Premier League talking points

It is rare for a young English midfielder to be compared to Glenn Hoddle, but Leicester manager Claude Puel, who played with Hoddle at Monaco, reserved such praise for James Maddison (pictured). PHOTO: AFP

1 WOLVES MUST BARE TEETH

After picking up only one point from a possible 18 in the Premier League, Nuno Espirito Santo is facing his first major test since taking over as Wolves manager.

Perhaps most alarming is the fact that their last two defeats have come against relegation candidates, Huddersfield and Cardiff. In both games, they got exactly what they deserved.

Wolves are no longer controlling games in midfield and the suspicion remains that Raul Jimenez will not score enough goals up front. And that must be a concern for Nuno, who may need to change tactics, not just personnel, to arrest the slide.

2 PUEL PRAISES MADDISON

It is rare for a young English midfielder to be compared to Glenn Hoddle, but Leicester manager Claude Puel, who played with Hoddle at Monaco, reserved such praise for James Maddison.

As well as technical ability, the midfielder showed his temperament on Saturday.

Having been sent off the previous weekend for diving, he returned with something to prove and did so with a fine volley against Watford.

3 ANDONE BOOSTS BRIGHTON

Florin Andone was a smart buy in the summer when Brighton exercised a relegation clause in his contract with LaLiga side Deportivo La Coruna to sign him for a relatively paltry £5.25 million (S$9.1 million).

While the Romania striker has missed Brighton's previous eight games with an ankle problem, his return to fitness for his first league start coincided with his first goal for the club.

Brighton have been heavily reliant on Glenn Murray this term so having another forward who can score could be crucial to the Seagulls moving clear of the relegation zone.

THE GUARDIAN

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 04, 2018, with the headline Premier League talking points. Subscribe