Match-week 8 has hit the Premier League this weekend, with the drama of the league getting stronger week by week. Tensions flared as goals were scored across 10 matches this weekend, with significant impacts being brought to the table, showing once again why many regard this league to be number one.
Image credit- Robin Jones- AFC Bournemouth
Fulham 1-3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa extended their impressive start to the season on Saturday after beating Fulham in a game that truly had it all. The match began quickly with Fulham hitting the front foot in the 5th minute after the in-form Raul Jimenez shrugged off Torres and slotted a cool finish past Martinez into the bottom corner.
It didn’t take Villa long to hit back though, as Morgan Rogers strode forward and scored following a wicked deflection off Bassey, leaving Leno hopeless. The half left some more action for the fans though through a Fulham penalty after VAR picked out an evident handball from Matty Cash. Andreas Pereira stood up to the spot only for his tame effort to be held comfortably, much to the relief of the traveling fans.
The first half had action, but the second half was pure drama at Craven Cottage. Fourteen minutes into the second half Villa took the lead, as Ollie Watkins headed a wonderful bullet header past Leno’s near post following a Tielemans corner.
Fulham had a lacklustre start to the second half, but things turned sour after Joachim Andersen was sent off after bringing down Ollie Watkins who was clean through on goal. Things only went bad to worse for the Cottagers from here after, despite only being on the pitch for not even a minute, Issa Diop turned into his own net following a cross from Digne to double the Villain’s lead.
Despite there being no more goals, the drama didn’t end as Jaden Philogene-Bidace picked up a controversial second yellow card after a foul on Reiss Nelson. The result leaves Silva’s Fulham in 10th place on 11 points, whilst sending Emery’s Villa back up to 4th on 17 points.
MOTM- Ollie Watkins
Southampton 2-3 Leicester City
Leicester pulled off a stunning late comeback after taking on a defensively fragile Southampton side on Saturday afternoon. It was a tale of two halves on the south coast, but it was all Southampton’s joy in the first, starting early on after Manning picked up the ball on the left-wing and playing a ball into Archer to tap home. It took 20 minutes for the Saints to double their lead, after Walker-Peters fed a ball through a crowded penalty box for Joe Aribo to slot home. Leicester nearly pulled one back just before the whistle after El Khannouss’s shot cannoned off the post.
Southampton were sharp earlier on, but their defensive demons came to haunt them this second half. The danger signs showed in the 64th minute after Fatawu eased past Fraser and played a ball to Buonanotte for the Argentinian to tap one back for the Foxes. Fraser’s dismal afternoon was compounded in the 74th minute after VAR deemed the Scotsman had denied Jamie Vardy a goalscoring position inside of the box, leading to a red card and a penalty being given to which Vardy emphatically thumped home for 2-2. The drama peaked right at the very death however, as in the 8th minute of injury time, Jordan Ayew rolled home a finish through the whole defence to steal all 3 points for the Foxes. The win left Martin’s deflated Saints 19th on 1 point, and propelling Cooper’s joyous Foxes up to 14th on 9 points.
MOTM- Jamie Vardy
Bournemouth 2-0 Arsenal
Bournemouth pulled off a performance for the ages after inflicting the first loss of the season on an out-of-sorts Gunners side. The major action of the first half came in the 28th minute, when the referee Robert Jones initially booked centre-back William Saliba for bringing down Evanilson as he looked to break forward. The VAR however took a look at this and, after referring a second look for Jones, agreed that Saliba denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity and sent the Frenchman off. The rest of the first half was stronger for the Cherries, as Tavernier and Semenyo had chances to put their side ahead before the half.
Bournemouth continued an overall strong offensive setup in the second half, with Semenyo going somewhat close just after the restart. The first blow was hit in the 70th minute, after a Cherries corner was laid off by Justin Kluivert for Ryan Christie who finished emphatically into the top left corner for 1-0. Only 9-minutes-later and the Cherries had doubled their lead rather controversially, after Raya made a mess in the penalty box allowing Kluivert to step up and convert from the spot for 2-0. The full time whistle blew to the disbelief of the home fans and the anger of those opposite, leaving Iraola’s Cherries in 12th place whereas keeping Arteta’s Arsenal in 3rd.
