Week 4 of the English Premier League in a nut shell. This weekends games have shown that we are now living in a strange world both on and off the pitch, whilst Covid 19 still rages and stops fans attending football matches the results on the pitch continue to amaze the football world, 41 goals were scored in week 4 of the Premier League, with thrashings handed out to Manchester United at Old Trafford and to the Champions Liverpool away at Aston Villa.
This is going to be a season like no other, with no fans inside stadiums it is going to affect the players, they have to create their own passions and their own intensity, which cannot possibly be recreated without fans inside stadia.
This will be a season of surprises, anyone could win the title, it is going to be a very open league and guess what ? Spurs might just be the surprise package.
Biased you say, maybe, but we are in a very sound position 🙂
‘FOOTBALL WITHOUT FANS, IS JUST NOT FOOTBALL, AS WE KNOW IT’
CHELSEA 4 V 0 CRYSTAL PALACE
Summer signing Ben Chilwell inspired Chelsea to victory over Crystal Palace, on his first Premier League start since a ÂŁ45m move from Leicester City.
Having made his first appearance in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat on penalties by Tottenham, Chilwell marked his 100th Premier League game by firing in at the back post following Mamadou Sakho’s failed clearance.
Chilwell, 23, then delivered an excellent cross from the left to allow Kurt Zouma to head in a second after 66 minutes, before Jorginho converted two penalties in the space of four minutes to seal victory.
Lampard also handed a league debut to ÂŁ22m goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, his latest recruit in a summer spending spree now beyond ÂŁ220m.
In a comfortable first Premier League game, Senegal international Mendy kept Chelsea’s first clean sheet of the season as a lacklustre Palace failed to muster a shot on target.
There was a rare moment of discontent among the hosts’ ranks as Tammy Abraham, having won his side’s first penalty, felt aggrieved at being denied the opportunity to take the second by captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who shepherded him away from Jorginho.
On Abraham’s dispute with Jorginho, Lampard added: “I don’t mind Tammy’s exuberance but that has been dealt with by Azpilicueta and then me in the dressing room. I don’t mind a bit of conflict in the moment but it has been dealt with and won’t happen again.” A good sound response from Frank, given the circumstances, he is indeed growing into his role.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Sf5xRVy8U
EVERTON 4 V 2 BRIGHTON
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his ninth goal of the season and James Rodriguez netted twice as Everton beat Brighton to make it four Premier League wins from four for the impressive table-topping Toffees.
However, it was another game that will prompt questions about the quality of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for both club and country.
All was going well for the home side after Calvert-Lewin rose highest to head in at the back post.
But in the closing stages of a first half in which he had barely been tested, England keeper Pickford dropped a tame bouncing ball at the feet of Neal Maupay, who then slotted the ball in on the turn.
Thankfully for the home side, they were able to reclaim the lead before the break when Rodriguez picked out fellow Colombian Yerry Mina, who headed in from a free-kick.
And it was Rodriguez who put the game beyond Albion, firstly sliding in to finish off Alex Iwobi’s chipped cross at the back post then finding space in the same area to tap home Abdoulaye Doucoure’s pass.
Brighton were able to claim a consolation through a superb Yves Bissouma strike in added time but they have now lost three of their first four games.
Click here for the highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo5qwlJ5zpc
LEEDS UNITED 1 V 1 MANCHESTER CITY
Personally, I have been very impressed with Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, they have shown great ability, added to spirit has shown them to be holding their own. Whilst Pep Guardiola at City has had an awful start to the season and needs to regenerate his players, before Liverpool are out of sight again ! Leeds United came from behind in stirring fashion to secure a thoroughly deserved point as they played out a thrilling draw with Manchester City at Elland Road.
In the battle of wits between City manager Pep Guardiola and his inspiration Marcelo Bielsa, Raheem Sterling’s smart 17th-minute finish was the reward for an early siege on the Leeds goal.
