HomeNewsPL LESSONS LEARNED

PL LESSONS LEARNED

By Vatsal Gupta

Published on:

Updated on:
92

It’s another matchday in the books as the contenders in the Premier League slowly but surely start separating themselves from the pretenders. Every matchday in England promises drama, excitement and entertainment and this one was no different. There was an inquest in the red half of Manchester, calmness in the blue half. The same contrast was visible in Merseyside. Liverpool’s flying start continued, as they spoiled the English homecoming of new Watford manager Claudio Ranieri while Everton were bundled over by a West Ham side that shows no signs of backing down. Here are the main talking points from an exhilarating matchday of football-

 

TIME FOR OLE TO LEAVE THE WHEEL?

Manchester United suffered a 4-2 loss to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. After early signs of promise in games against Leeds and Newcastle, United’s regular issues, mainly pressing off the ball and a lack of coherent style of play have come to the fore again.

Now that the team looks elite on paper, the spotlight is squarely on the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He has always been fighting an uphill battle to prove his credentials but results spoke for themselves before this season. Armed with an elite squad now, United were expected to kick on. The opposite has happened. Disjointed performances and baffling individual mistakes threaten to ground their season before it even takes off properly. Manager’s decisions have come under scrutiny, particularly the one to play a half-fit Maguire, who was culpable for pretty much every goal in the loss.

Things need to improve quickly otherwise it could be time for Ole to leave the wheel. Chelsea’s improvement when they changed from Lampard to Thomas Tuchel is being bandied about as a reason for the change.

 

 

Chelsea continued their drama-free start to the season with a 1-0 against an energetic Brentford side who showed yet again that they’re not here to make up the numbers. The win takes Chelsea to the top of the table. Contrast with Manchester United was clear in the blue half of the city too. Pep Guardiola’s side secured a no-fuss 2-0 win over Burnley, something United rarely achieves these days. Tougher tests await for Ole’s United, with the next league game against the most rampant side in the league, Liverpool.

 

LIVERPOOL PUTTING DOWN THE MARKER

0-5, utter domination, hattrick by Firmino, weekly world-class goal by Mohammed Salah. A better day couldn’t have been scripted by the most ardent Liverpool fan.

 

 

Watford were the unfortunate casualties to Klopp’s side who look to have regained their “Mentality Monsters” title this season. After not investing heavily in their squad, internal improvement was expected as key players returned from extended absences. That has proved to be the case. Liverpool look rejuvenated, healthy, and ready to compete on all fronts. Salah is enjoying the form of his life, with his wonder-goal against Watford the latest in a long line of weekly viral things he has made a habit of doing. Roberto Firmino, the man not usually amongst the goals bagged a hattrick. The troika, with Sadio Mane, all marked the scoresheet as Claudio Ranieri was given a ruthless welcome back.

 

 

Watford slipped closer to the relegation zone with this loss, with their situation helped by the teams below them, three of which just can’t seem to buy a win these days. Burnley, Newcastle and Norwich remain winless, with Newcastle coming down from the euphoria of their takeover, as Spurs put 3 past them. Norwich played out a goalless draw against Brighton, which kept them bottom and Brighton in top-4. Southampton, meanwhile, got their first win of the season against Leeds.

 

IS IT TIME TO WORRY ABOUT LEEDS?

For the promoted teams, it is often said that the second season in the upper tier is more difficult than the first. This principle, however, was not expected to apply to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United. The team from Yorkshire blew past expectations in their first season back in the top-flight with performances to match. However, this season has been a slog so far.

Leeds have won just one game so far this season, sitting precariously close to the relegation zone at 17th. Moreover, their performances have flattered to deceive as well. Their defence has always been leaky due to a strict man-marking system all over the field, but this season their attack has faltered too. They have had a higher xG than the opposition only twice this season, showing that they are where they are on merit or lack of it. Thankfully for them, teams below them have shown no signs of life.

 

 

Buoyed by the news of the takeover, Newcastle started their game against Spurs brightly, scoring in the 2nd minute through Callum Wilson. However, the gap in quality began to show soon after as they conceded three goals in succession, before an Eric Dier own goal made the scoreline look respectable. For Newcastle, money can’t buy results, yet. For Norwich, at the bottom, below Newcastle, it’s a sense of deja vu as they keep looking for their first win of the season and look destined for relegation again.

 

HAMMERS AND WOLVES UNDER THE RADAR

Aston Villa were expected to be the under-the-radar team this season after investing the Grealish sale money smartly. However, while Villa are back in mid-table purgatory, their rivals on this matchday look to be resurgent.

 

 

Bruno Lage’s Wolves were whispered about as potential strugglers this season. Lage’s credentials in the English game were unproved. Disappointing results in the first few games did nothing to quell those fears. However, their performances had always been up to the mark and now the results have started catching up. Wolves beat Villa 2-3 in an end-to-end game. The win pushes Wolves into the top half of the table, just two points behind the likes of Manchester United, Everton and West Ham. Lage might just be the one to break through Wolves glass ceiling.

 

 

One team that has broken through the glass ceiling has undoubtedly been West Ham United. After last season’s heroics, they were widely tipped to come back down, which hasn’t proved to be the case. The Hammers have become the quintessential Moyes team- hardworking, organized, team spirit- and supplemented it with quality on the pitch. They humbled Benitez’s Everton this weekend, a win that takes them level on points with Manchester United and Everton. Another European adventure is not out of the question.

 

THIS YEAR’S PL IS A THREE-HORSE RACE

After multiple seasons of Liverpool or Man City running away with the title, with a tense race sprinkled between these two teams, this season was expected to be the most exciting yet. This was down to Chelsea’s rise under Tuchel and United’s blitz in the transfer market. While United have disappointed, Chelsea have indeed risen to the occasion.

 

 

They sit at the top of the table, while Liverpool are the only unbeaten side in the division. Manchester City continue to do their thing, where domination is the expectation. Probably the world’s three best coaches will be going head-to-head in the most exciting race to the title that the PL has seen in years.

Vatsal Gupta
A die-hard Red Devil, who has straight up not had a good time since 2012. Lives on Korean dramas and books and can often be heard talking about armchair psychological stuff.

also read

©2024-2025 foottheball. all rights reserved.
From the stable of Buffalo Soldiers