Top of the Table
Photo by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash |
Everton – Everton stays on top but only by virtue of a better goal differential than rival Liverpool. The Toffees received a rude reception on the south coast, suffering their first loss of the season, 2-0, to Southampton. Depth issues were evident for the Toffees. Alex Iwobi proved an inadequate replacement for the suspended Richarlison. Young center back Ben Godfrey was forced into an unaccustomed role at right back and struggled. Everton’s loss marks the first time in more than 50 years that there is no undefeated English topflight team after six games.
Liverpool
– Liverpool overcame
an early Blade penalty kick to move past Sheffield United 2-1. Newly acquired winger Diogo Jota scored his
second goal of his brief Liverpool tenure. Lest he walk alone, Bobby Firmino added the
winner with a rare scoring strike for the center forward. While victimized by the debatable first half
penalty call, Fabinho played well in his new role at center back in place of
the injured van Dijk.
Aston
Villa – Aston Villa
fell a place to third in the table, dropping their first points of the season in
a 3-0 loss to Leeds. Villa seemed to
lose composure after the first of three Leeds second half goals, all scored
inside a twenty-minute window as the tempo dictated by Leeds appeared to wear
on the Villans. Aston Villa still has a
game in hand versus the top two clubs.
Leicester – Jamie Vardy, returning from
injury, delivered the second half winner in a 1-0 victory for the Foxes. Vardy has now scored more goals against the
Gunners than any player but Wayne Rooney.
Manager Brendan Rodgers employed a deep lying defense to defuse the
Gunner attack and register the Foxes’ first away win at Arsenal in forty-seven
years.
Tottenham Hotspur – Son Heung-min provided the winner on an assist by Harry Kane as Spurs took all three points in a 1-0 win at Burnley. Son’s eighth goal of the season added to his league leading total while Kane’s eight assists are twice that of any other league player. The Spurs dynamic duo have now combined for twenty-nine Premier League goals as teammates, a total that trails only former Chelsea teammates Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.
The Son and Kane show continues! #THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/JpT1Ck1ozw
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 26, 2020
Leeds – Leeds rockets to sixth in the table
following their 3-0 defeat of previously undefeated Aston Villa. Patrick Bamford scored a hat trick to double his
season’s goal output. Having previously
played for five different Premier League teams, Bamford is playing his best
football under Manager Marco Bielsa. Newly
promoted Leeds has won three of their initial six games.
Mid
Table
Southampton – Southampton employed a high press to great effect in their 2-0 defeat of league leading Everton. The Toffee attack managed just one shot on target in each half. Leading Saints goal scorer Danny Ings played the role of creator on Saturday, assisting on both goals. Southampton’s third victory in their last four matches occurred on the one-year anniversary of their infamous 9-0 loss to Manchester City.
Crystal
Palace – Crystal
Palace employed their best recipe for success with a disciplined defense and a
large dose of Wilfried Zaha in a 2-1 defeat of still winless Fulham. Zaha assisted on Jairo Riedewald’s first
career goal for the Eagles before scoring the winner himself. The Crystal Palace captain is thriving in a
more central position up front this season.
The Eagles’ third win of the season moves them into the top half of the
table.
Wolverhampton
Wanderers – Wolves
seemed headed for a third consecutive 1-0 league victory before Jacob Murphy of
Newcastle curled an 89th minute free kick around a poorly
constructed Wolves wall. The final score
marked a fourth consecutive 1-1 draw between the two teams. Raul Jimenez scored his fourth goal of the
season for a Wolves team which has scored only six on the season.
Chelsea – Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s second
clean sheet in as many starts enabled Chelsea to salvage a point in a scoreless
draw in the rain at Old Trafford. Thiago
Silva’s return from injury also helped on the defensive end for Chelsea. The expensively acquired Blues attack,
however, stalled versus the Manchester United defense. Chelsea has now drawn three of their last
four league games, falling to 10th in the table.
Arsenal – The Gunners continue to fire
blanks in a second consecutive 1-0 loss.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has now gone five league games without scoring
and probably needs to be positioned more centrally. Manager Mikel Arteta has been playing
Arsenal’s best scoring threat on the left or right of Alexandre Lacazette in
attempts to incorporate both forwards into the starting line-up. It has not worked of late.
West Ham – West Ham is now on a four-match
unbeaten run following their 1-1 draw with Manchester City. The Citizens followed Wolves, Leicester and
Spurs as teams who have been unable to nail the Hammers during their streak. Michail Antonio had the goal for West Ham
which earned its first point against City since 2016.
Manchester
City – City was
limited to a single goal for the third consecutive match in their 1-1 draw with
West Ham. Phil Foden was the goal scorer
for a City team which struggled to convert chances off its 70% possession of
the ball. Worse yet, Sergio Aguero suffered
another injury. Pep Guardiola’s team is 13th in the table, albeit
with a game in hand versus most of the field.
Newcastle – Newcastle stole a point in their 1-1
draw at Wolves, courtesy of the 89th minute goal from defender Jacob
Murphy. Murphy was one of four line-up
changes made by Manager Steve Bruce following the previous week’s heavy defeat to
Manchester United. A determined
defensive effort, featuring five at the back, risked going for naught until Murphy’s
late free kick.
Bottom
of the Table
Manchester United – United remained winless at home this season with their 0-0 draw with Chelsea. A six-game home winless streak is now the longest in over thirty years for the Red Devils. There seems work yet to do for United after encouraging wins at Newcastle and in the Champions League over PSG. Fifteenth place in the table seems a strange address for the proud franchise. Edinson Cavani teased with a narrowly missed chance in his United debut.
Brighton
& Hove Albion – Brighton
Manager Graham Potter is beginning to express frustration at the lack of
production from The Seagulls. While
generally playing attractive football, the Seagulls relied on a West Brom own
goal in their 1-1 draw with the Baggies. The Seagulls had drawn with Crystal Palace by
the same score the week before.
West
Bromwich Albion – A
late goal by striker Karlan Grant, playing just his second game with the
Baggies, enabled West Brom to salvage a point in their 1-1 draw with Brighton. A first half own goal prevented a second consecutive
clean sheet and what would have been a much needed three points for the
Baggies.
Burnley – Burnley looks better as key
players return from injuries but the 1-0 loss to Spurs still leaves them among
the relegation clubs. The Clarets can
take some encouragement from having survived relegation two years ago after an
identical start of one point won from the opening five matches.
Sheffield
United – Sheffield
United scored a third goal of the season in their 2-1 loss to Liverpool. The score came on a disputed penalty. A lack of goal scorers still seems a fatal
flaw for this hard-working team.
Fulham – The Cottagers were thoroughly dominated in their 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace before an extra time goal by Tom Cairney. The defeat enables the Cottagers to retain their hold on the 20th table position despite pressure from Sheffield United to dislodge them.
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