Johnny Nicholson: Man Utd show true grit to back up win
UNITED FRONT: Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea hugs Bruno Fernandes after their win against Southampton.
It was an important win over Southampton for United, after Monday’s victory over Liverpool. The teams looked evenly matched and it wasn’t the highest of quality from either side, in fact it was all a bit chaotic. The home side should have scored a couple and will feel a point was the least they deserved.
It had been seven straight league defeats away from home for United and while no-one could say they looked like one of the top sides in England, they did show more grit and determination than has recently been the case. That is at least a base for Erik Ten Hag to work from. The signing of Casemiro, who only came on as a late substitute, could prove to be pivotal. Defensive transitions have been such a problem for them for so long, he should fix that, at least he should if the curse of United doesn’t turn him from being one of the world’s best defensive midfielders into a giant sack of spanners. How he’ll feel about playing alongside the mediocre talents of Fred and Scott McTominay is anyone’s guess.
Arsenal finished the weekend on top of the table with four wins in their first four games, the first time this has happened since the Invincibles began the 2004-05 season, which is a frightening 18 years ago. It was Mikel Arteta’s 100th game in charge and he’s got his team playing some of the most attractive football of recent years which has stirred the Emirates into being a surprisingly noisy place to play football. There are questions about the robustness of the defence but they play Aston Villa at home midweek and should make it five wins out of five. Then they have to go to Old Trafford. If they emerge from that with a win, we can start taking them seriously as a top three side. October looks crucial. They play City, Liverpool and Spurs. Ouch.
After Liverpool’s flakey start to the season, which had seen them hit a higher average possession number but be less effective with the ball, at Anfield on Saturday the boys were back in town. Liverpool shattered a brittle Bournemouth side with a record 9 - 0 win. You had to feel for Scott Parker post-game. He looked like a beaten man and worse yet, one who knew more such beatings lay ahead. The Anfield visitors were embarrassingly out of their depth. In no top flight should any side be beaten by such a margin, especially as Liverpool didn’t even have to be in top form and missed at least three other great chances. It all reflected the deeply uncompetitive trend in the Premier League where the really big money buys really big easy wins. Many of the league’s advocates constantly suggest anyone can beat anyone else. It simply isn’t true. They have already conceded 16 goals to Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool without reply. That they beat Aston Villa 2 - 0 on the first day of the season now looks vaguely incredible and says little for Villa’s quality.
Liverpool’s five million pound summer signing from Fulham came on as a second half substitute and really showed his worth. The 19-year-old has been talked about as one for the future but he looks ready right now. The fans already love him and he’s made a big impression in his three games so far, scoring with a sweet volley against the Cherries. He came at a low cost but looks like high quality as Liverpool continue their revolution by stealth.
Football does not exist apart from society, though the ludicrously high wages, transfer fees and unique lingo often make it feel as though it lives in an incestuous world of mirrors, divorced from the rest of us. But on the ninth minute of Liverpool’s game, the real world intruded into proceedings as the fans began to applaud in tribute to Olivia Pratt-Korbel, the poor nine year old girl who was murdered in Liverpool this week and sang ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone” in solidarity with her family. In the programme, Jurgen Klopp’s words, full of shock and horror at the killing, put football into its proper context.
Everton’s goalscorer against Brentford was 21-year-old Anthony Gordon, a player that Chelsea are apparently prepared to pay a frankly silly £60 million for. Gordon should be advised to stay at Goodison Park and develop his game. If he transfers to Stamford Bridge, will he get game time? Or will he become another in a long line of players whose promising career stalls once transferred to Chelsea, perhaps especially Ross Barkley who arrived in west London as an England international and ends his six-year contract this season having made just 58 Premier League appearances, many of them as a substitute; his career has fizzled out. Gordon is a good prospect but Chelsea have at least half a dozen who play in his position. They won’t give him time to develop, they’ll want him to be great from the get-go and if he isn’t, will loan him out. While the money might be great, if he turns into a big star at Everton, he’ll still be a multi-millionaire by the time he’s 30 and how much money do you want? The grass isn’t always greener, or indeed bluer, on the other side.
