Sanchez revels in new found role
Sunderland are pretty easy pickings for anyone right now; even West Ham, who are absolutely bloody terrible, managed to beat them. It was little surprise then that Arsenal emerged as 4-1 winners in the weekend’s early kick off. More of a surprise, was that it took them so long to make the scoreline so emphatic. But for better refereeing decisions, the game would have been out of sight before Defoe gave the Black Cats the falsest of false hopes from the spot. Key to the victory, and much of Arsenal’s good work of late has been the form of Alexis Sanchez up front. The Chilean has hardly rested on his laurels since moving to the club, but what has impressed this year is his ability to adapt so successfully to a lone striker role. Sanchez buzzes around like an angry bee and with pace and power key components in his game, he is a far more mobile spearhead for Arsenal’s flowing attacks than Oliver Giroud. Who, despite his heroics from the bench here, should be confined to that role for the foreseeable future. Sanchez averaged a goal every 185 minutes for Arsenal in his previous two seasons, but this is down to 136 minutes so far this one. That’s an average of a goal every 1.5 games which, if he keeps that up, might finally be the answer to the 25 goal a season question that has flummoxed Wenger for the best part of the last decade.
Sunderland are pretty easy pickings for anyone right now; even West Ham, who are absolutely bloody terrible, managed to beat them. It was little surprise then that Arsenal emerged as 4-1 winners in the weekend’s early kick off. More of a surprise, was that it took them so long to make the scoreline so emphatic. But for better refereeing decisions, the game would have been out of sight before Defoe gave the Black Cats the falsest of false hopes from the spot. Key to the victory, and much of Arsenal’s good work of late has been the form of Alexis Sanchez up front. The Chilean has hardly rested on his laurels since moving to the club, but what has impressed this year is his ability to adapt so successfully to a lone striker role. Sanchez buzzes around like an angry bee and with pace and power key components in his game, he is a far more mobile spearhead for Arsenal’s flowing attacks than Oliver Giroud. Who, despite his heroics from the bench here, should be confined to that role for the foreseeable future. Sanchez averaged a goal every 185 minutes for Arsenal in his previous two seasons, but this is down to 136 minutes so far this one. That’s an average of a goal every 1.5 games which, if he keeps that up, might finally be the answer to the 25 goal a season question that has flummoxed Wenger for the best part of the last decade.
Firmino is the best false 9 in world football
Woooooooah hold on their partner. In world football? Calm the hell down… next you’ll be telling me it’s “Liverpool’s year.” Well maybe not that just yet, certainly not whilst they continue to employ park goal keepers and their centre backs are booting it in the air and then spinning around comically to see where it’s gone. But that aside, it’s hard to see how Liverpool will finish outside the top four with no European distractions and scoring as many goals as this week in, week out. Key to their attacking intent has been the success of Roberto Firmino up front. Firmino has been transformed into the false 9 which every other would be false 9 should aspire too. The Brazilian presses relentlessly, never stopping as he moves from keeper to defender until the ball has gone past him. He wins back possession, he retains possession and he is key to the entire team being able to employ a high press in the opposition final third. Only Barca under Pep have pressed the ball as aggressively as Liverpool do under Klopp (although Spurs were similarly successful at home to City last month). Once in possession, Firmino’s movement is a constant blur. He never stands still and the reason why Lallana and Coutinho have been so successful attacking from deep is because of the space opened up by the man ahead of them. In a straight race Firmino isn’t the quickest, but he’s lightening over 3 or 4 yards such is his speed of thought. For all the brilliance of Sergio Aguero, it’s tempting to think that Guardiola is casting envious eyes over to Anfield about how his team might look with the Brazilian up front. Pep has searched his whole life, spent his whole life trying to find a midfielder which can play this role to such perfection. Turns out Brendon Rodgers found him instead.
Defence gives Watford breathing room
Having changed their manager 28 times in the past 3 years and getting rid of their last boss for having the nerve to safely keep them in the division; it’s safe to say that Walter Mazzarri was high up on many peoples betting slips when it came to the first manager sacked this season. After a horrible set of fixtures to start the campaign, Watford have settled nicely into their groove with a 3-5-2 system with genuinely attacking wing backs. Three clean sheets in a row and unbeaten in four have pushed Watford to 7th in the table, ahead of both Manchester United and the champions Leicester. Mazzarri has his team playing with high intensity and with excellent organisation. If he can just get his strikers to do anything in front of goal, in particular trying to find the Odion Ighalo who took the league by storm last year, who knows what they might be capable of.
Having changed their manager 28 times in the past 3 years and getting rid of their last boss for having the nerve to safely keep them in the division; it’s safe to say that Walter Mazzarri was high up on many peoples betting slips when it came to the first manager sacked this season. After a horrible set of fixtures to start the campaign, Watford have settled nicely into their groove with a 3-5-2 system with genuinely attacking wing backs. Three clean sheets in a row and unbeaten in four have pushed Watford to 7th in the table, ahead of both Manchester United and the champions Leicester. Mazzarri has his team playing with high intensity and with excellent organisation. If he can just get his strikers to do anything in front of goal, in particular trying to find the Odion Ighalo who took the league by storm last year, who knows what they might be capable of.