In the glorious chaos of this end-to-end encounter, Leeds fought back to force two fine saves from Ederson at the feet of Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling in the first half before his weak punch from a corner gifted substitute Rodrigo an equaliser on the hour.
Kevin De Bruyne hit the post for City in the first half and they had several near misses after the break but Leeds, bursting with energy, were a huge threat, Ederson rescuing a rocking City by turning Rodrigo’s header on to the bar before saving superbly at the feet of Patrick Bamford.
Click here for the highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge6YIc-LUGY
NEWCASTLE UNITED 3 V 1 BURNLEY
Newcastle moved up to sixth in the Premier League with a comfortable win over a disappointing Burnley side. The Clarets, who were well below par particularly in the first half are now 19th in the table, after losing their opening three games in the top flight for the first time since 1927-28.
Allan Saint-Maximin opened the scoring for the hosts with a low drive into the bottom right corner.
While Burnley rallied and levelled via Ashley Westwood’s superb volley into the same corner, Newcastle quickly wrestled back control of the game.
Saint-Maximin’s purposeful run down the right gave Callum Wilson a tap-in.
And the forward added his second and Newcastle’s third from a penalty after Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope fouled Ryan Fraser after miscontrolling James Tarkowski’s backpass.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP_BK8HqA8I
LEICESTER CITY 0 v 3 WEST HAM UNITED
Another weird scoreline at the start of the season, as West Ham ended Leicester’s 100% winning start to the season. Last weekend Leicester demolished Man City 5-2 and seven days later humbled by West Ham.
Ruthless on the break, they did a similar job on Leicester to the one the Foxes did in their brilliant 5-2 win at Manchester City seven days prior.
Michail Antonio scored the first, heading in at the back post from Aaron Cresswell’s pinpoint cross from deep after the striker had himself found his team-mate with a quickly-taken free-kick.
Cresswell also assisted the second, but the credit was due more to a wonderful first touch and calm finish from Pablo Fornals, than the defender’s long ball forward.
But for a solid block from Caglar Soyuncu to repel a Jarrod Bowen shot, and a sliding Jonny Evans intervention to stop the ball finding an unmarked and well-placed Antonio, the Foxes would have been further behind before half-time.
In the second half, the brilliant Declan Rice struck the crossbar with a shot from inside the box following a driving run from deep before Bowen sealed the win with a neat finish after collecting a through-ball from Fornals.
Leicester failed to produce a single shot on target.
West Ham move up to eighth.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOm8czjKVpc
ARSENAL 2 v 1 SHEFFIELD UNITED
Arsenal scored two quick-fire team goals to extend Sheffield United’s point-less start to the Premier League season.
Arsenal did not really get going until the 60th minute when Bukayo Saka celebrated his first England call up with a header from Hector Bellerin’s cross.
Three minutes later they doubled their lead with Nicolas Pepe’s good run and finish into the bottom corner, finishing off a fantastic move with 19 passes.
They looked completely in control until David McGoldrick curled home the Blades first league goal of the season.
But it was not enough to affect the outcome and United have now lost seven consecutive top-flight games for the first time since 1975.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal move onto six points from three games, having lost 3-1 to champions Liverpool last Monday.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0LRQA3F0b4
WOLVES 1 v 0 FULHAM
Pedro Neto’s goal helped Wolves return to winning ways as they condemned Fulham to a fourth straight Premier League defeat.
However, Wolves were still far from their best and created few clear-cut chances against a resolute Fulham side.
Neto’s goal was a rare moment of quality in the final third, with the Portugal Under-21 international superbly driving an effort into the bottom right corner early in the second half.
With Alphonse Areola impressing in goal, the visitors had looked good value for a point at Molineux, where they have not won in the league since 1985.
And even after Neto’s strike, substitute Aboubakar Kamara spurned a glorious opportunity to level the scores, firing a close-range shot straight at Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWJXYKtZI_U
MANCHESTER UNITED 1 v 6 SPURS
Jose Mourinho returned to Old Trafford and humiliated his former club as Tottenham thrashed Manchester United to record a famous victory.
