10 Things We Learned from Premier League Week
It was a busy weekend in the Barclays Premier League and with the festive period fast approaching, sides at the top and the bottom were both fully aware of the importance of a decent result this weekend.
Certainly Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City were and they made the early running on Saturday lunchtime with an excellent 6-3 win over Arsenal.
Everton continued their excellent recent run with a 4-1 win over Fulham—without ever really getting out of second gear—while Chelsea closed the gap at the top of the table to just two points with their win over Crystal Palace.
On Sunday, Manchester United recorded an excellent win against a dire Aston Villa and Liverpool romped to a 5-0 hammering over Tottenham.
Here's a look at 10 things we learned from the weekend's Premier League action:
Can Manchester City Be Stopped at the Etihad
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Another home game for Manchester City, another goal fest and another away side leaving the Etihad Stadium with their tail firmly between their legs.
It's now eight games, eight wins and 35 goals scored for the Citizens on home turf and the question now is: can they be beaten at home in the Premier League this season?
Having already seen off Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Everton on home soil, they've beaten some of the Premier League's bigger guns.
When at it, this City side have the look of Premier League winners, with Manuel Pellegrini's squad a perfect composite of attacking pace, power and technique.
Sergio Aguero is outstanding, while his partnership with Alvaro Negredo prospers.
Samir Nasri is finding something like his best form, Jesus Navas has brought pace and verticality, while James Milner offers the kind of endurance that is somewhat unrivalled even at Premier League level.
Additionally, Fernandinho and Yaya Toure are the custodians of midfield, starting (and finishing) moves and there is still plenty more to come from pass-master David Silva.
Sure there are still question marks over them as potential Premier League winners, namely their goalkeepers' (both of them) tendency to throw one in occasionally, the defensive worries and that awful away record—just think how where they'd be if they'd not lost stupidly at Cardiff, Villa and Sunderland.
But at home, in front of their own supporters, there's no denying how blooming awesome Pellegrini's men have been.
Can anybody beat them?
6-3 Defeat Could Have Further Ramifications for Arsene Wenger's Side
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Nevermind the end of game sulk that saw Mesut Ozil traipse down the tunnel at the Etihad Stadium rather than going to clap the Gunners' supporters following their 6-3 stuffing by Manchester City, the Gunners showed their mental fragility in the face of a big side once again.
Earlier in the season, they enjoyed an excellent 1-0 win in Borussia Dortmund and no doubt they were flying at the time.
Full of confidence, they were in the midst of a thrillingly brilliant run and had an air about them that suggested they believed they couldn't be touched. Their football was fantastic, they could dominate or they could fight fire with fire, and invariably they came out on top.
However, after the Westfalenstadion, they went to Old Trafford and, despite having the best of the play, were beaten by David Moyes' side.
Its impact should not be dismissed.
Since then they've played at Cardiff (won 3-0), Napoli (lost 2-0) and now Manchester City. Suddenly, with these last two results, that air of being too good has almost certainly given way.
And this defeat could have major repercussions to their title pursuit.
Here, they looked, for much of the second period, utterly shell-shocked. City were so quick, so powerful, that for much of the second half it seemed they could score at will. They swarmed through midfield, Yaya Toure and Fernandinho thrusting through almost effortlessly. Their Arsenal counterparts couldn't get near them.
And to concede six times! Regardless of your best centre-back and defensive midfielder(s) being off the pitch, that's dreadfully poor for a side with title aspirations.
Certainly, earlier this year, Arsenal went on an outstanding run of consecutive away wins. But other than against Dortmund or a Bayern Munich side who had taken their foot off the gas, they started as favourites in every game.
Now, against sides of similar ability, they've been found wanting in three matches.
So yes, the 6-3 defeat has offered a great number of questions.
But it could be a few weeks until we fully understand its full impact on a side who have proven notoriously fragile before.
Best in the World?
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With usual captain Steve Gerrard missing through injury and watching on, Luis Suarez took the captain's armband for their trip to White Hart Lane and led from the front with an awesome performance in a 5-0 win for the Reds.
The Uruguayan star was at the heart of a magnificent performance from Brendan Rodgers' side, terrorising the Spurs defence with his movement and intelligence, helping himself to two goals and having a hand in the other three.
