Gameweek 9 – City Finally Close the Gap
Since opening weekend, Liverpool had yet to drop points against any opponent. Try as hard and as long as other teams may – we’re looking at you Sheffield and Leicester – Liverpool scraped by opposition by the final whistle, leaving their skin more exposed for a team with grittier game plan.
Enter a two-points-above-the-relegation-zone Manchester United. Hardly City’s choice of spoilers. But considering the chasm running though the heart of Manchester between the two clubs, City’s beggars can’t be choosers.
There was additionally plenty of movement occurring below the top two spots as well. Let’s a get a read on this week’s action.
Liverpool/Klopp Seeing Red
This was not the version of Jurgen Klopp we are used to seeing. Face disgruntled, jaw pulsed, teeth seething, yells howling through Old Trafford. It can only be said that the tactics laid out, and the execution of them by his team, left Klopp in fumes all evening.
Meanwhile on the other side of the touchline, a bemused Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sat in general wonderment of the occasion. A man with personal history in the North West Derby and knowing of the fever against his squad in the match buildup, Solskjaer knew the magnitude of the situation and played a cool hand. Even going as far as to claim, “this is the perfect match for us,” in the Friday presser.
Liverpool were supposed to roll into Old Trafford and pull a smash and grab of three points. Instead, Ole rolled out a 3-4-1-2 system which effectively bogged the center of the field. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Ashley Young were left to roam the wings, Andreas Pereria was Fernandinho’s pesky mosquito, and Rashford and James penetrated the wide areas left weak by their attack-prone full-backs.
The plan isn’t rocket science, and plenty of other teams have tried (a la Sheffield). The defining factor ended up being the personnel on United’s roster, which hardly anyone could have predicted prior to the match. Maybe we should’ve internalized Ole’s presser a little more carefully, as the plan worked nearly to perfection.
United struck first in the 1st-half, with a delightful James to Rashford cross that ended up being a tap in for the latter. Rashford did his defender, Joel Matip, no favors by making a dizzying back, then front, then back post run, showing off the 21-year-olds strongest asset off the ball. There was plenty of controversy surrounding the goal when Victor Lindelof bungled into Divock Origi in the buildup. VAR however didn’t think so, leaving me to think that this “high-bar” the Premier League has created to be utter nonsense and a myth for the governing body to cover themselves. But that’s a discussion to table for another time.
As for Liverpool, they showed up with even less than a shadow of themselves. The aforementioned Origi looked lifeless as the replacement to an injured Mohamed Salah. And it wasn’t until his replacement in the second period when Liverpool began to sniff the frame of the net. In the end, their persistence was rewarded with substitute Adam Lallana’s goal that surprised the long-injured front man just as much as everybody else. It was his first goal since May 2017 against Middlesbrough.
Where does this 1-1 result leave both teams you might ask? Well, for Liverpool this match could be a wakeup call in their need to find a solution against teams that condense the middle against you. Late wins are a staple of a championship season, but you only have so many to give, right? The Reds are burning through their get out jail cards quite early. As for United, the result should quiet some of the Ole critics for a few days. But they will need to display more consistent form if they’re to implement true change.
City Avoid the Slip
Why were so worried in the first place? We should’ve known City were going to recover with their backs against the wall, right? Though to be fair, considering their shock results against Norwich and Wolves, it wasn’t too farfetched to imagine that a punchy Crystal Palace side could eek out a result against the defending champions at Selhurst Park. It was in this fixture last year that Adros Townsend’s laser goal-of-the-season put City on the back foot until the season’s latter stages.
Despite all the worry-warts, City’s 2-0 victory courtesy of Gabriel Jesus and David Silva was stress free from the get-go. If City do end up climbing back to the top of the table come season’s end they may look at this game as a crucial step. This win was important for Pep Guardiola in the context of the circumstances.
The Catalan mad-scientist deployed some of his most jarring tactics to date, specifically with staring an all midfield duo at center back in Fernandinho and Rodri. Of course, injuries to Laporte, Otamendi, and Stones forced Pep to mix this concoction. Though stretched on counters at times, the traditionally midfield pairing performed well in partnership.
Yet this latest experiment from Pep’s lab is far from ideal, and Guardiola knows it. Expect City to pick up a centre-back in January, just to have an extra option. Because one more blow just can’t be afforded at this stage.
Dismal Week No. 2
After a hellish week prior, Tottenham were gifted with a chance to quiet some of the noise surrounding the club by facing a league-bottom Watford at home. Instead, they could have easily been on the losing end if not for a late Dele Alli goal to level it at 1-1 – again, not without VAR controversy nonsense.
