Liverpool wins thriller over Arsenal
Liverpool only had one win in its previous 20 games at Arsenal ahead of this weekend, so the Reds certainly didn’t have history on their side. Fortunately for Jurgen Klopp that Arsenal was dealing with an injury crisis: defenders Per Mertesacker and Gabriel were out, while a lack of match fitness also kept Laurent Koscielny on the sidelines. As a result, Arsene Wenger was forced to deploy a pair of youngsters—Calum Chambers, 21, and Rob Holding, 20—in the centre of defence.
Liverpool took full advantage of Arsenal’s makeshift back line, scoring four goals in a breathless 18-minute span after going down 1-0, and having been completely out-played in the opening half. Philippe Coutinho was the star of the show, with his superb free kick tying things up just before half time. His second goal, to give Liverpool a 3-1 lead, came after a silky, 19-pass sequence that saw Liverpool carve open Arsenal’s defence. The Brazilian’s volley at the near post off a cross from Nathaniel Clyne was the turning point, as Liverpool was flying and took firm control of the game moments later when Sadio Mane scored a fourth. Arsenal pulled to within a goal to make things interesting, but Liverpool held on to record a memorable win.
It wasn’t easy, but Man City got the job done
James Sharman, Craig Forrest, and Danny Dichio recap Saturday’s action in the Premier League, including Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Sunderland in Pep Guardiola’s debut as manager of the Citizens.
Manchester United off and running
Several new players, a new manager, and a new attitude at Manchester United—this was one of the major narratives ahead of the start of the season. But is it the beginning of a new era? We’ll have to wait and see, as we can’t read too much into the Red Devils’ 3-1 win away to Bournemouth. No doubt, there was bit of good fortune to United’s victory, with Juan Mata scoring off a defensive blunder and captain Wayne Rooney heading home after a wayward shot by Anthony Martial. But there were also some lovely skill, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic marking his Premier League debut with a goal by unleashing a long-range effort that beat goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
On the whole, it wasn’t champagne stuff from Manchester United. However, that’s the point—with Jose Mourinho now at the helm, the focus has shifted from playing entertaining and attacking football to a much more pragmatic style. That was in full evidence on Sunday, as the Red Devils’ managed the game with aplomb, keeping Bournemouth at arm’s length for the majority of the contest.
Champs slump to loss, two promoted clubs pick up points
It wasn’t the best start to the season for Leicester City, who began defence of their Premier League title with a surprising 2-1 loss away to Hull City. The Foxes largely dominated the first half, but fell to the Tigers when Robert Snodgrass potted the winner early in the second half. Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment of his club’s performance, complaining that his players lacked teamwork and squandered too many chances.
It was a great result for Hull, who was dealt a major blow when manager Steve Bruce left in July, leaving caretaker boss Mike Phelan only a few weeks to re-organize the squad before the start of the season. Full credit must be given to Hull, who played without fear against the champions, and was truly deserving of the win. Hull wasn’t the only newly-promoted side to make waves on the opening weekend—Middlesbrough played Stoke City to a 1-1 draw at home, marking their return to the Premier League following a seven-year absence by picking up a valuable point.
Manchester United off and running
Several new players, a new manager, and a new attitude at Manchester United—this was one of the major narratives ahead of the start of the season. But is it the beginning of a new era? We’ll have to wait and see, as we can’t read too much into the Red Devils’ 3-1 win away to Bournemouth. No doubt, there was bit of good fortune to United’s victory, with Juan Mata scoring off a defensive blunder and captain Wayne Rooney heading home after a wayward shot by Anthony Martial. But there were also some lovely skill, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic marking his Premier League debut with a goal by unleashing a long-range effort that beat goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
On the whole, it wasn’t champagne stuff from Manchester United. However, that’s the point—with Jose Mourinho now at the helm, the focus has shifted from playing entertaining and attacking football to a much more pragmatic style. That was in full evidence on Sunday, as the Red Devils’ managed the game with aplomb, keeping Bournemouth at arm’s length for the majority of the contest.
Champs slump to loss, two promoted clubs pick up points
It wasn’t the best start to the season for Leicester City, who began defence of their Premier League title with a surprising 2-1 loss away to Hull City. The Foxes largely dominated the first half, but fell to the Tigers when Robert Snodgrass potted the winner early in the second half. Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment of his club’s performance, complaining that his players lacked teamwork and squandered too many chances.
It was a great result for Hull, who was dealt a major blow when manager Steve Bruce left in July, leaving caretaker boss Mike Phelan only a few weeks to re-organize the squad before the start of the season. Full credit must be given to Hull, who played without fear against the champions, and was truly deserving of the win. Hull wasn’t the only newly-promoted side to make waves on the opening weekend—Middlesbrough played Stoke City to a 1-1 draw at home, marking their return to the Premier League following a seven-year absence by picking up a valuable point.
BEST GOAL
Watch as Philipe Coutinho ties the game for Liverpool with a beauty of a free kick vs. Arsenal.
BEST SAVE
In second-half injury time, Manchester United struggled to clear its lines when the ball fell to Bournemouth’s Max Gradel inside the box. The Ivorian fired a shot on net through traffic, but David de Gea did very well to move across his line to get a hand on it.
BEST MOMENT
The reaction of caretaker manager Mike Phelan after newly-promoted Hull City defeated reigning league champions Leicester City:
BEST GAME
It has to be Liverpool’s road win over Arsenal, doesn’t it? Seven goals, some sublime build-up play, plenty of drama—it was entertaining stuff at the Emirates.
BEST QUOTE
“I was asked to take over the team pre-season when Steve [Bruce] departed. I’ve had the backing of the players. It’s been difficult because we had to change things to keep 11 fit players. There’s a lot of euphoria around that dressing room. We know it’s a long, hard season. The players need the opportunity to rest and recover.” – Mike Phelan
STATS TO THINK ABOUT
• Alvaro Negredo has scored with his first shot on target in the Premier League for both Manchester City and Middlesbrough.
• Xherdan Shaqiri scored Stoke’s first direct free kick goal in the Premier League since October 2013.
• Sunderland’s Paddy McNair is the first player to score an own-goal on his Premier League debut for a club since QPR’s Danny Gabbidon did the same on Aug. 13, 2011.
• Jermain Defoe has scored in 16 different Premier League seasons—he is the eighth different player to score in 16 or more Premier League campaigns.
• Henrikh Mkhitaryan is the first Armenian to play in the Premier League, which means 112 different nations have now been represented.
• Liverpool is the first team to score four goals in a Premier League game vs. Arsenal at the Emirates since Chelsea in May 2009.
Stats courtesy of Opta
THREE STARS
1) Philippe Coutinho: The Brazilian was the driving force behind Liverpool’s blistering attack, scoring two goals and setting up another one.
2) Zlatan Ibrahimovic: The Swede scored in his Premier League debut, and was effective as the reference point of Manchester United’s attack.
3) Xherdan Shaqiri: Helped Stoke City earn a point away to Middlesbrough with a fabulous free-kick goal.
Source: SportNet
