Match week five may be looked back on at the end of the season as the point when the Premier League exploded into life. 78 goals had been scored up to this point, an average on 19.5 per game. This weekend we saw 29 goals, a sacking and a number of other Managers start to feel the heat. So for the week five review lets start at the beginning and the opening game on Saturday.
SATURDAY
Norwich 0, Villa 1
Norwich lost to Villa as the old boss returned again to Carrow Road. Such is the hostility surrounding his departure to the Midlands club that he made clear he would not be sharing a drink in the Chairman’s Lounge after the match. At the start of the game Villa were a point below the Canaries who after starting well with a draw and a win now find themselves deep into September not only without a win, but also without a goal.
Villa were early runners and Weimann was unlucky not do score, his shot hitting the post after beating Ruddy. The home side could have taken the lead after Chris Foy pointed to the spot after a Clark hand ball. Guzan saved the Snodgrass effort which was justice as I felt the penalty was harsh in the first place.
Benteke then received an injury and despite trying to return he was eventually replaced by new signing Kozak. It was the substitute who then scored at the second attempt after the first was saved by the keeper only for Agbonlahor to turn it back to him and give him a second bite. That would be how it ended, moving Villa to mid table respectability while slipping Norwich down into the bottom three.
The distraction of a League Cup game for Norwich is next followed by a tough away trip to Stoke. October doesn’t start off any better either with Chelsea and Arsenal both up for Hughtons team who, after spending a ton of money in the summer, is now feeling the pressure from at least a section of the supporters.
Liverpool 0, Southampton 1
Liverpool had a great start to the season, their best for years. It is however starting to slip away with a draw away to Swansea on Monday night was followed up by a defeat at home to Southampton on Saturday.
Liverpool had the early pressure but great saves from Boric in the Southampton goal kept the visitors in it. Sturridge was also unlucky not to be awarded a penalty just after half an hour when the young Englishman was brought down in the area.
Second half and Southampton put on the pressure with Liverpool flapping. It was just such an incident where Liverpool started off comfortable on the halfway line only to then concede a corner through several errors which gave Southampton a corner. From that corner Lovern was strongest and despite Gerrard’s best attempt put Liverpool 1-0 down.
Southampton didn’t relax though and when Luke Shaw ran through the Liverpool defense it was only a great double save from Mignolet which stopped the one becoming two and keeping Liverpool in touch.
The Liverpool fans will expect more come Wednesday when they play United.
Newcastle 2, Hull 3
What a game this was. Newcastle started the season poor but went into this game looking for their third straight League win and it wasn’t long before they were 1-0 up. Loic Remy scored with a great header with just ten minutes on the clock. Just over fifteen minutes later Hull were back level though after a spell of bad defending Robbie Brady scored with a hard and low shot going between Krul’s legs.
Hull had the best chances after that but failed to convert. With a minute to go before the half Remy scored again to make it 2-1.
Second half was all Hull as Newcastle seemed to relax just a bit too much. A Robbie Brady free kick was redirected by Elmohamady leveled up the scores once more. From then there would only be one winner and the best of the five goals came from Sonny Aluko who volleyed first time from the edge of the area. There were fifteen minutes remaining plus five minutes of stoppage time was set up for a Remy hat trick which came but not converted by the Frenchman.
West Brom 3, Sunderland 0
This game had its talking points during the game but the headlines came after the game with Paulo DiCanio approaching the traveling fans at the end of the game and engaging in some sign language with the fans. Some of what Paulo was signaling to the away fans like ’keep your chins up’ could be read. The fans signals back were not up for interpretation, it was clear. Twenty four hours later and the news came that the Italian had been sacked and Sunderland were looking for a new manager.
To the game though and two of the basement teams battled out to see who would get their first win of the season.
After 20 minutes Sessegnon scored for West Brom against the side that let him go before the season for ‘not caring‘. He certainly cared when he scored against Di Canio although the scorer didn’t celebrate as he might have. West Brom really did have the run of the pitch and probably was a surprise they had to wait until the 75th minute before increasing their lead. It is probably bad tactical awareness by Di Canio to have used all his substitutes with still over twenty minutes left. When Fletcher had to come off a few minutes later that meant Sunderland were down to ten men with over fifteen minutes of normal game time left.
Ridgewell quickly made it 2-0 and from there the result was assured. Twenty minutes after the Fletcher injury, three minutes into stoppage time Amalfitana scored the third. At the final whistle Di Canio went to the fans, one of which chanted ‘you’ll be sacked in the morning’. Well it would be the afternoon, but he was sacked.
West Ham 2, Everton 3
The only team now unbeaten in the Premier League are Everton. Roberto Martinez lost Fellaini but are they missing him? I would say no.
It was always going to be tough for West Ham with their lack of power upfront combined with Everton’s scrooge of a defense. That said though it would be the London side who would draw first blood when a deflected Ravel Morrison shot beats Howard in the Everton net. That would be how the half ended and when the second half started Everton had a bit more about them. With the introduction of Lukaku they certainly looked a bit more threatening.
When Barkley was brought down by Collins just outside the area Leighton Baines stepped up. A curling free kick beat Jaaskelainen, found the net and put Everton right back in the mix.
