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Premier League Review - Matchday Two
Saturday 17th August, 2019
Arsenal 2 Burnley 1
Arsenal have won both their opening games, as have Liverpool, but they meet next week, so something has to give then!
David Luiz made his Arsenal debut and Ceballos made his first start. Lacazette also started this game. Burnley were unchanged.
Lacazette forced an early save from Pope after a close range header which followed a free kick given to Arsenal for handball just outside the area. From the resulting corner, Lacazette scored from a tight angle as he fell to the ground in the 13th minute. The ball went through Pope's legs. Pope made a good save with his outstretched leg from Guendouzi after Ceballos had been allowed to carry the ball forward without a challenge.
Burnley equalised after 43 minutes and it was Ashley Barnes' third goal of the season. McNeill had set him up, but Barnes showed skill with his finish. Arsenal had a "goal" correctly chalked off for an offside offence before half-time.
The game was decided in the 64th minute by an Aubameyang right foot shot after good work by Ceballos, who had earlier had a shot well saved by Pope.
Spurs will be the next visitors to the Emirates Stadium on September 1st.
Aston Villa 1 Bournemouth 2
Villa might have been hopeful regarding their first home game on their return to the top flight, but disappointment was to follow. Over 40,000 turned up which by my reckoning was Villa's biggest Premier League crowd since they played Manchester United early in the 2015-16 season. Douglas Luiz made his first start.
Villa had the worst of starts and it was through a penalty conceded by goalkeeper Tom Heaton after only 45 seconds when he brought down Fraser well to the right of his goal. King made no mistake from the spot. It was 2-0 inside 12 minutes when loanee Harry Wilson beat Heaton with a shot from 22 yards. The shot took a deflection and rebounded into goal off the inside of Heaton's right post.
It took Villa until the 71st minute to get a goal back and it was a cracking right footed shot by Douglas Luiz, which to some extent made up for the fact that he had allowed a ball to run to goalscorer Wilson in the first half. It wasn't enough to get Villa their first point of the season though.
Brighton 1 West Ham 1
Four points from two games counts as a good start for Brighton. Pellegrini made five changes to the "Hammers"' line-up and had to be satisfied with a single point from their opening games.
Fabianski had already made a couple of saves before it looked like the home side took the lead thanks to a convincing right footed shot by Trossard on 27 minutes. The "goal" followed a long free kick returned to the danger zone by centre-back Burn. Brighton keeper Matthew Ryan ran all the way to celebrate with his team-mates. VAR adjudged that Burn had been offside, before he passed the ball back to Trossard.
It was Hernandez who gave West Ham the lead after 61 minutes, receiving a through ball before beating Ryan, although the keeper did get a touch. Trossard did have a goal after all when Murray flicked the ball back to him and the Belgian scored from 18 yards. There was no offside here! Ryan denied Snodgrass in the closing stages.
Everton 1 Watford 0
The "Toffees" are souping up the home atmosphere at their vintage stadium, which will be replaced by a dockside venue in 2023, if all goes according to plan. They're still playing the "Z cars" theme before the game though, as do their opponents Watford when they are at home.
The only goal of the game came after just 10 minutes when left back Digne hit a long ball down the left channel which was picked up by Bernard, who went on to score with a low right footed shot inside Foster's right post.
Watford did have a header hit the bar, and Deulofeu, who once played for Everton, wanted a penalty for a theatrical fall inside the area, but only got a corner. Deulofeu teed up Deeney in the second half, but Pickford saved the shot bravely, when he was hit in the face.
New signing Moise Kean had a couple of late chances for Everton, but there were no more goals. Everton are unbeaten and have yet to concede, whilst Watford are still looking for their first point.
Norwich 3 Newcastle 1
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce (who I have never rated as a Premier League manager) is already under pressure after this emphatic defeat by promoted Norwich. Teemu Pukki scored a hat-trick and has scored all four of the "Canaries"' goals so far.
Norwich had a former Newcastle man (Tim Krul) in goal, but it was Dubravka who was called into action first, saving from Cantwell, after Pukki's pass. Pukki had a couple of chances in the first quarter of an hour. One he put wide. The other was saved by Dubravka. Newcastle striker Joelinton headed wide from a cross from the right.
