Weekend Review: Arsenal get over-excited, Liverpool stumble, Chelsea grumble, Manchester United grind and Everton take #5 title from Tottenham
Update: If you’re offended by this piece, please read the follow-up review in which I’ve explained everything in much more detail (please do so before ranting here - if after reading it you still feel like ranting, be my guest).
There are still two matches to go this weekend (and I’m quite looking forward to seeing both matches), but with the quality (or lack thereof in some cases) of matches played out on Saturday it’s worth stopping and evaluating what we’ve learned from it all.
Liverpool are nothing without Gerrard and Torres
Before the weekend Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina boldly claimed that Manchester United were nothing without Cristiano Ronaldo. Then, yesterday, as a subdued Ronaldo was a distant figure in Manchester United’s hard-fought victory over Everton, Reina must have remembered the wise adage that you shouldn’t throw rocks if you live in a glass house.
Despite being a very good squad (and much better than last season), Liverpool are still highly reliant on one or two players to get them going. No Gerrard means a lack of fire in midfield, and no Torres this season has meant a lack of pace and intelligence up front.
Gerrard-Torres could turn to be as talismanic as Gerrard-Owen once were - however, if they’re not playing, Liverpool have no plan B (unless you count lobbing it up to Crouch as plan B).
Chelsea’s money can’t help them
Who said being rich meant having everything you wanted? Right now Chelsea have a striker who was ignored for a month and is woefully lacking in match-practice (Shevchenko) and when it got tough, Sheva failed to get going. Some will use this as an excuse to bash the Ukrainian but at this point the blame lies with Chelsea for not giving him more time earlier in the season.
The Blackburn game, much like winter last season when Terry and Cech were missing, showed how much reliant Chelsea are on their spine (Cech, Terry, Lampard, Drogba) to win games. Take those players out and not only do Chelsea lose heart they also lose the ability to win games. It’s unfortunate that Michael Essien didn’t step up to the occasion as expected (Ballack, I feel, would have scored) and he still has some time to go before he turn into as reliable a match-winner as the much-maligned Frank Lampard.
This video clip shows that Kalou was a little offside, but Mourinho thinks otherwise and since he remembers that Styles apologised to Liverpool, he now wants the fourth official to call him up to say sorry as well. For what, Jose? And on a sidenote, should Jose’s conduct at the touchline be punished by a fine? I hope not, because a pissed-off Mourinho is more dangerous than a satisfied Mourinho. Someone get me Jose’s number so I can fake the apology?
Arsenal top the table, deservedly, but hold before you celebrate - Tottenham were absolute crap
Keep your head down, play to your strengths and roll with the punches thrown your way - Arsenal have done exactly that and despite their injury problems in defense, they were able to more than hold their own against a Tottenham side lacking in confidence.
Reading a couple of the match previews to this game (written by Arsenal fans), I was surprised to see them apprehensive, as if unsure that they would win or not. Part of it is because of Arsenal’s goal-leaking tendency but overall I think it had a bit to do with the last two seasons and a lack of confidence that has come with it.
It was great to see Fabregas contribute the way he did and Adebayor’s goals will do his confidence a lot of good, but it was a game of spirit and not a game of quality. Arsenal still have a long way to go and there are few other teams in the Premier League who are playing as badly as Tottenham at the moment. Full credit to the Tottenham board for sabotaging their own manager, crushing his confidence and then heaping an impossible expectation on him (Champions League qualification) to ensure that the club’s season drowns in its own piss.
Tottenham have excellent players (Keane, Bent, Berbatov, Malbranque, Bale, Lennon, King, Kaboul just off the top of my head, and Dawson, Huddlestone and Jenas are quite good as well) and they are capable of much better than this. The mess Levy and co. have created will hurt Tottenham for as long as Jol is there - not because Jol is a bad manager, but because the pressure on him has cracked him and he’s unable to motivate his players anymore.
Manchester United grinding their way to the top
No two thoughts about - Manchester United this season have been poor - their only saving grace has been the fact that one time or the other this season their rivals have looked poor as well.
Harry Redknapp has backed his friend Alex Ferguson to lead Manchester United to the title again at the expense of rivals Liverpool. It’s mere banter unfortunately as Manchester United have a long, long way to go and their problems over the summer (such as the left-back position) have not been solved.
Manchester United’s win over Everton was notable for the quality of football on display from both sides. Never mind the fact that Ronaldo couldn’t put the ball over the wall during free kicks to save his life, or that Everton’s crossing was a bit off the mark - in terms of spirit and sheer technical ability, this match was the best of the day.
