Premier League Week 3 Review: Liverpool draw at Arsenal and more
Liverpool remain undefeated after an entertaining draw at Arsenal, so what can we take from that, and other weekend results?
Arsenal and Liverpool shared the spoils at the Emirates, Manchester City have three wins from three, Sunderland managed to pick up their first point of the season, Bournemouth secured their first ever Premier League win, and the likes of Tottenham, Southampton and Newcastle are still searching for their first wins of the season. So what have we learnt from round three of the 2015/16 Premier League season?
New-found steel at Liverpool?
They haven’t set the world alight in their first three games by any stretch, and rode their luck in the victory over Bournemouth last week, but Monday night’s 0-0 draw at Arsenal means Liverpool have seven points from three games, and are yet to concede a goal.
Both sides could and maybe should have scored around three goals each, but Brendan Rodgers side nevertheless got the point they were looking for, and they look far better defensively than they have done for many a year. A title challenge still seems a long shot, but a place in the top-four may not be out of the question, though there will be further stern tests to come.
As for Arsenal, they need Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny to be as fit as possible for the duration of the season, as their replacements in the shape of Gabriel and Calum Chambers didn’t inspire confidence against Liverpool. Only good fortune and the acrobatics of Petr Cech stopped Arsenal conceding.
Manchester United need another striker, whatever Van Gaal says
Before the season began, most of the concerns surrounding United related to their defence, which didn’t look particularly great last season, and was not improved this summer after their failed bid for Sergio Ramos. Three clean sheets from three Premier League games however suggest the back-four is better than was expected, and Chris Smalling in particular has started to live up to the potential that persuaded United to sign him four years ago.
They’ve only scored two goals from those three games however, and after the 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle on Saturday, attention has inevitably turned to their striking department. Louis Van Gaal seems adamant that another striker is not needed, but Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez are United’s only front-line strikers, and neither of them look like they will score 20+ goals this season. If United don’t add to their attacking options, they can likely forget about the Premier League title.
Perfect start continues for Manchester City
Three games, three wins, eight goals scored, none conceded. The season is still very young, but City have looked like title contenders every step of the way so far. Sunday’s 2-0 win at Everton may not have been quite as spectacular as the previous win over Chelsea, but it was no less impressive, coming as it did against a side that had looked rejuvenated last week at Southampton.
Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany appear to be back to their very best, Eliaquim Mangala is beginning to look more worthy of his £32 million price tag, and Raheem Sterling has shown why City were willing to part with £49 million to secure his signature during the summer. If Sergio Aguero can stay fit (which is an ‘IF’) for the majority of the season, City will surely be favourites for the Premier League title.
Chelsea cannot be written off
In fairness, we knew that anyway, but the site of them being swept off the park last week at Man City was something nobody could have seriously foreseen. That defeat appeared to shock Chelsea into making the £21 million signing of Pedro from Barcelona, and if the 3-2 win at West Brom on Sunday was anything to go by, it looks to be money well spent.
One area of concern that remains however is that of John Terry. It would be harsh to say that Chelsea’s captain should consider imminent retirement, but his sending off at West Brom, coupled with last week’s performance at Man City, will only add to the sense that Terry is past his best. Chelsea look as though they’ll keep trying to sign John Stones right up until deadline day, but Everton remain adamant that he is not for sale, and that seems unlikely to change now.
Survival will be a struggle, but Bournemouth will definitely entertain us
After the misfortune of their 1-0 defeat at Liverpool, it would have been easy for Bournemouth to feel sorry for themselves and proceed to lose at West Ham. Saturday’s enthralling 4-3 win for the Dorset side doesn’t prove they will stay up, but it did prove the strength of character that is present in Bournemouth’s squad, and their willingness to play inventive, attacking football at all times.
Staying in the Premier League would be a monumental achievement for Bournemouth, given how far they have come in recent years and the tiny budget they are operating on, but nobody should be in any doubt that they will battle to the very end, and if Callum Wilson can continue to fire in the goals, they will give themselves every chance of survival.
