This weekend proved to be the first set of matches played in the 2013-14 season that would give an idea of just where and what is needed from each club. The fixture list threw up a cluster of games to be played by clubs in or around each other, and thus passed through a metaphorical sieve, removing any clumps of doubt or traces of over achievement and what is left is settled in position for a while at least.
Arsenal moved five points clear of Liverpool who they played off the park in midfield, in-fact Brendan Rodgers may ask himself if he actually played a midfield at times such was Arsenal’s dominance in the centre.
Liverpool’s ‘SAS’ misfired and stuttered a little, almost trying too hard to conjure something magical. Nothing seemed to come off for Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez as the Anfield side had it’s threat nullified. Arsenal took the three points with goals from Santi Cazorla and a marvellous finish by Aaron Ramsey past Simon Mignolet who had no chance.
Three points now separate eighth to second in the table after wins from Manchester United and Manchester City, draws from Everton, Tottenham and Southampton, coupled with Chelsea–on the back of six straight wins–losing in the weekends opener to Newcastle 2-0 with goals from Yoan Gouffran and Loic Remy. It’s now a case of show us what you’re made of at the top as seven teams give chase to Arsene Wenger’s men.
City won 7-0 against Norwich and you’d not be criticised for forgiving Chris Hughton for taking the blame for the defeat. It was much debated before the game as to whether Joe Hart would start or not, Manuel Pellegrini chose, not. Costel Pantilimon started in goal.
After City let in a late goal against Chelsea the previous week City were looking to make amends, a backlash was feared by Norwich who have been struggling of late and that’s what they received as goals from a Bradley Johnson (OG), David Silva, Matija Nastasic, Alvaro Negredo, Yaya Touré, Sergio Agüero and Edin Dzeko wrapped things up in emphatic style.
After some heavy discussion in the opening weeks of the season David Moyes seems to have put a troubled league start in check. United now sit in eighth, just three points off second after a win against Fulham, who find themselves gradually slipping downwards. First half goals from Antonio Valencia, Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney were enough to see off Martin Jol’s side.
United now face Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton in their next four league matches.
Below United the Barclays Premiership now bottle necks from ninth to sixteenth, separated by four points. Aston Villa and West Ham played out a draw, while wins for Cardiff against Welsh rivals Swansea, West Brom against bottom side Crystal Palace and Steve Bruce’s Hull City, plunged the bottom two sides into more early trouble.
Bruce’s side have shown great fight and determination so far in their games and have been unlucky to not have more to show for their efforts, however if you gave Hull the option of 14 points and tenth in the table at this stage they’d have gnarled your arm off.
Gus Poyet was fortunate not to have been sent to the stands as frustration mounted at the KC Stadium. Sunderland in their efforts to match the fight and determination of their opponents pushed the envelope too far as Andrea Dossena and Lee Cattermole were sent off for reckless challenges, compounding misery for Sunderland after Carlos Cuellar’s own goal.
West Brom’s form this season under Steve Clarke has seen the baggies achieve a win against Manchester United and a draw against league leaders Arsenal. They are unbeaten in five before last weeks defeat to Liverpool and this maybe couldn’t have been a better fixture to get back on track against a Palace side, managerless and severely lacking in confidence, this is Palace’s seventh league defeat in succession.
Goals from Saido Berahino and Gareth McCauley were enough to put to bed any resistance shown by the Eagles who now sit six points behind Stoke in sixteenth and a win seems even further away, the sooner a permanent manager arrives and some stability for the players the better.
For the league itself it was a weekend of football heading into a third of the season played, that defined each clubs objectives. Of course it’s far too early to write anyone off, Palace Sunderland, Norwich and Stoke are propping the league up at the moment but that can change with wins, the teams above are so close in terms of points that a win for a bottom club and a loss for a mid-table club will narrow the gap quite quickly, but those wins need to come now.
At the top Arsenal’s five point lead could be cut by the chasing group with a defeat to United. Liverpool face Fulham at Anfield and Manchester City give Sunderland another headache.
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