Will Manchester United retain their title? I don’t know - last season I had been sure from the first 20 minutes of the season but this time around there’s doubt. I don’t think it’ll be as open a title race as everyone’s predicting though - by Christmas we’ll know which two teams are going to slug it out at the top.
Everton played a fantastic game, and along with Blackburn and Portsmouth they are now the real contenders for the #5 spot - you know, the one that Tottenham have been at for the last 2 seasons? We’ll see a new #5 this season, and I’m putting my money on Everton (and a bit on Blackburn as well).
Other games
West Ham (deservedly) beat Middlesbrough, Sunderland toppled Reading 2-1 (what a goal by Kenwyne Jones), Birmingham City beat sorry Bolton 1-0 (Kapo again) and Wigan could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham.
Also see the images from BBC Sport for the Saturday Premier League games - they’re all quite good.
Thoughts, comments, all welcome.
Isn’t it about time people started giving Arsenal the credit we deserve? We’re top of the league having played the best football in the country this season despite already having bad injury problems and without our biggest threat firing yet (van Persie). We’re genuine title contenders and if we’re still top by 3rd November (after playing pool away and united at home) not even our harshest critics will be able to deny that. Also, Kalou’s goal was not offside- he was behind the ball when it was played to him so the fact he was ahead of the last defender is irrelevent
Tottenham were crap? Everton or Portsmouth 5th? Man U poor? And Liverpool nothing without Gerrard and (LMAO) Torres?
I’d be surprised if you’ve seen too much of the highlights of the games you mentioned and I highly doubt you’ve seen any game in full. And even if you have, your grasp of the game leaves alot to be desired.
By the way Kalou wasn’t offside, he was behind the ball when it was passed. Learn the off-side rule.
The epitomy of fickle journalism. I can’t wait to hear who you think will be winning the title/getting 5th/getting relegated next week.
Arsenal fans will know more after Sevilla.
But it may be churlish of you (if not irrational) to claim that Arsenal “still have a long way to go” when in fact last year they played very well against the top sides and two years ago with the same players went to a Champion’s League final beating Juve and Real. But last season they lost points to “lesser” teams, (including PSV in the Champions league). This year they are putting such teams to the sword with no little panache (apart from Blackburn, but ask Lehman about that one). The only unknown right now as to whether Arsenal can still be in the hunt after Christmas is whether Henry’s star quality will be missed in the big matches (or will Cesc, Rosicky, Eduardo and finally scoring regularly from set pieces more than make up for that). Oh, and is the squad too thin to cope with injuries (which may never occur, except for sicknote Willy G).
Did you actually watch the Spurs v Arsenal game? If you did you’re absolute cock at this match quality assessment lark. I doubt if too many thoughtful Arsenal fans are getting over excited with the season’s start (as opposed to thoroughly enjoying it), but some are not so surprised either. But loads of journos, pundits and blog whores are desperately trying to justify their own lack of ability to assess what Arsenal has been developing in the last two seasons whilst being mesemerised by Mamon and the money gods during the transfer window.
once again ahmed bilal, a potentially good article has lost its lustre due to your man utd bias. you couldnt even give arsenal the credit they deserve. man utd’s game was the best of the day???? according to whom? i watched all of saturdays games and agreed when the conclusion was that the arsenal spurs game was the best of the weekend.
spurs were bad but they produced moments of brilliance and skill here and there.bale’s free kick was one of the highlights of that game and yet it didnt even get a mention from you.a game of spirit and not a game of quality…that game had more quality than man utd will probably show us this season.mark those words.im willing to bet on it. not even to mention that with the confidence arsenal are exuding at the moment, they could take on anyone in the “top 4″ and win. youre lucky were not meeting you any time soon. swallow your pride and give credit when its due.
wen man utd wins, you post articles like crazy and act like an 18 yr old that has just gotten laid for the first time. gives us our props please.geeeeeeeez.
some people just feel angry that Arsenal are progressing, and might win the league having not spent a fraction of what the others have. Isnt it crazy the first team at arsenal was bought for the cost of less than sunderlands transfer budget, but they can kick most of the teams by playing proper football, rather than relying on 1 or 2 or 3 players or resorting to black-eye rovers tactics of kicking players than the football itself, are successful. I feel sorry for such biased reporting. Just why are you all so anti- arsenal, i dont understand. I was a neutral for a while, but seeing arsenal donot get the credit due, i feel i must defend them here.
