Manchester City drop their first points of the season, Arsenal manage two reds while Chelsea finally win again, Liverpool woes continue, and United got what they paid for in Martial. This is your Premier League Weekend Round-Up.
2 Chelsea – Arsenal 0
The biggest story out of this match isn’t the two red cards shown to the Gunners players, but how Chelsea’s Diego Costa managed to stay on. In what felt like a 90-minute fist fight between Costa and whoever was closest to him, Chelsea snuck a couple goals in after the break to ensure victory. A Kurt Zouma header after Arsenal went down to ten men and a deflected Eden Hazard shot in stoppage time sealed the deal for the Blues.
0 Swansea City – Everton 0
Another note on red cards: Kevin Mirallas walked off the pitch late in this match after a dangerous tackle on Modou Barrow. A shot and a goal kick later, and the fixture ended. The Swansea City attack was stifled against the Evertonian defence. Gomis was halted, but so too was Romelu Lukaku, who only has two goals so far this season. Dry match that never looked like either team would pull ahead.
2 Stoke City – Leicester City 2
Another dramatic comeback by Leicester as they fall behind 2-0 before clawing their way back. Bojan Krkic shines while the remainder of Stoke is unimpressive at best. Leicester form continues from last season and begs the question: are they last year’s West Ham or Southampton?
2 AFC Bournemouth – Sunderland 0
Little to say about Sunderland other than “yeah, might’ve guessed that.” Advocaat blasts players for not trying while Eddie Howe stated that clean sheets are what keeps teams in the Premier League. Wilson could be the new Danny Ings with his goal-scoring prowess. Matt Ritchie puts in an early shout for Goal of the Season with a belter from distance.
1 Newcastle United – Watford 2
Newcastle remain bottom of the league and Steve McClaren stays winless in his return to the Premier League. Watford continue to play an exciting brand of football that pushes them farther away from the drop zone. Watford goalkeeper Huerelho Gomes ought to have the match ball after keeping out some tricky shots from the Newcastle attack.
0 Aston Villa – West Bromwich Albion 1
Berahino with the only goal, and brilliantly taken as well. Brad Guzan remains the unluckiest goalkeeper in the league. Aston Villa struggle to win points after the loss of Christian Benteke, who’s struggling to win points for his new side as well.
1 Manchester City – West Ham 2
City’s eleven-game win streak began and ended with West Ham United. Two great goals early on from the Hammers made life difficult at the Etihad. Victor Moses’s long distance grounder was nearly matched by new boy Kevin De Bruyne, taking his goal in the opposite corner of the net. Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero were quiet, and the loss of David Silva was visible in the attack.
1 Tottenham – Crystal Palace 0
Son Heung-Min bails Tottenham out, scoring his third goal in two fixtures for Hotspur. Pardew says “mid-table is not for me,” but that’s where he’ll stay for the time being.
2 Southampton – Manchester United 3
David de Gea shows once again that his position should have been secure from the off. Some of United’s early season woes might have turned out differently with the Spanish wonder in goal. On the other hand, the United defence shows frailty and inability to combat with pace. Southampton comes off with a win against any other keeper, but fall short by one. Pelle might be reinvigorated after scoring a brace, but what should have been a hat-trick would’ve shored things up for the Italian striker.
1 Liverpool – Norwich City 1
After scoring 22 goals in the last six meetings, Liverpool only manage one to match the Canaries. The heat beneath Rodgers’ seat gets hotter by the day. Substitute Danny Ings outperforms Benteke (injured) and Daniel Sturridge (coming off injury). Alex Neil walks away delighted after Norwich’s away record continues to improve. Defender Russell Martin scores a striker’s goal.