It prompted Gerrard, to hail the Liverpool No. 7 as the world's best footballer right now, as per The Mirror:
"On current form Luis Suarez is the best player in the world at the moment.
"
Unquestionably, Suarez is in frightening form this season.
In 11 Premier League appearances since his return from his biting ban, he's netted 17 goals, while assisting in a further eight.
Simply put, he's making the world of difference to the Reds, and is perhaps the main reason why Gerrard now believes the 18-time English champions are title contenders.
And certainly he has really kicked it up a notch or two this term and particularly in the Reds' last three matches, where he has scored eight times and laid on five more.
Those my friends are numbers that Messrs. Messi and Ronaldo would rightly be proud of.
So is Gerrard right? Is his Uruguayan teammate presently the best player in the world?
If he keeps this up, he'll make a hell of a lot of believers out of those who believe otherwise.
"Luis Suárez scores a goal, creates a chance or records an assist once every 20.6 mins in the EPL this season. Wow. pic.twitter.com/Jqc5ZqNCTD
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 15, 2013"
A Matter of Time for Andre Villas-Boas
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The Tottenham Hotspur boss endured a miserable day at the office on Sunday. Of that, there can be no doubt.
Turning up for work in the morning, he'll have no doubt been pleasantly anticipating the afternoon, as his side, unbeaten since their 6-0 thumping at Manchester City (where we know that everyone gets thumped) took on a Liverpool side without two of their key men—the England duo Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge.
Granted, he was without three of his first choice back four, with Jan Vertonghen, Vlad Chiriches and Danny Rose all missing, while Christian Eriksen, the playmaker, wasn't fit enough to make the matchday squad.
But still, on the back of Roberto Soldado's hat-trick against Anzhi in midweek and a solid performance it all boded well. Getting sacked was probably the furthest thing on his mind, while some bookmakers had him as a 10-1 shot.
However, 120 minutes after the action got underway in north London, things had taken a major downturn for the Portuguese coach.
Liverpool had romped to a 5-0 victory, his high defensive line had made a return with suicidal consequences (*looks at Michael Dawson*), they'd failed to muster a single shot on Simon Mignolet's goal and were thankful to the woodwork that they hadn't been hit for seven or eight.
Within 30 minutes of the final whistle, he was 1-4 with some betting companies to be the next Premier League manager to be shown the door.
In many ways, this was a far worse defeat than that suffered at the Etihad Stadium. Pre-game you could make a good argument that Spurs were favourites to take the three points; they'd have been just five points off the Premier League summit if they had.
But their performance was lamentable, lacking any kind of idea as to how to break down their opponents (again), Soldado was isolated (again) and there was no tempo or incision (again).
In fact, everything Brendan Rodgers side were, Spurs weren't.
After the game, AVB said that he was no quitter, as per The Mirror.
That may however be a decision which before too long is taken out of his hands.
"Tottenham absolutely hopeless. AVB insists he won't quit. But when a manager loses the support of the fans, is there any way back? No. #thfc
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) December 15, 2013"
When Will Chelsea Begin to 'Kill' Teams
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For the second week running, as per The Mirror, Jose Mourinho spoke of his side's inability to "kill" off a team when his Chelsea team were in the ascendancy.
"It could have been 4-1 or 5-1, but it could have been 2-2.
This is tense because when you miss chances to kill the opponent, when you're not in the best moment of your game and when you're in trouble, you fear the opponent can punish you.
"
Last week, it came back to bite the Blues, as Stoke claimed a 3-2 win at the Britannia Stadium, however on this occasion, despite squandering a number of openings in the second period, they held on to claim a 2-1 win.
Yet, as Mourinho rightly identified, it should have been more comfortable.
Forget Palace's recent defensive improvements since the arrival of Tony Pulis, the Blues created plenty of opportunities to put this game to bed. Yet still they fail to find that killer touch.
"It's getting painful to watch Chelsea consistently not kill off matches.
— Lauren Chelsea (@Lauren_Chelsea) December 14, 2013"
Certainly it's true that much of the blame is apportioned to the strikers, even though Fernando Torres scored here.
