With the exception of Crystal Palace and Fulham each Premier League side has now completed week 8 of the new Premiership season. As we get close to a quarter of the way through the season we are heading towards a busier part of the season with those in Europe and the League Cup having a great number of games in a short period of time. This is how things went for game day eight.
Newcastle 2, Liverpool 2.
Newcastle hosted Liverpool in the early game Saturday and the visitors knew points of any sort would see them return to the top of the table, at least for a while until Arsenal played later on in the day. In the end they would have to settle for the single point but should probably have got all three even though the hosts went ahead.
Cabaye put Newcastle ahead with a long range effort after only 23 minutes on the clock. Even though the shot was dipping and swerving the Liverpool keeper Mignolet should have been able to deal with it. That fantastic strike would be as good as it got for Newcastle in the first half though as less than twenty minutes later they were reduced to ten men as Yanga-Mbiwa brought down Suarez in the area.
It was certainly a foul in the area with a penalty the result and as Suarez was in on goal the red card had to follow. The only debate was whether Suarez was offside when the ball was played, the replays suggest not but the fact remains the man in the middle didn’t call it. Stevie Gerrard placed the ball and made no mistake finishing low and to the keepers right to even up the score.
Ten minutes into the second half and it was the ten men of Newcastle who went ahead again with the substitute, Dummett getting on the end of a free kick. It was only his second appearance for the young local lad who, at 22, must have really enjoyed that goal in front of his own.
Yet again though they failed to hold the lead which, with only ten men, was not unexpected. Suarez and Sturridge combined giving the Englishman a simple tap in. From then on it was all Liverpool and baton down the hatches time for Newcastle. Liverpool would have been less impressed with the final score in the end who were playing against ten men for a good fifty minutes.
Arsenal 4, Norwich 1.
The Gunners have really kicked it into a different gear recently and would return to the top of the table after relinquishing it to a Liverpool point a few hours prior. The opening goal from Wilshire, after 18 minutes is just about as beautiful a goal as you will see. Pass after pass left the City back line stationary and allow the young Englishman to finish smartly for the only score of the half.
Towards the end of the first half ans the early part of the second half it was Norwich who started to control the game somewhat. Just before the hour mark Arsenal broke at pace and the move was finished by an Ozil header to give Arsenal the comfort goal they needed.
Twenty minutes left on the clock and Howsen scored for the visitors to make it a nervy finish to the game for Arsenal. However, just like against Chelsea two weeks ago the defense leaked again in the final few minutes. Ramsey scored first off with a great effort by Aaron Ramsey and the Ozil finishing it off five minutes later. Each and every one of the Arsenal goals was good and well deserved the win.
Chelsea 4, Cardiff 1.
Now this game has a lot of talking points and not just for the goals. Ten minutes in and Cardiff took the lead through Jordon Mutch after a terrible mistake from Luiz who just seemed to leave the ball. Just after the half hour mark the Cardiff goalkeeper, David Marshall, bounced the ball too close to Eto’o who pounced on the ball. A few mis kicks later and the ball ended up in the net from Hazard, 1-1. Before that Marshall had been very lucky not to have been sent off for deliberate handball outside the area something which I am sure would not have helped the situation which would follow later on in the dug out.
Second half started with the teams level and no changes from either side before Oscar and Torres came on for Mata and Bertrand. Minutes later Chelsea had reversed the deficit and were 2-1 up through Eto’o. Three minutes later Eto’o was brought off with Mourinho going back to a familiar formation and it was at this point tempers flared. The Chelsea staff had been talking to the fourth official about Cardiff’s blatant time wasting after they had initially gone 1-0 up. According to a Chelsea coach after the game, it had no effect as the opposition were still time wasting. To be fair the Cardiff goalkeeper was booked for that exact offense in the second half but I didn’t watch the game, only highlights and so cannot comment. However a throw in to be taken by Chelsea, directly after the substitution, was deemed to be time wasting and when the referee pointed at his watch, Mourinho lost it. As a consequence he was sent to the stands.
Chelsea wrapped up the points with two goals in the space of four minutes. The first came from substitute Oscar with a swerving, dipping shot which beat Marshall. Hazard finished off the scoring with a powerful shot which squirmed under the goalkeeper.
Everton 2, Hull 1
Roberto Martinez is showing that Everton can be a team in form. After today’s game they now continue their unbeaten run at home in the 2013 calender year. Mirallas opened the scoring after inly eight minutes on the clock and Steven Pienaar finished it off before the hour mark after just coming on as substitute. Sagbo did bring the visitors level in between those two strikes but Everton were more than a match for them on the day.