MOTM- Justin Kluivert
Tottenham 4-1 West Ham
Tottenham secured 3 points in style against their capital rivals after coming back from a goal down. The joy initially came in the match for the Hammers in the 18th minute, after Jarrod Bowen controlled the ball during a pinball spell in the box and rolled it to the feet of Mohammed Kudus who shot above everyone to put his side ahead. Spurs didn’t need too long to get level however, as Dejan Kulusevski placed a shot that hit both posts before rolling in during the 36th minute, putting the scores level before half time.
Spurs started off the second half with a flurry of pressure, and it paid off only 7 minutes after the restart when Udogie controlled a ball for Bissouma to easily strike into the net, putting the home side ahead. Only 3 minutes later Spurs had earned a cushion in the game, after Son struck a tame effort that ricocheted between Areola and Todibo to gently roll into the net, getting Spurs their third goal. They weren’t done there however, as they carried on their blitz of West Ham when Son Heung-Min was set down the left and, after some nice footwork, struck goal to get the home side’s fourth of the day. The drama peaked in the game when a head loss moment occurred for Mohammed Kudus after lashing out repeatedly against Van de Ven, leaving no choice but a straight red card. The result sees Ange’s Spurs move up to 7th in the league, whereas leaving Lopetegui’s Hammers in 15th place.
MOTM- Son Heung-Min
Wolves 1-2 Manchester City
Man City rescued their title pursuit at the very death following a cagey match against a stubborn Wolves side. The breakthrough came early on for Wolves when they forged ahead in the 7th minute following a strong run and delivery from Nelson Semedo into the path of the towering Norwegian Jorgen Strand-Larsen to tap home. Josko Gvardiol has a habit of scoring from range, and he didn’t dissapoint in this game as in the 33rd minute, after picking the ball up from Doku, he unleashed an effort past Jose Sa who could get a small but ineffective hand to it to put City level.
The second half may have lacked in major action, but both defences were tested across the second 45. City’s best chance came after Ruben Dias picked up the ball on the edge of the area and struck from range needing a strong hand to palm away, whereas Wolves came closest from a Cunha strike that sailed narrowly wide. The ultimate drama came at the death in the 95th minute, when Phil Foden sent in a delivery to John Stones who nodded home past Sá to ultimately, following a lengthy VAR check, hand City all 3 points. The result meant Guardiola’s City stay in 2nd behind Liverpool, whereas O’Neil’s wolves stay rock bottom in 20th on 1 point.
MOTM- Josko Gvardiol
Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
Liverpool reaffirmed their role at the top of the Premier League this weekend after beating a stubborn Chelsea side. Liverpool started the game off strongly, and it paid off in the 29th minute when talisman Mohamed Salah slotted home from the penalty spot after Colwill fouled Jones. The reds though they had doubled their lead in the 32nd minute after the dutchman Gakpo turned home from a cross, but the linesman took no time to think before flagging for offside. Just before the half time whistle Liverpool were awarded another penalty after a foul from Sanchez, however VAR was quick to overrule it.
Chelsea needed a response to maintain their strong form before coming into this game, and the change of Pedro Neto on at the break showed that. It didn’t take long for Chelsea to dent Liverpool, as only 3 minutes after the restart Nicolas Jackson snuck in behind the defence and tapped home being flagged for offside however. VAR took a lengthy look however, and after drawing lines of all sorts, the goal was awarded. The celebrations were abruptly cut short however, as Curtis Jones took advantage off a switched-off Chelsea defence and scored only 2 minutes later. Despite Chelsea’s flurry of chances at the end, the referee blew for full time and Liverpool took all 3 points, leaving Slot’s team top of the Premier League on 21 points, and leaving Maresca’s men on 14 points in 5th place.
MOTM- Mohamed Salah
Manchester United 2-1 Brentford
Manchester United got back to winning ways this weekend after coming from behind against a tricky Brentford side. The first half was a cagey affair, with both teams having chances through Norgaard and Garnacho being the primary attackers involved. It was the Bees who stung first in the game at the very end of the half, when Mikkel Damsgaard swooped a lovely corner into the path of the towering Ethan Pinnock who headed home in injury time, putting his side ahead despite De Ligt being off the pitch.
