Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Match Week 9 Results: Gunners Blast Spurs; Manchester City Embarrasses Rival United; Seagulls Remain Aloft in Liverpool Draw; Gallagher Breaks Palace Hearts; Everton Stretches Unbeaten Run To Six; Bruno Lage Sacked After Hammers Defeat Tame Wolves; Leicester Chops Down Forest

Manchester City put on a crushing display as they embarrassed cross-town rival Manchester United 6-3 at the Etihad. The final score was not indicative of the extent of domination as Manchester City lost interest and substituted liberally in the second half. Down 6-1, Manchester United scored two late meaningless goals by Anthony Martial which were unwitnessed by the droves of traveling Manchester United fans who left the stadium at halftime. Erling Haaland increased his Premier league goal haul to 14 in the rout as he became the first Premier League player to score a hat trick in three consecutive home matches. Phil Foden added his own hat trick as he and Haaland both had a brace by halftime to give the Citizens a 4-0 lead and prompt the departure of United fans who had seen enough. Haaland and Keven De Bruyne each had two assists in the win which kept the Citizens one point behind league leading Arsenal. The humiliating defeat was a humble reversal for a Manchester United side which had won four consecutive matches. The Red Devils looked helpless, much as they had earlier in the season when they similarly fell behind 4-0 at the break versus Brentford. Attack minded Manager United Manager Eric Ten Hag manager will want to reassess his personnel selection and the wide-open strategy employed against the firepower of City. The United midfield was overwhelmed Sunday while defensive enforcer Casemiro remained glued to the bench until the match was already decided.

Despite Manchester City’s impressive performance, Arsenal remained top of the table after a 3-1 defeat of Spurs in the north London derby. Arsenal opened scoring on a rare goal from Thomas Partey who found the Spurs net from more than 25 yards out.

Following an equalizing Harry Kane penalty kick, Arsenal would retake the lead when the Gunners’ Gabriel Jesus capitalized on a gaffe by Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to score his fifth goal of the season. Granit Xhaka would score the clincher just five minutes after Tottenham Hotspur was reduced to 10 men on a red card assessed to Spurs’ defender Emerson Royal. Spurs rarely threatened in the match before or after the 69th minute red card as Manager Antonio Conte’s squad suffered its first defeat of the season. Arsenal center back William Saliba was a key factor in frustrating the Spurs attack.

Saliba has become one of the Premier League’s more dominant center back just as Virgil van Dijk appears to have fallen from those ranks. Van Dijk and the vulnerable Liverpool defense conceded a hat trick to Brighton’s Leandro Trossard in a 3-3 draw at Anfield. Brighton sprinted to a two-goal advantage in the Seagulls’ first match under Manager Roberto de Zerbi. Liverpool then responded with a Bobby Firmino brace and a Brighton own goal to take the lead before Trossard equalized in the 83rd minute with his third goal of the match. Brighton retained its top four position with the away point. Liverpool, meanwhile, dropped points for the sixth time in seven matches as the ninth place Reds look hopelessly out of the title chase.

Former Brighton Manager Graham Potter won his league debut as Chelsea manager in dramatic fashion versus Crystal Palace as former Palace loanee Conor Gallagher snatched a 2-1 victory with a 90th minute strike. Gallagher was a fan favorite during his time at Selhurst Park which made the late concession even more painful for Eagle supporters.

Both Gallagher and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored their first Premier League goals for Chelsea. Odsonne Edouard had given Palace an early lead before the Eagles once again fell victim to their propensities for stagnant attack and late concessions. The Eagles play pleasing football under Manager Patrick Vieira, but their promising young players need to become more productive in front of net for the Eagles to avoid relegation. Chelsea defender Reece James locked up on Wilfried Zaha Saturday to deprive the Eagles of their best offensive threat. Crystal Palace is currently safe only due to a better goal differential than Wolverhampton. Graham Potter’s Blues, meanwhile, moved past Manchester United in the table and are now just one point behind Potter’s former club, Brighton, for fourth.

Newcastle United moved into the mix for the European places with a resounding 4-1 victory over an undermanned Fulham side. Newcastle moved to sixth place in the table with their second victory of the year against five draws and only a single defeat. Callum Wilson, returning from injury for the Magpies, scored the match’s opening goal just three minutes after home standing Fulham was reduced to 10 men on a Nathaniel Chalobah red card. Former Major League Soccer star Miguel Almiron delivered a subsequent brace, his two goals bracketing a Sean Longstaff score for Newcastle. An 88th minute goal by Bobby Decordova-Reid was little consolation for Fulham which tumbled from fourth to eighth in the table after sustaining its third loss in five matches.

Brentford decided nothing at Bournemouth and Aston Villa deadlocked at Leeds in two scoreless matches. Bournemouth extended an unlikely unbeaten run to four matches even as the Cherries failed to score for a third consecutive home match.