It’s really funny how everyone is back tracking since the start of the season regarding Arsenal’s chances of winning the league. Idiot journalists wrote them off because they know nothing about either football or Arsenal FC and now after a handful of games they’re all claiming it was everyone else who thought Arsenal couldn’t do it. I’m still yet to see any media sources say ‘I think I was wrong about Arsenal’, instead they all say ‘the media was wrong’ and pretend that they didn’t claim the same things themselves. Well it’s not only the media’s fault, many Arsenal fans also said the same stupid stuff because some fans are so stupid they believe whatever the media shits onto them, but thankfully the majority of us Arsenal fans are being rewarding for having some real understanding of the situation whilst the vast majority of the rest of the footballing world is being made to look very stupid.
Ahmed Bilal is a Man U supporting twat
Man Utd Vs Everton was the best match of the day???? In terms of spirit and technical ability,this was the best match of the day???
Your article shows that you know nothing about the football…if you want to write some biased articles about Man Utd there are other sites to do that.Please don’t talk about big things like quality,spirit,and winning the league when you are so biased about one team.
Arsenal is playing very well and showing the real spirit.If there is one team right now which deserves every praise in this world…..it is Arsenal for everything they have achieved till now,even though its only 5 matches in to the season.
Quote, ‘Never mind the fact that Ronaldo couldn’t put the ball over the wall during free kicks to save his life, or that Everton’s crossing was a bit off the mark - in terms of spirit and sheer technical ability, this match was the best of the day.’
DID YOU EVEN SEE THE OTHER MATCHES?
I aggree with Ron, the writer of this article is a moron.
What rubbish.
So arsenal beat tottenham because they were poor, even though man utd were very lucky to beat them at home?
I watched the man utd everton game. that was no where near the best technical match. The arsenal spurs game was end to end with lots of chances, passionate support and great goals. Best game of the day by far.
This arsenal team have got what it takes to win the title. No more dropping silly points. Man utd or chelsea will be dropping points next weekend aswell.
arsenals year!
Is this a wind up?
I’m very surprised by that article. I’m sure you wrote that just because people will respond to that. Whatever…
My my my…and to think that i came here looking for unbiased analysis of saturday’s games. Ahmed, I for one have always thought that u were one of the more objective MU fans who is first and foremost a fan of good football. Man u’s game the best of the lot?? hardly. the Spurs-Arsenal game was full of great attacking plays that were sorely lacking in the MU everton game. Just a look at the goals tells u the story. Gareth Bale’s free kick at an angle was probably one of the b est i have seen this season. And how about fabregas’ cracker of a shot? And Adebayor’s volley. Lets not forget the great chances both sides created. real end to end fluid football. Seriously Ahmed, were u watching the same set of games the rest of us were watching??
The nervousness from the Arsenal side of the fence is simply explained. Myself and others just though Tottenham would be up for it. They’ve had a poor start but a win against us would’ve been enough to turn their season around. We maybe riding high on confidence but I did think Tottenham would step it up a gear and make it difficult, so much so that the majority opinion from the Arsenal camp was that a point would be a good result.
I’m delighted with our start to the season as am I with our position in the table. Confidence is booming at the moment. It’s early days however and despite the strong start, I’ve a feeling we won’t go on to win the title. It maybe coming soon, and we may well pose more of a title challenge than last season but I don’t think we’re enough of a finished article to top it come the end of the season.
You cant be offside if you’re BEHIND the ball. Watch that clip again.
Fratton park is a hard place to go only two teams last season took three points from there (Chelsea and Charlton) if a team preforms badly there it is very understandable United lost there last season but still won the title didnt they?
I am not upset because we didnt take 3 points i am upset because we didn’t feild our strongest team at one of the strongest home records in the EPL if we had have started Gerrard and Torres and Drew i would have no tacticl complaints.
I just hope he learns from this and does a better job at the other tough away ties
plz Rafa!!!!
I have to agree with some Arsenal fans here? Arsenal deserve a lot of credit for that display yes spurs werent playing at their best but hey Arsenal are playing at some level still? and they are top with a game in hand (but so are Liverpool
)
Spurs were bad, but Arsenal were very good. The “leaked” goal only got in as Alumnia misjudged it, they were lucky to get it. Arsenal should have won by at least 2 more goals.
You’re saying Arsenal are over-excited, and I suppose they are a bit, but when you win any rivalry or derby, and go to the top of the table, you would be as well.
It is too early to say that they will win the league, but they are well capable and I would be very happy to see them win it.
To think people besides Spurs fans thought they would finish 5th… laughable, really laughable!
On the subject of the UTD match, the match of the day, I strongly disagree!
Congratulations youngs lads. You are the best at the moment in FA. Football display as meant to be.
Its time for the youngs lads. You are the best at the moment in FA. Football display as meant to be.
