Premier League Review - Matchday 11
Fixtures/Results 03-05.11.18
Saturday
B'mouth 1-2 Man Utd
United drew level with "The Cherries" on points after this game, but it took a very late goal for them to complete the win. Bournemouth had started by far the better side, and it came as no surprise when Wilson gave them an eleventh minute lead. Martial made it 1-1 after 35 minutes.
In the second half De Gea saved well from Brooks at close range, but United began to dominate possession and the game. Substitute Rashford had a shot blocked before Pogba's effort was cleared off the line by Brooks. Technology confirmed the fact. Rashford took a couple of touches in front of goal, but he could hardly fail to score from Pogba's cross from the left.
Cardiff 0-1 Leicester
This was an emotional day for Leicester of course, only a week after the helicopter crash in which chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others had died. Not only the Leicester team, but all squad members and officials joined the official silence around the centre circle. Kasper Schmeichel in particular was emotional, having witnessed the immediate aftermath of the crash. The Premier League had offered postponement, but the Leicester players insisted on going ahead, before they would leave for Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha's funeral in Thailand.
As for the game, Arter was fouled just outside the Leicester box and Camarasa hit the bar with his free kick. Vardy also hit the bar before half-time, but his shot had been deflected upward by Bamba's outstretched arm. The incident was missed by referee Lee Probert, and would surely have led to a red card for the former Leicester player. This was just one of several incidents on the day around the country where VAR was being encouraged.
The game was won for Leicester by Andre Gray's 55th minute goal. Gray took his top shirt off to reveal the chairman's name in the emotional celebration but the referee had no regard for the circumstances, and still showed the yellow card. Vardy might have made it 2-0, but Etheridge was out well to save for Cardiff.
Everton 3-1 Brighton
Chris Hughton's Brighton had won their last three games(all 1-0) and they had not conceded three goals in a game this season, with resilient defending usually their forte.
Sigurdsson had had a couple of early chances for "The Toffees" but he was the creator with a nice through ball to Richarlison who hit the roof of the net with a powerful shot after 26 minutes. The Everton goal came directly from a Brighton corner with Sigurdsson exchanging passes with Bernard on his way down the inside left channel.
Lewis Dunk headed home to equalise for the visitors from another corner, taken on the left at the Gwladys Street End. Everton manager Marco Silva was often caught on camera looking downcast, even when his side had been winning!
In the second half Gueye hit the inside of the post with his shot and Bernard's cross could not be converted by Walcott. Seamus Coleman scored his first goal of the year with a super right footer after 50 minutes. Coleman used to score quite frequently for Everton, but he has had his injury problems, of course, and his last goal had actually been in January 2017. Richarlison made it 3-1 and game over after 77 minutes.
Newcastle 1-0 Watford
Newcastle finally managed their first league win against a side which had regained their winning form in their last two matches. Watford had 12 attempts on goal in the first half, but only one on target. Pereyra hit the bar early in the second half.
Perez, who had replaced Muto, scored the Newcastle goal when he headed in Ki's free kick taken from just outside the area where the former Swansea player had been fouled. Watford's profligacy continued and Newcastle climbed out of the bottom three.
West Ham 4-2 Burnley
Last season's corresponding game led to embarrassing crowd scenes in front of the club's owners, when West Ham lost 3-0. This game was different. Arnautovic was gifted a goal by Tarkowski's poor defending after only 10 minutes. Mee made a great defensive header to put Anderson's goal-bound shot over the bar.
Diangana should have been awarded a penalty by referee Roger East after 33 minutes. Burnley levelled the scores against the run of play just before half-time when Gudmundsson converted Westwood's pass.
It took "The Hammers" until the 68th minute to regain the lead, when Anderson was in space to receive Diangana's pass and made no mistake. Wood made it 2-2 after 77 minutes when he headed home from a corner. A good move by Diangana and Arnautovic gave Anderson another chance on the left but his shot grazed the outside of the post.
"The Hammers" secured only their second home win of the Premier League season with two late goals. Firstly Anderson did get on the scoresheet again with a deflected shot after good approach play again featuring Diangana and Arnautovic in limited space. Then, after another Wood header hit the top of the West Ham bar, substitute Hernandez made it 4-2 in added time.
Burnley are having a pretty torrid time and only Fulham have conceded more goals so far this season.
Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
Both teams started the day in the top four, and the match was billed as "in-form Arsenal" against "in-form Liverpool". Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan went close for the home side in the first quarter of an hour, but Liverpool had a Mane "goal" disallowed for offside after he put in Firmino's rebound off the Arsenal post.
Van Dijk nearly scored from close range but his shot was well saved by Leno. Lacazette fired wide across the goal at the other end. Lacazette also had a "goal" chalked off for offside. Milner was fouled and took the free kick which Van Dijk headed against the wrong side of the post.
Milner put Liverpool in the lead in the 61st minute after Leno could only parry Mane's cross out to Milner who had plenty of room and time on the edge of the area. It was Milner's first league goal from open play for two and a half years! Lacazette levelled the scores in the 82nd minute with a good right footed shot which was his own creation really inside the Liverpool area. The draw was the best result for Spurs with two top four challengers losing two points, and of course because we went above Arsenal with our win later in the evening!
Wolves 2-3 Spurs
This was Spurs' sixth away win in seven matches played so far this season. That's more than any other team, but we have played seven of our eleven games away at this stage. We have also won 10 of our last 13 away Premier League games, more than Manchester City! We are now unbeaten in the last 39 games we have played against promoted sides.
