At the end of matchday 9, Arsenal opened up a 4-point lead at the top of the Premier League, thanks to another set-piece goal in a 1 – 0 victory over Crystal Palace. It helped that all of their title rivals (Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea) faced surprise defeats, with Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur, and Sunderland joining them in the top 4.
In the relegation battle, all 3 promoted sides won, while Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Fulham, all lost. Sports Talk United takes you through the biggest talking points of the weekend.
The title race has hurdles
Arsenal win (again)
Ironically, the least interesting match of the weekend was also one of the more important fixtures, as leaders Arsenal hosted Crystal Palace. The visitors started the game well, putting the Arsenal defence under pressure as they attempted to build-up from the back, but Saliba and Gabriel were able to prevent any serious chances. In fact, the 1st-half passed with barely a shot in anger, and it took a moment of quality to open the scoring.
A Declan Rice free-kick was only headed away as far as the penalty spot, where Eberechi Eze (formerly of Crystal Palace) lashed in an acrobatic volley, waking the Emirates from its slumber. The 2nd-half followed a similar pattern: very little action, besides Arsenal set-pieces, which provided the half’s 2 biggest chances (a Gabriel header off the bar, and a Gabriel header wide from 5 yards out). A tidy win the for league leaders, which is their 7th in a row in all competitions.
City lose at Villa (again)
Who knows what it is about Villa Park, but Pep Guardiola does not enjoy visiting; this match being his 3rd defeat in a row at the old ground. With Rodri injured for the foreseeable, Pep deployed Tijjani Reijnders as his defensive midfielder. Though he offered more control in possession, it meant that he was often dominated by Morgan Rogers and John McGinn on the break.
The only goal came through another set-piece, though one that fell apart. A short corner missed its intended target, but instead found Matty Cash on the edge of the box. He controlled well, before firing a fizzing left-footed shot past the stationary Donnarumma. City’s best chance of the half came through Erling Haaland, attempting to score in the 14th match in a row (all comps.), but after being played through by Bernardo Silva, his effort was easily saved by Martinez.
The 2nd-half was entertaining and constant, with both teams trading periods of domination, as well as threatening on the break. Savinho had 2 chances in quick succession, both left-footed volleys; the 1st was blocked by Amadou Onana, but the 2nd was somehow turned over the bar by Pau Torres from just a yard out. Aston Villa had chances of their own, with Jadon Sancho forcing Donnarumma into a couple of smart saves. In closing moments of the match, Haaland thought he’d equalised, diverting an Omar Marmoush on the stretch, and crashing into the post for good measure. Sadly for him, the offside flag went up, and replays confirmed that Marmoush had gone too early. Villa held on for the win, and their early struggles of the season seem a long time ago.
Liverpool lose (again again)
Long-throws have been a returning theme this season, and there aren’t any better than the home side at using them currently. Brentford opened the scoring in just the 5th minute, after a long throw was headed on by the defence, where Dango Ouattara was able to guide it home from close range. Both teams looked dangerous going forwards, but slightly panicked in defence. Liverpool were furious they weren’t awarded a penalty at the end of the half, when Cody Gakpo was seemingly tripped by Nathan Collins.
As VAR were checking (and clearing) the footage, Liverpool lost possession near the halfway line, and Mikel Damsgaard was able to thread a through-ball into the path of Kevin Schade. With the covering defender Ibrahima Konaté seeming to give up the chase, the German forward was left to fire the ball past Giorgi Mamardashvili for a 2-goal lead. It didn’t last long, as in the 5th minute of stoppage-time, Conor Bradley’s cross was deflected across the 6-yard box, where Milos Kerkez fired home for his 1st Liverpool goal.
Many expected to Brentford to sit back and defend for their lives, but they created the better chances in the 2nd-half. Igor Thiago and Damsgaard both forced Mamardashvili into saves, with the latter a particularly impressive stop, following a deflection en route to goal. Near the hour-mark, Virgil van Dijk fouled Outtara on the edge of the box, with the referee awarding a free-kick. VAR sent him to the monitor, where replays showed that the foul occurred on the line of the penalty area, which resulted in a penalty being awarded. Thiago stepped up, fired down the middle of goal, and Brentford had a 2-goal lead again.
The final 20 minutes or so saw Liverpool piling the pressure on the Brentford goal, without creating many obvious chances. Mo Salah almost found the net from close range, but a brilliant block from former-Liverpool player Sepp van den Berg forced the ball over the bar. With time running out, Dominik Szoboszlai’s pressing forced the defence into a mistake, before crossing into the box. Salah controlled the high ball brilliantly, before executing a perfect half-volley with his right foot, which crashed in off of the bar. Such a brilliant goal didn’t deserve to be just a consolation, but Liverpool had run out of time; losing their 4th Premier League match in a row.
