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Five Things You May Have Missed in the Premier League This Week
Blogs

Five Things You May Have Missed in the Premier League This Week

10/12/24 14:56

Five things you may have missed in the Premier League this weekend

After a hectic week in the Premier League, featuring 20 games in six days, the action cools a little this week, with various sides given a much needed break while others play rotated squads in their respective European competitions.

With 20 games to pick from, I am spoiled for choice when it comes to unique moments and unusual scenarios, as the action was non-stop throughout all 20 fixtures. However, we must once again narrow the list down to five if we are to get next week's piece out on time. So without further ado, here are five moments you may have missed in the Premier League this season.

5. Tomas Soucek and Jarrod bowen pay tribute to Michail Antonio as Lopetegui survives

We start off on a serious note. On Saturday, it was reported that West Ham’s record Premier League goalscorer Antonio had been seriously injured in a major car accident, one that resulted in him being airlifted to a nearby hospital.

While he was confirmed to be in a stable condition hours later, West Ham confirmed that he had suffered a lower leg fracture, and would need surgery in order to recover fully from the injury. The news obviously came as a big shock to all involved at West Ham, ranging from the youngest supporter to the oldest player.

As a result, before their make-or-break fixture with Wolves on Monday, the Hammers squad all wore Antonio’s number 9 shirt during the warm up in a show of solidarity for their absent team mate.

The game so key for West Ham because it had been listed as “El Sackico” in the days prior to kick-off; both Julen Lopetegui and Wolves manager Gary O’Neil had failed to live up to expectations throughout the early stages of the season, and both faced an unceremonious sacking should their side lose.

And both sides played like they had everything to lose. The first half was an unspectacular, cagey affair with chances few and far between, as both put in performances that deserved tough words from both coaches in the dressing room during the break.

West Ham responded better to the half time team talk, and they took the lead early in the second period. A Jarrod Bowen corner met the head of Soucek at the back post, who deftly lobbed the ball over the stranded Sam Johnstone in goal and nestled it in the far corner.

Immediately, the Czech midfielder held up both hands with nine fingers showing, and spun around for the whole of the London Stadium to see. It was a touching tribute to the 34-year-old striker, who had been at the club since Soucek’s arrival in January 2020 from Slavia Praha.

However, West Ham were pegged back 15 minutes later, after Matt Doherty smartly volleyed past Lukasz Fabianski, and with 20 minutes remaining, both coaches found their jobs hanging in the balance. A draw would likely not be good enough for either of them.

However, as he so often does, it was Jarrod Bowen who had the final say. Picking up the ball on the right hand side of the box, he jinked and swerved away from his marker, before planting a delightful finish in the far corner, leaving Johnstone no chance, and sparking elated scenes in the stands.

After nodding coolly in front of the home fans, Bowen found an Antonio shirt, and held it up behind the Wolves goal. West Ham were playing with emotion, and coming without one of the longest serving players, that emotion fuelled them through thick and thin, as soon as Bowen scored, it didn’t look as if they could do anything other than win.

And it did prove to be the winner, as Wolves were unable to create a clear cut opening for the remainder of the game. West Ham had earned Lopetegui a stay of execution, and had also given their fans something cheer after a week of sadness following Antonio’s accident. In a game with dual storylines, the Hammers’ had responded superbly to both.

In an interview after the match, Soucek confirmed that he had dedicated his goal to the striker, and said: “I said to him before the game that I really wanted to score even more today, because he was here since I came (from Slavia Praha), and he’s really my favorite.”

They were touching words, and they would have meant so much to Antonio, who was almost certainly watching the post-match coverage following such an important win for his team.

It is thought that Antonio could be out for at least a year while he recovers from surgery, which for a 34-year-old, means one more year closer to retirement. Everyone hopes that it doesn’t come to that, as the striker is one of the league’s finest examples of hard-work and excellent application, but should he be forced into that decision, he knows his team will be playing with him in their thoughts.

