Premier League Matchweek 12: A Tactical Deep Dive into the Goals and Game Plans

Newcastle United 2-1 Manchester City (St James’ Park)

Tactical Analysis: Counter-Punching the High Press

Pep Guardiola, without Rodri, fielded a slightly unconventional 4-1-4-1, with a focus on high-pressing and quick ball recovery. Newcastle, under Eddie Howe, opted for a resilient 4-3-3, instructed to bypass City’s high line with direct, vertical passes and exploiting the half-spaces vacated by the City full-backs (Nunes and O’Reilly).

The Goals: Clinical Transitions

• 0-1 Rúben Dias (67′) – Goal against the run of play: City’s goal was a classic Guardiola sequence. They managed to break through Newcastle’s initial press, with a superb through ball from Phil Foden to Jeremy Doku on the left wing. Doku’s low, driven cross was partially cleared but fell to Dias, who showed composure to volley home through a crowd of legs.
• 1-1 Harvey Barnes (63′) – The Direct Route: The equaliser exposed City’s vulnerability to the rapid transition. A long clearance from goalkeeper Nick Pope found the feet of Anthony Gordon, who had drifted into a central channel. He played a quick, precise pass out to the overlapping **Harvey Barnes**, who cut inside past Gvardiol and rifled a powerful shot into the top corner.
• 2-1 Harvey Barnes (69′) – Set-Piece Error: Barnes’ winner came almost immediately after City’s brief period of parity and was a devastating blow derived from a free-kick. A deep delivery was whipped in, finding the head of a Newcastle defender, and the deflected ball fell perfectly for Barnes inside the six-yard box. He reacted quicker than the City defenders, poking it past the goalkeeper. The tactical breakdown here was City’s lapse in marking responsibility and second-ball dominance in a critical phase.

Liverpool 0-3 Nottingham Forest (Anfield)

Tactical Analysis: Dyche’s Defensiveness Pays Dividends

Liverpool, under Arne Slot, maintained their high-possession, attacking 4-3-3, aiming to use their wide forwards (Salah and Gakpo) to create overloads. Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest, however, were exceptional in their low-block 4-4-2, ensuring minimum space between the defensive lines and focusing on nullifying the central threat of Isak and the creative influence of Mac Allister. Forest’s success was built on suffocating the midfield and being ruthless on the counter-attack, exploiting Liverpool’s high defensive line.

The Goals: Set-Piece and Counters

• 0-1 Murillo (32′) – Corner to Carnage: Another Liverpool set-piece concession. An Elliot Anderson corner kick was delivered deep. Virgil van Dijk’s attempted clearance was weak, and the ball bounced off an in-rushing defender before falling perfectly for centre-back **Murillo**, who smashed it low into the far corner. The controversy around an offside player (Ndoye) was dismissed, but the tactical failure was Liverpool’s lack of organisation on the second phase of the set-play.
• 0-2 Nicolò Savona (45′) – Capitalising on High Line: The crucial second goal came just before half-time. Forest won the ball back deep in their own half and launched a rapid counter-attack. A long, diagonal ball completely bypassed the exposed Liverpool midfield and defence. **Nicolò Savona** raced onto it, took a touch to settle, and fired clinically past the goalkeeper. This goal perfectly exploited the space created by Liverpool’s aggressive attacking shape.
• 0-3 Morgan Gibbs-White (77′) – The Nail in the Coffin: As Liverpool pushed frantically for a way back, throwing on more attackers and leaving the back-line exposed, Forest hit the third. A quick breakaway allowed Omari Hutchinson to sprint clear; his initial shot was saved, but **Morgan Gibbs-White** was on hand to calmly slot home the rebound, underlining the chasm in clinical finishing and defensive shape.

Other Saturday Results:

• Burnley 0-2 Chelsea: Chelsea were patient against a deep-lying Burnley 5-4-1. The breakthrough came from a moment of individual brilliance from Pedro Neto (36′), who cut in from the left to score. The second was a late, dominant possession goal from Enzo Fernández (87′), showcasing Chelsea’s superior ball retention against a tiring defence.
• Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace: Palace’s 4-2-3-1 was superior in midfield. The first goal (Daniel Muñoz 62′) was a well-worked attack down the right, with a pullback allowing the wing-back to score. The second (Yeremy Pino 68′) was a powerful, opportunistic strike that saw Palace capitalise on a loose pass in Wolves’ defensive third.
• Fulham 1-0 Sunderland: A cagey affair decided late. Fulham’s winner (Raúl Jiménez 83′) came from a well-placed corner delivery, with Jiménez losing his marker at the near post to head home, punishing Sunderland’s momentary loss of concentration.