The international break is now upon us but the final round of Premier League fixtures left us with a lot to think about heading into the two-week hiatus. Here’s a look at the biggest talking points.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Spurs claim top spot
Tottenham Hotspur didn’t make it easy for themselves at Kenilworth Road. Ange Postecoglou knew a win for his side would lift them into top spot and they were facing a struggling Luton Town team.
Spurs did more than enough to justify their 1-0 win in the end but it was far from straightforward. Yves Bissouma was sent off in the first-half for a second yellow card following a dive. Rob Edwards’ side created and missed two big chances too, but, in truth, they failed to make the most of their man advantage.
Micky Van de Ven was the unlikely match-winner for the away side, scoring not long after the half-time break. With more of a ruthlessness, Spurs could’ve added to their total having created four big chances and finishing the game with an Expected Goals total of 1.96. They won’t mind though, they got the job done and are still one of only two unbeaten teams in the English top-flight.
Is it clicking for Pochettino’s Chelsea?
The Blues have now won two consecutive Premier League games following the 4-1 dismantling of Burnley at Turf Moor. Chelsea fell behind to an early goal scored by Wilson Odobert. It appeared as though the hosts would head into the break with a lead but Ameen Al Dakhil put the ball into his own net in the 42nd minute.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men stepped it up after the break with Cole Palmer converting from the spot in the 50th minute following a foul on Raheem Sterling. The England international then got in on the act himself, scoring in the 65th minute before Jackson Martinez, who started the game on the bench, added a fourth for Chelsea nine minutes later.
Throughout the early season, the Blues had been extremely wasteful but they were the opposite at Turf Moor, scoring four goals from an Expected Goals total of just 1.86. Surprisingly, though, Burnley had more efforts than the visitors (10 to nine) but Pochettino’s players created more big chances (three to one). Back-to-back wins have lifted them up to 11th and they are now just six points off of the top four places.
The Toffees get out of a sticky situation
Heading into their home match against Bournemouth on Saturday, Goodison Park hadn’t been too kind to Everton this term. The Toffees had lost all four of their games in front of a home crowd and these included two potential six-pointers against Luton and Wolves.
A loss would’ve seen them drop back into the relegation zone with the Cherries leapfrogging them.
However, the hosts put in quite the performance to record a 3-0 win over the Cherries. It was an empathic showing from those in blue as they created four big chances and finished with an Expected Goals haul of 2.49. Everton have looked much better since key injured players have returned from injury.
The Toffees were able to name Dwight McNeil, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jack Harrison in their starting XI. The latter scored the second of the game with a stunning effort from a distance that clipped the underside of the bar before crossing the line. Joe Garner and Abdoulaye Doucouré, with his third of the season, also got on the scoresheet.
Their first home league win of the season is now in the bag. Their form at Goodison has kept them in the league recently so this is a big result.
A sting in the tail for the Bees
It appeared as though Manchester United would be losing their third successive home match in a row. Brentford’s Mathias Jensen opened the scoring with 26 minutes on the clock after his tame effort somehow caught André Onana out. The United shot-stopper, once again, didn’t cover himself in much glory.
The Red Devils dominated the game and had 64% of the ball but they didn’t really turn this possession into anything more dangerous, creating just one big chance throughout the match. The chances they did create were worth just 1.43 Expected Goals, so it wasn’t as though Thomas Strakosha was performing heroics between the sticks for Brentford to keep them in the game.
Thomas Frank’s side limited the threat of the hosts for the entire 90 minutes. It was in stoppage time that the home side found a way past the Bees. Scott McTominay came off the bench in the 87th minute and scored two quick goals. In fact, he only managed two passes while on the pitch but was in the right place at the right time to give Erik Ten Hag a vital three points.
Brentford are winless since August and find themselves just three points above the relegation zone.
Another West Ham United smash-and-grab
David Moyes’ side are one of the best in the Premier League at what they do.
West Ham welcomed the in-form Newcastle United to London Stadium. Despite being the hosts, the Hammers didn’t look to impose themselves on the Magpies. Instead, they soaked up pressure and tried to play on the break. They had just 35% of the ball and had a total of five shots during the game. By comparison, Eddie Howe’s men had double the number of attempts, created chances worth 2.01 Expected Goals and finished the game with three big chances to West Ham’s one.
Yet despite controlling the game and creating better chances, Newcastle had to settle for a point after Mohammed Kudus came off the bench to fire an 89th-minute equaliser past Nick Pope from the edge of the penalty area.
Tomáš Souček had given the hosts an early lead before Alexander Isak netted twice in five minutes to turn the game on its head. The Swedish forward now has six goals in the English top-flight this term and he’s quickly closing in on the 10 he managed last term.
The spoils were shared and West Ham remain a point ahead of Newcastle in the Premier League table.
Top of the table clash
Arsenal welcomed Manchester City to the Emirates looking to end their horrendous run of form against the champions. The Gunners had lost 12 straight games against City heading into this game but knew a win would see them jump above Pep Guardiola’s team in the Premier League and into joint-top spot with neighbours Spurs.
Mikel Arteta was without the injured Bukayo Saka while Gabriel Martinelli was only fit enough for the bench. It was by no means a classic with just three efforts being landed on target throughout the 90 minutes.
City missed two big chances but racked up an Expected Goals total of just 0.48 as they struggled to put their usual stamp on things. Mateo Kovačić was lucky not to be sent off in the first-half too.
The pivotal moment came in the 86th minute when Martinelli, who replaced Leandro Trossard at the break, saw his effort clip Nathan Ake before wrong-footing Ederson. It was a big moment of luck but, in all honesty, one that Arsenal probably deserved for their impressive showing against the treble winners.
(Images from IMAGO)
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