CONCRETE CONCLUSIONS: 7 THINGS WE LEARNT FROM PREMIERE LEAGUE MATCHDAY 30
Football returned for the first time in exactly a hundred days for Aston Villa to take on Sheffield United. No fans, fake crowd noise and the audible barking of orders from both players and coaches may have taken away the sparkle of the occasion but the games (in most cases) did just about enough to quench the three month wait for football. 12 matches were played, meaning every team has now played 30 games. So what exactly did we learn from this round of fixtures, here are 13 concrete conclusions.
Injuries: 6 injuries to 6 different players that forced them off the pitch in a single round of fixtures is a cause for concern. While this may have been in some ways expected because of the long stretch of time away from competitive football that was followed by a less than adequate preseason, it was still disappointing. All the injuries were not solely down to a lack of game time. Arsenal have lost 3 crucial first teamers in Leno, Xhaka and to some extent Mari. Liverpool have lost Milner and Matip. Physios, club doctors and sport scientists have some work to do if they are to ensure the fitness of players.
Quality of games: If it was not evident to you that the quality of games, especially in terms of basic errors and misplaced passes, then you might have just let the excitement of PL football’s return cloud your vision. Long passes were frequently sprayed over the touchline. Enda Stevens failed to clear a tame and ambitious Matt Ritchie pass. The Merseyside derby was a stale affair. It was the ideal example of the importance of crowds as the adrenaline of a game.
Pogba and Bruno might just be able to play together: People have had their doubts, and rightly so, about how workable a Pogba-Bruno partnership is at Man United. There was a glimpse of it when Pogba was subbed on for Fred with United a goal down. The initial signs were encouraging, Pogba sat deeper with Bruno positioned higher but both pulled the strings with neat touches and precise passes. Together, they had a direct impact on the game with Pogba being brought down for a penalty before Bruno converted. Good players will always find a way to make it work with good players. It’s admittedly a small sample size but it’s an encouraging one nonetheless.
Foden is will step into David Silva’s shoes. Phil Foden has played 104 minutes of football since the restart. In that time he has scored 3 goals. Foden has looked sharp and tidy on and off the ball. Against Arsenal he created 2 shooting chances as well as scoring a rebound in just 26 minutes. True, Arsenal were down to 10 men, hadn’t offered much all game and the Burnley side was severely depleted but Foden displays were mature. With David Silva leaving when his contract runs out, City can be confident that Foden with step into those large Spanish boots comfortably.
Arteta’s Arsenal are further behind than their pre-COVID run of form suggested. Arsenal have lost 2 matches since the restart, understandably to a superior Man City and embarrassingly to Brighton. In that time they have also lost Xhaka, Mari and Leno. Against City you got the impression that it was a matter of when and not if City would score. David Luiz was a catalyst, coming on and in 25 minutes directly causing one goal, committing a penalty and getting sent off. The Seagulls defeat hurt more and it culminated with Maupay and Guendouzi having a standoff. This Arsenal team does not have the quality to compete at the top end of the Premier League. One look at the line-ups against City serves as a rude awakening. This Gunners side has potential but they make have to fulfilling it will take a while.
The relegation battle is the most intriguing tussle for positions in the Premier League. This round of fixtures saw Aston Villa pick up a point against 2 top half teams. They were not outstanding in any way and will need to improve if they are to stay up. West Ham lost 2-0 to Wolves and while they never really got going, there were moments of poor decision making that could have influenced the score line. Bournemouth lost to Crystal Palace and their fixtures don’t get any easier. They lack creativity without Ryan Fraser and anchoring hopes on David Brooks, who just returned from a year injured, seems futile despite his best efforts. Norwich looked lifeless for most parts as Southampton thrashed them 3-0. Watford pulled off a more than credible one all draw with Leicester and Brighton upset Arsenal. Norwich need a miracle. Bournemouth are not in a good place but there’s a slight chance they could just about escape. Aston Villa maybe 19th but in truth that spot is up for grabs and if any of these sides go on a poor run of games they might just be condemned.
Chelsea need a CB before Havertz. Media have spent the last few weeks linking Chelsea to German wonderkid, Kai Havertz. The same Chelsea announced a line-up that included 4 natural central midfielders, forcing one out wide. It’s safe to say the club is stacked in the centre and while the possession without penetration was evident, the club have already announced attacking signings in Werner and Ziyech that can help with that. Rudiger and Christensen looked shaky at the back, misplacing passes and missing headers. If Roman Abrahamovic wants to make a statement signing he would be better off getting a proven and experienced centre back.
WINNERS
Fans: Fans were undoubtable winners. Not all the fixtures were glamorous but after a 3 month wait, anything was welcome. 28 goals across 12 games is not a bad start and we can only hope things get better with match sharpness.
Relegation Candidates: Nobody wants to be in the relegation battle at this stage of the season but it is a lot more encouraging when the sides around you are struggling too. Only Brighton picked up all 3 points available to them. Watford got a point while Villa managed one from 6 possible. Norwich, west Ham and Bournemouth all lost and so there will be a sense of ‘all is not lost’ when the next round of fixtures commence.
LOSERS
Arsenal: This was the eye opener Arsenal needed. Harsh but in the long run this set of games could do more good than harm if the right decisions are taken. Positions to be reinforced are now glaring as well as contracts to (or not to) renew too. They’ve lost Leno for a long spell of up to 6-9 months possible. Mari is probably out for a substantial number of games. Xhaka too. Aubameyang’s body language was not encouraging. His frustration at not being released for a run was evident in both matches. The club will have a tough job convincing him to renew his contract on this form.
David Moyes: It seems harsh to say David Moyes is a loser of this gameweek but it is hard not to see. West Ham have had a bit of a scatter gun recruitment policy for a while but they backed Moyes in January. 7 losses in 11 games since his appointment is appalling. Right now this side looks a long way off from making the whole as strong as the sum of its individual parts should suggest.
Liverpool: Not only were they held to a frankly boring draw against their neighbours in the Merseyside derby, the Reds lost Milner and Matip to injury during the game. Gomez had to play left back and Klopp had to call on Lovren. It’s not a disaster but Liverpool have to wait a while longer for their coronation and at worst their record could read 36W 1D 1L.
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