Relegation scraps
Wolves toothless
The big match of the relegation battle was Wolves vs Burnley, with the home side still yet to win this season in the Premier League. The visitors started the stronger, and opened the scoring through Zian Flemming, who calmly volleyed in Quilindschy Hartman long ball from the edge of the box, which seemed to crawl past the reach of Johnstone in goal. The duo would combine again on the half-hour mark, when Hartman sprinted to the byline, cushioning a cross into the path of Flemming, you couldn’t miss from 6 yards out. The Molineux crowd erupted in a chorus of boos, venting their frustration at the lack of quality from their side.
It seemed to provoke a response, as the home side pulled a goal back through a Strand Larsen penalty late in the half. Then, deep into 1st-half stoppage time, Marshall Munetsi headed in at the back post to level the scores at half-time. For the vast majority of the 2nd-half, Wolves were the dominant side, but for all the opportunities they created, they were profligate in front of goal. That would could back to haunt them when, in the 5th minute of stoppage time, Lyle Foster was played through on goal, and he cleverly poked the ball past Johnstone to give Burnley a precious away win. For all of their good work, Wolves were left to rue yet another late conceded goal, and yet more dropped points.
Forest felled
Elsewhere, it was Sean Dyche’s first Premier League game in charge of Nottingham Forest, as they visited Bournemouth. Despite the lack of preparation time, the visitors were defensively solid, preventing a usually rampant Bournemouth side from creating any clear cut chances.
Sadly, Forest also failed to create anything of note, and it took a freak goal from Marcus Tavernier to open the scoring. He delivered a dangerous corner, which ‘keeper Matz Sels misjudged, and could only flail as it flew straight into the net. Shortly before half-time, the increasingly impressive teenager Eli Kroupi Jr. fired a powerful effort in from the edge of the box, giving the home side a 2-goal lead that they never looked like losing.
West Ham-pered
Perhaps the most concerned of all relegation-threatened clubs is West Ham United. New head coach Nuno Espírito Santo doesn’t seem to have provoked the necessary response from the ailing side, and they looked pretty harmless for the majority of their match at Leeds United. The home side started the game brilliantly, taking the lead in the 3rd minute through Brendan Aaronson, who finished after a Noah Okafor effort was parried by Alphonse Areola. Elland Road was bouncing, and their side responded in kind; extending the lead in the 15th minute. West Ham’s struggles defending set-pieces are well known, and it was a simple Sean Longstaff corner that allowed Joe Rodon to nod in from 6 yards out.
After 25 minutes, Nuno had seen enough, and made his first substitution; bringing on Callum Wilson for Oliver Scarles. It almost prompted an immediate reaction, with Wilson’s presence blocking a Jayden Bogle clearance into the path of Lucas Paqueta, who fired home from 6 yards. After a delay from the officials, the offside flag was raised, and replays showed that Paqueta was narrowly offside. It proved something of a false dawn, with Leeds still looking far more dangerous than their opponents. Aaronson hit the bar in the 2nd-half, after brilliantly carrying the ball from his own half, beating several players en route. In fact, when West Ham did score in the 90th minute, Matheus Fernandes glancing a header in from Jarrod Bowen’s cross, it came as much as a surprise to the travelling fans as the home ones. Stoppage time passed without incident (much like West Ham’s season), and Leeds had the deserved win.
Goal(s) of matchday 9
Mo Salah: Brentford 3 – 2 Liverpool: A brilliant left-footed touch to control, an instinctive half-volley on the right to finish. It even went in off the bar. Pity it was just a consolation.
Zian Flemming: Wolves 2 – 3 Burnley: Flemming’s 1st goal in the Premier League, but you would never have guessed. The most nonchalant volley from outside the box you’ll ever see, guiding it teasingly beyond the reach of the ‘keeper.
Premier League MD 9 Results
( ) = Premier League position
- (15) Leeds United 2 – 1 West Ham (19)
- (9) Chelsea 1 – 2 Sunderland (4)
- (12) Newcastle 2 – 1 Fulham (17)
- (6) Manchester United 4 – 2 Brighton (13)
- (11) Brentford 3 – 2 Liverpool (7)
- (2) Bournemouth 2 – 0 Nottingham Forest (18)
- (1) Arsenal 1 – 0 Crystal Palace (10)
- (8) Aston Villa 1 – 0 Manchester City (5)
- (20) Wolves 2 – 3 Burnley (16)
- (14) Everton 0 – 3 Tottenham Hotspur (3)