Their 1 - 0 win over Leeds United means Brighton have now gone nine games without defeat and with three wins and a draw in this campaign, their best ever start to a top flight season. What impresses about Graham Potter’s side is their consistency. Each of those games has seen them perform in a composed and well organised manner. Yes, they do still lack goals, having scored just five in four games, but their defence is watertight with just one conceded, the fewest in the early league table. They have made £61.3 million in the transfer market this summer, so have plenty of funds to sign a striker. The fact they ended the weekend in the top four on 10 points may help lure some top talent. If they can do so there’s no reason why they can’t make a European place.
After their heroics against Chelsea last week, Jesse Marsch’s boys will be disappointed to lose to Brighton but they played well and dominated possession 56% to 44%. The manager got a yellow for handing out stick to the officials, saying afterwards, “I had no other choice but to escalate my emotions” which sounds very American, somehow. Graham Potter, on the other hand, allowed himself a little fist pump on the final whistle which is about as emotional as he ever gets behind that sea captain’s beard. Leeds just look short of options up front if Rodrigo isn’t getting any joy. With the transfer window open until midnight on Thursday, even though everyone wants a decent striker, Leeds must try and recruit, especially as Patrick Bamford cannot seem to get fit and stay fit.
Bobby Clark made his debut for Liverpool as a 83rd minute substitute. He is the 17-year-old son of former Newcastle United player Lee Clark. If that doesn’t make you feel old then the fact that Ian Wright’s grandson and Sean Wright-Phillips son, D'Margio Wright-Phillips is playing for Stoke should. Where does the time go?
Do bogey teams really exist or does such thinking only exist in the minds of conspiracy theorists? At 2 - 0 down at home to Crystal Palace, who beat them in the same fixture last season, Manchester City might have thought so, but the cheat code that is Erling Haaland had other ideas, scoring a hattrick in 19 minutes to sweep to victory. That makes six goals in his first four games. At this rate if he plays just 40 games he’ll score 60 goals. Seriously, don’t bet against it.
If you’ve not been signed by Forest yet, I’m sure you’ll get the call soon enough. They seem to be going for some sort of record as they have signed 17 and are looking to get two more. This after losing 15 players in the pre-season. This feels like an experiment that will be used as a lesson in future, one way or another. Their starting 11 against Spurs - all drawn from the UK - played with vigour and confidence but lacked a cutting edge, or at least, couldn’t take their chances. Dean Henderson once again proved what a great signing he is by saving a Harry Kane penalty, his second of the season. You have to question Manchester United’s decision to let him go on loan and play David DeGea instead. But it was a pulsating game and once again Harry Kane fired Tottenham to a win. The best moment? Richarlison (who was excellent as a 74th minute sub) showboating by playing keepy uppy in the 85th minute being kicked up into the air by Brennan Johnson. Don’t show off, son.
West Ham started their game against Villa being the only club in five tiers of English football not to have scored a goal. Manager David Moyes is only 59 but looks 15 years older as he stands on the touchline, slightly hunched, like an old man with bad knees, waiting for a bus that never comes. It must be stressful work being a multimillionaire manager. He made two mistakes. First was to think that Villa would offer any threat. They didn’t. Second was to set up with a back three and wing backs which the players clearly were no good at playing. An inexplicable decision. It was an absolutely dreadful first half, devoid of any quality. He went to a back four in the second half and the team worked better and scored a deflected goal to win the game. Steven Gerrard has not won back to back games in his tenure. Like Moyes he already looks a winless month away from the sack.
A game between two sides who can only realistically have ambition to finish seventh at best is a bit depressing really. Imagine starting a season knowing that is the full extent of your ambition. It can hardly make the blood surge, can it? West Ham may as well get a new manager, they look messy and stale. Aston Villa can't find a groove under Steven Gerrard, but then, with only seventh to play for, can either be blamed if they lose interest?
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