EPL Week In Review August 16th
The theme for this week is going to be ‘One good week a season does not make…..but.” Not trying to pour cold water on some wonderful football played this week or on the flip side dismiss some equally bad performances but it is rare at the end of the season you look back at week one as a key moment during the year. All you need to do is look back to last year where Scolari and his Chelsea side where the short lived darlings of English football after beating defending FA Cup Champions Portsmouth 4-0 to start the season.
- Which brings us to Arsenal. What a great performance against Everton on Saturday. As suppose to last year it was Arsenal scoring from set pieces instead of conceding goals and just ran through Everton in every aspect of the game. Everton’s left back Leighton Baines made Nicklas Bendtner look like Ronaldo playing in midfield a prime example of this. The scary thing is about Arsenal’s performance is that Andrei Arshavin didn’t even play his best game. Maybe it won’t be all doom and gloom for Arsenal fans this season. Well at least for this weekend anyway. It could all be for not if they overlook Celtic in the Champions League this week.
- Nice touch by Fabregas paying tribute to fallen Espanyol captain Dani Jarque by bringing out an Arsenal jersey with his name on it. I’d like think if it wasn’t for Sir Bobby Robson richly deserved minute of applause before each game that Jarque would of received the same treatment on any other week.
- Made a joke late in the previous season that Denílson should be called by his last name as well since only good Brazilian players should only be called by one name. After his goal to open Arsenal’s goal tally Denílson can keep the to only one name for a couple of weeks. Besides the same joke can still apply for Lucas who should be called Lucas Leiva due to his play.
- Was also going to make a point with regards to the Arsenal match that you’d want to face a team like Everton early in the season before they can find their groove. It’s often tricky playing a bottom of the table side at the start of the season due to the fact that the life hasn’t been beating out of them. Teams like Hull and Birmingham played with this wide eyed belief that goes with a new season. Later into the season they may have already been beaten down due to losing. Then Liverpool walk into White Hart Lane on the final game of the week and lays an egg. Once again proving that most theories are not absolute.
- Ah Liverpool, the pre season darlings of the English press. Every pundit’s pick to dethrone United at the top of England this year. Mind you many of these pundits former Liverpool players themselves such as the BBC’s Alan Hansen. The theme of this review to be fair does also apply to Liverpool albeit on the bad side of things. There is no shame to losing against Tottenham who have played Liverpool tough the last couple of seasons. Maybe in a weird way this loss will end up being good for Liverpool as it will serve as an early wake up call that they will need to win the Championship on the pitch as it will not be given to them by the press.
- Must say I was shocked that Steven Gerrard’s mid week groin injury that forced him to pull out of England duty healed up just in time for his weekend game against Tottenham. Maybe it’s because I don’t support a club and only cheer on a country that it annoys me when a player doesn’t suit up for his country even if it’s only a friendly.
- Have a feeling Rafa Bentiez didn’t have any regrets letting Robbie Keane go after watching him play today. Great saves by Reina but Keane needs to bury those chances. Have a feeling by the end of this season Keane will be either coming off the bench or playing in a more midfield role letting Crouch and Defoe do the work upfront.
- Benoît Assou-Ekotto didn’t think you had that in you. Don’t think many Liverpool or Tottenham fans did either.
- Trying to be patience with Heurelho Gomes and keep telling Spurs fans he’ll come good but he seems to be in mid season form when it comes to making a mistake in judgment. To be fair it was a split second decision to rush out and attempt to play the ball away from Glen Johnson. The key point here is the fact it was Glen Johnson. Granted he made a great run blowing by Tom Huddlestone and getting himself in a dangerous position but he is not a striker if Heurelho Gomes played his angles Johnson would of been forced to make a perfect shot or pass at full speed instead Gomes gives up a penalty.
- Wonder how quickly Harry Redknapp is going to make a call to Portsmouth in an attempt to purchase former Spice Boy David James as a result?
- As mentioned on the Tottenham telecast it was great weekend for new defenders in north London with Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen and Tottenham’s Sébastien Bassong scoring on their league debuts.
