Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp during the English Premier League match against West Ham at Anfield stadium in Liverpool on September 24, 2023. (Paul ELLIS)
Liverpool, 3-1 winner of West Ham, remains in the wheel of leader Manchester City, happy to see Arsenal and Tottenham neutralize each other 2-2 on Sunday in the sulfurous north London derby, rich in twists and turns.
The crisis was further strengthened on the Chelsea side, stuck in fourteenth place after a new setback, the third this season, at home against Aston Villa (1-0). Sheffield also experienced a black Sunday, with a scathing 8-0 inflicted on their lawn by Newcastle.
. Liverpool tient la cadence
The Reds are following the champion rhythm set by Manchester City, ahead of them with two small points ahead in the standings, by virtue of a deserving victory against West Ham (3-1), one of the leaders at the top of the table at the start of the season.
French goalkeeper Alphonse Areola lost from the penalty spot to Mohamed Salah (16th, 1-0) who has been walking on water since the restart, before giving in again to Darwin Nunez (60th, 2-1) and Diego Jota (85th, 3-1).
Coach Jürgen Klopp can count on an attack in great shape, but he still has to consolidate a defense that is still too fragile. Its captain Virgil Van Dijk, back from suspension, was surprised by a diving header from Jarrod Bowen (42nd, 1-1).
One point behind the Reds, Brighton confirmed their great start to the season by overthrowing Bournemouth (3-1). OM’s future opponent in the Europa League is third with 15 points, two more than Tottenham (4th) and Arsenal (5th).
. Derby hooked
Arsenal and Tottenham delivered a committed and eventful derby, tinged with clamors, rumblings and boos, in an atmosphere even more electric than Wednesday against PSV Eindhoven (4-0) for the Gunners’ return to the Champions League.
In this match not to be lost, Arsenal took the lead twice by taking advantage of Cristian Romero’s misfortune: the Argentine defender first diverted a shot from Bukayo Saka (26th, 1-0) into his goal, before causing a penalty, converted by the English winger (54th, 2-1).
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Coach Mikel Arteta was disappointed with the result in the post-match conference. “The attitude (of the players) was phenomenal, but we lacked control of the ball against a really good team.”
The Spurs brought back the draw thanks to their attacking double composed of James Maddison and Son Heung-min, with the English leader in the role of passer and the South Korean captain as finisher (42nd, 1-1 and 55th, 2 -2).
“We showed a lot of character,” Son noted on Sky Sports. “We gave everything until the final whistle so that the supporters could be proud of the match.”
Arsenal may regret their missed opportunities, but they preserve their invincibility at home against Tottenham, weaned from victory in the league since November 2011 at the Emirates.
. Chelsea even lower
Chelsea’s disastrous start to the season continued with a 1-0 home defeat to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, who were sixth after six rounds.
This third setback in the Premier League keeps the Blues in fourteenth place and increases the pressure around Mauricio Pochettino, appointed to right a blue ship that was adrift last season.
The former Paris Saint-Germain coach knows that patience is not the Chelsea owners’ strong point. Last season, Thomas Tuchel was ejected after a few weeks and Graham Potter suffered the same fate in April.
The Blues of Malo Gusto, excluded on Sunday after a foul on Lucas Digne, have just gone a third match without scoring.
“We have to be aware of what is happening but we have to be calm,” commented Pochettino. “The team is fighting, we can’t say they gave up after 70 minutes, they fought with one player less. I hope we can reverse the trend as quickly as possible.”
This is what Newcastle managed to do. Weighed down by three defeats in a row, the Magpies have just turned things around with two consecutive victories in the league, the last of which, on Sunday, left promoted Sheffield (8-0) completely stunned. They are now eighth.
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2023-09-25 03:15:59
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