From the thriller at Anfield, to the late drama at the Vitality Stadium, it was non-stop excitement in English Premier League. Here EconSport picks out what we garnered from Match Day 11.
DEMARAI GRAY’S GOAL ILLUMINATES GREY AND GLOOMY WEEK FOR LEICESTER
CITY
Cardiff City 0 vs 1 Leicester City
Goals (Demarai Gray 55’)
In this most testing of weeks for Leicester City, there was a
silver lining in an emotional victory over Cardiff city, courtesy of Demarai
Gray’s goal, which left their hosts in the relegation zone. Amidst the sombre
mood –resulting from the Helicopter crash which claimed five lives including
Chairman Vichai Srivhadhanaprabha- and with the loss of such a huge figure in
the club's modern history yet to fully sink in, everyone in blue put up a
united front. And from those blue skies, their late owner would surely have
approved of such. It emerged in the post reaction this past week, how a visibly shaken Kasper
Schmeichel watched on in utter shock, and had to be restrained by security personnel, as
the helicopter went up in flames and he admitted as much after the game saying,
“I saw it all happen. It is something that will stay with me”. In moments like
this, when a club united in sorrow is joined in mourning by football fans worldwide,
with players and staff visibly shaken, football transcends club allegiance and
local rivalries. Seeing the outpouring of emotion during the pre-match minute
silence held in memory of the late owner was overwhelming. And it was only
fitting that Gray’s goal should secure a victory, an emotional one, for the
visitors. In their long journey to normalcy, Leicester took a
right first step.
MORE OF THAT PLEASE, MORATA
Chelsea 3 vs 1 Crystal Palace
Goals (Chelsea; Alvaro Morata 32’, 65, Pedro 70’. Crystal Palace;
Andros Townsend 53’)
Alvaro Morata’s impressive performance against Crystal Palce was a
beautiful display of the qualities, albeit not showcased consistently in his
Chelsea career till date, the Spaniard possesses. Palace came flying out of the
blocks with attacking intent early on, David Luiz making a crucial block to
deny Max Meyer’s fierce drive from the edge of the box. Zaha and Townsend in
attack caused problems for the Chelsea duo of Luiz and Antonio Rudiger in defence, with
their pace and runs in behind stretching the home side. Morata though did what
good strikers do –settle the early nerves. After Pedro’s mishit strike fell nicely
to him, he took a touch to steady himself and next moment the net was rippling
with joy. The surety of the finish a stark contrast from the early season looks
of a striker lacking confidence. Following on from his goal against Burnley
last weekend, he has scored in consecutive league games for the first time
since November of last year. Chelsea soon found their rhythm with Ross Barkley
leading the charge especially in the first half. What a turnaround he is
having! Keeping a player of Mateo Kovacic’s quality rooted to the bench is
testament to his much improved performances this season under Maurizio Sarri.
But this dominant Chelsea win was all about one man, Alvaro Morata. His opener
took the wind out of Crystal Palace’s sails, and when Andros Townsend's second
half equaliser, on the back of some suspect defending from the hosts raised
fears of two dropped points, there the Spaniard was again to allay those fears
with a smart finish from Eden Hazard’s free-kick. The Belgian’s magic summoned
by Sarri off the bench as the match drifted away from plan. In recent weeks,
Morata has shown an ability to link up nicely with Chelsea’s other front men –a
factor which saw Olivier Giroud displace him in the early weeks of this
campaign– while also adding goals to boot, which his competitor was sorely
lacking. He no longer is the shy duckling often bullied by the League’s imposing
defenders, Morata has roared back into form. Chelsea fans would hope such rich
vein of form is sustained heading into a busy run of fixtures. More of that
please.
PEP’S PIECE ISN’T COMPLETE YET, BUT SCARY CITY LOOK OMINOUSLY
FRIGHTENING
Manchester City 6 vs 1 Southampton
The culmination of Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge of
Manchester City had a major headline; the ever confident –and for some silently
arrogant- ingenious tactician had gone
trophyless for the first time in his career. But behind the scenes, the
evidence of major changes already in flow was visible. The top brass at City
believed it was only a bump on the road to something special. And this is
threatening to not only become special but frightening. After smashing several
records last season en route to the League title, City do not look like
surrendering their crown meekly. Liverpool and Chelsea are doing their utmost
to prevent this turning into a smooth procession for City, but how difficult it
must be to keep up with this Manchester City side. It’s still early days and a
third of the fixtures haven’t been played yet, but City are setting an alarming
pace. In Sergio Aguero –among the goals against Southampton- with seven goals
and five assists they possess the League’s deadliest marksman, with the
supremely gifted Gabriel Jesus ready if called upon and having to bide his time
on the bench. Raheem Sterling is showing such rich vein of form you wonder what
lies ahead in store. He could go on to be among the world’s best. The Englishman
brought his tally of goals for Manchester City to 50 –He now has six goals and
five assists already this season –having moved there in 2015, and still just
23. Everywhere you look in Guardiola’s side you find goals, assists, clean
sheets and brilliant football to ice the cake. Aymeric Laporte has completed
the second most passes in the league with 975, Benjamin Mendy and Sterling have five assists each. Defend in numbers against them, and they play through you,
suffocating their opponents into surrender. Attack them all guns blazing and
you play into their hands. They cut you to ribbons with sizzling precision. One
minute defending their goal area, and the opposition goalkeeper picking the ball out
of his net the next, an all too familiar sequence. Southampton were given a
full dose of the City treatment on Sunday. Given, Mark Hughes’ side are
meandering close to the relegation zone, but this was by no means a pub team or
a third tier side. It was a side full of quality players. Nathan Redmond, Mario
Lemina, James Ward Prowse, Ryan Bertrand, but to name a few. Forget it.
