#EPL #Week15 #5 things we learnt this past week on the Epl.

Welcome. Gather round. Sit tight. The English Premier league never fails to live up to the hype every match day, and match day 15 wasn’t a difference really. Saturday started with a 3-1 win for Chelsea, as they took Newcastle to the cleaners, and ended with a 1-3 win for Manchester united, who had David De gea in top form. Liverpool went rogue all over Brighton, with Lewis Dunk scoring yet another own goal. On Sunday, while Southampton managed to hold Bournemouth to a 1-1 draw – courtesy at here Charlie Austin equalizer – there was yet another comeback for the citizens who were made to work extra hard for the three points at home to West ham. But what are the things we learnt this past week on the Epl.

Enjoy!

David, Our Saviour. 

If there was any argument as to who the best goal keeper in the world is at the moment, former Atletico madrid shot stopper, David De gea, has turned the jury to his side after his world class performance against the Gooners. The Spain number one sent the football world into a frenzy, as he kept on pulling saves after saves to deny Arsene Wenger’s men a route back into a game they would otherwise have won convincingly. 

The match in the weekend had started with Manchester united taking an early lead in the 5th minute after the arsenal defence had lost possession, trying to play out from the back. Manchester United’s captain had intercepted a diagonal pass and started sprinting forward towards the Arsenal goal area. He then plays a quick give and take with Paul Pogba, who had just managed to create options for the Ecuadorian captain. On receiving the return pass, the wing back took one touch, and the next had the ball straight through the legs of Petr Cech and into the Arsenal goal for one nil to United. The second goal came almost immediately, after Jesse Lingard had managed to win the ball off Shkodran Mustafi and hit a one time pass to Romelu Lukaku, the big Belgian in turn finds Anthony Martial in the Arsenal box, with Laurent Kolcieny, tight on him; the young French, with a bit of skill, just about managed to lay off an exquisite pass into the path of Jesse Lingard to slot in his second goal of the week, and United’s second on the night. Then from then on it was Arsenal versus David degea. 

Brought on board in the United ranks by the legendary Sir Alex, David Degea had initially experienced some form loss when he first signed for the club. Before he clocked 10 appearances for the Red Devils, he had cost them so many points with his recklessness and inexperience. But during that trying time still, the talent was there for all to see. Oh but if we didn’t see it then, we sure have in recent times. And against Arsenal, he stamped his named as the best in the world. 

The young goal keeper who has been linked with 12 time champions of Europe, Real Madrid, was the difference maker for united on the day, as he made 14 saves to help united to a 1-3 win at the Emirates stadium. He now shares the record for highest number of saves in a premier league match with Tim Krul, who made 14 saves against Tottenham in November 2013, and former Gunners goalkeeper Vito Mannone, who made as many against Chelsea in April 2014. The gunners had laid a siege on the United goal after they had fallen two goals behind, but the superman kept on repelling those attempts on goal- save for Alexandre Lacazette ‘s goal in the 49th minute. And in the 56th minute, he produced two super quick saves to wow the spectators in and around the Emirates. Alex Iwobi had cut into the United box and laid a fine pass to the feet of Lacazette, with his back to goal, the Arsenal number 9 turned his marker beautifully, and hit a cracking shot with his left foot. With the ball destined for the bottom corner of the net, David De best had other thoughts, as he went down early to save with his right hand and then followed that up with a right foot save when Alexis Sanchez hit the rebound. 

If there’d been a doubt as to who the best goal keeper in the world is (there is a large section that believe a certain German is… but he’s been out injured whilst David is soaring high) Superman Degea squashed that in the weekend. When he is in full THROTTLE, and With 9 clean sheets in 15 Epl matches so far, who is to say David  deGEAR  wouldn’t lead United to the EPL title this season?

The ultimate killing machines, THE RED ARMY

They can’t stop scoring really. When former Borrusia Dortmund coach, Jurgen Kopp, was assigned the duty of taking over at the Anfield, there was an expectation of some development in the fortunes of the Merseyside Reds. But we didn’t expect it to be this exciting now, did we? The German tactician has introduced to the English Premier league a new kind of football that we had not been used to. There is this feisty and brashness that comes with the style of play on exhibition in the red corner of Merseyside. The exquisite audacity, the no-respect-for-who-the-opponents-are kind of football style has stood them out. Their attack comes with a high intensity, the energy level of their front men is on another level. They chase down every ball all at once, with each person already pre assigned marking duties. When  they come at you, like they did at Brighton, you become confused and then you let in goals. 

On matchday 15, the Red Army was in full force as they set about annihilating their opponents from the first blast of the whistle. Two quick fire goals late in the first half put them ahead going into the break. Emre Can had headed in from a corner kick, and Roberto Firmino had finished up a beautiful counter attacking move to make it two nil. When the second half resumed, it was more of the same really, as the Liverpool attack kept threatening the defence line of the Seagulls. Brighton however did get a chance to go forward in the second half, and it was barely a minute Glenn Murray’s attempt hit the post, that Roberto Firmino got his second, and Liverpool’s third, following a fantastic form from the in form Mohammed Salah. Glenn Murray did cut the lead back to 3-1, but a beautifully struck Phillipe Coutinho free kick killed off any hope of a comeback for the newly promoted club. And when  Lewis Dunk managed to have the ball in the wrong net, the Reds had officially secured all 3 points for themselves. This victory is their second away victory in the week, after they had recorded a 3-0 win at the Britannia. 

It is obvious that this Liverpool team is pretty special, and they would push and fight until the very last. They have goal machines in every corner, but their greatest undoing this season would be their leaky defence. Common Jurgen, get cracking!

