I know it’s early in the season, four weeks in, with an international break coming up this weekend, but even at this early stage of the season, the following question needs to be asked:
Do any of the big boys actually want to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title?
Seriously?
In four games so far, the Sky Blues have scored ten goals, including three against defending champions Chelsea, and conceded zero. None. They already have a three point lead over second placed Crystal Palace, and a five point buffer to the nearest member of the ‘big five’ (well, big four and Liverpool).
Contrast that with how their title rivals have started the season and are faring at both ends of the pitch:
Manchester United: Despite winning two, drawing one, and losing one, United has scored only two goals in four games themselves, benefiting from an own-goal to beat Tottenham on the opening weekend. Their free-scoring form in Europe has most certainly not translated to the league.
Chelsea: The defending champions are currently 13th and eight points off the pace already, having won only one game while losing two of their opening four, conceding nine goals along the way.
Arsenal: Have only scored one goal themselves in the opening four games, having secured both their wins thanks to own-goals from Fabricio Coloccini and Damian Delaney.
Liverpool: Have scored two goals in four games, one which shouldn’t have stood, haven’t scored in their past two matches, and now look all at sea defensively (plenty more on Liverpool’s woes below).
Are Tottenham still ‘contenders’? Assuming they are, Spurs currently sit 15th, having scored three goals, drawing their last three matches.
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This is abject from the chasing pack of teams, with Palace, Leicester, and Swansea putting the early season pressure on Man City – see more about the rise of the mid-table clubs here.
To make matters somewhat worse, none of the top clubs look set to splash the cash in an effort to catch City – with the transfer window set to close, none of the heavy hitters have even really tried to land a game-changer, save for United spending £36 million on a 19 year old (more on that later).
And just for good measure, City have just broken their transfer record for the second time this off season, securing Wolfsburg playmaker and Chelsea “reject” Kevin De Bruyne for a fee of £55 million.
The Belgian ranga scored 16 goals and provided 28 assists in the Bundesliga last season – I can’t imagine he’s going to have too much trouble functioning alongside the likes of Aguero, Sterling, Silva, Navas, Toure, and Nasri.
As for Wolfsburg, how’s this for a bit of business – purchase KDB from Chelsea for £17 million in January 2014, and 18 months later he’s all but tripled in value. Certainly a head-scratcher from Chelsea’s point of view.
Rodgers Character corner
In the lead-up to the West Ham game, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said the following in praise of his side’s new-found defensive stability:
“I think when you look at what we have, we have a team that can cope with whatever the game can throw at us. We can play football but I’d like to think my teams have a certain element of steel in them and that is important because there are different ways to win the game. For sure, this team won’t lose out for fight and commitment and we know we have the quality so it is just about the consistency now.”
And in 90 minutes against the Hammers, that all went out the window, in almost comical fashion.
Manuel Lanzini’s opener for West Ham was the quickest goal anyone had conceded so far in this new season, and it was also the first goal a Hammers player had scored at Anfield since Bobby Zamora in 2006. West Ham’s lone striker at Anfield, Diafra Sakho, completed just one pass in the first half, and despite Liverpool holding a 63-37 advantage in possession, three defensive howlers cost the Reds three goals. So much for that vaunted steel and commitment.
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Time after time after time as Liverpool boss, Rodgers has shown an ability to put his foot in his mouth. Just in the past week, Rodgers talked up Lucas, Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren, and all three were substantially below par against the Hammers – Lovren back to his diabolical, cover-your-eyes-awful best.
Rodgers is always one for pride, but then we wait for the inevitable fall, with this fall resulting in West Ham’s first victory at Anfield since 1963. And while Liverpool were playing like pillocks, Raheem ‘Boooooooooooooo’ Sterling was scoring his first goal for Man City as the Sky Blues continued their perfect start to the new campaign. On this evidence, can anyone blame Sterling for jumping ship in a similar vein to Luis Suarez 12 months ago?
This might just be one loss, but add in the two wins being unconvincing, with some pretty abject attacking displays – Liverpool have scored more than one goal in just one game in their past eleven matches, and that was a 2-1 win at home against relegated QPR in May – and questions will be asked.
So, when do the locals get restless about Rodgers? Discontent had been quieted by the unbeaten start, but Liverpool will be reminded with every loss, every dropped point, every insipid performance and defensive calamity, that Jurgen Klopp is available (and Carlo Ancelotti for that matter). Their first match after the international break? United at Old Trafford.
Life on the road
Away days to cherish for Crystal Palace, as the Eagles are flying high in second place following their second away win of the season. Palace have now won eight of their ten away matches in the league under manager Alan Pardew, who has three victories against Jose Mourinho in the last two seasons.
For those continuing the monitor the shambles at the back for Chelsea, consider this – seven of the nine goals the Blues have conceded so far this season have come down their defensive right-hand side. Still think Branislav Ivanovic should be in their first XI?
This run of Palace away wins is somewhat indicative of a trend in this young Premier League season. So far, only nine games – just under a quarter of those played – have ended in victory for the home team. West Ham have their impressive wins over Liverpool and Arsenal (yet they lose at home to Leicester and Bournemouth?), Everton’s 3-0 at Southampton, Arsenal’s two wins so far have come on the road – this will be an interesting trend to keep an eye on post the international break.
It ain’t easy being a ref
Referees appeared very quick to got to the card this week.
Philippe Coutinho’s second yellow card against West Ham looked harsh, as Dimitri Payet looked to have initiated the contact between the two after the Brazilian went to ground too early. Although, Coutinho can’t really complain after picking up his initial yellow card for dissent.
Later in the same game, Mark Noble was shown a straight red for a challenge on Danny Ings. This tackle looked far worse in real time than it did on replay, with Ings going head over heels. Noble was understandably bemused by the referee’s decision.