Everton won for a second consecutive match and extended its unbeaten run to six matches as the Toffees defeated Southampton 2-1 to pull the Toffees level on points with Brentford and ninth place Liverpool. Everton Manager Frank Lampard has relied on defense to power his club’s move toward the top half of the table. The Toffees have conceded the fewest goals in the league this season after acquiring their new center back pairing of veteran Premier League defenders James Tarkowski and Conor Coady. Goals by Coady and the Toffees’ Dwight McNeil overcame an initial score by Southampton’s Joe Aribo as all three goals in Saturday’s match came during a five-minute span early in the second half. Southampton’s third consecutive loss drops them to within a point of the relegation places.

West Ham defeated Wolverhampton 2-0 as Wolves replaced the Hammers in the league’s bottom three. Gianluca Scamacca and Jarrod Bowen each scored for a first time in the Premier League this season. The two goals represented an offensive explosion for a West Ham side which has scored only five times in its eight matches. Wolves, meanwhile, remain on three goals for the season with their only close chance on Sunday coming when former Chelsea star Diego Costa missed a header in his Wolves debut. Wolves Manager Bruno Lage was fired after his club descended into the relegation places. Goal starved Wolves had won just one of 15 Premier League matches under Lage dating to last season.

The next manager to be sacked could be Nottingham Forest’s Steve Cooper after a 4-0 East Midlands derby loss to previously winless Leicester. The battle between the league’s bottom two clubs was a one-sided affair as the Foxes sprinted to a 3-0 first half advantage which featured a brace by James Maddison. Leicester won for a first time this season. Cooper, meanwhile, continues to search for the right player combinations and tactical formation after a transfer window which saw 23 new signings. The unforgiving Premier League has been unkind to Cooper’s work in process as the club replaces Leicester in the league’s basement.

at No comments:

Premier League in Europe


Champions League

Wednesday’s Chelsea versus AC Milan match headlines the Champions League contests featuring Premier League clubs this week. Chelsea manger Graham Potter will be looking for his first European win against the reigning Serie A champions. Tottenham Hotspur’s Tuesday visit to Eintracht Frankfurt is also important as the two clubs battle to advance to the knockout stage after both registered a win and a loss in their first two group stage matches. Liverpool should have an easy time of things on Tuesday against a Rangers side that has failed to score a goal while conceding seven scores in two group losses. Manchester City hosts Copenhagen at the Etihad on Wednesday. The Danish side has won only one of its last ten away matches in Champions League competition while Manchester City and striker Erling Haaland are in breathtaking form after their massive Manchester derby win.


Europa and Conference League

Manchester United is away to Cypriot side Omonia on Thursday. Manager Eric ten Hag will look for a response from his team after Sunday’s humiliating Premier League defeat. The Red Devils opponent is the only winless club in their group. Arsenal, meanwhile, will host Bodo/Glimt. The Norwegian side gained notoriety last season by going undefeated in three Europa Conference League matches versus Roma last season before ultimately being eliminated by Roma Manager Jose Mourinho’s side in the second leg of the competition’s quarterfinals. West Ham tops its Europa Conference league group with two victories as the Hammers travel to Anderlecht Thursday. The Belgian club is second in West Ham’s group after a win and loss in their first two matches. 

at No comments:

Friday, September 30, 2022

Match Week 9 Preview: Manchester And North London Derbies Headline Premier League Return

While absence may have made the heart grow fonder, a glittering weekend schedule also heightens the anticipation for the Premier League’s return from international break. There are attractive matchups at every level of the table. The top two clubs are involved in local derbies with heated rivals. Table leading Arsenal hosts Tottenham Hotspur while Manchester City welcomes Manchester United to the Etihad.

Manchester United has recovered from early season setbacks to win four consecutive matches and topple previously undefeated Arsenal at Old Trafford in the Red Devils’ last outing. The center back pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane has proven highly effective with captain Harry Maguire relegated to a bench role.

Tyrell Malacia has made himself a home at right back, forcing Luke Shaw to the bench. Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford appear more comfortable in Eric ten Hag’s free flowing system of attack. Cristiano Ronaldo has been largely reduced to a substitute role but could start Saturday should Rashford not be sufficiently recovered from a muscle pull. Antony makes his second Premier League appearance after scoring in his debut versus Arsenal. Ten Hag’s experiment of playing Christian Eriksen in a deep lying role has found success with the Dane triggering the United attack with his accurate passing from distance.

