Premier League
Manchester United headline Premier League talking points
HAVE UNITED TURNED THE CORNER?
After Manchester United lost their opening two games of the season, including a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at Brentford, their season was being written off before it had even begun.
But Erik ten Hag’s side have since won four straight games, including beating Liverpool and, on Sunday, league leaders Arsenal, who had a 100% record going into the game.
On top of the results, United have also invested around 140 million pounds ($160.76 million) to bring in Casemiro from Real Madrid in midfield and Antony on the wing from Ajax Amsterdam.
Brazilian Antony scored on his debut at Old Trafford and while compatriot Casemiro has yet to start, few doubt he will add some extra steel and experience to United’s midfield.
But what has been most noticeable in the run of wins has been the performances of two earlier close-season signings – central defender Lisandro Martinez and left back Tyrell Malacia.
They have given some much needed solidity and composure to a back-line that had so often been panicky and flaky.
The other addition, Christian Eriksen, gave his best display so far against Arsenal with his clever play and smart positional sense appearing to bring out the best in Bruno Fernandes.
With Cristiano Ronaldo’s future now settled, until January at least, there is suddenly an air of confidence around Old Trafford but have the club turned the corner?
The fans will be wary of any grand claims — there were moments under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when United looked to be heading in a positive direction before it all unravelled again.
Ten Hag was wise to dampen any talk of United being back among the best. “I understand fans are dreaming and the standards of Manchester United have to be good, but we’re at the start of a process, we’re still far away,” he said.
RICHARLISON OFFERS SPURS ATTACKING VARIETY
Tottenham Hotspur produced their best attacking display of the season in a 2-1 win over Fulham that should have been far bigger and Richarlison was behind much of their best work.
The Brazilian, signed to offer an alternative to the tried and tested formula of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, started with them in a three-way attack for the first time on Saturday.
The number nine linked superbly with both as well as giving the midfield passers another target.
He ended with an assist, a disallowed goal and also struck the post with a superb volley and looks set to have a big impact as the season progresses for the Londoners.
CONTROVERSIAL VAR CALLS CRITICISED
The use of the video assistant referee (VAR) was once again in the limelight as managers hit out at the controversial decisions made in Saturday’s matches.
West Ham United boss David Moyes said he was “embarrassed” for the VAR official after his team were denied a 90th-minute equaliser in their 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, while Eddie Howe was certain Newcastle United had a “perfectly good goal” chalked off in their 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.
Jesse Marsch accused officials of a “lack of respect” as Leeds United were denied a penalty in a 5-3 loss at Brentford and VAR did not ask the on-field referee to review the incident. He was later shown a red card for arguing with the officials.
The Premier League has reportedly asked the referees’ body PGMOL to look into those decisions.
TIME RUNNING OUT FOR RODGERS
One point from Leicester City’s first six games is a damning enough statistic, but just as worrying for manager Brendan Rodgers will be what a soft touch they have become.
The Foxes were torn apart on Sunday at Brighton & Hove Albion, who won 5-2 and could have inflicted more humiliation on the visitors had they been more clinical in front of goal.
The chasms of space afforded to Brighton in the Leicester box and the fact City continually gave away possession in midfield will be of huge concern to Rodgers, who is feeling the heat with fellow strugglers Aston Villa to come next weekend.
Leicester are playing like a team desperately low on confidence and belief and Rodgers must find a way to snap them out of it. On the evidence of Sunday, it will be a tall order.
-Reuters
Premier League
Joe Aribo’s goal not enough to Southampton’s suffering
Joe Aribo scored a goal for Southampton on Saturday,but it was not enough to curb the club’s miserable run as they succumbed to a last-minute defeat by Leicester who snatched victory by 3-2.
Leicester scored three second-half goals to come from behind and stun 10-player Southampton, denying them a first Premier League win of the season.
The result means Saints have set a club record for the longest winless run in their entire top-flight history, having failed to emerge victorious from any of their last 21 Premier League encounters.
Inside five minutes, Joe Aribo had crashed a header onto the crossbar and inside seven minutes, the hosts had taken the lead. Kyle Walker-Peters led the charge after a quick free-kick and dropped the ball off to Ryan Manning, who squared for Cameron Archer to coolly slot in and send a wave of both relief and belief around St Mary’s.
