5 things we learned from the Premier League this weekend
Published:
There was plenty to discuss
Another Premier League weekend has come and gone, and it threw up another host of talking points.
And with the dust settled, the Coral News Team run through five of the prominent points from another dramatic set of fixtures…
Manchester duo step it up again
Manchester City and Manchester United are coming good on their pre-season promise.
It’s only mid-September but the two sides are dominating the league, and they seem to be improving week-by-week.
City hammered Watford 6-0, while United hit Everton for four, again producing a flurry of late goals against tired defences.
They’ve both scored seven goals more than any other side, and have conceded just two goals each.
They’re the only sides yet to lose in the Premier League, and have left all their rivals floundering in their wake.
Just one question remains unanswered: Which one will be champions this season?
Newcastle really do look United
There was concern among Newcastle fans this summer that their club failed to land top-level signings.
Certainly there were no headline-grabbing arrivals on Tyneside in the vein of Alan Shearer, Faustino Asprilla or Michael Owen in years gone-by.
But Rafa Benitez’s side have won three games on the spin and sit a fine fourth.
And with a kind fixture list coming up, the Toon Army could really put a run together.
There are no stand-out stars in this Newcastle squad, but they’re all the better as a team for it – and the table reflects that.
Arsenal learn to dig deep
Arsenal fans wouldn’t have had much hope when the news came out that Mesut Ozil was absent and Alexis Sanchez was on the bench for their game with Chelsea.
But the Gunners put in a dogged performance to deny the reigning champions, and even forged several good chances of their own.
As ever with Arsenal, their performance sparked yet more questions. Where was that grit and determination against Liverpool?
They deserved their point at Stamford Bridge though, and Arsene Wenger’s side can build on that now with a generous run of games coming up.
Tottenham’s Wembley woe continues
Tottenham thought they’d turned a corner by defeating Borussia Dortmund in midweek.
But when it comes to the Premier League, Spurs still can’t win at Wembley.
Swansea were the latest side to deny the temporary hosts this weekend, following on from Burnley and Chelsea.
With the Manchester duo occupying the top two spots, Mauricio Pochettino’s men must see off two of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal for a Champions League place.
And if they can’t crack this Wembley dilemma, then they’ve got no chance of doing that.
Hodgson has a huge task at Palace
Roy Hodgson’s first game in charge of Crystal Palace ended with the Eagles setting a new record.
They’re the first top-flight team to lose their opening five games without scoring a goal.
Just like at Burnley, Palace did have chances, but they simply can’t take them.
Confidence and morale is low at Selhurst Park, and it won’t be helped in their next three games – Man City, Man United and Chelsea.
There’s a very likely situation Palace will be on zero points after eight games. And that’s when Hodgson’s work will really begin.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