As against the Seagulls last week, the story of this game was Spurs trying to overcome an early, self-inflicted setback. Watford’s opening goal in the sixth minute was well taken but should never have been allowed to happen. Spurs once again avoided what should have been called a penalty kick after Jan Vertonghen stuck a leg into Gerard Deulofeu’s. Referee Chris Kavanaugh waived play-on, and Stockley Park never came calling and decided to not take another look (a theme all too prevalent this year).
So instead of being 2-0 down, the incident left room for Tottenham to squeak by once more. Beyond that, there are evident worries pervading Tottenham still. Their once fortified now shaky at best central defense keeps leaking in goals. And a potent attack typically unlocked by Eriksen is left rotting on the sideline over his ongoing contract dispute.
A win in the Champions League midweek and a triumph in a visit to Anfield could set this team on course once more. But the likelihood looks dim after another poor performance.
Sheffield Get a Boost
At this point in the season it seems all too easy to hop on the Arsenal sputter yet again band wagon. Despite being joint third in the table after week 6 Unai Emery’s men have continued to sputter on the road, where they maximized a 3-point performance just once all season. And against Bournemouth on Monday, they looked lethargic, directionless, and unwilling to grab the match by the horns.
But like I said, it’s all too easy to fall down Arsenal’s woeful rabbit hole. Instead let’s give some light to Sheffield’s solid start to the campaign. Lys Mousset marked his first league start for Sheffield United by scoring the goal that sent the home side into the top half of the table.
Never bougie; just sharp, Chris Wilder has approached this season with grit and stubbornness. It’s a type of stubbornness in tactical planning that often catches newly promoted sides sliding right back where they came from. Instead, Wilder has instilled a sense of fierce determination in defense, and a recognition of where their strengths lie.
To put it simply, Sheffield remain stoic in defense against more technical sides and display attacking creativity against teams more their appetite. It’s a simple enough formula that is often difficult to replicate on a weekly basis. Yet Sheffield have found the balance to slowly lean into the top half of the table.
Rapid Fire Recap
Back Down to Earth
It’s not all too often lower level clubs promptly defeat EPL established giants then suddenly shrink back to size. But in the case of Wolves and Brighton, zero signs of progress was shown after their respective victories over Manchester City and Tottenham.
For Wolves, a 1-1 draw at the hands of Southampton just adds to the conundrum the Molineux side portrays. Last season’s darling newly promoted side brought vibrant counter-attacking football with Portuguese flair. However, Nuno Espirito Santos’ men have yet to solidify a rhythm in play, and have consistently been stifled when not set up to counter – often against teams with less talent. Maybe the European schedule has shaken their swagger.
Brighton on the other hand continue to be a team that shoots themselves in the foot. The Seagulls scored early against Villa, but went down to 10-men after a clumsy challenge from Aaron M00y. They played on the back foot the rest of the match, and isn’t show enough grit in letting in an avoidable 94th minute winner from Matt Targett. Graham Potter has shown his squad can produce flashes of brilliance, especially when they get going down the flanks. But the boys from Brighton need to show more consistency if they are to live up to their true potential.
One Win at a Time
Remember that time just over a month ago when people were freaking out over Frank Lampard’s inability to keep a clean sheet or win at home? I do, but how crazy were we to write that story so emphatically?
Chelsea have officially cleaned up their defensive line and established a firm rhythm of attacking play, resulting in 4 wins on the trot for Lampard. A solid and stately 1-0 win courtesy of Marcos Alonso (remember him?) has placed Chelsea quietly within the race for the top three, nipping on the heels of Leicester.
A key to their turnaround? 20-year-old Englishman Callum Hudson-Odoi, who created 5 chances against Newcastle and laid off the winning goal to Alonso with poise. Don’t look no, but the youth experiment might be working way better than we first anticipated.
Hanging by a Thread
Reports were that Marco Silva could see the Toffee colored exit door if he were to come away blank from Everton’s match against West Ham on Saturday. Silva firmly stood up to the pressure while his side delivered a convincing 2-0 victory over the East London squad.
Of course, defeating an equally as frustrating West Ham side doesn’t do much to convince ownership you’re still worth the cause. Silva still has much to prove if he is to avoid the sack. But on the positive side, Everton looked smooth and slick while avoiding mishaps at the back; a form they can build upon going forward. Now they and their manager need to show that can be the case on a regular basis.
Zeke Ouellette Media 