From then Everton had the lion share of the chances but didn’t convert. When West Ham finally got in the box Nolan won a penalty after being upended by McCarthy. Noble stepped up to convert the penalty and give the Hammers a surprise 2-1 lead.
Everton and Leighton Baines had more to say on the subject though and in the space of two minutes Everton reversed the deficit. First Noble was sent off for a foul near to the first Baines goal and Baines again converted the free kick to level it up. Then Lukaku knocked himself out with a header which completed the reverse and saw Everton remain undefeated.
Chelsea 2, Fulham 0
On paper it is a good result for Chelsea with a clean sheet and a victory after two defeats in two. Under the surface though there are still problems at Chelsea and they do not look like the Mourinho Mk 1 Chelsea of a few years back.
At half time it was 0-0 and Chelsea looked sloppy. Darren Bent had a great opportunity for Fulham and should have scored but hit the shot straight at Cech. Mata and Luiz were not even in the named squad and Abramovic looked less than impressed every time the camera went his way.
Six minutes after the restart and six minutes before the end Chelsea did their damage. The first goal was coming but it was more through the fault of the Fulham keeper Stockdale than a potent Chelsea attack. The initial shot was fumbled by the keeper who did well to then parry the second but the direction was right to Oscar who turned it in.
Fulham had a few chances but nothing they could convert and then with six minutes left Obi Mikel scored the second and final goal which was a fantastic volley.
SUNDAY
Arsenal 3, Stoke 1
After that defeat at home to Villa on the opening day Arsenal are cruising up the League table and currently find themselves at the summit. A win Sunday against Stoke City was always likely and Ramsey eased any possible nerves after putting the Gunners ahead after just five minutes. New signing Ozil drilled in a free kick with was too hot to handle for the Stoke keeper and Ramsey was on hand to turn in the parried effort.
Stoke did get themselves back on terms though with the American Geoff Cameron scoring after Arnauovic hit the post. The Austrian didn’t look too impressed that he hadn’t leveled the score despite the fact his team had.
It wasn’t level for ten minutes before Mertesacker restored the Gunners lead with a fantastic header form an Ozil corner.
The third and final Arsenal goal was turned in by Sagna from, you guessed it, an Ozil free kick to give Wenger the chance to say ‘I told you so’ to all his doubters, including me.
Crystal P 0, Swansea 2
Ian Holloway had to spend his second game in the stands as he served his second match ban and it was two goals early in each half which killed off this game. It was less than 80 seconds before Michu got onto a Jonjo Shelvy through ball to open the scoring.
Any hopes Holloway had of jet lag or a European hangover following the fantastic Valencia win midweek for the visitors was soon dispelled after that opening and finally laid to rest minutes after the restart.
Nathan Dyer scored from close range to kill off the game as a contest early on and ensure Swansea could comfortably see out the remaining minutes.
As the home side Crystal Palace managed only one shot on target and had only 43% of the possession. If they are to survive this season these stats in particular need improving, especially at home.
Cardiff 0, Spurs 1
On the surface Spurs faced Cardiff and only managed to win with a strike from Paulinho but the story is much deeper than that. Spurs had 63% possession and 12 shots on target, almost 30 shots in total. All this while keeping Cardiff, who beat Manchester City remember, to no, zero, natta, zilch, zip shots on frame.
When the Brazilian back-heeled a Lamela low cross it was no more than their dominance deserved but the young Cardiff keeper, David Marshall will feel hard done by after producing save after save all afternoon.
Man City 4, Man Utd 1
Two new managers going into their first Manchester derby with supporters from each side predicting a narrow victory for their side. What happened was something City fans wouldn’t dared dream of after the Cardiff, Hull and Stoke games earlier in the season. City started the game dominant and that was how it stayed for most of the first half especially. Navas fired a warning shot over DeGeas crossbar before Nasri ran down the wing and then held up the ball. An overlapping run by Kolarov picked up the ball and his cross was met by Agueros weaker foot to make the score 1-0.
Despite City’s dominance they had to wait until the stroke of half time in order to double the lead. A Nasri corner was headed on by Negredo toward Yaya Toure who I doubt knew much about it as he doubled the lead. As the teams walked in at half time City were 2-0 up but more tellingly United had just the single shot in the first 45 and that was off target,
Second half started and soon two became three and that little Argentine dynamo scored his second of the game. Good work by Nasri and Negredo meant Sergio was in tons of space as the ball came to him. DeGea did get a touch on the ball but not enough to keep it out. Credit goes to Negredo who was not only strong enough to get to the ball before and shield it from Vidic but also turn and pick out the space Aguero would soon occupy.
Minutes later three became four when Nasri volleyed a Navas cross. The little Frenchman looks a new player and was in fact unlucky not to have scored in the first half when his turn and volley flashed just over the crossbar.
Four almost became five soon after and but this time it was Vidic who got to the ball ahead of Negredo when any touch by the Spanish striker would surely have resulted in a goal. From that point on City took their foot off the gas. Navas came off for Milner and Aguero off for Garcia before a good Wayne Rooney free kick narrowed the deficit.
Tomorrow marks the 24th anniversary of Alex Fergusons first away Manchester derby game, a game he lost 5-1. That was known as the Maine Road Massacre, this one, based on the complete dominance of City should be known as the ‘Execution At The Etihad’.
