Five stars who came out of Boxing day’s action badly.
One of the highlights of the footballing year has now passed, with ten Premier League fixtures on Boxing Day representing one of just a handful of occasions during the season when all 20 sides are in action on the same day.
SEE MORE:
Top six goalscoring defenders
Liverpool injury update
The top three were all victorious relatively comfortably, but there was plenty of stories further down the table as Southampton moved back into the top four, Liverpool were fortunate to win at Burnley and Arsenal just held on to beat QPR.
Here are our five losers from this Boxing Day:
Neil Warnock
Warnock’s Crystal Palace side slumped into the relegation zone after they were picked apart by Southampton at Selhurst Park, with the former QPR and Sheffield United manager bemoaning his side’s “luck” after the match, something that is never a good sign for an under pressure manager. Warnock was jeered by the club’s supporters when he decided to substitute tricky winger Yannick Bolasie and the pressure appears to be mounting on the experienced manager, with a huge clash against former club QPR on the horizon.
Olivier Giroud
Perhaps the biggest loser of Boxing Day in the Premier League was Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud, whose sending off in his side’s 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers was an act of sheer idiocy. With his side 1-0 ahead and in total control, Giroud overreacted to a collision with Armand Traore and appeared to headbutt his opponent, giving the referee little choice but to send him off. Ridiculous behaviour by the Frenchman.
Brad Jones
Poor Brad Jones. After waiting for years to be given a genuine chance as first choice goalkeeper at Anfield, the former Middlesbrough man’s “indefinite” spell in the Reds first team could well have been brought to an end after he limped off with a thigh problem during his side’s narrow victory over Burnley at Turf Moor. With the January transfer window now on the horizon and Liverpool potentially moving for a goalkeeper, Jones’ chance may have slipped away.
Alan Irvine
Neil Warnock is not the only Premier League manager under pressure – West Bromwich Albion boss Alan Irvine admitted that he was also in dangerous after the Baggies were torn apart in the first half by Manchester City at The Hawthorns. Irvine’s side regained a little composure in a snowy second half and record signing Ideye Brown getting on the scoresheet was a bonus, but Irvine will know that his team need to improve if his job is to remain safe.
Roberto Martinez
Perhaps the most surprising Premier League manager to becoming under a degree of pressure currently is Everton manager Roberto Martinez, who saw his side beaten at Goodison Park by Stoke City courtesy of a Bojan Krkic penalty. Martinez’s decision to blame the loss on the referee following the game was one that betrayed the increasing frustration at Goodison Park, however, as the Toffees struggle to hit the heights of last season.