Gameweek 11 in the 2021-22 season of the Premier League was notable for two title contenders slipping up and more managerial changes.
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The Premier League gameweek before an international break is always one that is worth keeping an eye on. This is for reasons both on and off the field, as clubs tend to move to sack managers just before the break.
The reason for this is to give them enough time to find a replacement, or, if they have already found one, to give him time to bed in with the squad. And two managers were relieved of their duties this week. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
On field, the action remained both enthralling and entertaining for fans and experts. There weren’t as many goalfests this week around but there were a number of key results.
⚒ West Ham move up to third in the #PL to solidify their Champions League ambitions#WHULIV pic.twitter.com/yNNpMymlCv
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 7, 2021
So without further ado, let’s get straight to the major talking points from Gameweek 11.
Chelsea did not lose to Burnley at Stamford Bridge this weekend, but the two points dropped did feel like a loss. Especially given how dominant Thomas Tuchel’s men were on the day. Against a Burnley side sitting deep and looking to counter, they created waves of pressure in the first half.
Thus, when Kai Havertz nodded in a sumptuous cross from Reece James, it felt inevitable. However, 20 minutes into the second half and one could say the same about a Burnley equaliser. Chelsea were not taking their chances and Sean Dyche’s men sensed the game was there for the taking.
Sure enough, when the late equaliser went in, no one was too surprised. Chelsea pushed hard for a winner afterwards but did not find one. Dropping points like this could well come back to haunt them in a season which is expected to be a tight one.
If you expected Liverpool to take advantage of Chelsea’s slip-up, well… you were in for a bit of a surprise. West Ham United have evolved into quite a force under David Moyes, and they stunned Liverpool 3-2 to grab all three points – and move into third place in the league table.
The match was something of a smash-and-grab, the type of game that would normally suit Liverpool’s attackers. But uncharecterestic errors from Alisson in goal as well as a leaky defence saw them slump to a maiden defeat of the season. And, given their display, few can argue they deserved more from this game.
Liverpool’s defence hasn’t quite been as tight as it was in 2019-20, meaning a result like this was always in the making. The “we’ll score more than you” approach has its drawbacks, this arguably being one of them. Nevertheless, it is a chance missed for the Reds – but a job well done by the Hammers.
It didn’t always used to be like this. A clash between Manchester United and Manchester City, even before City’s transformation post the arrival of Sheikh Mansour, would at least have some fight, some sort of an edge. However, United’s limp 2-0 loss to City had anything but that.
Truth be told, this was one of those games where the scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story. City won by two goals but could have been 5-0 up in the break, such was their dominance. Only City’s inconsistent finishing – and some stellar saves by David de Gea – kept this from being another home derby embarrassment. The second half resembled a training session for City, with United’s players playing the role of training cones.
As for United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, this result didn’t say much about them that we don’t already know. But perhaps the most damning statistic of the match was that United had more shots on target against De Gea – their own goalkeeper – than they did against Ederson. And the less said about their defensive play, the better.
Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Watford was their eighth straight Premier League game without taking a loss. Given their last loss came in a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City, this is quite some run. True, they have mostly beaten sides that they would be expected to beat with their squad. But it is still a positive for the Gunners.
After that loss to City, Mikel Arteta seemed on the brink of getting the sack. However, the return of key players has seen them put up an impressive run of results. That being said, there is perhaps one reason not much has been made of this run; their performances still don’t measure up to the bigger sides in terms of consistency.
The defence has not looked solid at all times while there is still a big reliance on individual players to come up with magic at key moments. How well the Gunners fare against big sides in the coming weeks will determine the direction of their latest mini-revival.
We could have been talking about how Brentford have now lost 4 games on the trot after Norwich – yes, really – beat them 2-1 at home. We could have also been talking about Southampton’s four-game unbeaten run after the loss to Chelsea with their 1-0 win over Aston Villa. Instead, we’ll be discussing managerial sackings.
Norwich stunned everyone when, in the aftermath of their win, they sacked Daniel Farke. Many expected this to happen eventually but the steadfast backing afforded to the German seemingly disappeared out of nowhere. That being said, there remained a feeling he wasn’t doing enough with the tools at his disposal.
Less understandable was Villa’s decision to sack Dean Smith. Yes, results were on a downturn but the club are still working on integrating newer players into the squad. The lack of Jack Grealish – such a talisman for the side during his spell at his boyhood club – is also being felt till date. However, given Villa were level on points with 17th-place Watford, the board saw the need to act.
Who will be the person to replace these two? Your guess is as good as mine at this point. But hey, the international break will afford both sides the time to find suitable replacements.
That’s all for this week. Due to the international break, (booooooo!) this column will return in two weeks time. See you then!