However, as troubled as their defence may be, United don’t tend to lose at home very much, and parity was restored 2 minutes after the restart after Marcus Rashford delivered a sumptuous cross into the box for Alejandro Garnacho to volley home emphatically to bring the scores level. Manchester United kept up the pressure in the half, and it paid off 62 minutes in after some lovely play between Martinez and Fernandes set Hojlund away, allowing the Danish striker all the time to come up with a superb dink over Flekken, putting the Red Devils ahead. The game ebbed away from here, and the full-time whistle was sounded to the relief of the United support. The result ups Ten Hag’s team to 12th place, whilst dropping Frank’s Bees down to 13th place.
MOTM- Alejandro Garnacho
Ipswich Town 0-2 Everton
Everton pulled off their first away win of the season after a convincing display against a poor Ipswich side. Despite a mediocre performance, the Tractor Boys looked like forging ahead early on after Clarke somehow skied a delicious ball delivered into him from Burns. Everton were in the mood to punish this however, and they did so in the 16th minute when Iliman Ndiaye robbed Wes Burns off the ball and composed himself to slot a finish past Muric. Ipswich thought they were handed a lifeline 13 minutes later when Michael Oliver pointed to the spot for an Ipswich penalty, however VAR quickly overturned it. Everton kept up their pressure, and it paid off just before half time when, in the 40th minute, Michael Keane smashed home from a tight angle to double the Toffee’s lead.
The second half at Portman Road was meant to promise action, however there ultimately lacked all that mattered in the half. Everton maintained a strong defensive performance and drew in Ipswich for counterattacks through Calvert Lewin and Ndiaye, thus leading to yellow cards for offenders such as Jack Taylor. Ipswich failed to muster any real attacking threat, coming closest through Burgess. The referee blew for full-time to the joy of the away side, leaving Dyche’s Everton with 3 more points in 16th place, whereas McKenna’s Ipswich remain winless in 17th place.
MOTM- Michael Keane
Newcastle 0-1 Brighton
The Seagulls swooped all three points off of the Magpies in a cagey game on Saturday afternoon. Newcastle begun the game on the front foot, with chances being handed to Alexander Isak to put his side ahead, yet he couldn’t convert either. Brighton sought to punish Newcastle’s blunt finishing and they did so in the 35th minute after Welbeck played a wonderful one-two with Rutter and bent a shot into the corner to put the Seagulls ahead. Newcastle nearly levelled before half time when Antony Gordon sent a rocket to the far corner, but Verbruggen reacted well to make the save.
Brighton may have seemed to adopt a smash-and-grab approach in the first half, and this was only the same in the second as Newcastle looked to hurt them from the off. Eddie Howe’s side may have been wondering how they didn’t equalise, as Isak and Gordon both shared plenty of chances between them throughout the half, but it was ultimately Brighton who held on despite a small scare that former centre-back Dan Burn had scored- a header that was quickly shown as offside. The referee blew for full time propelling Hurzeler’s side up to 5th place, and sinking Howe’s Magpies down to 9th.
MOTM- Danny Welbeck
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest continued their highly impressive start to the season after sinking a disappointing Palace side. Despite an effort from Eze which went close minutes in, Forest looked the strongest attacking side through star striker Chris Wood, as he headed wide following a great cross from Anderson. Nketiah shook the post mid-way through the half, but Forest quickly hit back as Yates hit the post two minutes later. Just before the whistle Forest nearly scored again after Wood narrowly missed another great delivery from Anderson.
Crystal Palace looked to get their first win of the season in the second half, and they came close when Eze agonisingly struck the post 15 minutes in following a great save from Sels. It was Forest who got the all-important goal in this tie 65 minutes in, after Chris Wood controlled a ball and struck the far corner’s net when Dean Henderson really should have done better. Palace weren’t quite finished, as they threatened late on with a strong Schlupp shot needing a save, but the referee called full time on the game to the joy of the home fans. The win leaves Nuno’s in-form Forest in 8th, whereas keeping Glasner’s Eagles in 18th place.
MOTM- Chris Wood