4. Andre Onana has an Evening to Forget

After a slow start to life at Manchester United last season, Onana has blossomed in the early stages of the new campaign. Leading the way in the clean sheet standings with six, and making a host of outstanding saves along the way, he had looked like the world-class keeper that helped Inter Milan to the 2022/23 Champions League final.

However, Saturday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest will have brought back unpleasant memories of last season for many of the Old Trafford faithful.

Their sixth defeat of the season, and new coach Ruben Amorim’s second on the bounce, it is hard to convincingly say that United deserved anything from the match. They defended poorly, and their decision making in the final third was nothing short of amateur, and Forest took advantage effectively.

They opened the scoring just two minutes in, when 6 foot 4 inch centre back Nikola Milenkovic was somehow left unmarked to rifle home a header from Elliot Anderson’s corner delivery. It was the third goal United has conceded from a corner in 92 minutes of football, and it is clearly an area Ruben Amorim needs to address if he is to make progress.

However, United responded well at the other end of the pitch, and Rasmus Hojlund equalised just 18 minutes later into an empty net, after Alejandro Garnacho’s effort was saved by Matz Sels.

While the rest of the first half played out uneventfully, the same cannot be said about the early stages of the second period. After just two minutes, Forest retook the lead through Morgan Gibbs-White. Fed by Callum Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs White galloped to the edge of the box where he wound up to unleash one.

While his shot certainly had power, it was heading straight for Onana, who started to go to ground to collect it. However, a slight swerve at the last minute saw the ball fly into the back of the net off Onana’s trailing hand. With his weight going ever so slightly the wrong way, the keeper was unable to re-adjust to the late movement, and could only flap a hand at the ball as it sailed in.

Then, just seven minutes, Onana compounded his error, as Chris Wood’s looping header somehow floated over him and past Lisandro Martinez at the back post to bounce into the bottom corner. While the keeper was obscured by his centre backs, the ball was moving with such little velocity he could have walked around them and caught back up with it.

Martinez must take some blame here too. Despite being positioned perfectly at the back post to easily clear, he instead let the ball pass him, and his face depicted a look of polite surprise when the ball clipped the post on its way into the corner.

Forest led 3-1 at Old Trafford, a two goal lead that would prove enough to take away all three points despite Bruno Fernandes’ making things uncomfortable with half an hour left.

One again, it must be said that Onana has been up there with the best keepers in the league this season, but a performance like this could seriously damage his confidence, and lead to more frequent eros in coming games. With fixtures against Man City, Newcastle and Tottenham before the new year, Amorim will be desperate to keep errors to a minimum.

3. Australian Everton Fan given brilliant Compensation

As we all know, Storm Darragh ripped through the country this week, bringing with it torrential rain and winds topping 90mph. Killing two people, cutting power for tens of thousands, and causing havoc with public transport, the storm also saw the much anticipated Merseyside Derby postponed.

The game was set to be the last installment of the derby at Goodison Park, with Everton set to move to the new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium at the end of the season, and it tempted Toffee’s fans from far and wide to say an emotional farewell in the clubs storied rivalry with Liverpool.

One of these was 15-year-old Australian fan McKenzie, who spent his entire savings on Plane tickets to see his side take on Liverpool in their last ever derby at their first ever home. Having already arrived in England before the game was postponed, there would have been more than a few moments of total horror for the young fan when the postponement was announced.

However, the image of him holding an Everton scarf and the attached story of why he was in England was spread far and wide across social media, eventually finding its way to the eyes and ears of club captain Seamus Coleman.

Clearly thinking that the 21,000 mile round trip should not be made in vain, Coleman got in contact with the young fan, and invited him to their training facility to meet with the Everton players.

Arriving at Everton’s training ground on Monday, McKenzie was greeted by various players, and was seen posing for pictures alongside Coleman and striker Beto. Jordan Pickford even gave him a pair of keeper gloves as a token of their gratitude for his dedication to the club.