Pukki's first goal followed a corner and a cross which was only half cleared and the Finn hit a right footed shot from just inside the area to put the home crowd in raptures. (32 mins) His second was another right footed shot fired low to the right of the keeper after Cantwell had shown skill in the middle before making the final pass. (63 mins)
Cantwell gets the assist again for Pukki's hat-trick goal, receiving a through ball inside the area before teeing Pukki up for a left footed shot in the 75th minute. I should have put him in my fantasy team! This was Norwich's first Premier League hat-trick for 26 years. (That was when Efan Ekoku scored 4 goals in a 5-1 away win against Everton)
JonJo Shelvey got a consolation goal in added time. Newcastle, and Bruce must fear their trip to Tottenham on Sunday.
Southampton 1 Liverpool 2
Liverpool, already without injured number one keeper Allison, had a midweek scare after his replacement suffered a freakish injury thanks to a fan's sliding tackle in the post-match Super Cup Final celebrations, after Liverpool beat Chelsea in the penalty shoot-out. Adrian did make the starting line-up for this game.
Adrian was called into early action saving from Yoshida's header after a corner which had been given away by Matip's erroneous header. Southampton had the best of the first half, but Liverpool took the lead in added time through former Saint Sadio Mane, who hit a cracking shot into the net.
Liverpool were on top in the second half, and went two up through Firmino after 71 minutes, receiving the final pass from Mane. Ex-Liverpool player Danny Ings got one back for the "Saints" in the 83rd minute when he was presented with the ball by goalkeeper Adrian's pathetic clearance.
Manchester City 2 Spurs 2
Lucas Moura won the Spurs Odyssey man of the match vote, which shows that voters love a goalscorer! Hugo Lloris was only marginally behind Lucas and completed the whole game of course. You can see the spursometer in full. Michael Oliver was the named official but I suspect the mark of 7.1 (his highest Spurs Odyssey vote for over 2 years) was a reflection of the benefit we obtained as a result of VAR, rather than of the individual match referee.
Following Lucas Moura's goal, Declan Mulcahy dug out the following stat:-
Quickest Premier League goals from a substitute (since 2006):-
Time Player Team Opponent Date
8 secs Sammy Ameobi Newcastle Spurs (A) 26.10.2014
15 secs A.Sibierski Wigan Derby (A) 12.01.2008
17 secs A.Johnson Fulham Wolves(A) 23.04.2011
17 secs G.Deulofeu Watford Man City(A) 09.03.2019
18 secs Yakubu Blackburn Everton (A) 17.04.2010
18 secs A.Velios Everton Chelsea (A) 15.10.2011
19 secs A.Bikey Reading Chelsea (H) 15.08.2007
19 secs S.GiannakopoulosBolton Spurs (A) 26.04.2008
19 secs Lucas Moura Spurs Man City(A) 17.08.2019
Sunday 18th August
Sheffield United 1 Crystal Palace 0
Bramall Lane welcomed back Premier League football for the first time in 13 seasons and the home fans would be more than happy with their return of four points from their first two games. Callum Robinson was the only one of 9 "Blades"' summer signings to make their starting one-up. The Palace side looks little different from that of last season, except of course for the absence of Wan-Bissaka, and for the presence of an unhappy Zaha, in for Jordan Ayew. 30,000 crammed into the stadium.
The winning goal came early in the second half. Luke Freeman hit a shot that could only be pushed out by Guaita to Lundstram who hit a right foot shot powerfully into the net. (47 mins). Palace fans were given little to enthuse about.
Chelsea 1 Leicester 1
Lampard's homecoming did not go as well Chelsea fans hoped, and I understand there was some fighting amongst those fans at one point during the game. Appointed referee Graham Scott (who had been our VAR for the Man City game) failed to reach Stamford Bridge due to traffic problems, and fourth official Ollie Langford took charge of his first Premier League game.
Chelsea had the early pressure and 20 year old Mason Mount (who played for Lampard at Derby last season) gave them a seventh minute lead. Mount put pressure on Leicester's Ndidi as the "Foxes" tried to play out from the back; stole the ball and scored with his right foot.