There was some controversy with the first Everton goal with claims that Gareth Barry, who was in an offside position, got a touch on it. The goal stood either way and the real debate should be about how the team is different from the one Moyes had. My thought is that Martinez lets them play, he doesn’t micro manage the players. Ross Barkley is allowed to express himself and mistakes are accepted as part of the deal. Whether they can sustain it for the whole season is debatable, but for now it is great to see.
Man Utd 1, Southampton 1
Where to begin with this one. They look like the United we know, and at times they play like the United we know. However there is something that doesn’t feel quite like the United we know. Complaints were being made about the opening fixtures for United but that argument cannot be made with the last three games and only getting four points against West Brom, Sunderland and Southampton. Two of those games were at Old Trafford and this one they were leading.
In fact when Robin Van Persie scored after 26 minutes you would have expected the Manchester United sides of the last 25 years to press for more, and to get more. To their credit they did initially after the goal for a few minutes but then until the half it was all Southampton.
Now United did hit the bar twice and had either gone in then maybe Southampton would have been finished off.
In the space of 18 minutes Rooney, Nani and Fellaini came off for Giggs, Welbeck and Smalling.. With the game coming to an end the visitors poked it in the net to steal more points for the visitors and given Moyes a valuable lesson. The different form shown from Everton and United this season compared to last shows, I think, exactly what Moyes does. He has had ten years of trying to get a goal and then defending the lead. That is not the way United play and unless he trusts his players more to go out there and play their way.
Stoke 0, West Brom 0.
Do not let the score line put you off. This was actually a very entertaining game with both sides having chances to score. Begovic was the stand out performer with a string of saves especially towards the end where the chance to get back level is slight. Stoke have only scored one goal in the last five and so with stats like that you are never going to run rampant in the league. Stevie Ireland did have an excellent chance for the home side but failed to convert.
For West Brom the words ‘stone wall’ and ‘penalty’ were the words on every fans lips. Other than that Sessegnon had a great chance but, like Ireland, failed to convert.
Swansea 4, Sunderland 0.
Different game, different manager but the same result. At half time it seemed so full of promise though with the visitors still on level terms in what is a tough stadium to go to. It could have been so different to when Bardsley shot over the bar from and angle that most would argue was harder to miss. Ten minutes later he did get on the score sheet after turning a corner into his own net. A minute later De Guzman doubled the lead with a fantastic shot from the edge of the area. Neither one gave the keeper a chance of saving. Gardner then brought down Leon Britton in the area and Wilfried Bony converted the spot kick, even though the keeper went the right way. Twenty minutes after the restart and six minutes after the first goal, Swansea found themselves 3-0 up and cruising.
A deflection from Fletcher ten minutes from time sealed the win. The guy I feel sorry for is not Gus Poyet, he knew what the deal was going in and what a job he has to do at Sunderland. The keeper Keiren Westwood who really couldn’t do anything about any of the goals and did in fact pull off two fantastic saves in the game which meant nothing at full time.
West Ham 1, Man City 3.
Manchester City traveled to West Ham having not won away in the Premiership this season. It would be Pellegrinis first game in the capital as City manager and City’s first game there since the FA Cup defeat in May.
City went ahead after a great through ball, was left by Negredo and found Aguero who slipped it past the keeper. West Ham defended deep and were set up to frustrate City, 15 minutes in and City were up. From then on City were dominant and could have increased the lead through Silva, Aguero and Toure before the half.
The second half started with no changes from either side and ten minutes in Aguero was foulde near the touch line. Silva took the free kick and found the little Argentine who headed City two up.
City hit the self destruct button a little seven minutes later with Hart not tested all game until this brief spell. Eventually the pressure would result in a goal from a Vaz Te overhead kick which reduced the deficit and made anyone City nervous. City responded instantly with a shot from Negredo rattling the crossbar.
Kolarov came on for Negredo and Milner replaced Nasri to try to tighten up both wings a bit. This gave City more security at the back to see out the win and with ten minutes before time City scored the third to secure the win. Aguero turned provider to his provider for the second goal and left it for Silva, who finished well.
Sunday:
Aston V 0, Tottenham 2
Finally to the single game on Sunday. Andros Towsend played fantastically for England during the International break, signed a new contract with Tottenham and scored the opener against Aston Villa. Getting the ball out wide the young Englishman whipped in a ball I am sure was intended for someone to poke home. However it avoided everyone, including Guzan’s diving hand and nestled in the back of the net.
Twenty minutes before the final whistle Soldado got his first goal of the season from open play. Holtby and Paulinho combined and when the Brazilian found Soldado all he had to do was lift the ball over the advancing Guzan.
For Villa it was good to see Benteke come back to the team and Villa might be considered unlucky. However you have to take your chances at this level and if you don’t you are liable to lose 2-0.
