3 Up, 3 Down: Featuring Liverpool and Arsenal stars

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Down: Steve McLaren

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It remains to be seen whether Newcastle will develop the stomach for the relegation battle that they are deep in the midst of, but on the evidence of their 3-1 home defeat to Bournemouth, they’ll be heading down with Aston Villa in no time at all.

There was no effort or passion from the Newcastle players, and much of the blame for that must go down to manager Steve McLaren. He has been given the funds and the time to bring in his own side and get them geared up for a fight against the drop, but the players look disinterested and unambitious on the pitch, resulting in a series of heavy defeats.

They have beaten Tottenham and Liverpool this season, so are clearly capable, but their manager needs to get more out of them on a regular basis to avoid relegation; that’s if he avoids the sack, of course.

Down: Francis Coquelin

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Arsenal showed a surprising level of fight to come back and snatch a point against Tottenham, but they may not have needed such a battle had it not been for the sending off of midfielder Francis Coquelin.

The Gunners had established a level of control over the North London derby, but within seven minutes of Coquelin’s dismissal, Arsenal had fallen 2-1 behind to their bitter rivals.

Admittedly, Eric Dier should have also been sent off later in the match, and Arsenal fans will feel rightly aggrieved, but Coquelin’s red card was avoidable and could have cost them dearly.

Down: Romelu Lukaku

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Romelu Lukaku actually had a very good game against West Ham on Saturday, so on first inspection it may seem harsh to place him in the down category.

However, Lukaku’s penalty miss proved to be the key turning point in the match that Everton lost from a seemingly unassailable position. Admittedly, penalties are sometimes missed, even by the best strikers, but Lukaku’s stuttered run up hindered himself and ultimately his team in a crucial match.

Just put your foot through it next time, Romelu!

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