Week 7 gave us 25 goals and 32 yellows, 7 of which were shown in the Bournemouth v Crystal Palace game.
West Ham United v Manchester United
3-1
Jose Mourinho’s off-pitch drama seems to have finally followed his players on to the pitch. From the very start the Manchester club didn’t look themselves, they were slow getting to the mark, they lacked ambition and the London club spent a lot of the first half walking all over them, going in to halftime with a 2-0 lead.
West Ham went ahead after just five minutes, Felipe Anderson with a beautiful flick kick to score, he was just offside, but the goal was given. After that the game seemed to settle slightly, until Andriy Yarmolenko doubled the host’s lead through a deflected shot just before half time, that goal has now gone down as a Victor Lindelöf own goal.
Manchester United came out looking slightly stronger in the second half, coming very close to scoring half way through but Lukasz Fabianski kept his side in it with a superb save. Marcus Rashford came on and scored their only goal of the game. Just as United looked to be getting back in to it, Man of the Match Marko Arnautović, scored just three minutes later, giving West Ham a 3-1 lead.
West Ham deserved the win the way they played, however, the stats show a more balanced story; Manchester United had 51% possession, 9 shots to West Ham’s 8, 4 shots on target to their 3.
Drama seems to follow Mourinho everywhere since his first spell at Chelsea and his time at Inter Milan. Former England striker turned tv pundit Alan Shearer thinks it’s only a matter of time before Jose Mourinho is out the door at Manchester United. It’s still relatively early in the season so there’s plenty of time for a new manager to come in a turn things around. United face Chelsea, Man City and Juventus soon and if they’re to have a fighting chance against any of them, something has to change. Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has been very open about his want to manage the club.
Up Next:
Premier League:
Brighton v West Ham – Friday October 5th (3pm)
United v Newcastle – Saturday October 6th (12:30pm)
Champions League:
United v Valencia – Tuesday October 2nd (3pm)
Arsenal v Watford
2-0
With 10 minutes to go it appeared that the fourth-placed Hornets, with wins over Spurs and Man United this season, would frustrate another Premier League giant. Then Arsenal scored twice in the final nine minutes to record their seventh straight win in all competitions.
Alex Iwobi came on midway through the second half and changed the game. He drove a low ball to get Arsenal’s opener, though it took a deflection off of Watford’s Craig Cathcart resulting in an own goal. Two minutes later the Nigerian was involved in a one-two with Alexandre Lacazette, who delivered a cross to Mesut Ozil who sidefooted home.
Watford came close a couple of times before the Gunners got their first with Arsenal substitute keeper Bernd Leno making a great one-handed save to deny Andre Gray. Issac Success also fired narrowly wide of the far post.
The £19m German goalkeeper replaced Petr Cech just before half time after he felt he’d pulled his hamstring after taking a goal-kick.
Up Next:
Europa League:
FK Qarabag v Arsenal – Thursday October 4th (12:55pm)
Premier League:
Fulham v Arsenal – Sunday October 7th (7am)
Watford v Bournemouth – Saturday October 6th (10am)
Everton v Fulham
3-0
Gylfi Sigurdsson made amends for missing a penalty as his second-half execution helped Everton record their first win since August and inflict a fourth defeat of the season on Fulham.
Substitute Tosun doubled the Toffees’ lead 10 minutes later with an easy header at the far post from a clever Theo Walcott cross.
Sigurdsson added a third for the hosts in the 89th minute following a Bernard run.
Fulham have never won at Goodison Park in the league, losing 23 – the last 22 in a row – and drawing the other four. Slavisa Jokanovic’s side sit three points above the bottom three with just one league win this season.