Guardiola’s side laid waste to them. It wasn’t a basket ball score line, but
6-1 was emphatic. City scored a goal a very six minutes for the first 18
minutes at the Etihad Stadium. The goals flowed like lava. To think that the
likes of Riyad Mahrez (benched), Kevin De Bruyne (injured), Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay
Gundogan weren’t even involved here from the start is frightening. It’s not a
masterpiece yet, but this City side are playing like masters. The rest of the
league must surely be frightened by City’s form. Which makes next weekend’s
Manchester Derby a mouthwatering prospect. Mourinho’s United are to some extent
polar opposites of Guardiola’s current side, having endured a poor start to the
season and only just trying to find their way back with two consecutive wins on
the spin for the first time since September. One thing is sure though in the
latest installation of the Manchester Derby, there is bound to be fireworks.
NOT LACKING BALLS; LACAZETTE’S EQUALIZER SHOWED ARSENAL CAN COMPETE IN THE BIG GAMES
Arsenal 1 vs 1 Liverpool
Goals (Arsenal; Alexandre Lacazette 82’. Liverpool; James Milner
61’)
As the clock trickled towards full time, with eight minutes of
normal time left, and James Milner’s 50th Premier League goal
handing Liverpool a slender 1-0 lead, up in the stands some Arsenal fans must
have remembered that crushing feeling. “Sometimes close but not close enough”.
Those many big games against the top six, especially as the Wenger era wound to a close, where Arsenal just
rolled over. Paul Merson’s pre-match words would certainly have echoed, "I can’t see
anything but a Liverpool win," the Arsenal legend said, speaking to
told Sky Sports. "I think this is the day Arsenal show some big cracks. I
just think the defence is terrible, all over the place, and no different to
what it was before” the pundit said. Up popped Alexandre Lacazette, spotted
brilliantly by Alex Iwobi’s pinpoint pass, to find the far corner after
rounding Liverpool goalkeeper Allison. In an absorbing contest at the Emirates,
which would have left both coaches certainly pleased with a point, the opening
stages saw Liverpool goalie Allison save from Lacazette’s effort at goal, with
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Virgil Van Dijk (twice) both missing good opportunities
to open the scoring. A controversial moment in the first half saw Liverpool
denied a legitimate goal for offside, after Mane tapped home from a rebound courtesy
of Roberto Firmino’s chip coming back off the post. Replays showed however that
the goal should have stood. That notwithstanding however, a draw was fair
reflection of the efforts of both sides, and for Arsenal this was a solid
display of grit, resilience and character which has been sorely missing in
recent seasons. It is hard to imagine Arsenal not rolling over, trailing in a
game of this magnitude last season or before. They matched Liverpool strength
for strength with the solid midfield duo of Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira
shielding the back four admirably from the attacking barrels of the Reds. This
allowed the full backs, Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac, to offer width with
their forward runs, allowing Aubameyang to drift infield from the wings and
play closer to Alexandre Lacazette in attack. With Mesut Ozil playing just
behind Lacazette and occasionally dropping into space between midfield and
attack, Arsenal ensured they weren’t over run by Liverpool’s midfield three of
Fabinho, Wiljnadum and James Milner. Liverpool’s brilliant front three are a
nightmare for many defences, but the Gunners solid defensive shape cut off the
supply lines to Mane, Salah and Firmino. In that regard, Lucas Torreira shone
brightly snapping at the heels of opponents, chasing relentlessly in a bid to
recover possession. One lapse from the Arsenal rearguard though allowed Firmino
in and the offside flag, incorrectly, saved Unai Emery’s men on that occasion.
The coach altered the outcome of the match bringing on Alex Iwobi to operate as
an attacking left full-back in the dying stages as Arsenal piled the pressure
on. And it proved to be an inspired substitution as the Nigerian’s precise pass
and vision created the equalizer. A bedding in period was expected for Emery’s
imprint to be fully visible on his team, but he has made a solid start so far.
The Gunners are unbeaten in nine games and are six points behind leaders Manchester
City. However, they have played the league leaders, Chelsea and Liverpool,
three of last season’s top six, in their first nine games.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp though pleased
with his side’s showing, who played their part in an exciting contest, will be
slightly disappointed they couldn’t see out the win after taking the lead in
the second half. A point away from home at a top six rival is certainly a good
result, although the draw sees them fall two points behind Manchester City, on
27 points. But amidst recent questions over their mentality in the big games,
Emery’s Arsenal showed they have the “cojones” to compete with the big boys.