Yes I agree with RVP. Iam no longer a man u fan anymore.At old trafort, we ar fond of walking tall with big heads for nothing. At least Gunners have maintained a 70% team which played in the champions league final. Yes, that was football as meant to be. quality display. Not rugby soccer by Chelsea & cricket soccer by Man u. Make a date and watch gunners doing it gain agaist sevile in style, gunners way.
chelsea without La,pard and Terry are nothing.
Chelsea needs Drogba more than Arsenal needs Henry!
oh yeah, and if it aint my liverpool, it’s go arsenal, the boys deserve the credit, but the other 2 teams…..what were their names again…….. one with some…..some shitty devils and the other some oilrig county…..ah who cares anyway…
Give Bilal a break. He’s only expressing his opinon. After all he is “potentially the next Gabriele Marcotti”. His world football knowledge is probably as good as Tim Vickery (for all of you football philistines, that is the british journalist reporting on south american football for BBC Radio 5 Live and Talksport). All thats left for him to do is appear on The Game section of The Times alongside Martin Samuel.
ummmm did u say kalou’s goal was offside? he was blaitantly behind the ball mate, look again if u have to.
man utd are scary. they are in the top 4 and are playing without their usual flair and i think they will be most likely to win the league.
dunno wats up with chelski, got major problems but i do think that kalou scored a legitamate goal. think they will struggle till christmas, then pick it up and fight with liverpool and arsenal for second.
liverpool will probably fight with arsenal for 2nd place. i dont think they are nothing without torres, but without gerrard they do loose a special player who makes them tick.
personally (as a gooner) i think arsenal will come 2nd but very close to utd. i think they have a more even squad than either chelski or liverpool, meaning that we dont have the same kind of reliance on 3/4 players. we do rely a lot on cesc and toure, but i think when they’re injured we can cope better than liverpool and chelski can without their best players.
NEWS GUYS!!!!! —— AHMED DID NOT GET TO WATCH THE MANUTD GAME AS THIS MATCH WAS NOT BROADCASTED IN HIS COUNTRY.
Mr. Ahmed resides in Pakistan and the only sports Channels that broadcast football in Pakistan are ESPN and STAR Sports. I checked their TV schedule. ESPN was busy covering LIVE 20-20 International matches. That leaves Star Sports which covered only 2 weekend games on Saturday:
Birmingham Vs Bolton
& Cheslea Vs Blackburn
So he only got to view the highlights which featured only just the goals scored. (The complete highlights package is not due before Wednesday in his country). In such 2 second highlight every team looks technically gifted. Hence his claims that the ManUtd - Everton game was technically the most superior is unfounded and surely his dream.
Now let’s analyze Mr. Ahmed’s EXPERT comments about other teams:
ARSENAL —
Ahmed says - Due to lack of confidence in Arsenal their fans didn’t expect to win.
I say - If confidence can be displayed on field then Arsenal are doing exactly that.
Ahmed says - They still have a long way to go.
I say - They have come a long way not it’s for the rest to catch up with them.
CHELSEA—-
Ahmed Says - Money cant buy success.
I say - Is this the only line you always have to say about Chelsea. Think of something else coz this line has already started stinking.
Ahmed Says - The goal was offside.
I say - Well that’s your opinion and you are welcome to it but the next time you cross a road for your own safety seek someone’s assistance.
LIVERPOOL—
Ahmed Says - Liverpool are nothing without Gerard and Torres.
I say - Well you checked online and found that those two were not playing hence came up with the reason for the draw. Not long ago you were saying stupid things about Torres’ talent and his inflated price. An about-turn uh?
I could simply stop visiting this site and let you continue the weekend results reporting without watching more than 1 of the 10 games played. But it’s not that way with me. Smarten up Ahmed you have been found out.
rubbish rubbish rubbish, chelsea should have won that game, it was not offside, liverpool got a good point even without the players the “rely” upon, against a pompey with an excellent home record, and finally game of the weekend is spurs v arsenal, end to end stuff with class all over the pitch, nice free kick, excellent header by ade, 30yards belter and contender for goal of the season by ade, as well as numerous skillfull atempts by spurs.
I dont mind people speaking their mind, but only if it includes true reflection of the whole picture, ahmed think before you write your opinion.
arsenal or liverpool to win this year with chelsea third and man u grinding a fourth spot if they are lucky
that video clip shows that Kalou was well onside, not offside, just like any other clip of the incident. Not that I’m comlaining mind
Mourinho would do well to remember that Man U had a good goal disallowed for offside which would have knocked Porto out of the Champiuons League the year they won it, which in turn led to his getting the job at Chelsea.
