Cash of the Titans: Premier League match day 3

It’s the last round of fixtures before the international break in the Premier League, and before the transfer window closes. With certain teams already starting to sweat, many will be hoping for a last-minute signing to help relieve the pressure! Manchester United finally won their first match of the season. West Ham United recorded a precious victory, allowing Graham Potter to breathe a sigh of relief. Oh, and Wolves are still pointless (literally). It’s not just the teams that are sweating, as VAR is once again at the centre of a controversy, after mistakenly disallowing Josh King’s goal for Fulham at Chelsea. Sports Talk United takes a look at the biggest results, the best turnaround, and the best free-kick you’ll see this season.

You lucky devils: Manchester United 3 – 2 Burnley

Head coach Ruben Amorim came into this game under intense pressure. Earlier in the week, Man Utd had lost to League Two club Grimsby Town on penalties in the League Cup 2nd round. Here, the Old Trafford crowd roared their team forward, and the 1st-half relieved a lot of the pre-match tension. Mbeumo looked threatening throughout, and the addition of Mason Mount to the starting line-up this season looks like an inspired choice. The English midfielder thought he’d won a penalty in the 18th minute, after clashing with Kyle Walker in the penalty area. After the referee had awarded the spot-kick, VAR sent him to the monitor, with replays showing that no foul had been committed.

Despite that setback, Man Utd dominated the rest of the half, and their pressure told after 27 minutes. Casemiro’s effort from 16 yards crashed off the crossbar, before rebounding onto Josh Cullen’s head, then over the Burnley goal-line. ‘Keeper Dubravka almost pulled off a remarkable reaction-save, but goal-line technology confirmed the goal. At half-time, the home side had a deserved 1 – 0 lead, but it should’ve been more.

Man Utd would rue those earlier misses, as Burnley equalised 10 minutes into the 2nd-half. An excellent cross from the right was diverted into the net by Lyle Foster from 10 yards, cueing a return to tension among the home fans. They didn’t have long to worry, as the home side re-took the lead just 80 seconds later. After Bayindir’s long kick was headed on by Zirkzee, Dalot suddenly had possession in the Burnley box. He got to the byline, before pulling back to Mbeumo, who fired in from 10 yards.

Though confidence was slowly spreading around the home crowd, there’s been 1 consistent cause for concern this season: the goalkeeper. In every match this season so far, there has been at least 1 mistake from a Man Utd ‘keeper (Bayindir or Onana). In the 66th minute, a long throw from Walker wasn’t cleared, allowing Ugochukwu to shoot from just inside the penalty area. Despite being straight at Bayindir, he could only parry it into the path of Jaden Anthony, who poked home from close range.

With the Old Trafford faithful desperate for a win (Amorim too), the home side poured forward in the final stages, trying to force something. Then, in stoppage time, Amad ran into the Burnley area, only to be pulled back by Anthony. The referee originally waved play-on, but VAR sent him back to the monitor. He changed his mind, ruling that Anthony had committed “a sustained pulling action”, and awarded the penalty. Up stepped Bruno Fernandes, who missed one of his penalties vs Grimsby earlier that week. He made no mistake this time, burying it past the fingertips of Dubravka. Old Trafford roared its approval, though it was so close to yet another whimper.

Hürzeler’s heroics: Brighton 2 – 1 Manchester City

Down on the south-coast, Pep Guardiola’s side were hoping to bounce back from their home defeat vs Spurs last week. Here, they were matched in the 1st-half by Brighton, despite City taking a 1 – 0 lead at half-time. The home side regularly threatened in transition, with Mitoma regularly cutting inside from the left flank. The visitors’ biggest threat was Erling Haaland (stating the obvious), who forced Verbruggen into several saves, before firing in from close range in the 34th minute. Omar Marmoush had ridden a couple of challenges, before the ball fell into the path of the clinical Norwegian.

Into the 2nd-half, and City looked more likely to extend their lead. Oscar Bobb had a great opportunity to grab their 2nd, after Marmoush played a ball across the penalty area. Bobb couldn’t quite sort his feet out though, and sliced his effort wide from 10 yards. On the hour, Brighton head coach Hürzeler rolled the dice, in a bid to regain control. He made a quadruple substitution, bringing on additional attackers, and appeared to adjust formation. Man City looked shaken, as only a moments later, a rapid counter-attack saw Minteh force another save from James Trafford. Minuets after that, a Brighton free-kick from the right was sent to the back post to Lewis Dunk. His first-time cross hit the raised arm of Matheus Nunes, and a penalty was awarded.

The man tasked with taking the penalty was former Man City player James Milner, who hadn’t scored a goal in nearly 6 years. Now wearing the no. 20 shirt, in memory of his friend, Diogo Jota, he calmly sent Trafford the wrong way, levelling the scores. In another poignant tribute, he mimicked Jota’s ‘playstation celebration’, as the AMEX stadium cheered its approval. In scoring, the 39-year-old became the 2nd-oldest goalscorer in Premier League history. Coincidentally, he’s also still the 2nd-youngest goalscorer.

Moving into the final stages of the game, and it was all Brighton. A mazy dribble from Minteh almost gave them the lead, but his drive from 20 yards went inches wide. Following a corner, van Hecke’s effort from 8 yards was clawed off the line by Trafford. Then, the pressure finally told in the last minute of regulation time. Mitoma played Gruda in on goal, but the German had the presence of mind to dummy his shot. In doing so, he not only sat Trafford down, but the covering Ait-Nouri too. With an empty goal to aim at, he couldn’t miss. The goal sent the home crowd into raptures, and Brighton registered an impressive, and fully deserved, victory.

A screamer to win a snooze-fest: Liverpool 1 – 0 Arsenal

The biggest match of the weekend didn’t live up to its billing, but it did get the finale all neutrals hoped for. The match was a mutual effort to limit the opposition to as few opportunities as possible. Both succeeded, with a combined xG of only 1.00, and only 4 shots on target. The biggest talking point of the 1st-half was William Saliba going down injured, seemingly out of nowhere. It was later revealed that he had twisted his ankle during the warm-up.

After 60 minutes, Liverpool thought they had the opening goal. Wirtz superbly controlled a powerful pass, before turning and shooting in a single motion. Raya parried the effort into the path of Gakpo, who challenged, and Ekitike followed-up, poking home from a yard out. As the home crowd finally had something to cheer, the linesman’s flag put a stop to it. Gakpo had been offside as Wirtz shot, and that was that.

Then, in the 83rd minute, something happened; and what a something. Curtis Jones was fouled 30 yards out by Zubimendi, giving the home side a free-kick dead centre. Szoboszlai struck the ball so sweetly, that Raya had no chance, despite the distance. The Hungarian hit it perfectly into the top-left corner of goal, but the late dip on the ball was vicious, dropping under the crossbar by mere centimetres. The strike was reminiscent of CR7’s ‘knuckle-ball’ free-kicks of old, and it was always going to take something that special to break the deadlock. Arsenal tried to rally late on, but it was too little, too late.