TOTTENHAM ESCAPE,
BUT ONLY JUST
Wolverhampton
Wanderers 2 vs 3 Tottenham Hotspur
Goals (Wolverhampton
Wanderers; Ruben Neves 68’, Raul Jimenez 79’. Tottenham Hotspur; Erik Lamela
27’, Lucas Moura 30’, Harry Kane 62’)
“Oh lads it’s
Tottenham”, Sir Alex Ferguson famously said in his Pre-match talk to his team ahead of facing the men from North London. Spurs sometimes have a habit of stabbing
themselves in the foot. Pochettino’s side nearly lived up to that tag of
throwing it all away, from an advantaged position, against Wolverhampton
Wanderers. Three goals up with 28 minutes to go, Tottenham seemingly had the
game sewn up. Three points delivered without nervy final moments. But like in
games against PSV and Inter Milan in the Champions League this season –which
has placed their qualification for the knockout stages in jeopardy- “that side” of Spurs game kicked in and saw
them concede two penalties, duly converted by Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez for
Wolves, and send anxiety breezing through the away support. They managed to
hold on however, and there were positives in other areas of the pitch, though
the loss to injury of Moussa Dembele was a sour note. Erik Lamela continued his
fine start to the season –with four goals and one assist to his name- Dele Alli
certainly has a fight on his hands winning his place back with the Argentine in
such sizzling form. At the moment, it’s certainly “Lamela and others” in those
creative spots behind Harry Kane. Kane was on the score sheet yet again keeping
up with the coattails of Sergio Aguero and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the top
of the scoring charts, Winks shone brightly in midfield, but Pochettino must
surely cut out that fragility and defensive lapses if his side are to challenge
for the major honours this season.
TWO FACED UNITED
MUST FIND CONSISTENCY IN PERFORMANCE. THEY CAN ILL AFFORD TO BE SLOW STARTERS
AGAINST CITY
Bournemouth 1 vs 2
Manchester United
I have been
scratching my head trying to fathom why Mancheser United are so slow out of the
blocks, and only when the race has begun, do they get on their marks. Amidst an
unbeaten run in the League now standing at four games, United have in all of
those fixtures, bar Everton at Old Trafford, had to come back from behind after
been so poor at the start. It’s not only tactical thing but mentally as well.
The men in red only seem to be jolted into action when a goal or two has been
let in. Only then do we see the United everyone knows this team can be; a determined,
brave and attacking side. Bournemouth on Saturday, despite having played a cup
game in midweek, overran United for the best part of the first 45 minutes at
the Vitality stadium. On another day, and with better composure in front of
goal, they could have not just been out of sight, but home and dry. Anthony
Martial’s equalizer ten minutes before the break –his fifth of the season-
which came against the run of play gave United some momentum heading into the
interval, but Jose Mourinho would have felt like the Luckiest man in the world
seeing his side go in 1-1 at the break when they could easily have been trailing
by “6-2”, as he admitted in his post-mathc interview. The Stats at half-time
showed Bournemoouth had had 12 shots on goal with six on target, while United
could only muster 6 attempts on goal with one on target. Such was the home side’s
dominance. Their efforts were double whatever United served up. The never say
die attitude of Mourinho’s side is a step in the right direction, but United
would not always get away with being slow starters. With League leaders
Manchester City up next, a lethargic start would surely be ruthlessly punished.
On the Dorcet coast against Bournemouth, the second half performance of United was
unrecognisable from the first. The energy and verve in attack made it seem like
an entire different team to the one that walked out of the tunnel at the
beginning, emerged for the second period. Some credit goes to Mourinho for his
inspired substitutions which changed the game –Marcus Rashford and Ander
Herrera coming in place of Juan Mata and Fred- which wrestled back control for
United and pinned Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth. In an open contest, chances came
and went for both sides, but ultimately Rashford –having missed a sitter
previously- scored in the 92nd minute to secure three points in a
vastly improved second half display. I am still pulling my hair though in a bid
to rationalising why a team as talented as United's find it difficult to be at the races for ninety minutes.
In other results,
Everton defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1. It was also a weekend of "first wins" as an Ayoze Perez goal against Watford, was enough to secure Newcastle United
their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory, while Huddersfield defeated
Fulham by the same score line. West Ham United got the better of Burnley 4-2.
MATCH DAY 12
FIXTURES
10 Nov: Cardiff City
vs Brighton & Hove Albion
10 Nov: Leicester
City vs Burnley
10 Nov: Southampton
vs Watford
10 Nov: Newcastle
United vs AFC Bournemouth
10 Nov: Crystal
Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur
10 Nov: Huddersfield
Town vs West Ham United
10 Nov: Liverpool vs
Fulham
10 Nov: Chelsea vs
Everton
10 Nov: Arsenal vs
Wolverhampton Wanderers
10 Nov: Manchester
City vs Manchester United
No comments:
Post a Comment