TEAM: LIVERPOOL
How often, if ever, do you see a team down to 10 men before the half hour. Not to mention losing their captain and main defender?
Then playing for an hour, defending stoutly, showing heart and desire to then go and win the game in injury time? Hardly ever. It was one of the most dramatic and unlikely smash and grab jobs.
Well done also to West Ham. Tottenham. Aston Villa. Chelsea. Wolves. Man Utd. Wolves and Man City.
GOALKEEPER: ALPHONSE AREOLA (West Ham)
This was another category which has several worthy candidates. But the West Ham keeper is really proving his worth already and seemed unbeatable for large parts of the game.
He pulled off several flying saves that left the Brighton players in disbelief. It allowed his team to take the initiative with an impressive away win.
Shout out also to Sheff Utd’s Foderingham. Everton’s Pickford. Fulham’s Leno. Also, Wolves’ Sa and Liverpool’s Alisson were both close to winning this.
DEFENDER: MATTY CASH (Aston Villa)
I am cheating slightly, as he was playing in a higher wing-back role, which technically, goes in the midfield category. However, not known as a goal scoring defender, he got his team off to a great start and showed a desire to get on the end of a cross to tap home.
His second goal was taken with all the composure of a striker, following good link-up play to sweep home. After scoring two, he went back to his defensive duties to reduce Burnley to half chances.
Well done also to Liverpool’s Gomez, Robertson and Quansah. Spurs duo Romero and Udogie. Fulham’s Diop. West Ham’s Emerson. Brentford duo Henry & Pinnock. Wolves duo Kilman and Dawson. Palace’s Anderson. Forest’s Boly and Chelsea’s Thiago Silva.
MIDFIELDER: RAHEEM STERLING (Chelsea)
He seems back to his influential best, and he proved that with two goals and an assist to win the game.
His first was a superb slalom run, beating two players to strike home past two more and the keeper. He was in the right place at the right time to finish the second. Then he served one up for his mate to get his first Chelsea career goal.
Shout out to his teammates Gusto and Fernandez. West Ham trio Ward-Prowse, Alvarez and Bowen. Arsenal’s Vieira. Brighton’s Gross. Man Utd’s Eriksen, Casimero, Fernandez and Rashford. Palace’s Ayew. Spurs’ Kulusevski, Sarr, Bissouma and Maddison. Man City’s Rodri and Grealish. Fulham duo Pereira and Palhinha, Also, Villa’s Cash were both close to winning this.
FORWARD: DARWIN NUNEZ (Liverpool)
It was not bad for 20 minutes of work. He came on in the 77th minute and was full of running and energy. He got the equaliser in the 81st minute, with a wonderful finish inside the far post.
He then won the game dramatically in the 93rd minute with an instinctive finish, giving the keeper no chance. Two shots on goal, two goals, not bad at all.
Well done also to Chelsea’s Jackson. Arsenal duo Saka and Nketiah. West Ham’s Antonio. Forest’s Awoniyi. Wolves’ Kalajdzic. Brentford’s Schade. Villa’s Diaby. Newcastle’s Gordon. Sheff Utd’s Bogle and Burnley’s Foster
MANAGER: JURGEN KLOPP (Liverpool)
I am not exactly sure how he did it, but he went a goal down from a bad mistake, Then down to 10 men after Van Dijk’s red card after 28 minutes. Everyone was expecting the worst.
However, he kept his cool and left Trent on, who was on a yellow and not having a great first half. Shuffled his pack and made some bold substitutions. Then brought on Nunez in the 77th minute, and by stoppage time, they had dramatically won the game.
Shout out also to West Ham’s Moyes and Fulham’s Silva.
UNSUNG HERO: JOAO PALHINHA (Fulham)
I was really impressed with his performance in his first start of the season. While Fulham were in front, he was tigerishly running, reading the game, making tackles and blocks.
When his team lost a man and then went 2-1 down, while still having to defend, he showed great attitude and belief to drive his team forward, looking to make something happen. He got his reward with a neat first-time finish off a corner to earn an unlikely away point.
Well done also to Spurs’ Maddison, Forest’s Awoniyi, West Ham’s Ward-Prowse, Liverpool’s Gomez and Villa’s Diaby.
GAME: NEWCASTLE 1-2 LIVERPOOL
In a game that always seems to deliver. After Trent escaped an early second yellow. His mistake of letting the ball run under his studs allowed Gordon to run in on goal and slip the ball past Alisson (25).
Just three minutes later, Van Dijk swiped at Isak on the edge of the box and received a straight red (28). Newcastle pushed for a second but was thwarted several times by Alisson.
In the second half, Liverpool defended well, but Newcastle almost went ahead when Almiron hit the post. Liverpool then equalised when Burn was unable to cut out Jota’s ball forward. Nunez latched onto it, set himself and hit a lovely, arrowed low shot off the far post and in (81).
Liverpool then won it dramatically. Salah threaded a ball through for Nunez to run in the right channel of the box, and instinctively finished, first time, inside the far post (90+3).
There were also good games at Old Trafford. Man Ud 3-2 Notts Forest. At the Amex stadium. Brighton 1-3 West Ham. And at The Emirates Arsenal 2-2 Fulham.
GOAL: JARROD BOWEN (West Ham) v Brighton
Following a Brighton corner that West Ham defended well, the ball fell to the left of West Ham’s box. Antonio picked up the ball, and proceeded to run upfield, then played a lovely ball down the left for Benrahma to run onto.
Benrahma slowed the play just before he got to the corner of the box. He waited for Bowen’s run, who made up about 60 yards through the centre of the pitch.
Benrahma then picked out a lovely pass across the box into Bowen’s path, who controlled the ball in the box and without breaking his stride, slipped the ball first time, past the keeper into the bottom far corner.
There were also good goals from Chelsea’s Sterling. Man City’s Rodri. and Brentford’s Schade.
FOOL: EVERTON FC
Everton are bottom of the table, three games, three defeats and no goals. It is alarming to say already, but it seems they will be in another relegation fight.
For such a big club, you would have expected some improvement from the previous seasons. But it seems they have not learnt a thing, and it is looking like it will be another long season. FOOLS!