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Newcastle’s Aleksandar Mitrovic was also unlucky, although less so than Noble, to be shown a straight red against Arsenal. His tackle on Francis Coquelin seemed more lazy than malicious, and the referee could probably, maybe have erred on the side of a yellow.
That said, Mitrovic is fast developing a reputation in England – he’s now been sent off 15:35 minutes into the Arsenal game, as well as being booked 0:22 seconds after coming on in his Newcastle debut, and 01:31 minutes after coming on against Swansea.
Whilst these dismissals could be deemed harsh, the same could not be said of the red cards shown to Stoke duo Charlie Adam and Ibrahim Afellay. Idiocy.
Fair play bonus: Although Noble’s red may yet be rescinded, West Ham have now picked up six red cards in ten games this season, a strange shift in discipline under Slaven Bilic, considering they were in the Europa League as a fair play qualifier. No danger of that this season you’d say.
Transfer talk
So Manchester United didn’t “rate” spending £22 million on Pedro, a multiple title winner who has since hit the ground running with Chelsea, yet they’re fine with spending £36 million on an untried and virtually unknown Anthony Martial?
That would be 19 year old Anthony Martial of Monaco if you’re wondering, the scorer of a grand total of 13 goals in 64 senior games. And I thought I read that Van Gaal wouldn’t be panic-buying on deadline day? The only way this decision makes sense is if Martial is the second coming of Thierry Henry.
If United wanted Martial all summer, letting him sign a new deal and adding €30m onto his price is Ed Woodward's most negligent act yet.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) August 31, 2015
United’s transfer business doesn’t seem to know if it’s coming or going, and this is before you consider the arse-hattery regarding David De Gea’s move to Real Madrid.
Surely Real would be the beneficiaries if the deal isn't done? They sign De Gea for nothing in 12 months time & United miss out on £30m.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) August 31, 2015
The Martial move smacks of desperation, although is not surprising given United’s form – Van Gaal had that “what just happened” look on his face at the end of yet another loss to Swansea, who had both Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew on the scoresheet for the third time in four games this season.
Speaking of desperation, Wayne Rooney’s disgraceful dive towards the end of that game summed up where he’s currently at in terms of being a Premier League player.
After making an intelligent run through the Swansea defence, the striker simply didn’t have the extra gear of pace to outrun Ashley Williams, who recovered his positioning well to defuse the danger. Once Rooney realised he had no hope of regaining possession, he simply threw himself to the floor more out of hope that necessity, the desperate act of a desperate player who has now gone ten league games without a goal.
Great Mysteries of the EPL universe
Aston Villa actually looked pretty damn good going forward against what was admittedly ‘only’ Sunderland, but that is not the great mystery here.
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No, what is the great mystery is how, HOW, did Micah Richards not grab a late winner for the Villans? All he had to do was let the ball hit him and it goes in! Baffling.
Mystery bonus: Question for Everton’s John Stones – how exactly does someone ‘accidentally’ hand in a transfer request?
I didn’t know Steven Fletcher had signed for Norwich
This is the thought that went through my head watching Sunderland playing in their ridiculous green and yellow away kit. I genuinely thought I was watching Norwich. Derp!
And again, as I was trying to find details of the Black Cats 2-2 with Villa, I found myself searching the Norwich v Southampton match report. Double derp!
Goal of the Week – Yann M’Vila
I’m a big fan of the dead ball knocked into the top corner. Fairly handy goal by M’Vila to announce himself into English football, with Sunderland fans hoping he can repeat the trick on a regular basis.
Goose of the week – Lee Cattermole
Congrats to Sunderland, who grab both the goal and goose of the week. Cattermole’s concession of a penalty for climbing all over the back of, and pretty much over, Scott Sinclair was bad, silly, and farcical enough. But, just for good measure and in case the referee hadn’t seen his indiscretion, the defender then threw both hands in the air, known as the international symbol for “Nothing to see here, I didn’t do it”.
Gloveman of the week – John Ruddy
As mooted in last week’s final thought, this is a new segment to praise the ‘keeper who has had the best performance. Keep in mind this doesn’t necessarily mean said player’s team has actually won, which is where we begin this week with Norwich goalie Ruddy.
Despite his side being on the receiving end of a pretty lop-sided 3-0 loss, it could have been a whole lot worse if not for the Englishman. Time after time he held Southampton at bay, saving well from Saido Mane and Jay Rodriguez in the second half, but his best work was tipping away James Ward-Prowse’s curling free kick in the first few minutes.
Stat of the Week
Palace’s win over Chelsea can take particular pride of place on the mantle of manager Alan Pardew, as this was Pard’s third win over Jose Mourinho, the first time a manager has achieved that against the ‘Special One’ in the Premier League. Does this make Pardew the ‘Even-more Special One’?
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Fantasy Stud
Southampton midfielder Dusan Tadic was the beneficiary of Norwich’s suspect defending in the Saints 3-0 win. Tadic grabbed two goals for his first brace in English football to lead all point scorers with 16. Memo to managers – if your guys are playing Norwich et al, get them in your side!
Fantasy coach killer
We’ve spoken about it already, but Philippe Coutinho’s red card against West Ham would have sunk some teams. As Liverpool’s best (only?) creative outlet, the midfielder is supposed to contribute goals and assists to a fantasy team, not red cards. That’s what defensive midfielders are for!
Personal bonus: That awkward moment when you dump Saido Mane from your team, Westie FC, only for him to set up two goals and almost score another to finish with 11 points. See, a fantasy manager can kill a team’s chances just as much as a player.
Final thought…
EPL Extra Time takes its own international break next week, but be sure to keep an eye out for Tom Corrigan’s views on the early season international break next week (don’t worry, he hates it as much as we do)!