Can you believe that we’re already 10 games into the Premier League season? And what a ride it’s been so far. Competition is tight and not a whole lot of points separate the top 6. Chelsea opened up the biggest gap at the top of the table going 3 points ahead of Liverpool after beating Newcastle, Arsenal beat a strong Leicester City side, and Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens fell at the hands of a Crystal Palace side who are starting to look more and more like a team that can roll with the big dogs.
Let’s have a look at some of the main talking points from Gameweek 10.
The world’s richest club faces relegation
A few weeks ago Newcastle was officially taken over by their new Saudi owners, making them the richest club in the world. Since then, fans and pundits alike have been linking expensive players and managers to the club and building Newcastle fantasy XI’s that would make PSG quiver in their boots.
Problem is, they’re still the same old Newcastle until any money is actually spent on building the club, and that Newcastle is fighting for their life at the bottom of the table.
Thomas Tuchel’s Premier League leading Blues are bursting at the seams with a star-studded team, a lot of whom are graduates of Chelsea’s academy. One of them, Reece James, scored twice from right back whilst Jorginho added the third from the penalty spot in a 3-0 spanking against Newcastle at St. James’ Park.
Chelsea kept their seventh League clean sheet this season. So far, they have conceded only three goals, while scoring 26 from all over the pitch. That represents title-winning efficiency, unlike their Saturday opponents who have conceded 23 goals in their first 10 games of the season.
Before Newcastle becomes the super club their fans have dreamed of, they’ll have to start winning some Premier League games. No matter how much money they have, they’ll never attract any big names to the second tier of English football. Not even money can talk that loud.
Nuno gets spanked then sacked
In the build-up to Tottenham vs Man Utd on Saturday, the football world was calling the game ‘El Sackico’ because both managers, Solskjaer and Nuno Espirito Santo, were fighting for their jobs. United, off the back of a horrendous 5-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool, needed a result more than ever and Tottenham, who now sit in 9th position, needed it just as badly.
Fast forward to half time and Spurs are being booed of the pitch by their home crowd as their boys head into the break 2-0 down against an aggressive, efficient United.
It was the performance rather than the end result that made this game hard to watch for Spurs fans. Nuno’s side were passive again in a big game. They didn’t look like they wanted to be there and their big name players like Kane and Son were made to look like high school footballers against a side that has been criticised heavily for lack of defensive cohesion.
The 3-0 final score seemed to be the final straw for Nuno. The next day, the club announced that he had in fact been let go from the club.
Days later and we’re about to welcome a Premier League winning manager back to England. It’s official – Antonio Conté will be the new man in charge of Tottenham Hotspur. His pedigree is undeniable and he’s the kind of manager that owns his dressing room, not letting ego or star power get in the way of his plans.
Conté has a big job on his hands. The side that he will be leading did not register a shot on target in the entire game against United who, after getting spanked by Liverpool, were probably a little nervous before kick-off. Conté knows what it takes to win a Premier League, having done so with Chelsea in 2015/16. That being said – this Tottenham side doesn’t look like it can turn things around to that degree just yet. Some shopping needs to be done and some big name players need to start playing like big name players.
Only time will tell what kind of impact Conté will have on Spurs, but we’re looking forward to seeing him storm up and down the side lines and shout at a few of the prima donna’s in the side.
De Bruyne no help for the Cityzens
I didn’t think I’d ever write this, but Kevin De Bruyne isn’t looking too hot at the moment.
Manchester City’s talismanic midfielder was subbed off after 56 minutes during what ended in a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace after playing a really clumsy game. He looked more than a yard behind the pace the entire game and was not at his best in general.
Pep Guardiola loves KDB, for obvious reasons, but had this to say after the game: “Kevin is such an important player for us and an excellent person. He is trying more every single day. Today he made a step forward in many things. About playing or resting him – this is my decision because I know a lot of information about a player. In seasons there are highs and lows, big moments and the next one is another challenge, another opportunity. Kevin knows it. He has done more than good since he arrived here and wants to continue to do it. The problem is when he gives up trying, says it doesn’t matter. That is not the case with him.”
On the other end of the pitch, Patrick Viera’s Palace looked the real deal and completely dominated proceedings – with young midfield maestro Conor Gallagher, who’s on loan from Chelsea, scoring one and assisting one. No doubt Tuchel will be recalling him from loan come season end and including him in the Chelsea set up.
Potter’s pedigree
Graham Potter’s Brighton might not have won in their last 6 but they came away from Anfield with a hard fought point against a Liverpool side that looks hell bent on winning the title.
Liverpool equalled their longest unbeaten run in all competitions since 1989 yet sulked off the pitch after dropping a two-goal lead and two valuable points.
Brighton were bold, creative, unafraid and tactically astute throughout. Leandro Trossard, played as a false nine, constantly unsettled the Liverpool defence with his darting runs and outrageous acceleration. Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp, who is undoubtedly on of the world’s best, was vocal about how impressed he is by Graham Potter’s managerial ability. After the game Klopp said: “He definitely has all you need. He’s a nice fella and his team mirrors his ability. He has a clear idea about football and is doing a brilliant job. He should not worry about his future. I respect a lot what Brighton did but we could have given them a proper knock and we didn’t do it. That’s the frustration.”
Brighton are 8th on the table on four points off of a top four spot. We said earlier this season that we’re backing them for a top 6 finish and, if Potter’s men keep playing the way that they are, Brighton could somehow see European football next year – which would be a big win for the game of football.
Ramsdale saves Arsenal
Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale put on one of the finest Premier League keeping displays we’ve seen in recent memory in a 2-0 win against Leicester on Saturday.
The new keeper has played a big part of Arsenal’s surge up the table, but he’s working far too hard in goal. His heroics on the weekend highlighted a lot of defensive issue for the Gunners. He was called into action much more than he should have been and, had he not played like a man possessed, the final result would probably have been very different. Their defence is just allowing too many shots. That’s okay if Ramsdale continues in the same vain going forward, but you can’t expect a goalie to play like an octopus week in, week out.
However, it’s clear that Arteta’s men are improving and playing more like a team that wants to win. Arsenal sit 6th, tied on points with Man Utd, and seem to be improving week by week.