- Wonder if it was Fernando Torres being run over instead of Andriy Voronin would Phil Dowd called that late penalty? Also wonder if he kept the whistle in his pocket due to already giving a Liverpool a penalty previously?
- All and all not a good weekend for the blue or red side of Liverpool.
- Moving on to focus all things Manchester. Three points is three points considering last year United drew Newcastle United and the year before that drew 0-0 against Reading starting the season off with a win will make Sir Alex happy. Not a performance those in the stands will tell their grandkids about and credit to Birmingham who came to play but Manchester United will be content with the three points in their first real game after the departure of you know who.
- Oh Michael Owen you have to bury that clean breakaway late in the game. Not the type of effort that is going to get his confidence back that’s for sure.
- Deceiving win by Manchester City but a confidence building win none the less. Between Adebayor goal to start the game and Ireland great goal to kill the game it was Blackburn who were taking the game to Manchester City. Christopher Samba was robbed from a set piece by Shay Given and Blackburn were also unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty on a hand ball by Richard Dunne. It wasn’t a clear cut penalty by any means but his arm shouldn’t of been in that position when it hit the ball.
- Still a great win by Manchester City. Last year this type of game they would of only earned a point form. To go into a tough place to play at like Ewood park and keep a clean sheet will give City fans even more reason to be optimistic this season.
- Carlos Tevez sitting on the bench is too easy but I’m not going to overlook it. Nice to see City making Tevez feel right at his previous home put placing him on the bench to start the game.
- Chelsea must hate hearing the name Stephen Hunt almost as much as Manchester United hates hearing about Danny Murphy. Hunt is like that pebble in your shoe that will annoy you and cause you nothing but grief if you are lining up against him.
- A happy Drogba is still a world class striker. His first goal from the free kick must of bought back not so distance memories flooding back for any Manchester United fan who might of watch the game. The second goal be it a cross or a shot was something if you asked just about any player to try 99 times out of 100 it would not even come close to going in. Alittle bit of luck there? Sure but one of the many things you’ll need in order to win a league is lady luck by your side.
- I really felt bad picking Wigan to finish 16th this season as I’d like to see the style of football Roberto Martínez plays succeed at Wigan. Again one week a season does not make for example Paul Ince won his first game of last season with Blackburn and he was out of a job by December. With that out of the way unless your last name is Wenger no coach put on a better performance getting his team ready to play then Martinez did this weekend. Absolutely loved Wigan’s performance from the opening minute to the last. Once they scored on Hugo Rodallega beautiful thunderbolt (Who needs Zaki?) Wigan kept pressing the game to Aston Villa never given them possession or the confidence to make Villa feel they could still make a game out of it. With the departures of Valencia and Palacios former West Brom player Jason Koumas dusted himself off to score Wigan’s second goal to seal the game away.
- What was with the performance by both Aston Villa and Everton this weekend? It’s like both clubs where playing with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Between the lines they need to forget about expectations and play to there strengths.
- Sunderland fans must be happy with Steve Bruce getting a 1-0 win on the road against Bolton. Nice to see Darren Bent get away from Tottenham to chip in a goal in his debut.
- Classic Bobby Zamora goal if there ever was one with Clint Dempsey shot deflecting off his ass and past David James. Everyone thinks it’s going to be a long year for Portsmouth fans and I’m no different in this belief.
- Also nice to see Stoke City pick up right where they left off last season grabbing points at home defeating Burnley 2-0. Most years it’s tricky going up against newly promoted teams to start the season but both West Ham in their 2-0 victory against Wolves and Stoke seemed to manage it just fine.
August 16th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Was it me or did man u definitely miss that finishing quality that Ronaldo brought(brings)? Granted, it is to be expected, losing arguably the world’s best player is not easy to overcome. For me, I expected Owen to bury that shot, and for Berbatov to play the entire game like he did in those 3 mins once he found out he was going to be substituted.
August 16th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Good point on Berbatov had a laugh noticing that too.