And to top it all off, McKenzie was given tickets for Everton’s Saturday fixture against Arsenal. While the game may be being played at the Emirates, the gesture is incredibly kind, and in meeting the squad, McKenzie got an experience he would almost certainly have missed had the game simply gone ahead as planned.

It was a gesture that showed the footballers, despite their sometimes astronomical reputation, are still human beings, and the generosity and kindness of the squad embodies the class that all football clubs should strive to display. It also reflects well on captain Coleman, who would no doubt have had a big hand in organising this behind the scenes.

2. Dean Huijsen, the Chill Guy

For whatever reason, a picture of a standing dog, with its paws in its jeans pockets, captioned with the words ‘chill guy’, has taken over the internet in recent weeks, and has now infiltrated its way onto the football pitch. Meme culture these days eh?

Tottenham’s visit to Bournemouth looked to be a perfect opportunity for Spurs to get their season back on track after just one win in their last five, but it instead only amplified their problems.

Dominated from start to finish, the London side rarely looked comfortable on the south coast, against a Bournemouth side that had already picked up remarkable home victories over Man City and Arsenal in previous games.

Clearly buoyed by their excellent form at the Vitality Stadium, the Cherries dictated the majority of the game, and looking back at the highlights, could have won by four or five. However, while they were impressive, Spurs were equally underwhelming, and their makeshift backline never really looked settled.

This was telling in the 19th minute, when 19-year-old Dean Huijsen, who by the way is 6 foot 4 inches, was left unmarked at the back post to plant a header into the far corner of the Spurs net. Many players who score their first ever Premier League goal celebrate unreservedly, but not Huijsen.

The Spaniard instead jogged 10 yards down the byline, and just stood there with his hands in his pockets, in a remarkable imitation of the aforementioned ‘chill guy dog’. It was remarkably calm for a player who had just become Bournemouth’s youngest ever Premier League goal scorer.

After a brief mobbing by his teammates, Huijsen stayed back to pose once again, and was this time joined by Antoine Semenyo and Marcus Tavernier, who standing alongside him, looked like the three chillest guys in Bournemouth.

Huijsen was excellent in defence on the night as well, making 11 clearances, four tackles, and winning all four of his ground duels as well. At just 19, and picked up for just £12.5 million, the teenager looks like a bargain, and with many years still left to develop, could prove to be one of Bournemouth’s finest pieces of transfer market business.

And with such a composed attitude both in defence and while celebrating, his side will look to keep hold of that assurance at all costs.

1. The London Derby Delivers Again

No, we are not talking about Fulham vs Arsenal. We are of course talking about the two protagonists of the fabled battle of Stamford Bridge all the way back in 2016. Tottenham vs Chelsea delivered yet another enthralling edition of itself, and could be likened more to a basketball match than a footballing game.

Comparing it to a boxing match would be equally apt, as the end to end sequences appeared similar to heavyweights trading blows until one has nothing left to give.

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca had been careful in his interviews before the match, avoiding all talk of his young Chelsea side being in a title race, but with the merseyside Derby postponed on Saturday, a win at Spurs would propel them to four points behind the leaders, and would certainly force their name into the title discussion.

Meanwhile, Spurs had more worrying things on their mind. With one win in their last six games, they lay tenth in the league, with manager Ange Postecoglou getting stick from both the media and his own fans after failing to achieve results in what were perceived as winnable games against Fulham and Bournemouth.

Both teams had pride and position to play for, and put in a game for the ages. Surprisingly, it was out of form Tottenham who exploded out of the blocks. Former Chelsea academy graduate Dominic Solanke opened the scoring against his old side after a costly Marc Cucurella slip gifted possession to Brennan Johnson, who picked the centre forward with pinpoint precision.

