Gameweek 9 of the Premier League featured plenty of goals, entertainment and even shock results. Check out the talking points here.
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If you feel the need to catch your breath after Gameweek 9 of the Premier League, I wouldn’t blame you. This week’s actiion was so fast-paced, so in-your-nose levels of entertaining that it feels weird the weekend has already passed us by. Yet it has and what a weekend of footballing action we were treated to. Of course, with the good comes the bad and this weekend will have been forgettable for certain fans. It might have even spelt the end of certain managers’ times in charge. Certainly, Daniel Farke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be looking over their shoulders after the weekend Norwich and Manchester United had. But other clubs will be basking in the glory of a job well done.
Chelsea continue as the early pacesetters ?‍♂️? pic.twitter.com/wCDklsZ44k
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 24, 2021
Given the kind of weekend we had, it is inevitable there will be talking points aplenty. Well, let’s get right down to dissecting everything from the latest round of fixtures.
Watching Manchester United meekly surrender as Liverpool ran out 5-0 winners – at Old Trafford, no less – was a surreal sight. It was also a sight too unbearable for many a United fan; by the end of the first half, quite a few had left the stadium. More fans joined them when the fifth goal went in and any hopes of a comeback were long gone.
Yet the jarring thought for United fans and the board was that it could have been so much worse. Liverpool spent the last 20 minutes of the game merely passing the ball around. It looked, for all intents and purposes, like a training session taking place. At one point, Liverpool had 87% possession.
Given United’s tough run of fixtures, everyone expected a speed bump in the coming days but this was something else. United lacked cohesion, intent and most importantly a gameplan. It will be interesting to see how – or if – Solksjaer survives this result.
A clash between the side leading the table and the one rooted to the bottom of it often only ends one way. But Chelsea’s absolute thrashing of Norwich City was, even by those standards, quite the demolition job. After all, a 7-0 win – no matter the quality of the opposition – is a massive one.
That it came without Romelu Lukaku or Timo Werner – Chelsea’s two recognised strikers – leading the line was a bonus. And, as if the win could be made any sweeter, the win had the club’s Academy all over it. Mason Mount got a hat-trick; Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James scored; Ruben Loftus-Cheek came off the bench to grab an assist.
What’s more, their intensity didn’t drop through the game. Even after the game was buried, Thomas Tuchel continued to push them forward in search of more. It made for a powerful statement of intent for the Blues. But it does raise even more question about the future of Norwich manager Farke.
When the summer transfer window closed, many thought Manchester City’s lack of investment in a proper striker would come back to haunt them. That a proper number 9 is the only thing missing from Pep’s technical, relentless and ruthless squad. So far though, City have laughed in the face of such doomsday predictions.
It is worth pointing out that even last year City played for long periods with no proper striker up front. And while a top striker would definitely bring something new to this squad, there’s enough goals to go around. How else would they so easily dispatch Brighton?
Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring, Phil Foden – whose rise has been exhilirating to watch – added two more in quick succession. And Riyad Mahrez finished the job in injury time. As Pep Guardiola proved last season, there’s enough goals in that City side. Expect them to post a stiff challenge for the title this time around too.
The nadir of Arsenal’s season appeared to have come when they were thrashed 5-0 by City. At the time, they were languishing in the relegation zone and appeared as if they couldn’t buy a win. Now they are unbeaten in six league games – seven overall if you count the 3-0 win over Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup.
It’s a positive turnaround for Mikel Arteta and co, and it carried on with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa this weekend. However, the major question surrounding this upturn is can it be sustained over a long period? Or is this simply another false dawn?
That is a question that will only be answered when they face the bigger sides. Of their next four upcoming Premier League fixtures, two in particular – Leicester City and Liverpool – stand out. Good results against these sides will be a sign that, yes, progress is being made.
If you tell fans of a certain age to watch a football match between sides managed by Claudio Ranieri and Rafael Benitez, they would probably not expect a thriller-minute ride for the ages. Both managers are known to prioritise a safety-first approach to winning matches. It is usually effective but not always easy on the eye.
Which makes the fact that Watford beat Everton 5-2 all the more shocking. These manager’s don’t often feature in games which see seven goals scored. The result will have been particularly sweet for Joshua King, whose hat-trick inspired a late comeback for Watford.
King, it is worth noting, spent a frustrating six months at Everton during the second half of last season. He barely got a look-in and didn’t score once. However, the result will be particularly frustrating for Everton, who have now lost three of their last five Premier League games.
That’s it for this week’s column. Do join us again next Tuesday as we disscet Gameweek 10. See you then!
