(Before we begin: This post was written by Sean Gallagher, one of many hardworking interns behind the scenes! Sean is very passionate about soccer and writing content so here’s to weekly blog posts about English Premier League action!)
The international break is finally over and that means another weekend of Premier League action. Let’s delve into a Matchday 12 filled with goals and drama!
Watford v Manchester United
It wasn’t Liverpool. It wasn’t Man City. The team that pummeled Man Utd so bad that the board was finally willing to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was… Watford? The team who came into the weekend sitting dangerously close to relegation completely embarrassed the visiting United, who needed an uplifting win before a crucial champions league tie this week. Instead, Cristiano Ronaldo and company saw the Hornets set the tone early, winning a penalty kick just 5 minutes in. Although the spot kick was missed, Watford never looked back from the early spark and went on to completely dominate the Red Devils.
United supporters rejoiced for a moment as Donny van de Beek finally substituted into a game, when Ole threw him in down 2-0 after halftime. His head-scratching lack of playing time was finally thwarted as he came in and made a big difference, throwing himself into tackles, creating chances, and ultimately scoring Man U’s only goal of the day. But one man was never going to be enough to turn things around. The humiliation for United went from bad to worse after captain Harry Maguire was sent off for a reckless challenge in the 68th minute, all but cementing the team’s fate. Watford didn’t let their foot off the breaks and proceeded to pour in 2 more goals in injury time.
It was clear that Ole needed to be fired a long time ago. A 5-0 defeat to Liverpool and a lifeless performance in a derby against City should have been the deal-breaker for the board, but time and again he was given another chance. In the end, it was obvious that he was only hired to take over for a few months while United searched for a top manager, and now that search will begin again.
Liverpool v Arsenal
The weekend’s most anticipated game quickly descended into another Liverpool rout, which is starting to feel common this season. Mikel Arteta’s side came into Saturday with an opportunity to nick top 4 and hop Liverpool in the table. But Arsenal, to be frank, just aren’t there yet. The Gunners have piled together good results ever since their disastrous first few games of the season, but can’t quite compete when stacked against the best of the best. The game was largely lifeless for the first half-hour, but the altercation between Jurgen Klopp and Arteta on the touchline ramped up the game’s intensity. Liverpool’s front three proved too much for Arsenal to handle, even with Ramsdale making some spectacular saves between the posts. The goals for the Reds felt inevitable with Jota, Salah, and Mane all getting in on the action.
For Liverpool, it’s all about keeping pace with league-leaders Chelsea, who feel invincible at the moment. Luckily for Jurgen Klopp, his men have distanced themselves from the rest of their Champions League group and have already qualified for the Round of 16. Arsenal, meanwhile, need to regroup in their next fixture against Newcastle. This resounding defeat against Liverpool was just their first loss since August. Only time will tell if a 4-0 defeat will take a negative toll on Arteta’s men.
Wolves v West Ham
West Ham came into the weekend feeling good after a huge win against Liverpool before the international break. David Moyes’ side have been able to balance the Europa League and Premier League fixture congestion and put together a remarkable start to the season. But that momentum came to a halt when the Hammers faced Wolves at Molineux on Saturday.
For the first 15 minutes of the game West Ham were lively and had a few chances, but quickly faded and allowed Wolves control of the ball. Wolves then dominated much of the game, leading to Raul Jimenez’s beautiful match-winning strike in the 58th minute. West Ham just couldn’t get a concrete chance after Wolves sat back for the last quarter of the game, and the hosts saw out a victory that launched them into 6th.
Bruno Lage has quietly built up a formidable team in his first season with the club. Max Kilman has been a defensive star all year, including on Saturday when he kept a flaming hot Michail Antonio at bay. The front three of Jimenez, Hwang, and some combination of Podence/Traore/Trincao can become defensive nightmares for opposition, especially in a counter attack. Success for Wolves might just be top half this year, but they’re threatening for a Europa League spot if this form keeps up.
Quick hits:
- Chelsea are rolling and making quick work of most of their opponents. Keep an eye out on them facing West Ham and Manchester United in 2 of their next 3.
- Conte got his first Premier League win with Tottenham, rebounding after a tough first half to beat Leeds 2-1.
- Steven Gerrard got a 2-0 win in his Premier League managerial debut against Brighton. He’ll be looking to use this momentum to rebound Aston Villa from a tough start after the sacking of Dean Smith
- Man City dominated Everton 3-0 and the game was never really in question. Rafa Benitez will need to string together some results soon as his tenure is quickly souring with the Toffees.
- Dean Smith won his first game at Norwich, which is a rare feat for the Canaries!
- We got a pair of 3-3 draws; Crystal Palace against Burnley, and Newcastle against Brentford