Wrapping Up: Premier League Matchweek 11
This week we had one fewer fixture in the Premier League then last week. Somehow we ended up with the same amount of significant and interesting match-ups. I take wins wherever I can get them as a sports writer, and this week was absolutely a win for sports writers and fans. I may end up saying it every week, I know I said it last week, but the Premier League is the best professional sports league in the world. The table changed around a bit, Liverpool looked to remind us all who they really are, and the season from hell for Arsenal continues. Before I get into all of that, let’s quickly go over the results that don’t have much worth discussing.
To get the week started, Chelsea took care of business 3-1 against Leeds. Chelsea sit third on the table and look like the team we all expected them to be. Manchester City won by the same margin against Fulham while also keeping a clean sheet. City moved up to seventh on the table with the 2-0 victory. Burnley drew with Everton one all. After a hugely impressive start to the season, Everton continue their free fall down the table as they sit in the ninth position. Crystal Palace absolutely brutalized West Bromwich Albion by a score of 5-1. Palace look to use this win as a way to gain some momentum as they prepare to take on the table leaders Tottenham next week. Lastly, Southampton rebounded from a tough loss to Manchester United with a good win by a score of 2-1 over Brighton and Hove Albion. With the win, Southampton stay inside the top six of the table as their bid for Europa League football continues.
West Ham United 1 - Manchester United 3
Manchester continue to do this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act when playing on the road. West Ham absolutely smashed United in the first half of this game. United looked lost, and like they had no desire to be in the game. At half time Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford came on and immediately made the difference. Fernandes in particular was a menace. He opened things up and gave the assist to Pogba’s mercurial strike from outside the box that gave United the tie. Three minutes later Mason Greenwood gave United the lead and they never looked back. United used this game to briefly propel them into the top four of the table, though they currently sit at six. This adds even more intrigue to the upcoming Manchester Derby as the two clubs sit back to back on the table. West Ham on the other hand, fell from fifth to eighth.
Sheffield United 1 - Leicester City 2
Sheffield United have completely fallen off the map. We sit barely one third of the way through the season, yet it already looks like relegation is all but guaranteed for the plucky team that finished much higher than expectations last season. Leicester on the other hand, remain in fourth place on the table with this win. Jamie Vardy gave the club the win in the 90th minute. Leicester will look to keep this pace of play up and avoid the let down they suffered during last year’s second half of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur 2 - Arsenal 0
Arsenal seem utterly broken right now. They have had a bit of a brutal run of opponents lately, but with the talent they have, there is no reason for them being in the fifteen slot on the table. They have won only one game in their last five and that came against the then struggling Manchester United. Their next run of opponents are Burnley, Southampton, and Everton. You would expect them to come away with at least two victories from those three games but on their current form they would be lucky to get even one win. As for Tottenham, Jose Mourinho has that team firing on every single cylinder that engine possesses, and a few it doesn’t. Tottenham are playing like league favorites right now and they have the record to show it. With Liverpool and Tottenham both playing very winnable games next week, the week 13 matchup between Liverpool and Tottenham looms as that may decide who goes forward as the proverbial favorite to win the whole thing.
Liverpool 4 - Wolverhampton 0
Wolves fall to tenth with this fairly crushing defeat. Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the lead in the twenty-fourth minute and Wolves were never able to catch back up. I mentioned above that Tottenham look like the front-runners for the league title this year. Liverpool are only inches behind and like I also said above, the match-up between these two teams will really be the deciding factor in who is about to take the league by the throat and control it for the foreseeable future. As I have stated before, the Premier League is absolutely undefeated. I can’t wait to see the madness these next two weeks have in-store as we head into the January transfer window.