Week 10

 

Well well well. Another week gone and we still have no idea who the clear front runners are. Perhaps we’ll start with Arsenal who managed to break through against lowly Sunderland. That’s no slight against Arsenal who are playing really well but against the Jordies who currently sit flat bottom of the table. It seems as though we see this every year but they are shaping themselves up for another great escape. Arsenal, on the other hand, are playing so well that Olivier Giroud is finding the back of the net! Cue gasps. Much like their opinions on Arsene Wenger the Gunners aren’t sure whether they like Giroud or not. After all, Alexis Sanchez and the single footed Ozil can’t do all the work.
Regardless Arsenal sit tied top of the table with Manchester City and Liverpool. City managed to beat a West Brom side that plays as beautiful football as Tony Pulis himself which is to say West Brom got demo’d. Aguero has been so consistently brilliant that it’s almost taken for granted as he scored two and set up another. Their defense record is good enough and with the way they score goals they look to have the best chance for the league.
Speaking of stout defending, lets talk about Liverpool. The comparisons to the 2013-14 side grow stronger with every week. They can score goals out of their ass, they absolutely cannot defend, and just about every game is a heart attack for their supports. The Scousers wouldn’t have it any other way though as they sit tied at the top, third on goal difference. A big difference to that year though is the focal point on this team. Klopp has now devised a team where, although individual players still matter, the team is not focused around one player (Luis Suarez.) He can plug and play like players when needed and there isn’t a drastic drop off in quality. Although i don’t see them winning the league this year i do fancy Klopp for long term success at the club as he is about the only manager i can remember there since Benitez who has actually successfully implemented a clear style of play, much less in one year. If you’ll remember Rodgers was supposed to bring a ‘Barcelona’ style of tiki-taka and was all out counter attack by his second season.
Now lets get to the meat of the week. Manchester United and mighty Burnley. Burnley may be the best or worst thing for the Premier League. They have no pretensions of playing beautiful football. Instead they are organized and look to hit on the break. Unfortunately for them about the only thing that took a hit was Jose Mourinho’s pride as he was sent to the stands where it appeared that the fans in the first row were giving him stick. He was then moved higher to avoid the players hearing him and he had what can only be described as his ‘hitman messenger’ deliver notes to the assistant coach. They must have been dank memes because they really did fuck all on the pitch as Herrera picked up a 2nd yellow. Manchester United now sit eighth, level with Watford. It’s not quite November yet but Mourinho has began to test the patience of the Red Devil faithful.
The Toffees managed to be much more frenetic in a solid win against a West Ham side who have all the pieces in place on paper but look lost as a team. Perhaps it’s the half mile between the pitch and the first row of fans at their new stadium but this side is struggling to stay afloat currently jut above the drop zone.
Chelsea round out the contenders who walked away with another win this weekend. Chelsea are playing as attractive football as Antonio Conte looks (I call him the anti-Pulis.) He is trying to install an Italian defense and has managed to get Chelsea’s two best players of Hazard and Costa, the man we all love to hate, back to form. For me City and Chelsea will be the one’s to beat this year.

Alberto Moreno trying to defend:

Premier League Week 9

 

Well it was a week in which multiple teams could've gone clear at the top, yet none did. No 6-0 routs of Real Betis here, no. Here in the Premier League things stay close. Much like Duggar family children there are no real standouts at the top. Tottenham started off the day with a chance to go top but a goalless draw with Bournemouth seems like the least unlikely result as both sides had chances. Perhaps Tottenham realized that they contractually had to stay behind Arsenal who had yet to play yet. Speaking of the Gooners, 'Borough looked to shock the Emirates but a series of robotic saves by the expert-mode computer that resides in Petr Cech's helmet denied them. Leicester meanwhile looked to take their European form (they're really having a go. Perhaps realizing another chance may not come around) and apply it the league. Ranieri's biggest test as a manager this year is rotating the squad to finish in the top 4 again. It appears to come and go in spurts as his side are about as consistent as Alberto Moreno's every-changing haircut. Stoke City have managed to drag themselves out of the bottom 3 with the Welsh Jesus (Joe Allen) providing a metronome in their midfield. Burnley continue to scrap points where you'd least expect them, unless of course, you're an Everton fan. While Liverpool ended Saturday with a win against a Tony Pulis side that conceded from 2 counter attack goals. It was such an un-Tony Pulis like occurrence that the track-suit wearing boss decided to further baffle the world by wearing *gasp* a suit and tie in the press conference. Then came Sunday. Southampton decided to bring some sun with them from the south coast to the blackhole of Manchester and scored early through Nathan Redmond. City pulled level after the break but the go-ahead-goal never came and the final opportunity of the weekend to go clear at the top had faded. And Finally, those of you who aren't from the red half of Manchester, or simply don't like Jose Mourinho, the real treat came at the end. A 4-nil drubbing of the Red Devils by Italian led Chelsea saw blue fireworks on the pitch and red ones off. Mourinho looked utterly offended as Antonio Conte celebrated the fourth goal of the day as the world rolled it's eyes at the irony that Mourinho was blind to.