European football heads into international break now and the English Premier League has completed four sets of matches already. Liverpool set at top of the table, closely followed by Chelsea and Watford who have won all four matches until now. Defending champions Manchester City have drawn once against Wolves, and hence they are on the fourth position with 10 points.
Here, after the closure of fixtures from the fourth week, I discuss three winners and losers from this past weekend.
Winner: Jose Mourinho
It was important for Mourinho to ensure that Manchester United paved their way back to winning ways after a dismal run of two consecutive defeats in the past two weeks before the Burnley game. However, Mourinho seemed quite confident with the preparation for the trip to Turf Moor, and his players’ performance reflected the work that had been put into training for this particular match.
United played an electric, high-pace brand of football against the Clarets, and Mourinho certainly won back the trust of the away fans who incessantly chanted his name after a good 2-0 victory.
Loser: Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham Hotspur completed an excellent 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in the third week, and naturally, they walked into this fixture with high confidence. However, some lack of cohesiveness meant that they succumbed to Watford late into the second half.
Tottenham failed to assert their authority over the game, despite dominating possession in the first half. Pochettino was visibly frustrated by the result, and in an interview, he said: “After you win the game [against United] I think you need to respect more this competition. We need to show more respect to this competition. You need to compete much, much better.” Pochettino would have been distressed on losing against arguably, a relatively weaker opponent.
Winner: Unai Emery
Unai Emery has supposedly undertaken a very difficult responsibility, as managing Arsenal through this transition period will surely be difficult. However, the Spaniard has shown that there could be certain developments, albeit gradually, as we proceed ahead in this campaign. Against Cardiff City, Arsenal played an exciting goal-fest in which they managed to hold on to their lead through a couple of goals in the second half.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandra Lacazette combined well together to ensure that the Gunners secured their first away victory of the season. Emery would be delighted that he has managed to bring the team back on the winning track, after having lost the initial two matches against Manchester City and Chelsea.
Loser: Marcus Rashford
Alexis Sanchez was focal to United’s gameplay yesterday, as his work rate meant that Mourinho decided to rest the Chilean in the 60th minute. Sanchez has just come off an injury, and Marcus Rashford was brought on the field to replace the ex-Arsenal man. Rashford started off quite well, making some good inverted runs from the left flank. He even earned a spot-kick, which was eventually missed by Paul Pogba.
However, the 21-year-old lost his cool when Phil Bardsley tackled him inside the box. Rashford head-butted Bardsley and was consequently sent off by referee Jon Moss. Though Bardsley was at fault too, it was quite naïve from Rashford’s perspective to indulge in this brawl. The lad is now suspended for three domestic games.
Winner: Kyle Walker
Manchester City were seemingly struggling against a well-drilled Newcastle United side a couple of days ago. The team seemed to lack the incisive vision of Kevin de Bruyne, and as the score was struck at 1-1, City found it increasingly difficult to breach the Magpies’ defensive line.
However, Kyle Walker belted an absolute stunner from over 30 yards out, something that left Newcastle’s defence awestruck. Walker’s shot was well-timed, precise and arrived at the exact moment when his team required an individual moment of brilliance from one of the players. For ensuring that his team did not have to settle for another draw, Walker deserves a special mention and a place in this list.
Loser: AFC Bournemouth
Eddie Howe’s side fought well against Chelsea, as it seemed that the Cherries would grind out a result through their strong resolve and diligence. They defended well with discipline and tenacity, and never feared to surge ahead in search of cracking openings in Chelsea’s backline.
However, Maurizio Sarri made some shrewd substitutions, and Pedro’s arrival on the field changed the complexion of the game. The Spaniard’s craft and creative edge helped the Blues find a goal in the final quarter of the game. Eventually, Eden Hazard scored a goal too, and Chelsea won a game that Bournemouth should have sealed, had it not been for the Cherries’ lack of prolificacy.