How good is Eden Hazard, really?

Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo, over the past years, might have taken football to a height where for you to be considered one of the best there is in the world, you must have scored a certain amount of goals. But there is no denying the fact that Chelsea’s number 10 man, Eden Hazard, embodies so much raw talent. Although the Belgian star man might not be consistently getting the goals for the London club, the player has largely been described as one of the best players in the world. He glides past player with so much ease like they aren’t even there, and against Rafael Benitez’s men, Hazard ran the show once again. 

Newcastle had started the match like a team out to cause an upset, and had gone ahead in the game thanks to a Dwight Gayle’s 12th minute tap in, after Courtois had made a nuisance of himself and spilling the first attempt to the Newcastle man. Then Chelsea, with Hazard in the fore front of things, reigned Supreme. As if being pegged down by a goal had jolted them back to their senses, the Londoners took the action deep into the Newcastle half. And precisely 55 seconds after Andreas Christensen had hit the post with a header, Eden Hazard struck. The cross had been swung in from the right for Alvaro Morata, but the half clearance from the Newcastle defence handed the ball on a platter to the Belgian, and he intelligently bounced the ball off the turf and Into the Newcastle goal. Although Morata’s 32nd minute goal, following excellent play from Victor Moses, handed Chelsea a first half lead, it wasn’t until Eden Hazard had concerted from the spot that they had truly won the match. 

The former Lille man has always come up with the goods for his Chelsea side, and this weekend was not a difference, as his brace ensured that they kept up with the Manchester clubs in the race for the title. Although the Chelsea man needs to start scoring goals and hitting the 30 goal a season mark, man believe that he needs to leave the Londoners for his Spanish suitors, Real Madrid. They argue that it is only then that he can win enough trophies, and score enough goals, for him to be considered as one of the best in the game. Isn’t his talent glaring enough? Should Eden leave Chelsea for Real Madrid? 

Big S on his chest, and he is about to save them.

With the precarious situation on ground at the blue divide of Liverpool, only a superman could have possibly saved them. Up steps Big Sam, with the big ‘S’ on his chest. The man thrives under these kind of pressure, little wonder as to why he takes jobs no body else wants. 

Before he came to Everton, the former England manager has had spells with over six different premiership clubs, and have managed to keep them all afloat in the top division of the English league. At  the weekend, against Huddersfield, he set about the process of restoring Everton to lofty heights. On the two occasions the former crystal palace man has been in the stadia, Everton has not conceded yet. First was the 4-0 trashing of West ham – OK, maybe he wasn’t manager then, but who is to say that his imminent appointment didn’t boost the confidence of the players- and then there was the recent 2-0 win against fellow strugglers, Huddersfield Town. 

A Gyfil Sigurdsson 47th minute strike had put the Toffees ahead, after Dominic Calvert-Lewin had flicked on a beautiful pass for the Icelandic man to slot into the bottom corner. A man of the match performeance for the England youth international, and he capped it all off with a well taken 73rd minute goal. 

The victory has taken Everton to a familiar 10th position, and it is all seeming like Big Sam has come through yet again for another struggling team. And with them out of the continental competition, Big Sam workload had been cut down to the minimum. It is only wise now to think he’d go on and do the job for the Toffees. But do you this Big Sam can pull this off, considering that the situation at Everton is completely a different one to the ones he had been used to in his previous coaching experiences? 

The Man City’s early Christmas jitters

The citizens had made a reputation for themselves this season as the slaughterers, scoring many goals with reckless abandon. They put 5 past sizzling hot Liverpool, and 7 past the hapless stoke city defence. However, in recent weeks, there seem to be some jitters about the way they’ve set about getting the 3 points. And for the third time in two weeks, they’ve played out a 2-1 victory, with the last two a come from behind. Against Huddersfield, a Sergio Aguero penalty and Raheem Sterling 84th minute goal did the trick. And against Southampton, the young English man had stole all 3 points for Pep’s men in added time, as both teams played out a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes. And recently against West ham, they struggled once again as David Silva managed to get an 83rd minute winner for the Citizens, after they had initially gone behind late in the first half through an Angelo Ogbonna goal.

Their performance of late reeks of determination, rather than the irresistible flair that they had rocked the Premiership with in the opening weeks of the season. Although it is not necessarily a bad thing, it isn’t a good omen either. Teams have started to lose the early season fear they had when they came up against the blue Manchester team. They all now fancy their chances, although they all come composed defensively, with a little bit of counter attacking. But if it continues at this rate, then very soon they might start to lose their grip on the title.

West Ham under fire manager, David Moyes, had started the game with a three man backline, in a 3-5-2 formation. They’d been on the back foot for most of the first half, and out of the blues, Angelo Ogbonna had put them ahead in the 44th minute. Manchester City fought their way back in the second half and were justifiably level when Nicholas Otamendi scored in the 57th minute. David Silva then sealed 3 points with an 83rd minute strike.

The recent 2-1 results, albeit in their favor, has done more harm to City than good. Now opponents would go into matches against them with a lot more self believe, and who knows what might happen now that the games are coming in thick and fast.

Do you think Manchester city dropping points or they are just managing to grind out results from seeming difficult matches? 

Team of the week (matchday 15) 

Manager : Sam Allardyce

De Gea

Moses   Christensen   Rojo   Kolasinac

Lingard      Coutinho      Silva 

Firmino           Hazard 

Calvert-Lewin 

Substitute bench:

Courtois

Fabregas

Morata 

Salah

Ogbonna 

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