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Manchester United again desperate

"I'm sure you'll see a reaction," Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had promised.

"We can not wait for things to happen, we have to provoke them," he added before the match, but Manchester United failed again on Saturday.

Facing Watford, 17th before this game, it is hard not to believe that the players have abandoned their coach and have no desire to wait until the end of the season to see change, as the management seemed to prefer until here.

Lack of offensive combativeness as defensive, general apathy after the goals conceded, the Red Devils, 7th to 12 lengths of the leader, seemed as extinct.

Only David de Gea, who twice stopped a penalty - quite poorly shot - from Ismaïla Sarr, given to withdraw, showed a tad of character.

However, he could not prevent Joshua King (1-0, 28th) and Sarr (2-0, 44th) from giving the Hornets a deserved advantage at the break.

And while Donny van de Beek, off the bench at the break, had given hope to his family (2-1, 50th), Harry Maguire, far from his performance in the selection during the truce, found a way to be expelled for a failed tackle after too long a control (69th).

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire on Premier League Matchday 12 against Watford on November 20, 2021 at Vicarage Road Stadium Ian KINGTON AFP

Watford killed all suspense at the end of the match by Joao Pedro (3-1, 90 + 2) and Emmanuel Dennis (4-1, 90 + 5).

Watford's Nigerian striker Emmanuel Dennis scores Manchester United's 4th home goal on Premier League Matchday 12 on November 20, 2021 at Vicarage Road Stadium Ian KINGTON AFP

With a capital match in C1 at Villarreal on Tuesday, a trip to leaders Chelsea on Sunday and then the reception of Arsenal in great shape the following Thursday, United can completely sabotage their end of the season over the next three matches and leave the bar in Solskjaer would seem an extremely risky bet.

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Chelsea ensures

Chelsea delivered a performance worthy of a solid title contender to dispose of Leicester, unrecognizable after playing the spoilsport in the Champions League race in recent seasons.

With 29 points, the Blues are six lengths ahead of Manchester City, which plays on Sunday, and West Ham, beaten at Wolverhampton (1-0), while Leicester lagged behind in 12th place with 15 points.

Since his name has been circulating among Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's possible replacements at Manchester United, Brendan Rodgers seems to have lost his paw with the Foxes who have taken just one point in the last four league meetings.

Antonio Rüdiger, with a head thrown back on a corner from Ben Chilwell (0-1, 14th) and N'Golo Kanté, with a shot from the left, after an unopposed climb of 20 meters (0-2, 28th) punished the opposing defensive shortcomings from the first act.

France's N'Golo Kante celebrates his goal in Chelsea's victory at Leicester on November 20, 2021 Ben STANSALL AFP

Despite a reaction of pride from Leicester in the second half, Christian Pulisic hit the nail on the head (0-3, 71st), twenty minutes from the end of a one-sided match.

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Successful start for Gerrard

For his first game on the bench at Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard stopped his side's streak of 5 consecutive defeats with a 2-0 victory over Brighton.

Aston Villa coach Steven Gerrard talks to Dutch striker Anwar El Ghazi after the 2-0 win over Birmingham's pitch on Matchday 12 of the Premier League on November 20, 2021 at Villa Park Lindsey Parnaby AFP

Aston Villa has thus increased its lead in the red zone to 4 points, even if its 15th place remains poor.

Gerrard's predecessor Dean Smith, who has already rebounded at Norwich, also managed his entry with a 2-1 victory over Southampton, the second of the season only for the Canaries, still 19th.

On the other hand, Newcastle has still not taken off from last place by being held in check by Brentford in a crazy match (3-3).

Appointed at the start of the truce, Eddie Howe, tested positive for Covid and not on the bench, was able to measure the work he will have to accomplish.

© 2021 AFP