And the second goal once again came through Cucurella mis-stepping. Slipping this time while trying to pass, he gave the ball to Pedro Porro. A couple of passes later, the ball had found its way to the feet of Dejan Kulusevski, who after searching for a clear opening, instead threaded the ball through the legs of Romeo Lavia and into the near corner.

Spurs led 2-0 after 11 minutes, and had seemingly banished the demons of last season's 4-1 defeat in the same fixture, a game that was hailed as one of the games of the season.

However, Chelsea’s explosive young attack was always going to have a say in the final score, and in the 17th minute, in-form winger Jadon Sancho fired into the bottom corner from long range to halve the deficit, pulling Chelsea back to within one.

While the first half saw no more goals, there was still an embarrassment of action; Moises Caicedo and Kulusevski should both have seen reds at different points, Fraser Forster was forced into an excellent double save from Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto, Solanke somehow scuffed an effort from six yards out, and Pape Sarr struck the bar with moments left of the first period.

The fans exhaled when the half time whistle blew, letting out a breath they had been collectively holding since the first kick of the game. Both sides had neglected to slow down the game at any point, instead seemingly willing to tire each other out with end to end sprints and short stoppages.

The second half continued in the same vein, as just three minutes in, Sancho forced another top save from Forster, this time from close range, before Enzo Fernandez scraped the bottom of the post with a sumptuous long-distance effort.

Chelsea dominated the opening proceedings of the second period, limiting Spurs to having just 20% of the possession, and the pressure eventually told. Sancho picked out an intelligent run from Caicedo, and Yves Bissouma’s slide tackle was telegraphed, allowing the Ecuadorian to tap it past the Spurs players outstretched leg and instead receive a kick himself, earning the Blue’s a penalty.

It is a well known fact that Cole Palmer does not miss penalties, and this one was no different. Tucking it into the corner, and sending Forster the wrong way in the process, Chelsea had clawed their way back to level terms, and looked certain favorites with half an hour of play left.

And with less than 20 minutes remaining, Chelsea underlined their second half dominance by taking the lead for the first time. Palmer waltzed through the Spurs defence like a hot knife through butter, and while his shot was blocked, the rebound fell perfectly for Fernandez, who rifled a weak-footed finish into the bottom corner to spark wild scenes in the away end.

Spurs, having looked totally in charge at 2-0 up, had thrown it away in what is becoming typical ‘Spursy’ fashion, and compounded their misery by giving away another naive penalty. Palmer, with his back to goal, was pursued by Sarr, who rashly threw his leg at the ball. Palmer saw it coming, got his body in the way, and earned him and his side a second stonewall penalty.

With a deliciously delicate chip down the middle, Palmer gave Chelsea a two goal cushion, and in the process broke another record, this time as the player with the most converted penalties without missing in Premier League history, with 12.

Postecoglou made subs, and although they did something to sway momentum back in their favour, a 90+5 goal from Son Heung Min was not enough. Chelsea moved into solo second, while Spurs dipped into the bottom of half the table, after a game which seems to be fast becoming London’s most hotly contested rivalry.

Spurs have decisions to make. They lost Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero once again, after Postecoglou opted to start the centre backs despite both having returned to team training just days before, and with games against Man United, Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal over the next month or so, they could well ship a shedload of goals.

With such important fixtures ahead, chairman Daniel Levy could be looking elsewhere for someone to lead his side. As a result, Postecoglou realistically needs to win in their next two fixtures against Rangers and Southampton in order to remain in charge by new years day.

Meanwhile, Chelsea can no longer pretend they are not in a title race. In the run up to the new year, they face just one side in the top half of the league, and given their outstanding goal scoring record, you would back them to win each one of them comfortably.

They are a young squad, and the overall lack of experience in title race situations could come back to bite them further down the line, but the turnaround unfolding around a club that has been in turmoil over the last few seasons has been nothing short of remarkable. They may not win the league, but maresca has certainly sent a message to the rest of the league: they are coming.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Harry Pascoe

Lead Writer

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