Manchester City is currently tied with Tottenham Hotspur with both clubs just a point behind Arsenal. The Citizens have become even more dangerous with the successful incorporation of Erling Haaland as a true number nine in Manager Pep Guardiola’s lineup. Haaland already has 11 goals in his 7 Premier League matches. Kevin De Bruyne is also in top form and leads the league with his six assists. Manchester City leads the league in goals scored, finding the net five times more than next closest Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs will try to knock Arsenal from its top of the table perch when Manager Antonio Conte takes his undefeated club to the Emirates. In Spurs last outing versus Leicester, Son Heung-min dramatically broke from a poor run of form which had seen him benched by Conte. Entering as a second half substitute against the Foxes, Son exploded for three goals, his first scores of the Premier League season. Son will need play a large role versus Arsenal, particularly with Spurs forward Dejan Kulusevski potentially sidelined by a hamstring injury. The match versus Spurs will represent a major test for Arsenal which fumbled its only meeting with a top six contender this season in its loss to Manchester United. The home match versus a historic rival should provide an electric atmosphere for the Gunners to prove themselves against a quality opponent.

Bukayo Saka is in a fine run of form for the Gunners, assisting on two goals for Arsenal in their last match versus Brentford and performing well for England over the international break. Gabriel Jesus leads the Gunners with four league goals, just one more than teammates Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard. Arsenal’s prospects this weekend could depend on the fitness of several key players. Odegaard encouragingly saw action with Norway over international break, a hopeful sign that he can return to league action after being held out from the Brentford match due to a calf injury. Thomas Partey, however, returned early from international duty after sustaining a knee injury. Ukrainian international Oleksandr Zinchenko sat out the international break after missing the Brentford match with a calf injury. The Gunners are hopeful all three players will be available for the derby. Arsenal will be looking to avenge a 3-0 defeat to Spurs in the clubs’ last meeting. That May loss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was one of two defeats suffered by the Gunners in their last three matches of last season which foiled their hopes of a top four finish.

Graham Potter will manage his first Premier League match in charge of Chelsea when the Blues travel to Crystal Palace Saturday. Chelsea has defeated the Eagles in their last nine league meetings so eyebrows will be raised if Potter is unable to continue that streak. While currently seventh in the table, Chelsea is but three points outside its accustomed place in the top four and a good showing in a first outing under Potter could go a long way to reenergizing the Blues’ season.

Potter’s former club Brighton is under new management as the Seagulls surprisingly find themselves enjoying the rarefied air of the league’s top four. New manager Roberto De Zerbi faces a potentially rude welcome to the Premier League when Brighton travels to Anfield where Liverpool is unbeaten in its last 26 matches. The Reds have fallen to eighth in the league, winning but twice so far this season, and Manager Jurgen Klopp will be anxious to begin reversing their fortunes when they face the transitioning Seagulls.

Newcastle was touted for a potential top six challenge this season under Manager Eddie Howe but instead it is newly promoted Fulham which occupies sixth position as the Magpies visit the Cottagers this weekend. Newcastle has drawn five of its last six matches while not tasting victory since an opening win over Nottingham Forest. Fulham has won three of its last five matches, losing only to top four clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur over that stretch. Aleksandar Mitrovic has six goals for the Cottagers, tying him with Harry Kane for second in the Premier League behind Erling Haaland.

Several of the remaining matches could factor in this season’s current and expected relegation fight. Bottom of the table Leicester is the only club not to have won a match this season. That could change on Monday when the Foxes play host to Nottingham Forest. Only a solitary win over West Ham in Week 2 accounts for the three points which separates newly promoted Forest from the feeble Foxes. Both sides look odds on favorites to go down.

The third member of the current relegation club, West Ham, has a golden opportunity to exit the drop zone this weekend when the Hammers host Wolverhampton. Goals could be scarce at London Stadium as Wolves and West Ham are the joint lowest scoring teams in the league this season with just three goals apiece after seven matches. West Ham would leapfrog Wolves and escape the relegation places with a win.

Bournemouth was expected to be a relegation contender but a three-match unbeaten run since the sacking of Scott Parker has raised the Cherries to 12th in the table. That unbeaten run faces a serious challenge when Brentford visits Saturday. Manager Thomas Frank will be looking for a response after the Bees’ abject capitulation to Arsenal in their last match before the break. Only three Premier League players have scored more than the five goals that Bees striker Ivan Toney has put in the net this season.

Everton and Southampton are level in the table as the Toffees head south to take on the Saints. Southampton has lost three of their past four matches, failing to score in each of those defeats. Everton has had similar scoring difficulties and hasn’t scored more than a goal in any match this season. The Toffees have not lost in five matches though, albeit drawing four consecutive meetings before a win over West Ham before the break. Nathan Patterson, a revelation at right back for Everton this season, is unfortunately sidelined by an ankle injury.

Leeds has lost two of its last three matches after a stinging 5-2 defeat at Brentford before the break. The Whites return home Sunday to face Aston Villa. Striker Patrick Bamford is reportedly fit for the match which is a huge boost but will matter little if the defensive shortcomings versus Brentford are not corrected. Aston Villa began to correct course with a draw and win before the break after Manager Steven Gerrard faced mounting pressure following four losses in Villa’s first five matches this season. 

 

at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)