Premier League
Leicester fight back to clinch 3-2 win and extend Southampton’s suffering
Jordan Ayew scored in the 98th minute as Leicester staged a second-half comeback to earn a 3-2 win at Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, with the 10-man hosts setting a club record of 21 matches without victory in the English top-flight.
Leicester moved up to 13th in the standings with nine points from eight matches, while Southampton fell to 20th – level on points with Wolverhampton Wanderers, who face champions Manchester City on Sunday
“It’s just unbelievable, that’s why we play football. We didn’t have a good first half,” Ayew told Sky Sports.
“Second half we got ourselves back together and attacked the game properly. It’s just an unbelievable feeling.
“It’s a good step forward to move up the table. We’re going to continue fighting and it’s not going to be easy so well done the lads and everyone.”
Having failed to win in their last 13 matches in the 2022-23 season when they were relegated, Southampton are without a win in the Premier League since they beat Leicester in the same fixture in March 2023.
Southampton shot out of the blocks and took the lead in the eighth minute when Ryan Manning squared for Cameron Archer to finish a sweeping counter-attack, before midfielder Joe Aribo added to their tally with a side-footed effort.
Leicester defender Wout Faes nearly scored a spectacular own-goal five minutes into the second half by sending a diving header straight at his own keeper Mads Hermansen, who spared the Belgian’s blushes with a deft save.
The visitors grew into the contest in the second half and created some half-chances before pulling one back in the 64th minute.
Buonanotte turned in a cross after a driving run from substitute Abdul Fatawu and the goal signalled the beginning of Southampton’s unravelling.
Minutes later, Vardy was denied on the line by an excellent Aaron Ramsdale save, but Leicester were awarded a penalty after a VAR review found that the forward was held back by Ryan Fraser.
Fraser was sent off and Vardy stepped up, blasting his effort past Ramsdale to equalise.
Leicester smelled blood and pushed forward in their quest for a winner, which came deep into stoppage time when Ayew’s low shot went through a sea of bodies and crept into the bottom corner, breaking the hearts of home fans at St Mary’s Stadium.
-Reuters
Premier League
Manchester United ease pressure on Erik ten Hag with win over Brentford
Manchester United eased a bit of the pressure on their embattled manager Erik ten Hag with a 2-1 come-from-behind English Premier League victory over Brentford at Old Trafford on Oct 19.
The Red Devils had come into the match in 14th place on eight points with just two wins from seven games – their worst start to a campaign since 1989-90.
Reports had suggested the United hierarchy, including co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive officer Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox had a long meeting earlier in the week, with ten Hag’s future on the agenda.
In the pre-match press conference on Oct 19, the Dutch manager accused segments of the media of “creating stories, creating fairy tales, bringing noise, bringing lies” regarding his future.
But things looked iffy for him again when Brentford opened the scoring in the fifth minute of first-half added time, when centre-back Ethan Pinnock lost marker Diogo Dalot and powered in a ferocious header past Andre Onana from a Mikkel Damsgaard corner.
Ten Hag and Matthijs de Ligt remonstrated with the touchline officials after the defender was made to leave the field before the set piece as blood was pouring out of his head. He had sustained the injury after a coming together with Kevin Schade after 10 minutes.
Ten Hag and his assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy were later booked for their protestations.
But when all was said and done, it marked the seventh time United had failed to score in the first half in eight Premier League matches this season.
The Red Devils’ best chances in the first period had fallen to Alejandro Garnacho.
Once, he forced a near-post save by Mark Flekken, but with his two other opportunities, more could be expected from the Argentinian winger after he was picked out by a lovely cross-field pass from Marcus Rashford and some good hold-up play from Rasmus Hojlund.
But the 20-year-old Garnacho remained confident and two minutes after the break, he finally found the net to register his second league goal of the campaign.
Rashford produced another excellent delivery for his fellow winger, this time his deep cross found Garnacho at the back post and he responded with a first-time side-foot volley into goal.
It was the marked the start of a second-half resurgence from the Red Devils which kept Flekken very busy.
But he could not deny United their second. United captain Bruno Fernandes played a neat round-the-corner flick to Hojlund, who dinked the ball over Flekken and into goal on 62 minutes.
It was his second goal in three starts this term, after missing the start of the campaign owing to a hamstring injury he picked up in pre-season.
United could have gone 3-1 up six minutes later, when Onana’s goal kick found an overlapping Dalot bear down on goal, but Flekken managed to foil him.
But in the end, the Red Devils did not need the cushion of another goal as they got their first win in six matches.
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