The Chelsea pressure continued with Mount hitting a sharp header straight at Schmeichel and Kante firing just wide.
Leicester (playing in a pink away strip) came into the game when they started playing towards their own fans, with Maddison playing a prominent part. A Fuchs shot was deflected over the Chelsea goal for a corner, from which Ndidi made up for his early error by heading home. (67 mins). Maddison had the chance to give Leicester the lead but lifted his shot too high after more good work by Fuchs. Leicester looked the more likely winners with chances for Vardy and Tielemans.
Monday 19th August
Wolves 1 Manchester United 1
Both teams had a familiar look about them, but United did give a first start to winger Daniel James, who had scored his debut goal when coming off the bench against Chelsea last week.
The earliest scoring chance of note came after 17 minutes when Rashford turned Bennett inside out twice before crossing to the back post where the ball somehow evaded Martial. James took some early stick from the Wolves crowd for diving and was shown a yellow card by referee Jon Moss after 23 minutes for simulation down the right wing.
United had been dominating possession and took the lead in the 27th minute following neat passing by Lingard and Rashford before Martial beat Rui Patricio with a powerful left footed shot.
Wolves' right wing-back Matt Doherty appeared to be hobbling late in the first half and was replaced at half time by Traore.
Wolves did show more adventure following Traore's first cross. Traore won a free kick towards the right and Moutinho floated in a free kick which Jimenez met with a glancing header which rebounded nicely off the post for De Gea. Almost immediately, following a corner and a move on the right, Neves scored with a dipping right footed shot from 20 yards. The goal stood after a lengthy VAR consideration of the possibility of offside in the build-up. "F**k VAR" chanted the Wolves fans, before and after the decision-making process. Maybe United fans joined in after the goal was confirmed!
Pogba won a penalty in the 66th minute when fouled by Coady, and took the kick himself, after a chat with Rashford, who had scored so emphatically against Chelsea. Pogba took a powerful kick but Rui Patricio saved, diving to the right, and palming clear.
Traore was having more success for Wolves and from a cross after 81 minutes Jonny hit a header straight at De Gea. Jimenez and Jota made a powerful break from the Wolves half and Dendoncker hit a shot over the target from Jota's cross.
It was more or less the proverbial "game of two halves", but Paul Pogba will rue his failure to score from the penalty spot.
Results 17-19.08.19
Saturday
Arsenal 2-1 Burnley
A. Villa 1-2 B'mouth
Brighton 1-1 West Ham
Everton 1-0 Watford
Norwich 3-1 Newcastle
S'hampton 1-2 Liverpool
Man City 2-2 Spurs
Sunday
Sheff Utd 1-0 C. Palace
Chelsea 1-1 Leicester
Monday
Wolves 1-1 Man Utd
Premier League Table
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Liverpool 2 2 0 0 6-2 4 6
2. Arsenal 2 2 0 0 3-1 2 6
3. Man City 2 1 1 0 7-2 5 4
4. Man Utd 2 1 1 0 5-1 4 4
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5. Brighton 2 1 1 0 4-1 3 4
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6. Spurs 2 1 1 0 5-3 2 4
7. B'mouth 2 1 1 0 3-2 1 4
8. Sheff Utd 2 1 1 0 2-1 1 4
9. Everton 2 1 1 0 1-0 1 4
10. Burnley 2 1 0 1 4-2 2 3
11. Norwich 2 1 0 1 4-5 -1 3
12. Leicester 2 0 2 0 1-1 0 2
13. Wolves 2 0 2 0 1-1 0 2
14. C. Palace 2 0 1 1 0-1 -1 1
15. Chelsea 2 0 1 1 1-5 -4 1
16. West Ham 2 0 1 1 1-6 -5 1
17. A. Villa 2 0 0 2 2-5 -3 0
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18. Newcastle 2 0 0 2 1-4 -3 0
19. S'hampton 2 0 0 2 1-5 -4 0
20. Watford 2 0 0 2 0-4 -4 0
· All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats
· This week last year
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