1. The title race is back on... for everyone.
Just 6 points separate 8 teams following Man Utd’s “hard fought” (Citation: painfully ground out) victory over Arsenal. Sky once again suffered a “Super Sunday” meltdown as three games featured successive 1 nil wins; whilst over at the Britannia the fans were treated to a 3-3 thriller featuring late drama, wonderful football and well, crucially, lots of goals. City’s away blues returned whilst it was another collective failure in front of goal for AVB’s men. Granted, Tim Krul had one of those games which keeper’s dream of, but Spurs have scored one goal in five hours of league football. And that was a penalty. It’s not entirely clear what Jermaine Defoe has to do to get a start in the league, presumably wear a Soldado mask or teleport into the misfiring Spaniard's body? All of which brought us to Old Trafford where we were all treated to the worst match of the season to date. Yep, even ones involving West Ham. Utd scored with just about the only chance of the game and that was through a set piece. Arsenal were horribly jaded and badly need some players back to rest the likes of Ozil, Ramsey and Giroud. Utd meanwhile, as they always seem to do against Arsenal, did enough to get the points and no more. Rooney was his usual self, RVP scored with his single touch of the ball all match, but other than that only Phil Jones can claim he played well of the 20 plus players who graced the pitch. Keeping Jones fit and playing every week is vital to Utd finishing in the top 4 each season. Not because he’s that good a player, but because he has the spirit of Fergie flowing through his veins. He never gives up or gives less than 100% every minute of every match. How Utd wish they could channel that sort of effort, commitment and focus from a collection of midfielders now so inept that I’m pretty sure Rooney is playing all of their positions for them. As we lunge into an international break (translation: reading week) with all the enthusiasm of Shinji Kagawa in a 50/50, let us consider for a moment that when we return Arsenal host Southampton. And if they lose that match... Saints will be top of the league. Rule Britannia.
2. Anfield is a fortress once more
5 wins from 6 and with 13 goals for to 3 against, Anfield is finally looking the home ground it was of yesteryear again. Since Rafa left, the problems with Liverpool have been countless, but few more so than the crumbling ruins that had become their home record. Rodgers finally looks to have arrested that slide; and only Southampton have come away with any points this season. Indeed, that result is looking for from an embarrassment given their current league placing. Liverpool were back in the groove on Saturday, dismantling a Fulham team which, in all honesty, my 6-a-side club could have beaten. Jol’s time looks up; his team are full of flair but lack honesty and fatal individual mistakes are creeping in at will. There are few strikers in the world, certainly this side of Ronaldo and Messi, who are capable of taking advantage of such flaws as Luis Suarez. I remain unconvinced by Suarez in the bigger fixtures, and some Champions League football would certainly do him no harm, but against anyone who is struggling he is ruthless. He is the home test, flat pitch Indian batting line up of footballers. If the conditions are right, there is no stopping him. Suarez took himself to the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts this weekend. Which is ridiculous given he missed the first five games through suspension. It was also nice to see the club keep a clean sheet again with Daniel Agger restored to the starting line up. Proof, once again, that the big bosses read the best blogs...
3. Cardiff need goals
Discussions over Cardiff city and relegation seem to have mostly passed like ships in the night thus far this season. The Welsh club have always managed to win a match when it looks like they might get in trouble, plus the failings of some of the teams below them have been more obvious or... well, interesting. The general consensus has been that as long as their owner doesn’t do anything stupid, Cardiff have enough organisation and defensive nous about them to stay up. That may or may not prove to be the case. Over 38 games, it remains goals that tend to keep you in a division rather than clean sheets, and right now Cardiff do not look like scoring very many. 9 in 11 games isn’t disastrous, but given 3 of those came in one absurd match... 6 in 10 really doesn’t look good at all. No striker has scored since that Man City game and their top scorer is currently a centre back. There is much to admire about Cardiff. They have a strong work ethic and seem to have a genuine relationship with their fans which several top flight clubs lack. But, crucially, they are fucking boring. And if there’s one thing this blog hates... it’s boring.
4. Man City really can’t win at Sunderland.
4 games... 4 one nil defeats. Man City cannot score at Sunderland let alone beat them. The big wolves from Manchester huffed and puffed on Sunday afternoon but once again were repelled by stoic defending, wonderful goalkeeping and some very bad luck. Sunderland, and the superb Wes Brown in particular, stood firm. This remains an impossible to predict season, a fact epitomised by Newcastle turning around their form with back to back clean sheet victories against Chelsea & Spurs. City must have thought they’d put their away form to bed with that thumping win at West Ham, but this was very much a return to their frustrating worst. Aguero aside, the creativity was nil and Ya Ya Toure once again went completely missing away from the safe confines of the Etihad. Vincent Kompany remains a big miss in these sort of fixtures, especially when the manager picks his other defenders by random generator. City are still in the hunt for the title, as if everyone down to 8th such is the tightness of the league and Arsenal’s history of implosion. But they cannot afford too many more of these performances if they are to still be in with a chance come May.
5. Jose still has the luck, if nothing else
A stuttering Chelsea salvaged a draw and preserved Jose’s implausible unbeaten home record in the process this weekend. The late penalty however, an absurdly generous decision which almost redefined the term “a homer,” could not mask the failings of the special one’s team for the second successive game. Chelsea did not, to all extensive purposes, improve their squad in the summer. They didn’t buy anyone of note up front, in central midfield or defence and instead littered their team with more inverted winger/number 10’s. This was a Chelsea team who did not challenge for the title in any way last year remember. A Chelsea team who’s best player, Juan Mata, can no longer get in the starting line up. Frank Lampard hasn’t scored since the opening day, a barren spell of 10 games for a player who historically averages a strike just over every 2. And now, finally, the defence is starting to concede again. John Terry’s “form” at the start of the season looked more like an anomaly of statistics than the farcical calls to get him back into the England team would have you believe. He has been terrible the last two games, showing his age and unable to prevent his team conceding 4 goals to Newcastle and West Brom. Many people, myself included, thought this was a great Chelsea squad that was underperforming. That the mere presence of Jose back in the dugout would be enough to see them claim another Premier League title in a wide open race. Of course, the latter statement still being true, they are far from out of it. But this is not a convincing second spell so far. Chelsea have not noticeably improved in any way from last season; and indeed look blunter going forward than they ever have. Whisper it... but Rafa Benitez was doing a better job.
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