Up Next:
Carabao Cup:
Everton v Southampton – Tuesday October 2nd (2:45pm)
Premier League:
Leicester v Everton – Saturday October 6th (10am)
Fulham v Arsenal – Sunday October 7th (7am)
Huddersfield Town v Tottenham Hotspur
0-2
Harry Kane scored both goals for Spurs in the first half. The first, a header from a perfect right-wing cross from Kieran Trippier. His second, a penalty after Danny Rose went down in the box after contact from Florent Hadergjonaj, the England captain sent Jonas Lossl the wrong way.
Huddersfield’s best chance came from Laurent Depoitre but it hit the bar, although by that point the hosts were already well beaten. They now sit bottom of the table with only 2 draws from 7 games and no wins.
Up Next:
Premier League:
Burnley v Huddersfield – Saturday October 6th (10am)
Spurs v Cardiff – Saturday October 6th (10am)
Champions League:
Spurs v Barcelona – Wednesday October 3rd (3pm)
Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion
2-0
Brighton did well to hold the reigning champions to just a 2-0 scoreline at the Etihad.
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero sent them top of the Premier League with victory over Brighton.
Sterling broke the deadlock after 29 minutes, hitting home from Leroy Sane’s cross after a swift counter-attack opened up the Seagulls defence. Aguero sealed the 3pts in the 65th minute, firing home from a Sterling pass.
Pep Guardiola’s side had 28 attempts at goal, while the visitors had just four. Seagulls keeper Mat Ryan was kept busy throughout and did a good job, the only action Ederson saw for City was to comfortably collect an early looping header by Shane Duffy.
Up Next:
Champions League:
Hoffenheim v Man City – Tuesday October 2nd (12:55pm)
Premier League:
Liverpool v Man City – Sunday October 7th (11:30am)
Brighton v West Ham – Friday October 5th (3pm)
Newcastle United v Leicester City
0-2
The Magpies’ miserable season continued when Jamie Vardy scored from the penalty spot in the first half after DeAndre Ydelin was deemed to have handled the ball. Harry Maguire, who impressed for England at the World Cup, doubled their lead in the 73rd minute to secure his side the 3pts.
To make Vardy and Maguire‘s day even better, England manager Gareth Southgate was at St James’ Park to enjoy their impressive performance.
Newcastle remain without a win this season, and fans made their anger known in chants aimed at owner Mike Ashley throughout the game. He attended his first home game since May 2017 today and seemed to respond with wry smiles.
Martin Dubravka made some quality saves to help prevent his sides’ deficit getting any worse. Jonjo Shelvey went closest for the home side in the first half with a specular effort from his own half, which a back-tracking Kasper Schmeichel only just kept out.
Up Next:
Man United v Newcastle – Saturday October 6th (12:30pm)
Leicester v Everton – Saturday October 6th (10am)
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Southampton
2-0
Coming off a well deserved draw against Manchester United last weekend, Wolves impressed again.
Ivan Cavaleiro scored with his first touch in the Premier League with just 11 minutes remaining, converting after record signing Adama Traore impressed down the right. Jonathan Castro Otto secured the home team victory with a goal in the 87th minute after receiving Matt Doherty‘s cut-back.
Wolves are still unbeaten at home this season.
Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy produced an excellent save in the second half from a Raul Jimenez header to keep the Saints’ hopes alive. He’d already denied the Mexican in a tight first half, but the Saints have now won only four of their past 32 league fixtures.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves, sit 9th in the league and are now on an unbeaten top-flight run of five games for the first time since 1981.
Up Next:
Premier League:
Palace v Wolves – Saturday October 6th (10am)
Southampton v Chelsea – Sunday October 7th (9:15am)
Carabao Cup:
Everton v Southampton – Tuesday October 2nd (2:45pm)
Chelsea v Liverpool
1-1
Both sides still maintain their unbeaten starts to the Premier League season, but Liverpool will be disappointed to see their 100% winning start to the season come to and end.
This is the second time the two clubs have met this week. Chelsea walked away 2-1 victors after coming from behind in their Carabao Cup game on Wednesday.
