London. Cheerful, ecstatic and assertive.
Or busy, tired and dark.
The Premier League this year is full of strongmen and losers alike.
On the same date every year. When the clocks go back, the temperature drops and Premier LeagueLegs become heavier.
Now this does not match the temperature, the fact is that the weather in London is comparable to early summer. But tired footballers are rife and there are lucky teams that have the most.
Like Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool seem to have forgotten how to defend, which was not evident at least in Leeds’ winning goal at Anfield. Crysencio Summerville, who turns 20 today, just slipped through the middle lock and sent the ball in. This is after Patrick Bamford was allowed to shoot despite having three red-clad players around him.
The slide show that followed, from the Summerville celebration, the euphoria of Leeds supporters and the grin of the (almost) unrelenting Meslier goalkeeper, was reminiscent of ancient Greek comedy. Or a tragedy, according to the sympathy of the club. Everything became even more exciting when manager Jesse Marsh pretended to be “on fire” to indicate how hot Leeds were, but understandably got carried away when the streak of 29 games at home was broken undefeated.
potter’s wound
The big winners of the weekend are, with the exception of Leeds, Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle, Manchester United and Brighton, who are not far behind the top.
Graham Potter must have woken up today with a hangover. The return to the AMEX stadium was a haze of excited Brighton players, failed tactics and hostile chants from the crowd. I myself had never heard of the arena so loud nor was I entirely surprised by Potter’s approval. It was noted that the manager was slightly offended by the unfriendly reception from Brighton fans.
At the same time, this club has already lost seven employees of the management staff (there may be more) to a larger and richer competitor. It would be strange not to pay tribute to the two players once coached by Potter, those now ordered by Roberto de Zerbe to open up spaces behind wingers Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic. Three Chelsea defenses were left to their own devices and failed to deal with the intensity of their opponents.
It is incomprehensible that this is so
Newcastle are swaying too. Poor Robin Olsen wasn’t having a good afternoon this afternoon when he joined Aston Villa at St James’ Park when goalkeeper Aimee Martinez felt a blow to the head.
It is fine to be given an additional replacement in the event of head injuries, but it is incomprehensible that the player in question is not allowed to go out temporarily for a thorough review. Now Martinez played after colliding with central defender Tyrone Mings, before realizing that the world was turning around a lot. It may not have affected the outcome of the match much, Newcastle clearly won 4-0, but Martinez’s brain may have taken the blows from those extra minutes of play.
Brighton, Newcastle, Tottenham and Manchester United in all their glory. It was Spurs’ turn away from strong-willed Bournemouth and Marcus Rashford’s powerful header against West Ham brought to mind Cristiano Ronaldo’s abilities in the penalty area. By the way, the Portuguese played from the very beginning, but he clearly did not set his sights like his younger teammate.
But it is Manchester City and Arsenal that keep shifting their positions at the top. Kevin De Bruyne’s precise free kick against Leicester was enough to win the absence of Erling Haaland and huge praise from Pep Guardiola (who has in fact been subjected to some pessimism in the Belgian in recent weeks).
something is not right
The message of real strength came from Arsenal. Bukayo Saka’s injury exit after just over half an hour could have slowed the team against Nottingham Forest. Incredibly, Rice Nelson (with 0 min left in the game) got in on the right wing and ended up with two goals and an assist.
The mood in Forest camp was quite toxic after the 0-5 loss. Only one player reached the interview area and a brawl broke out in the tunnel. It might not be here, in the Emirates, for Steve Cooper’s gang to score, but there is something that doesn’t feel quite right about the project. By this I mean not only the folly of bringing in a completely new team several weeks into the season, but also the attitude of the team itself.
On the other hand, Mikel Arteta received the reaction he was looking for from his players. There was a period in the first half when Arsenal’s aggressiveness waned and Forrest allowed the ball to be carried significantly more. After the break, all hope faded as the home team pushed ball after ball, but Saka’s well-being is of course vital to keep going. It’s hard to see Arsenal maintain this impressive momentum if attacking breakdowns start to emerge, the team is not that wide.
Sure, it was “just” Nottingham Forest. But don’t forget that the bottom team grabbed only the second record of the season against Liverpool last weekend. Nothing symbolizes this hectic, dark and tiring period better than the team that is absurdly ranked ninth in the table now.