Hugo Lloris and Erik Lamela shared the man of the match vote and you can see the spursometer in full here.
Sunday
Man City 6 S'hampton 1
Who can stop Premier League Champions Manchester City? Not Southampton, that's for sure. This rout began in only the sixth minute when Hoedt turned in Sane's low cross from the left. The second goal came in the 12th minute when Sterling got to the bye-line close to the right post and turned the ball back for Sergio Aguero's 150th Premier League goal. (Harry Kane is only 36 goals behind him with 56 less appearances)
Sterling was again the provider from the right with a ball intended for Sane, but fired home by David Silva. That was only 18 minutes into the game. Danny Ings was awarded a penalty when he was brought down by goalkeeper Ederson, and scored low to the keeper's left from the spot for what turned out to be Southampton's only goal of this game, and indeed their last 6 Premier League games!
Raheem Sterling made it 4-1 before the break, after Sergio Aguero had made a tackle and won the ball on the goal line before crossing for Sterling to score at the second attempt.
Ederson was called upon to make a double save from Ward-Prowse and Ings' attempted follow-up, before he made another reaction save at his right post when Fernandinho deflected Ings' header goalward.
Sane hit the post with a powerful right footed shot, before Aguero teed up Sterling for his second and City's fifth of the game. City didn't score again until added time when Sane beat McCarthy with a shot that the keeper probably should have stopped.
Who can stop City? Only Wolves and Liverpool have managed to get a point off them so far, and Pep Guardiola's side already have a +29 goal difference.
Chelsea 3 C. Palace 1
Chelsea joined Manchester City and Liverpool in remaining unbeaten after 11 games. The last time (and the only other time) three teams were unbeaten in the top flight after 11 games was 1978/79, when Liverpool were also one of the three teams. Incidentally, Liverpool won the title that season.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri started with Eden Hazard on the bench and said would not use the Belgian player unless absolutely necessary.
It wasn't easy for Chelsea in the first half, but Morata did break the deadlock in the 32nd minute with a close range finish after Pedro's cross from the right. Willian also had the ball in the net but had been called offside.
In the second half McArthur put former Spur Andros Townsend through and he put Palace level with his first Premier League goal since March, scoring with a low shot to the right of Arrizabalaga. On came Hazard and Chelsea soon added two goals to beat what had been a resilient Palace defence. Firstly, Hazard won and took the free kick that bounced before reaching Morata beyond the back post where the Spaniard fired home with a low shot for his second goal of the game. That was after 65 minutes, and five minutes later it was 3-1 when Pedro scored from Alonso's cross.
Morata had a late hat-trick chance when he tried to lob Hennessy, but the Palace keeper had come to the edge of the area and managed to reach the attempted shot over his head. Chelsea joined Liverpool two points behind City.
Monday
Hds'field 1 Fulham 0
The bottom two sides met in a game both certainly hoped to win, although not yet desperate for points. Fulham have an unenviable goals conceded figure and came too close to going one down when Billing hit a 28 yard shot which hit the top of the bar after 14 minutes. Ex-Spur Alex Pritchard had a left foot shot from the edge of the box deflected then saved after 27 minutes. From a subsequent corner and a cross from the left Schindler appeared to give Huddersfield a deserved lead with his header, but this was subsequently ruled a Fosu-Mensah own goal. Fulham had yet to offer any real threat.
It was a game with little goal action, and little quality to be honest, and the next significant effort was Pritchard's shot from a corner, hit from outside the area after 66 minutes. The ball flew just over Fulham's bar. With less than 10 minutes remaining Schurrle had Fulham's best chance on the break but put his shot wide across the target.
Even the Huddersfield "clappers" we're quietened for a lot of the game, but as the end approached they became confident of the narrow victory, which left Fulham at the bottom of the table, although it was still not enough to lift Huddersfield out of the bottom three. Huddersfield did however celebrate their first win of the season, their first home goal since April, and their manager's third anniversary in charge.
Fixtures/Results 03-05.11.18
Saturday
B'mouth 1-2 Man Utd
Cardiff 0-1 Leicester
Everton 3-1 Brighton
Newcastle 1-0 Watford
West Ham 4-2 Burnley
Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
Wolves 2-3 Spurs
Sunday
Man City 6-1 S'hampton
Chelsea 3-1 C. Palace
Monday
Hds'field 1-0 Fulham
Premier League Table
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Man City 11 9 2 0 33-4 29 29
2. Chelsea 11 8 3 0 27-8 19 27
3. Liverpool 11 8 3 0 21-5 16 27
4. Spurs 11 8 0 3 19-10 9 24
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5. Arsenal 11 7 2 2 25-14 11 23
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6. B'mouth 11 6 2 3 20-14 6 20
7. Man Utd 11 6 2 3 19-18 1 20
8. Watford 11 6 1 4 16-13 3 19
9. Everton 11 5 3 3 19-15 4 18
10. Leicester 11 5 1 5 17-16 1 16
11. Wolves 11 4 3 4 11-12 -1 15
12. Brighton 11 4 2 5 12-16 -4 14
13. West Ham 11 3 2 6 13-17 -4 11
14. C. Palace 11 2 2 7 8-16 -8 8
15. Burnley 11 2 2 7 12-25 -13 8
16. S'hampton 11 1 4 6 7-20 -13 7
17. Newcastle 11 1 3 7 7-14 -7 6
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18. H'dsfield 11 1 3 7 5-21 -16 6
19. Cardiff 11 1 2 8 9-24 -15 5
20. Fulham 11 1 2 8 11-29 -18 5