But what of the attacking midfielders, who again flattered to deceive? Yes, there's lots of pretty patterns and clever, intricate play to create opportunities, but where's the razor-sharp cutting edge when they get the chance to shoot?
Next up is an away trip to Arsenal, as Mourinho looks to keep up his unbeaten record over Arsene Wenger.
He'll hope his players find that edge against the league leaders, but they also need it in games they should win at a canter as well.
Otherwise, there remains the danger of unnecessary dropped points ruining their title challenge.
Joel Ward for England
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A major success story at Crystal Palace since his move from Portsmouth in 2012, Ward has taken the step up to the Premier League this season very much in his stride.
Though he's been excellent at right-back—his best position—in the early part of the campaign, Ward found himself deputising at left-back when Dean Moxey succumbed to injury in the recent home win against Cardiff. He responded with a solid, mature performance.
Once again at Stamford Bridge, Ward was asked to fill in by manager Tony Pulis and once again he was excellent.
Defensively he was strong, winning five aerial duels, making six tackles and being positionally sound throughout, while he also affected the game going the other way: it was Ward's cross which picked out Marouane Chamakh to score the first-half equaliser.
Considering he was out of his more natural position it was a magnificent showing, and one which saw him marked as WhoScored's highest rated player with an 8.1 rating.
".@joelward20: MotM vs Chelsea, Rating 8.1, Assists 1, Aerial Duels Won 5, Tackles 6, Clearances 4, Interceptions 2 http://t.co/Kx0932zmlG
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) December 14, 2013"
Now, after another excellent performance for his club, is it right to question whether the 24-year-old could have an international future with the Three Lions?
At right-back, England boss Roy Hodgson has a number of options: Kyle Walker is lightning quick but never truly inspires, Glen Johnson has had something of a mixed bag across his international career, while Chris Smalling is more of a centre-half.
As such, Hodgson may think he's well set ahead of next summer's World Cup, but looking ahead to qualifying for the 2016 European Championships, if Ward continues on his current upward trajectory, trips to Selhurst Park may prove fruitful for the England boss.
Lack of Character a Major Failing at Aston Villa
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In the opening 15 minutes at Villa Park, Aston Villa were the better team against the reigning Premier League champions.
They settled to their task quickly, prompting and probing, putting Manchester United on the back foot.
Then suddenly they were hit. Not once, but twice. And they never recovered.
Without Ron Vlaar, this was a Villa starting XI that lack genuine experience, Gabby Agbonlahor apart. And Paul Lambert will have learned that perhaps the side he is putting together lack character in front of their own fans.
Danny Welbeck's double knocked the stuffing out of them, but from that point no Villa player looked to take a firm grip on the game. Against a United side that has been highly-criticised and came into the game on the back of two league defeats at home for the first time in 11 years, Villa wilted and gave the game to them.
Tom Cleverley, much-maligned, was given the run of the park in central midfield to sit and make passes in midfield with no one getting in his face, while Wayne Rooney was allowed to drop into a midfield area and fire angled passes out wide seemingly at will. Antonio Valencia destroyed Antonio Luna, but the Spaniard was offered little help or protection at any point.
"Tom Cleverley completed 75 passes (94% accuracy) for Man Utd vs Aston Villa. #SquawkApp pic.twitter.com/aN9gf1U9tv
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 15, 2013"
But the problems lie with Villa and that in front of their own supporters, these Villa players appear scared. Scared to take the ball in tight areas and play, and scared to make a mistake in the search of a goal.
Plan A seems to only work away from home, plan B is lump it to Benteke and plan C (when the Belgian isn't seemingly interested) is non-existent. Where's the player looking to move in between the lines, to get on the ball with the purpose of making things happen?
Someone who actively seeks the ball and says, I'll make things happen. At present, there simply isn't anyone.
No doubt the Holte End can be a demanding crowd. But they'll support their side if they think they're giving it a real go, regardless of the final result.
Unfortunately, as only six goals and two wins out of seven at home this term suggest, they deserve better. Certainly, they deserve greater character from their side.
Big Sam in Need of a Reality Check
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Sam Allardyce's West Ham cannot score goals and no matter how much he points to their excellent defensive record, his side are in trouble.
