Premier League Matchday Recap
It was another action-packed weekend in England’s top flight. Here are the big storylines from matchday nine in the Premier League. But first here is a look at this week’s fun facts.
Fun facts
- Watford became the first team in Premier League history to be losing after 75 minutes and still win the game by three goals, as they beat Everton 5-2.
- Manchester United lost a home game by 5+ goals without scoring for the first time since February 1955.
- Mason Mount became the 20th different player to score a Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea. Only Arsenal (21) have had more hat-trick scorers in the division.
Liverpool destroy dismal Manchester United with historic win
It is hard to see how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer comes back from here. Right up until Sunday’s meeting with Liverpool, the Manchester United board were steadfast in their backing of the manager. On the day of the game reports in the media stated that United had told agents they would be wasting their time by recommending replacements for Solskjaer.
Their stance must now change after a day that will go down in the history of this old rivalry. Liverpool’s sensational 5-0 win at Old Trafford was achieved without the Reds being at their absolute best. It was simple and straightforward for Jurgen Klopp’s side to exploit United’s multiple shortcomings. They cut through the home team at will and kept their cool in front of goal, with the hat-trick hero Mohamed Salah the star of the show. Four goals up at half-time and 5-0 ahead after 50 minutes, Liverpool could have won even more handsomely had they kept their foot on the gas in the final half an hour.
Solskjaer will always be a club legend due to his service as a player, but Sunday’s shellacking underlined how out of his depth the Norwegian is. United are one of the biggest and richest clubs in the world. Persevering with a manager who is so plainly not up to the job would be a dereliction of duty.
Youthful Arsenal have too much vim and vigour for Villa
Having dropped points in a home game against Crystal Palace a few days earlier, Arsenal were under pressure to beat Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium. Any sort of win would have been sufficient, but Mikel Arteta must have been delighted that his side picked up all three points by playing Villa off the park.
From the very first whistle Arsenal played with great energy and intensity. They hassled and harried their opponents whenever they had the ball, and played with purpose when possession was theirs. Arteta’s decision to switch to a 4-4-2 formation paid off handsomely, with Emile Smith Rowe a livewire on the left and Alexandre Lacazette linking up well with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up top.
There were positive performances all over the pitch. Nuno Tavares’ end product needs work, but his marauding runs from left-back caused Villa problems all evening. Ben White brought the ball out from the back expertly, while Albert Sambi Lokonga drove through midfield with aplomb.
Arsenal now need to replicate this type of display away from the Emirates. They were far too passive in their previous away game, a 0-0 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. The Gunners have proved they can assert themselves on their own patch, but this team will not be top-four contenders until they improve their record on the road.
Chelsea crush Norwich despite Lukaku’s absence
With Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner absent through injury, Chelsea fans were interested to see how their team would line up against Norwich City on Saturday. Some wondered where the goals would come from, despite Lukaku’s dry spell of late.
They need not have worried. Chelsea struck seven past the hapless visitors to Stamford Bridge, just one goal short of their biggest ever top-flight win (an 8-0 demolition of Wigan Athletic in 2010). Mason Mount was the headline-maker with his first ever hat-trick at senior level, while Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James and Ben Chilwell also got their names on the scoresheet, as did Max Aarons with an unwanted own goal.
Kai Havertz did not make the net bulge despite being deployed as the furthest man forward. He is still the best fit for that role until Lukaku is back, though, and we can expect to see Thomas Tuchel deploy him up top again next weekend.
As the scoreline suggests, this was as one-sided a Premier League game as you are ever likely to see. Norwich manager Daniel Farke must now fear for his future, having gone nine games without a win at the start of the season.
Man City’s first-half masterclass brings victory over Brighton
Brighton & Hove Albion had one of the Premier League’s best defensive records heading into the weekend, but Manchester City made a mockery of that fact in the opening 45 minutes at the Amex Stadium. A brace from Phil Foden (although he did not know much about his second goal) and a solitary strike from Ilkay Gundogan gave Pep Guardiola’s side a 3-0 lead at the interval. Both teams found the net in the second half, with City’s 4-1 win keeping them hot on Chelsea’s heels.
The Premier League champions are a possession-based team, but it was their incisive counter-attacking that caught the eye here. Foden’s first goal came at the end of a blistering break from City, with Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish doing fine work in the build-up. Silva’s ball-carrying ability was a key part of City’s victory, as was Foden’s fantastic display as a false nine.
The England international looks like City’s best bet in that role. Foden varies his movement well: he often drops deep to link play but he can also run in behind. An energetic presser and an increasingly clinical finisher, Foden is likely to continue through the middle over the next few weeks.