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this article crap.an absolute waste of time.and I am a manutd fan.I watched the everton game and it was very very poor from both sides.I always thought arsenal were going to challenge and liverpool would have lost that game last season and chelsea got lucky with the penalty that never was.(against liverpool) so these kind of decisions even themselves up.but to suggest that utd-everton was game of the day was absolutely ludicrous!!
to soccerfeverish:
It would have been hilariously easy to delete your comment. Good piece of deductive anaylsis - yes, I live in Pakistan, but apart from that you’ve got things pretty wrong.
For starters we get SuperSport here as well, and S3 DID cover the footy, which is how I was able to see the games and the highlights (and the reruns). I missed the Chelsea game (hence my gaffe with the non-offside goal as I had only seen the video clips) though.
Individually your comments are bollocks but since those are your assumptions, not much I can do to change your mind. I’d suggest reading the site’s archives on what I’ve said about Chelsea in the past (it has little to do with the money and it was targeted towards the misuse of Shevchenko, which I doubt you’ve read as much of). As for Torres, he deserves the price tag, this much was true before he came and it’s true now as well.
I’m getting stick for thinking Arsenal can do better, it seems. What does one say to that?
As for the United game…see the game preview and the comments where I was talking about a few incidents during the match.
Good effort, but you assumed blindly that I hadn’t seen the matches and twisted everything else to fit your reality. That’s what bias does, ya know (ironic, really).
Have only just read ur write up on last weekend games.You know I have really been surprised that a lot of people have not been able to see what has been building at Arsenal in the last three years.The Arsenal players may still be young but they have been playing at the highest level for three years now.Secondly,the team has not changed so basically,there is a lot of understanding between them.Thirdly,there is a lot of determination on their part to prove that they have what it takes-you know with everybody writing them off.Fourthly,they are exceptionally gifted.These factors count.Thats why they will do very well this term.I will not be surprise if they end up as champions.And before I forget,a lot of things will work to their advantage this term-absence of injuries,favourable referees’decisions,match schedules and sheer luck.
I think there are a lot of people out there especially in the media who should be eating a bit of humble pie now. Back in the summer everyone apart from Arsenal supporters theirselves wrote the gunners off and all seemed to agree that Tottenham would overtake Arsenal in the top 4 and Arsenal would finish 5th at best. As a Gooner I think that part of the reason we’re playing so well is there’s no pressure whatsoever where teams like Man Utd and Tottenham who spent millions during the summer are expected to be winning week in week out which hasn’t proved ro be the case. I’m not getting carried away with our league position (although it’s nice to be sitting on the top!) but if people keep writing us off then hopefully we can keep our current form and carry on proving the doubters wrong! Trust Arsene, He knows!!
Actually i remember alot of people saying arsenal will open up more without Henry??? just a bit paranoid arent we
its mainly due to fabregas, he is amazing.
Now i dont think i have ever seen such a perfect replacement for paul scholes. He might have the potential to be better than scholes was at his peak.
Now how much money do you think arsenal would want for him???
wishful thinking but its worth a try fergie!!!
You make me laugh Bilal. Did you actually watch Spurs v Arsenal? Spurs actually played well, just woeful finishing stopped them from possibly beating us. As for Arsenal, we probably wouldnt of won that game last season, which shows we added maturity and patience to our game. Now, I’m not saying we are going to win the league this season after 5 games, but your tub thumping about your lot’grinding’their way to the top? You shouldnt be allowed to write this website pal, because you are, like all mancs, completely blinkered and hardly impartial.
Arsenal would have won against a broken down spurs any day of the week
Yep fabragaes is really something isnt he…. but he is built into Arsenals type of play he is a learner if he went to another team he would have to start all over again!!
I was off the net for sometime and therefore couldnt do much over the weekend. But here are some thoughts:
Ahmed, why dont you call this a Man u site? Agreed, there are a lot of good articles, but this bias is really bad. Since when do we asses matches on technical aspects alone? Even then, the Man u vs everton match had some really bad refereeing all of which went in favour of the champions. Scholes should have been sent off in the first half and Everton had a perfectly legitimate goal scoring chance taken from them (ferdinand lost his balance or he dove, in which case he should have been given a card). As for the arsenal spurs game, it wasnt the most technical game but ,look at the nuimber of chances both teams had. As a gooner i have no qualms about admitting that i ‘knew’ we would win before the match itself and if berbatov had scored into the open net, it would have been game over for us. But ultimately we came out on top and this is because of a combined effort of the team(something Man u seemed to lack). It doesnt show much with regard to the title or anything (which is a long long way off), but atleast be honest and stay neutral when your team doesnt play all that well. It sounds quite pathetic otherwise…………