Having blown their wad on Andy Carroll in the summer, only for the £17 million striker to have spent the opening months of the season on the treatment table, the Hammers have been goal shy, netting just 13 times in 16 Premier League games.
"West Ham have had more 0-0s this season than the Bundesliga.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) December 14, 2013"
And while Allardyce was applauded for his 4-6-0 formation that yielded a 3-0 win at Tottenham earlier in the season, it was never a solution, nor is Modibo Maiga.
After the draw with rock bottom Sunderland on Saturday, Allardyce was keen to stress the positives, that his side have kept eight clean sheets this term already.
However, drawing at home to a side who are five points from safety when you yourselves have won just three matches is simply not good enough if you hope to remain in the division.
Eventually, Allardyce is going to have to stop trying to either a) trying to fool the people, or b) trying to fool himself.
The sooner he realises that his side are on the verge of a mess, the better.
Gary Hooper Proving the Main Man for Norwich
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After Norwich's opening Premier League game of the season, I was rather scathing of club record signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel, despite his goalscoring debut (you can read that here).
Simply, after his spells at Sporting Lisbon and Vitesse Arnhem, I didn't rate him either as the striker Norwich needed, or good enough to get them goals. And there were a fair few Canaries fans unhappy with my declaration of not rating The Wolf.
Fortunately, in late August Chris Hughton completed a deal I was far more happy to get on board with: the signing of Celtic striker Gary Hooper.
Hard-working, a decent link man and an excellent finisher, the former Scunthorpe man has troubled some very good Champions League defences in recent years.
He arrived with a shin injury and his first few months at Carrow Road were certainly difficult as he struggled to make an impact while simultaneously looking to regain his sharpness.
In recent weeks however, that sharpness has returned and Hughton's side are reaping the rewards.
Hooper has helped himself to four goals in his last six matches, including the winner against Crystal Palace, the opener in the 2-0 win over West Brom and equalisers in the 3-1 win over West Ham and in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Swansea.
"“@FootbalIVines: Gary Hooper's brilliant GOLAZO for Norwich! https://t.co/TqqhgIkpTj” 🙌🙌🙌
— Joe Mehlman (@nosexwithjoe) December 15, 2013"
The 25-year-old is proving his weight in goals for Norwich and his exploits in the box could make all the difference come the end of the season. But also his willingness to work outside the area is giving the East Anglians a focal point to play off and they look a far better side for it.
A busy festive period kicks off with a trip to Sunderland and a home game against Fulham. Expect Hooper to once again prove his worth.
Delusions of Grandeur at West Brom See Clarke Sacked
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West Brom went down 1-0 at Cardiff City on Saturday, a fourth successive Premier League defeat and that was enough for chairman Jeremy Peace to hand manager Steve Clarke his P45.
Certainly Clarke's side have struggled in 2013, taking seven wins, 10 draws and 17 defeats from 34 matches over the course of the calendar year. That of course equates to 31 points, something like relegation form.
However, this is the same man that led the club to their highest league position in 30 years last season when they finished eighth.
The same man who was widely lauded earlier this season after leading them to a 2-1 win at Old Trafford and who has had to deal with the losses of their two main goalscorers in the offseason—Romelu Lukaku and Peter Odemwingie.
As such, it seems extremely harsh on Clarke, who has since declared he has "unfinished business" at the Hawthorns (via The Mirror).
"Steve Clarke sacked by west brom I find that incredible top ten finish last season and out of work by Xmas this season
— Carlton Palmer (@carltonpalmer3) December 15, 2013"
And it begs the question: What are West Brom expecting?
Their budget is among the lowest in the top division, both in terms of spending on transfers (Albion spent £13 million on transfers in the summer, newly-promoted Cardiff spent £35 million) and also wages.
They keep expenditure to a minimum, as Peace is keen on the club being self-sufficient and never falling into a Portsmouth/Leeds United type situation.
So eighth position last season was something of a minor miracle, produced by Clarke as he got his players to perform well above their usual level in the latter part of 2012.
Now what do they want? The same each year? If so I'd suggest spending a bit more money as bar a few and speculate to accumulate.
In the end, it seems Clarke has become a victim of his own success.
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