Hello everyone and welcome to Early Doors Football! After what has felt like an entirety, Premier League football has returned, and it was a belter of a weekend. I am going to run through the main storylines and give my thoughts, as it was a bit of a mad gameweek. Let’s jump in!
Red Devils Dismantled: No Contest at the Etihad
I can’t imagine anyone was doubting City’s quality at this point, but if there was anyone, they were sat down today. Pep’s men put on a clinic against their cross-town rivals, with stunning performances across the pitch. Of course, Foden and Haaland will get most of the plaudits after completing a hattrick each. The man who completed the front three, Jack Grealish, looked like his old self, consistently wreaking havoc on United’s defense. I think we are at the point where even the most positive City fans are having their expectations surpassed in regard to Haaland; he is genuinely a force of nature. He has completed a hat-trick in 3 successive home games, the first player to ever do so. Positionally, I do not think there is any striker better on the planet at the moment. While he moves like a gargantuan among men, he has the spatial awareness of the cleverest of players. At the current rate, he will end the season on 66 goals; a simply silly tally, considering we are 8 matches into the season. In the other technical area, there is no doubt that Ten Hag will shoulder a portion of the blame for the demolition job that occurred. With a midfield two of Eriksen and McTominay, it was almost a guarantee that De Bruyne was going to have free-reign over the midfield. While it would have been a respectable pairing last season, leaving Casemiro on the bench in a match like this raises some questions. He certainly would have had the defensive prowess to, at the very least, challenge De Bruyne and the City midfield. Perhaps it makes no difference, as the gulf in class was clear.
Arsenal Roll On: Bragging Rights go to the Gunners
The North London derby kicked off the weekend’s fixtures, and it was well worth getting up for. Arsenal have been a force to be reckoned with this season, and they were able to breach Conte’s stout defense three times. It was a true clash of styles, with Arsenal playing their usual free-flowing football, and Spurs setting up with a defense-first mindset. Despite this, a long range shot from Partey opened things up early on, and Arsenal never looked back from there. A penalty from Kane brought things level, but Jesus and Xhaka restored the lead in the second half. A lapse of judgment from Emerson led to him being sent off, which blocked any real chance at a comeback.
Arsenal continue to surpass expectations week in and week out. We are getting to the stage where they could replace Liverpool as the only potential (and I say that very loosely) challengers for City this season, and we may get our answer next weekend when the two battle it out. The Gunners are reaping the benefits of showing patience in their manager; a rare occurrence in the cut-throat modern game. Tottenham fans will probably not be shocked by the result, as there have been noises of discontent from within the fanbase. While Spurs still find themselves in third, the defensive football and slow playstyle of Conte leave the supporters wanting more. It is not enough to win, you have to win in style. Both London clubs will still be happy with their starts to the season, as they have laid the groundwork for a great chance at the Champions League positions.
Chelsea beat Palace: Potter Works his Magic
After nearly a month away from Premier League football, Chelsea finally got the chance to play a match. They took a short trip to Selhurst Park to play Crystal Palace, which would prove a tough test for Potter’s first domestic match in charge. It was a fascinating watch; something that will likely persist thanks to Potter’s tactical flexibility. Rather than a back three, like he lined up in the match against Salzburg, he favored a back four. There were moments of danger, with Palace’s pacey attack causing problems. Although the defensive switch had an impact in this regard, the midfield created more issues in my eyes. Kovacic and Jorginho have looked off the pace this season, and it has proven to be a real point of concern for the blues.
In the attacking third, Aubameyang managed to bag his first goal for Chelsea, swiveling in the box before smashing home a volley into the bottom corner. The match looked like it was going to finish honors-even, but a long-range strike at the death from Gallagher gave Potter all three points. I think the Englishman could benefit most from the managerial switch, as he may be given a more advanced role, as opposed to playing as a six in front of the back three.
Those were the key storylines this weekend! Keeping it short and sweet this time, as we have a fantastic article coming from our guest writer Diego Perez this weekend, so definitely keep an eye out for that one. Thanks for reading as always and have a fantastic day!
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