Nuno’s Forest masterclass at Anfield, Jhon Duran’s strike rate and Eddie Nketiah’s stats feature in The Debrief | Football News

Arne Slot’s perfect record was undone by the perfect counter-attacking performance as Nottingham Forest beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield. It should not have been too much of a surprise that Nuno Espirito Santo was the architect of his downfall.

Only Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte have notched up more Premier League victories over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City than Nuno – and they had superior squads with which to do it. When it comes to beating elite possession teams, there are few better.

It takes more than getting bodies behind the ball who are totally committed, although that is imperative. It requires pace on the counter-attack and the ability to pick out that pass through the press. Forest had both at Anfield, their fast breaks being a feature.

Since Nuno was appointed in December, no team in the Premier League have had more fast breaks. It suits the players available to him, cleverly introducing Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi as the game opened up, but it is also a Nuno trademark.

Of the eight current Premier League managers to have taken charge of at least 100 games, Nuno’s teams break quickly on the opposition more than those of his peers. From a low block, they suck sides in and then seek to punish them on the transition.

The tactic has brought criticism as well as praise. Tottenham did not tolerate it long. Some call it sufferball. But with so many teams focusing instead on a patient build-up, trying to play the same way as stronger sides, there is an argument it is ideal for Forest.

The underlying numbers since Nuno came in suggest that he has set the team up well defensively, even if errors have occasionally undermined them. Only Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, last season’s top three, have a lower expected-goals against total.

Indeed, while Luis Diaz struck a post and goalkeeper Matz Sels almost contrived to drop one into his own net, this was no fluke. Liverpool finished the game with an expected-goals total of 0.94 – lower than in any Premier League game at Anfield last season.

When a disciplined defence is paired with a lightning-quick forward line – and a player in Hudson-Odoi who suddenly appears to have found his own patented finish – it brings its rewards. A first win for Forest at Anfield since 1969 now among them.

Duran’s strike – and strike rate

It was a pleasure to be at Villa Park on Saturday to witness a thrilling game as Aston Villa came from two down to beat Everton 3-2 thanks to what will surely be one of the goals of the season. Jhon Duran came off the bench to blast in the winner from over 25 yards.

The Colombian attracted headlines in the build-up to the game following comments from Villa’s president of football operations Monchi and director of football Damian Vidagany, both suggesting Unai Emery believes Duran can become a world-class striker.

Speaking to Emery about that at Villa’s training ground on the eve of the game, he told Sky Sports: “If you watch the matches he plays here, the goals he scores here, the process he is doing here, maybe you would think like me as well. He has big potential.”

That was apparent to everyone who saw that stunner against Everton, Duran’s eighth Premier League goal for Villa, coming at a rate of one every 86 minutes. For context, only Erling Haaland among current Premier League players can better that strike rate.

Seven of those eight goals have come as a substitute – incredibly, Duran has still only started three games in the competition. But that could change, as Emery explained on Friday. Ollie Watkins was on the pitch when that goal went in. They can play together.

“He is getting mature,” Emery told Sky Sports. “And his adaptation, even after this summer, was a little strange because there was the possibility of him leaving. But then we decided to keep him here and he was completely convinced to stay here with us.

“We started again with him, the same process that I had last year. And now I think they are both very important for us. They can even play together and this is the next challenge that I want to try to practise. Because I believe that they can play together.

“And of course they are going to fight together, competing among themselves. Firstly with each other, secondly for the team and against the opponent.” It was too much for Everton. If Duran develops how Emery hopes, it could be too much for everyone.

Nketiah’s promising Palace debut

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the two goals in Crystal Palace’s comeback to draw 2-2 with Leicester but the home supporters left Selhurst Park talking about the exciting debut of Eddie Nketiah. The summer signing from Arsenal showed that he can make an impact.

The 25-year-old forward produced a lively performance, highlighted by the fact that he had six attempts on goal and 15 touches in the opposition box. Perhaps surprisingly, he surpassed neither of those totals during his entire Premier League career with Arsenal.

His enthusiasm helped to make it happen. Nicolas Jackson was the only attacking player to cover more ground while sprinting than Nketiah at the weekend, and even he did not make as many different runs as the Palace debutant. It will earn him chances.

“I am really surprised in a positive way how hard he is working in training,” Palace boss Oliver Glasner had explained on the eve of the game. “He is always one of those guys who is running most in the training session, having the highest intensity in his training.

“He is a different profile to Jean-Philippe. Eddie is more about moving into the space, finding the space, a very good technical player. He has this feeling that maybe you cannot learn as a striker – how to move, where to move, and a great finish.”

If there was a concern over his signing, it was that he would not get the chances at Palace that he did at Arsenal. But those 15 touches in the box were not just a record for Nketiah but a Premier League high this season. This could yet prove to be an inspired signing.

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