EPL Week In Review September 27th
Sunday, September 27th, 2009
- You would think going into the weekend the big four were given a break in the fixture list ahead of the Champions League games mid week. All four teams had winnable games but as often the case things don’t go according to plan.
- Raise your hand if you had Wigan beating Chelsea yesterday? Talk about a night and day difference from their 4-0 performance against Arsenal last week. When you include losing 5-0 to United earlier this season most would of figured more of the same against Chelsea.
- Some may pin pointed it to Petr Cech head injury by Stephen Hunt or his Euro 2008 meltdown as the start of his decline. None the less it’s been a slow decline for a goalie who once was considered the best in the world. Going into the last World Cup you would of had Buffon, Casillas and Cech in any order as the best in the world. You can’t make that argument now for Cech.
- It was bound to happen sooner or later but it will be interesting to see how Chelsea replies from this. Football is easy when everything is coming up roses. The challenge is how to reply when a team gets knocked off their perch albeit for a week like Chelsea was.
- Considering Chelsea were lucky to beat Stoke and Hull all things considered another poor result and people will start to wonder why Chelsea doesn’t put away bad teams.
- Everyone it seems is applauding Ryan Giggs as he turned the game around for Manchester United against a tough Stoke side. Giggs does what Nani fails to do and makes the game simple. Nani who to be fair should of had a goal as his strike outside the box was saved well by Thomas Sørensen but aside from that he takes three touches on the ball when only one is needed. Giggs sees the ball and passes the ball into open space. Sometimes it’s as simple as that. His pass to set up Dimitar Berbatov opening goal was just a thing of beauty.
- When rumours start becoming public that a coach is on the hot seat one of two things happen. The team either rallies around the coach and puts together a string of results. This is rare. What usually happens is the players mail it in as seen by Hull against Liverpool. The players who have already tuned out Phil Brown no longer care as they feel a new coach will be in charge soon. Geovanni scored for Hull after getting a two year contact extension mid week but it’s not like you can give all your players new contracts to improve their performances. With Michael Turner being sold Hull has left a huge void in their backline. Starting 18 year old Liam Cooper against Liverpool and really only one outcome was going to be achieved.
- Rafa Benitez is not the type of coach to do this but one can brag for along time being the one to sign Fernando Torres. Unless Liverpool goes into the tank I’d be shocked if Torres doesn’t receive the PFA player of the year at season’s end.
- A Ryan Babel sighting yesterday with his double off the bench. Will be interesting to see if Rafa will give Babel some more minutes midweek against Fiorentina since it’s unlikely Rafa will trust him to start against Chelsea next week.
- Was more impressed with Arsenal’s 1-0 win yesterday against Fulham than last weeks 4-0 win against Wigan. Fulham were a bogey team for Arsenal last year as Brede Hangeland scored the winner in that match up. Fulham was never set up to play against Arsenal. It’s not all about the 4-0 victories, sometimes you just have to grind out an ugly 1-0 victory. The three points are still the same.
- Portsmouth to be fair did seem to rally around their coach Paul Hart. Either that or they were sick of losing but it made no difference as they weren’t able to overcome Louis Saha’s lone Everton goal. Portsmouth were denied a couple of goals as balls were cleared off the line as these Portsmouth players must feel this is a nightmare that has no end in sight.
- Didn’t expect three goals in the Birmingham-Bolton game nor did I expect Bolton to get two of those goals. Gary Megson quieted his critics for one week at least by grabbing the points thanks to Chung-Yong Lee goal soon after Kevin Phillips tied it up for Birmingham.
- Sam Allardyce must be sleeping better tonight. With Aston Villa looking for their 7th win in a row you would of figured it was going to be a long night when Gabriel Agbonlahor opened the scoring three minutes in. Again an early goal turned out to be the worst thing which could happen to a club as Aston Villa took their foot off the petal and when Blackburn tied it up Villa seemed unable to find their previous form.
- Manchester City fans know about Richard Dunne’s mistakes all to well. Very good defender but too often makes decisions that leaves you shaking your head. A hand ball due to his hand being over his head to gift Blackburn a penalty isn’t something you want to see happen in the 89th minute.
- Have a feeling Robbie Keane is going to add each and every Burnley defender to his Christmas card list. As whispers were getting louder regarding Keane’s first team status scoring four goals in a game is a good way to quiet those critics.
- Hasn’t been the best of weeks for Burnley. First they lose 3-2 to Barnsley in the Carling Cup they give up five to Tottenham.
- It has been a good week for Tottenham however. After being schooled by Chelsea they reply with 5-1 and 5-0 victories over Preston and Burnley.
- Have little interest in the Sunderland-Wolves game coming up but do have an eye on the Manchester City-West Ham match on Monday. West Ham is looking for points in the worst way not winning since the opening game of the season. Manchester City will be looking to forget last weekend’s result. If they have taken a woe is me attitude this weekend it wouldn’t shock me at all to see West Ham trip up City after everything was looking so good to them two weeks ago.
