TEAM: LIVERPOOL
Although there were some really good performances worthy of winning this, Liverpool takes it.
They were absolutely unplayable at Watford. Some might say they were helped by how bad Watford were, but for me it was more of a case of Liverpool making them look bad with their slick, menacing forward passing, off the ball movement, ball retention, skill and clinical finishing.
Well done also to Wolves, West ham, Chelsea, Southampton, Tottenham, Man City and Leicester who were really close to winning this.
GOALKEEPER: EDOUARD MENDY (Chelsea)
If ever there was a goalkeeper performance that earned his team a win, this was it. Chelsea had one shot one goal and Brentford had seven.
That sums it up perfectly. Mendy was like a man possessed, performing out of his skin, saving literally everything that came his way and Brentford really did throw everything at him. Some are still scratching their head wondering how Chelsea came away with a clean sheet.
Shout out also to Norwich’s Krul, Brighton’s Sanchez & Leeds’ Meslier.
DEFENDER: ANGELO OGBONNA (West Ham)
The West Ham defender played his part in both boxes to help his team to an impressive away win.
In defence he helped to reduce Everton to half chances and when Everton did get a big chance, it was him who made a last ditch block to stop Iwobi. At the other end, he rose highest to head hone the winner.
Well done also to his team mate Zouma, Spurs’ Ruguilon, Liverpool duo Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk, Wolves duo Saiss & Coady, Leicester’s Soyuncu, Norwich duo Hanley & Aarons, Burnley duo Burn & Duffy, Southampton’s Livramento and Chelsea’s Sarr.
MIDFIELDER: YOURI TIELEMANS (Leicester)
He really excelled in the midfield against a United team who had the likes of Ronaldo, Pogba, Fernandes and Sancho.
He showed energy up and down the pitch, was very good off the ball with his movement, but was even better with the ball, showing superb close control, passing and vision, he also weighed in with a lovely finish to equalise in the first half.
Shout out also to Chelsea’s Chilwell, Spurs’ duo Ndombele & Son, Norwich’s Lees-Melou, Man City duo De Bruyne & B.Silva, Liverpool’s Milner, Man Utd duo Greenwood & Rashford, Villa’s McGinn, Palace’s Gallagher & West Ham’s Rice who was really close to winning this.
FORWARD: MO SALAH (Liverpool)
What can I really say that hasn’t already been said? He really is playing the best football of this career. Scoring goal of the season contenders two weeks in a row, but not only that, his link up play’s been exceptional.
He is not only scoring goals, but assisting them also. His out side of the boot pass to assist the first goal for Mane was equally as class as the goals he’s been scoring.
Well done also to his team mates Mane & Firmino. Newcastle’s Wilson, Spurs’ Kane, Villa’s Ings, Southampton’s Broja, Arsenal duo Aubameyang and Lacazette, Palace duo Benteke & Edouard and Leicester’s Vardy who was close to winning this.
MANAGER: BRENDAN RODGERS (Leicester)
I really like the fact that against Man Utd he did the bold thing by playing two up front. That certainly set the tone for the game.
It made it an open, attacking game where he fancied his teams’ chances against United and it really paid off. Late in the game at 1-1 he still went for the win bringing off one striker for another and in the end got his rewards with his team scoring three late goals including sub Daka making 4-2 in stoppage time to settle the game.
Shout out also to Liverpool’s Klopp.
UNSUNG HERO: ROBERTO FIRMINO (Liverpool)
Obviously not unsung, but with his team mate Salah playing out of his skin and claiming the forward award, in no way could I allow him not be recognised after scoring a hat-trick.
For someone that is considered as a forward but not exactly a forward, he certainly showed his forward instincts of sniffing out danger and being in the right place at the right time to bag three at Watford.
You cannot say he hasn’t deserved it for all the work he puts in for his team.
GAME: LEICESTER 4-2 MAN UTD
Man Utd opened the scoring when Fernandes played the ball out to the right for Greenwood, who cut inside onto his left and from just under 25 yards out, hit an unstoppable effort that flew into the far corner (19).
Leicester then got an equaliser when De Gea’s pass to Maguire, who was waiting for the ball to come to him was picked off by Iheanacho just to the right of the box, his cut back found Tielemans just inside the box to loop a shot over De Gea and in the top far corner (31).
In the second half Leicester took the lead when following a corner where De Gea saved Daka’s shot the ball fell to Soyuncu to smash home from a few yards (78). Man Utd then equalised when Lindalof played a long searching ball through the middle for sub Rashford to run onto and smash home (82).
However, not even a minute later, Perez found himself in the United box on the left and his cut back was expertly dispatched on the half volley by Vardy (83).
The game was settled in injury time when Vardy won a free kick just outside the box by the touchline, the ball was swung in by Tielemans and Daka found himself in space at the back post to tap into an empty net (90+1)
GOAL: MO SALAH (Liverpool) v Watford
Firmino picked up a loose ball just outside the box and shifted it to the side to Salah just inside the Watford box.
With three players around him, Salah controlled then shifted the ball away from one defender, then as two further players surrounded him, he stopped the ball dead, rolled it back then forward to deceive both, then accelerated forward to the edge of the six yard box.
He then shaped to shoot on his right, but checked back, leaving two players on the floor before cooly slotting the ball with his left foot into the far corner, leaving the keeper stranded on the spot.
FOOL: JONJO SHELVEY (Newcastle)
On the first game of the new Newcastle owners reign, lets hope he has not started as he means to go on. Shelvey came on at the 60th minute mark.
On 78 minutes he got booked on the touch line deep in the Spurs half for a needless and cynical foul.
Then, just five minutes later, after his poor ball into the box, he went chasing back to stop a Spurs breakaway and blatantly tripped Reguilon to get his second yellow to leave the game. Thus ending his teams’ and the new owners chances of a happy opening game ending. FOOL!
