figure at times. Pulled up with a worrying injury in the second half.

Not sure what's happening hereNot sure what's happening here
Not sure what’s happening here | Pool/Getty Images

Kelechi Iheanacho (ST) – 5/10 – Incredibly anonymous. Doesn’t quite seem to fit in with the rest of this team.

Jamie Vardy (ST) – 6/10 – Always appeared far from the action as his teammates uncharacteristically didn’t play to his strengths. Blocked Albrighton’s goal-bound strike.

Marc Albrighton – 6/10

Cengiz Under – 5/10

Daniel Amartey – 7/10

A disastrous start to the game A disastrous start to the game
A disastrous start to the game | Michael Regan/Getty Images

Bernd Leno (GK) – 7/10 – Had to watch his defence allow Tielemans to cruise through without any pressure. Couldn’t stop the powerful drive. Marshalled his box well and kept the Foxes out.

Cedric Soares (RB) – 7/10 – Not a bad first half from the full-back, who reduced Barnes’ threat to a minimum. Impressive in the second too as Leicester pushed to find a way through.

David Luiz (CB) – 8/10 – Showed brilliant movement to evade his marker and then planted a superb header past Schmeichel to bring Arsenal level. Defensively sound.

Pablo Mari (CB) – 6/10 – What was he doing? Backed off and backed off until Tielemans had enough space to just pass the ball into the net. Bounced back and did brilliantly in the second half to halt Vardy.

Kieran Tierney (LB) – 7/10 – Defended well against the potential threat of Leicester’s counter, stopping Vardy from breaking through on goal in the first half.

Xhaka attack Xhaka attack
Xhaka attack | Michael Regan/Getty Images

Mohamed Elneny (CM) – 7/10 – Far from innocent in his part in Arsenal’s criminal defending for the first goal. Recovered and showed his endless energy and desire to win the ball back.

Granit Xhaka (CM) – 8/10 – Involved in the catastrophic opening goal, getting his feet mixed up and was unable to get back in time. Got a hold of the game after his slow start and began to boss proceedings. Ended very strongly.

Emile Smith Rowe (AM) – 6/10 – Wasn’t overly influential in the first half and had to leave the pitch five minutes before half-time with a muscle injury.

A near escape for Leicester A near escape for Leicester
A near escape for Leicester | Michael Regan/Getty Images

Nicolas Pepe (RW) – 8/10 – Found so much joy against the inexperienced Thomas, constantly beating his man and whipping in some decent crosses. Won the penalty to go ahead. Started and finished the move for the third – unplayable.

Alexandre Lacazette (ST) – 7/10 – Tucked away his penalty with great confidence. Acted as an intelligent focal point for his teammates to play off.

Willian (LW) – 7/10 – Flashed a shot wide from the edge of the box on 27 minutes. Provided the assist for Arsenal’s equaliser. Now the Gunners’ top supplier this season.

Martin Odegaard – 7/10

Thomas Partey – 7/10

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 6/10

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