Conte brings the Italian polish to Chelsea
It was rumoured a few weeks ago that Conte faced the sack if things didn’t improve at Chelsea. His team had been well beaten by both Liverpool and Arsenal in succession and it looked like the fickle trigger finger of Roman Abramovich was going to claim another victim. Since then Chelsea have beaten Hull, Leicester, Man Utd and Southampton by a collective score of 11-0. The true sign of any great coach is how you react to defeats. It is something that the greats have made an art form of, using defeats as a learning process to improve their team for the better. Another great sign, one which has eluded England National Managers for 20 years, is picking the players to fit the system rather than the tried and failed approach adopted by say, Manchester United, of just getting the best players on the pitch and hoping it works. Conte has moved to a 3-5-2 formation and brought in Moses and Alonso to play as wing backs. Two names which nobody would have guessed would have been key to Chelsea playing well this season. With Kante covering every blade of grass that’s ever grown in front of his back 3, Chelsea have evolved into a tight-knit unit which can protect the relative lack of pace of their centre backs. Matic and Hazard have been re-born and up front Diego Costa is close to unplayable. Chelsea have a difficult few games coming up before a run of matches leading up to January so gentle it could be renamed Ben. If they can remain unbeaten after playing City and Spurs, we really could have a sensational title race on our hands.
Everton cannot lose Lukaku and Barkley if they are to progress
I’ve been critical of Everton of late. Having seemingly turned the corner of the post Martinez debris they went five games without keeping a clean sheet and Koeman had appeared to shrunk within himself a little regarding the teams creativity. It was refreshing then, that after a nervous opening twenty minutes Everton came to life to dominate the rest of the game and remind their fans what it feels like to win football matches again. Key to this was the sort of performance that people want to see more of from Ross Barkley. The Englishman was fantastic here. Picking up the ball and finding the men out wide before bursting into the box in a way any good number ten should. Lukaku was also excellent and Everton fan’s won’t mind their talisman drifting in and out of games if he remains so lethal when in the penalty area. In truth, he could have had another hat trick here, missing one guilt edged chance to double his tally and being only a simple, overhit pass from Coleman away from being clean through. Everton look a more solid unit under Koeman, witness the sensible decision to close out the game at 2-0 rather than continue to pile forward and invite pressure on the counter, but they HAVE to keep Barkley and Lukaku in order to progress forward and be the sort of team that can finish in the top six. Sadly, the Catch 22 is that for every performance like this, that looks an increasingly less likely prospect.
I’ve been critical of Everton of late. Having seemingly turned the corner of the post Martinez debris they went five games without keeping a clean sheet and Koeman had appeared to shrunk within himself a little regarding the teams creativity. It was refreshing then, that after a nervous opening twenty minutes Everton came to life to dominate the rest of the game and remind their fans what it feels like to win football matches again. Key to this was the sort of performance that people want to see more of from Ross Barkley. The Englishman was fantastic here. Picking up the ball and finding the men out wide before bursting into the box in a way any good number ten should. Lukaku was also excellent and Everton fan’s won’t mind their talisman drifting in and out of games if he remains so lethal when in the penalty area. In truth, he could have had another hat trick here, missing one guilt edged chance to double his tally and being only a simple, overhit pass from Coleman away from being clean through. Everton look a more solid unit under Koeman, witness the sensible decision to close out the game at 2-0 rather than continue to pile forward and invite pressure on the counter, but they HAVE to keep Barkley and Lukaku in order to progress forward and be the sort of team that can finish in the top six. Sadly, the Catch 22 is that for every performance like this, that looks an increasingly less likely prospect.
Team of the Weak:
Pickford - hard to single out a keeper this week in truth, but Pickford was often nervous when the ball came into the box and is yet to keep a clean sheet this season
Olsson - destroyed by an on song Aguero and looked every bit his age
McAuley - as above
Obiang - lucky to stay on the pitch and couldn’t cope with Barkley’s movement
Olsson - destroyed by an on song Aguero and looked every bit his age
McAuley - as above
Obiang - lucky to stay on the pitch and couldn’t cope with Barkley’s movement
Lovren - nice goal son, but I’m sorry that was as comical a mistake as you’ll ever see
Cabaye - an absolute shadow of the player that Newcastle sold to PSG
Pogba - could well become a permanent fixture in this column if he continues to treat the Premier League with the intensity of a kick around in his private six a side pitch
Eriksen - has yet to get going this season and Spurs badly need him to find his clinical edge if they are to press on
McClean - An attacking midfielder who gets booked for fun and averages a goal every 1000 minutes
Zlatan - has not scored now in what, for God, must feel like an eternity. Had a dizzying 12 attempts on his own this weekend and missed one at the death that my mum would have buried. In her wheelchair
Benteke - he can head the ball, but he makes Zlatan and Rooney combined look mobile. Breaks into a run once very 3 games
Cabaye - an absolute shadow of the player that Newcastle sold to PSG
Pogba - could well become a permanent fixture in this column if he continues to treat the Premier League with the intensity of a kick around in his private six a side pitch
Eriksen - has yet to get going this season and Spurs badly need him to find his clinical edge if they are to press on
McClean - An attacking midfielder who gets booked for fun and averages a goal every 1000 minutes
Zlatan - has not scored now in what, for God, must feel like an eternity. Had a dizzying 12 attempts on his own this weekend and missed one at the death that my mum would have buried. In her wheelchair
Benteke - he can head the ball, but he makes Zlatan and Rooney combined look mobile. Breaks into a run once very 3 games
Adieu
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