We’re back with our look around the top flight of English Football, going through all the action in what was an exciting week in the Premier League.
Premier League Review Week 10, Part 1
If Alan Pardew followed through with his threat to “go out on the Toon” on Saturday evening, then the Geordies should have been queueing up to buy him a pint of his favourite choice of beverage. No, Pardew’s face will never quite sit comfortably in this particular section of the North-East, but nobody dare argue with the recent revival of Newcastle United, and their dramatic ascent into the top half of the Premier League. Pardew really has the players grafting for him, and may have even unearthed a new hero in substitute Ayoze Perez, who netted for the second week running, giving Newcastle their fourth straight win. The “sackpardew.com” crowd have certainly been silenced, and Pardew has gone about this in the best, and most dignified way possible – winning football matches. For Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool, the season seems to get worse by the week. Their obvious over-reliance on ex-striker Luis Suarez is now becoming incredibly transparent, as once again the “bargain £16 million man” Mario Balotelli failed to show any super qualities, or ignite the Reds’ forward line by netting in the top flight. Six points worse off than at this stage last season, already twelve points behind leaders Chelsea, this is threatening to be a very disappointing campaign for the Reds, who once again also look very suspect in defence. Rodgers will certainly not be licking his lips at the prospect of a trip to the Bernabeu this week to face the all-conquering Real Madrid, where short of a major miracle, Liverpool’s Champions League hopes will also be looking very shaky come Wednesday morning.
Alexis Sanchez is a man on a mission, and a man who is genuinely playing at the very top of his game right now. His stunning record of ten goals in eleven starts for Arsenal this campaign is testament to a player of both immense industry, X-Factor talent, and some of the twinkliest of toes to have ever graced the Premier League. Quite simply, the Gunners would be a very average team if you removed the Chilean from the side. With all due respect, Arsenal against Burnley is a fixture where it would always be expected that the home side would emerge victorious, and the clash at The Emirates on Saturday did nothing to alter this myth. Perhaps the fact that the Gunners had to wait until the 70th minute to break Burnley down was slightly surprising, but the quality of their play prior to this left the home fans in no doubt the breakthrough would eventually come. The return to action of long term injury victim Theo Walcott was the icing on the cake of a solid 3-0 win, which was slightly harsh on a Burnley team who just can’t get to grips with the step up in quality from the Championship. Toil and endeavour they might, but the Clarets just cannot get off the mark, and that search for a maiden victory goes into yet another week. There is just simply no let up in the Premier League, every mistake is punished with the utmost severity – and as they are right now – Burnley just sadly don’t have enough quality to survive the unforgiving nature of the top flight.
When the fixtures are released prior to every new season, managers of expected strugglers up and down the land calculate how many points their team will win, and pinpoint which games look both more “winnable”, or clashes in which they can perhaps sneak a cheeky point. Chelsea away was certainly not a game that Harry Redknapp would have expected his Queens Park Rangers team to garnish anything from, but the Hoops played very well, made a real nuisance of themselves and silenced Stamford Bridge, much to Jose Mourinho’s disgust. In Charlie Austin, QPR have a striker with both self-belief and raw quality, and more importantly than this – a forward that can score goals. His cheeky flick on Saturday was both intuitive, and a moment of extreme confidence from a player plying his trade at this level for the first time. But like so many others before him this season, Austin and co. were unable to stop the “Mourinho machine”, which once again efficiently satisfied the silent prawn sandwich brigade with another three points. One must wonder what would actually raise the roof at The Bridge – for there will be very few goals to better Oscar’s exquisite angled, “outside of the boot” strike on Saturday that gave the Blues the lead. Eden Hazard’s penalty won the game after the scores were briefly level, but the hallmark of a “great team” is to win when playing badly, and this case could definitely be argued in Chelsea’s defence currently. A healthy four point lead is testament to the start the Blues have enjoyed, and only dropping four points all season so far is mightily impressive. On this form, it’s difficult to see how anybody else will finish above Chelsea this year.
Whilst overachieving is a hugely enjoyable, and somewhat unlikely roller coaster ride for a clubs’ fans, it also comes at a huge price, and it would be very fair to say that both Everton and Swansea City are now struggling somewhat under the sheer weight of new, and arguably unfounded expectations that only they have put themselves under. The home team just haven’t got going yet this season, and although the Toffees never really came unstuck against the Swans, they didn’t really show any kind of cutting edge or genuine ambition of taking maximum points on Saturday. At least Everton look tighter at the back now, but were very fortunate not to concede what resembled the most blatant penalty decision not given all season. No team can boast two goalkeepers on the pitch at the same time, but in Antolin Alcaraz, Everton showed it could be done and Tim Howard could struggle to keep his place in between the sticks following Alcaraz’s low one handed save in the penalty area from Jonjo Shelvey’s goal bound effort. That Shelvey was then dismissed for a second bookable offence late on in the game is a cruel irony not at all lost on Swansea manager Garry Monk, who on a weekly basis, moans more about refs than Neil Warnock – which is very difficult to do. Are the Swans being victimised this season by poor officials, or are they now perhaps just more physical and less disciplined than they used to be? Three red cards already by November would lean towards the latter, and perhaps this is something Monk needs to address – and the sooner the better.
At the end of November and beginning of December, Southampton will face Manchester City at home, Arsenal away and then Manchester United at home in surely what will become a season defining run of fixtures. Yes, one can argue that the Saints have yet to really tackle any of the big boys this campaign, but you can only beat the opposition you face, and Southampton have certainly already won a lot of games, and a lot of new fans this year. Victor Wanyama’s spectacular 40 yard chip was as precise and perfect as the Saints’ recent form, and deserved to earn the three points on its’ own. Special praise must also go to Nathaniel Clyne, who is far and away England’s best right back on current form. Accurate tackling, quick bursts down the right flank and a new eye for goal, Clyne is having an incredible season, and it would be a travesty if Roy Hodgson ignores him again in the upcoming internationals. For Steve Bruce’s Tigers, it was another frustrating afternoon where they will feel self-cheated out of at least a share of the spoils. Recent draws against both Arsenal and Liverpool would have offered City fans much hope of victory on Saturday, but once again a needless error has partly cost them the game. Eldin Jakupovic had no idea his poor clearance would be so harshly punished by Wanyama, but it again highlights that any loss of concentration at this level is dealt with by the utmost severity. City needn’t worry yet, but draws need to become wins soon if they are not to be dragged into an unwanted relegation dogfight.
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Main Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