Eden Hazard scored the winner midweek and he opened the scoring in London with a beautiful run and a scintillating finish from the far left side of the box. Chelsea took the lead after just 25 minutes.
Chelsea looked to be heading for their second victory of the week over the merseyside team, who wasted a host of opportunities, but, Daniel Sturridge had other plans when he curled a magnificent shot into the top corner from 25 yards to rescue a point for the Reds in the 89th minute.
Chelsea boss, Maurizio Sarri will have been disappointed to see Chelsea concede so late but can take pleasure from aspects of a performance that confirmed they’re on of the best in England and have the qualities to remain in the race at the top of the table.
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp will feel the negative impact of the end of Liverpool’s 100% start, but can reflect on a performance that produced many chances on away soil, against a team they will rightly view as close rivals in pursuit of the title.
Both Chelsea and Liverpool remain unbeaten with five and six league wins respectively, although seeing Man City above them despite their impressive opening is ominous.
Up Next:
Europa League:
Chelsea v MOL Vidi – Thursday October 4th (3pm)
Champions League:
Napoli v Liverpool – Wednesday October 3rd (3pm)
Premier League:
Southampton v Chelsea – Sunday October 7th (9:15am)
Liverpool v Manchester City – Sunday October 7th (11:30am)
Cardiff City v Burnley
1-2
Sam Vokes scored Burnely’s winner and a stellar performance from goalkeeper Joe Hart handed Cardiff their worst start to a season in 54 years. Cardiff came into the game having lost three consecutive Premier League matches, and have now gone 11 top-flight games without a win, they are also without a win in eight games in all competitions this season. Only Newcastle have scored fewer goals and no side has conceded more in the Premier League this season.
The Clarets on the other hand have won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time this season and Hart has had a big part in that. The 31 year old produced several excellent saves including a fingertip save to deny Josh Murphy shortly before Vokes’ winner. He was rightfully awarded Man of the Match and Cardiff boss, Neil Warnock admitted even he had applauded Hart’s fingertip save to deny Josh Murphy shortly before Burnley scored their winner.
Murphy was Cardiff’s best player, having a goal disallowed in the first half, he continued fighting and was rewarded on the hour mark when he scored the equalizer and his first Premier League goal.
The Welsh side can take something positive away from Sunday’s defeat though, with Warnock telling reporters, “it is a blow when we lose games like this, because we can’t play much better than that without winning a game.”
Cardiff face a big test next week when they’re hosted by a strong Spurs team who also have something to prove.
Up Next:
Spurs v Cardiff – Saturday October 6th (10am)
Burnley v Huddersfield – Saturday October 6th (10am)
AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace
2-1
David Brooks opened the scoring for the hosts after just 5 minutes, with a left footed shot from the centre of the box . Callum Wilson with the assist.
It took Crystal Palace an additional 50 minutes to score the equalizer. Wilfried Zaha slipped the ball through to Patrick van Aanholt who stepped inside onto his right foot and rifled it into the top of the net. It looked offside but the goal stood.
Palace got back in to the game and you could tell it was a confidence boost. Unfortunately a late moment of recklessness from Mamadou Sakho who raised an elbow to Jefferson Lerma‘s face resulted in a 87th minute penalty. With his first touch of the game Junior Stanislas converts from the spot and it’s game over for Palace.
Roy Hodgson will have mixed emotions after that game. He’ll be proud of his Palace side who were much improved in the second half, but disappointed at their missed chances and the late conceded penalty. They’ll go back to London with 0 points, instead of the 1 they thought they were certainly taking home and remain 13th in the table.
Their victory at the Vitality Stadium sees Bournemouth climb to 7th in the league, three places ahead of a struggling Manchester United and 2pts behind Spurs and Arsenal who sit 4th and 5th respectively.
Up Next:
Watford v Bournemouth – Saturday October 6th (10am)
Palace v Wolves – Saturday October 6th (10am)
ALL TIME’S U.S. EASTERN
Artistry of Sport 
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