EPL Winners and Losers After Sunday's 2019 Week 6 Premier League Results
September 22, 2019
Jurgen Klopp finally got the result Liverpool needed away to a member of the top six after the Premier League leaders beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino scored to help the Reds prove their mettle on their travels on the same day Unai Emery got a reprieve thanks to Arsenal's stunning comeback against Aston Villa. Nicolas Pepe, Calum Chambers and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored to help the Gunners overcome going down to 10 men and trailing 2-1.
While Emery emerged as a winner, things didn't go as well for Marcus Rashford. He left Manchester United's 2-0 defeat to West Ham United with a groin injury after another subdued performance up top.
Similarly, Tammy Abraham wasn't able to keep his scoring run going against Liverpool's rugged defence.
Sunday Results
- Crystal Palace 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
- West Ham United 2-0 Manchester United
- Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa
- Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool
Winner: Emery's Job Security
There were more than a few questions asked about Emery after Arsenal couldn't protect a 2-0 lead against bottom-of-the-table Watford. Since then, though, the Spaniard has overseen victories in two competitions, with the comeback against Villa following a 3-0 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Both results have shown some of the positives Emery is working toward with the Gunners. He's showcased young talent, handing a start to Bukayo Saka against Villa after the 18-year-old winger's match-winning display in Germany.
Emery has also established a reputation as a coach unafraid to react quickly when things aren't going well and able to adapt to changing circumstances. He did both when introducing utility defender Calum Chambers for Saka at the break to reshuffle the team following Ainsley Maitland-Niles being sent off for a second yellow card shortly before the first half ended.
With Arsenal still not dictating the play after the restart, Emery hooked misfiring midfield duo Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka for the industry and aggression of Joe Willock and Lucas Torreira. Those changes altered the game and gave the Gunners the energy they needed to force a comeback.
Emery still has a lot to prove, but this week hasn't done his chances of staying in the job long enough to win his doubters over any harm.
Loser: Marcus Rashford
United couldn't have done more to way to clear the way for Marcus Rashford to make the centre-forward berth his own. The club shipped Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter Milan, leaving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to put his faith in Rashford to lead the line.
While he's scored three goals in the league so far this season, Rashford has looked far from convincing. He's supposed to be the focal point of United's attack, but the 21-year-old has been struggling with the responsibility, leaving the Red Devils worryingly goal-shy.
Solskjaer has already had to give his first-choice striker the dreaded vote of confidence, per Stuart Mathieson of the club's official website: "We are working every single day in training with Marcus and he wants to improve and wants to be better."
Rashford's chances of answering the call have been hit by the groin problem that forced him off against the Hammers after 61 minutes. Solskjaer has admitted he doesn't know how long Rashford will be out, per Sky Sports' Blake Welton.
Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood have been dealing with injury and illness, but both are waiting in the wings to make the striker position their own.
Getting injured right when his form is under the spotlight is more than bad luck for Rashford. It could be the beginning of the end of his audition as United's primary centre-forward.
Winner: Liverpool's Top-6 Record
Jurgen Klopp tried to play it down during the week, but the Liverpool boss knew the pressure his team was under ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge.
Klopp was asked about a dire record away to the division's top six that had seen the Reds win just one of their last 12. He called the numbers "so surprising," per Andy Hunter of the Guardian.
Surprise or no, there is no underestimating the significance of Sunday's win. First, it made tangible history:
Second, Liverpool exorcised some demons of sorts after last season's 1-1 draw at the same venue. It was the first time Klopp's men dropped points during the 2018/19 campaign, but it also started a troubling pattern in big games.
Liverpool drew at Arsenal, away to United and lost at Manchester City. Those missed opportunities added up and had a fatal impact in a title race eventually settled in the Citizens' favour by just a single point.
Klopp must have allowed himself a wry smile after Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and the rest of the Liverpool defence had survived intense pressure during the second half in west London.
It's a sign Liverpool may have the extra bit of toughness to beat City over the line this season.
Loser: Tammy Abraham
Abraham has been scoring for fun, but like any young player, he'll only convince the wider audience he's genuine once he produces against elite opposition.
There's no doubt Liverpool fit the bill, but Abraham didn't bring his best game to match the occasion. Instead, the 21-year-old fluffed his lines twice when presented with good chances in the first half.
Having failed to score against Valencia in the UEFA Champions League in the week, Abraham is finding out how difficult it is to stay consistent at the highest level.
It's a lesson Abraham will learn, and he still has the backing of one man who scored for fun at the top end of the game for years:
For now though, Abraham needs to develop a ruthless streak in big games if he's going to continue keeping Olivier Giroud on the outside looking in.