Son Heung-min and Harry Kane scored twice, with Tanguy Ndombele and Serge Aurier also on target as 10-man United suffered a defeat on a par with their 6-1 thrashing at home by Manchester City in 2011.
The result leaves United 16th in the Premier League, with newly promoted Fulham and West Brom the only clubs with a worse goal difference. Only West Brom have conceded more than their 11 goals.
United were completely outplayed, even before they were reduced to 10 men midway through the first half when Anthony Martial dragged his hand across Erik Lamela’s face in reaction to an elbow in his neck.
In contrast, Tottenham moved up to fifth after emerging from a packed schedule of five games in 11 days in three competitions with a creditable four wins and a draw.
It is also Tottenham’s biggest win at Old Trafford and matches their record home win over United, 6-1 in September 1932.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et53oCo5OZ4
ASTON VILLA 7 v 2 LIVERPOOL
If you thought the Manchester United 6 goal defeat was unbelieveable, read on !
It is the first time Liverpool have conceded seven goals since 1963 and is only their fourth Premier League defeat since 3 January 2019. Villa, who escaped relegation on the final day of last season, overtake them in the table with their best start since 1962.
Villa’s first was the result of a huge error by Adrian. The Reds stand-in keeper passed the ball straight to Grealish, who cut it back for Watkins to side-foot in from eight yards.
Watkins’ second was excellent as he cut in from the left and smashed into the top corner.
Mohamed Salah looked to have restored order when he scored for the Reds, but John McGinn’s deflected volley two minutes later put Villa’s lead back to two.
It got even better when Watkins headed in from Trezeguet’s cross to become the first player to score a Premier League hat-trick against Liverpool since Dimitar Berbatov for Manchester United 10 years ago.
Villa debutant Ross Barkley, a boyhood Evertonian, was excellent and added a fifth after the break from just outside the box – from Grealish’s third assist.
Salah made it 5-2 from Roberto Firmino’s pass on the hour-mark but then Grealish smashed in Villa’s sixth before latching onto McGinn’s raking pass to add another.
This is the first time in 18 attempts that Villa have beaten the reigning champions at home – the last was a 3-2 win over Arsenal in December 1998.
There have already been many surprising results this season – including Tottenham’s 6-1 win at Manchester United earlier on Sunday – but none can beat this for sheer shock value.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nbw3jSafGM
SOUTHAMPTON 2 v 0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Moussa Djenepo opened the scoring with a clinical finish for the hosts before Oriol Romeu’s stunning strike sealed a deserved win.
The loss means West Brom have managed to pick up just one point from their first four games on their return to the top flight.
The Saints had lost their first two league fixtures of the season but have now recorded back-to-back league wins with this result.
Djenepo’s opener just before half-time, a clinical finish into the bottom corner, was just reward for an excellent first-half display in which only a string of fine saves by Sam Johnstone prevented Southampton from taking the lead earlier.
The Manchester United academy product dived at full stretch to deny Danny Ings’ header but could do nothing about Djenepo’s smart finish.
The hosts made sure of the points when Romeu superbly volleyed in Stuart Armstrong’s cross for his first goal in 20 months.
Southampton moved up to 10th before the rest of Sunday’s matches, while West Brom are 17th after collecting just one point from their first four games.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8polKaoEARc
I got seven correct results this week, top of the table form 🙂
predictions :-
Week 5 of the English Premier League
Everton 1 v 2 Liverpool
Chelsea 3 v 1 Southampton
Leicester City 1 v 2 Aston Villa
Newcastle United 1 v 3 Manchester United
Sheffield United 3 v 1Fulham
West Bromwich Albion 2 v 1 Burnley
Manchester City 2 v 1 Arsenal
Crystal Palace 2 v 1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Tottenham Hotspur 4 v 1 West Ham United
Leeds United 3 V 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Thats it for the round up of Week 4 of the English Premier League
Have a good week
Gary
eLan Ambassador