Our former regular football piece The Own Goal returns for our thoughts on the Premier League Matchday 9 Highlights from the weekend gone.
We ask questions from the big weekend of football and answer them ourselves in a convenient Premier League Matchday 9 Highlights package.
Like which teams looks in real danger of relegation without knowing it. Are Liverpool better for winning the games they didn’t last year or are they just poor this season. And who would have thought Manchester United are now 10th.
On then to our Own Goal.
MANCHESTER CITY = WOW
For all of the talk of Liverpool challenging this season, and the incredibly tight battle at the top of the table, Saturday’s 5-0 win over Burnley was a sobering reminder to the rest of the Premier League of their powers.
Manchester City played the best football seen this year, and you would feel it is only going to get better with Kevin de Bruyne on his way back.
They are an Fantasy nightmare though, never sure which midfield superstar to take. Or defender.
With Champions League heavyweights Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and even Barcelona to a degree not going as well, this could be the season for overdue European success as well as a Premier League title.
TIGHT AT THE TOP
For all of Manchester City’s magnificence and Liverpool and Chelsea’s unbeaten-ness there is a super title race going on this season.
Just two points covers the top five, with only Manchester United missing out.
It will end up coming down to the best squad when Europe and knockout competitions kick in, and you;d have to say that the top three are likely to remain that based on what we’ve seen so far. But as a neutral it is great viewing so far.
FULHAM MAY BE NICE, BUT THE PROMOTION PLAYOFF WINNERS MOSTLY STRUGGLES, MOSTLY.
As a big Football League fan, there was lots of hope Fulham could turn their good time form from the second tier into Premier League Highlights every weekend.
Sadly, the only joy was a 4-2 win over a Burnley who were a busted arse tired unit at that point.
That’s after spending a tonne of cash in the summer.
Conceding 4 goals to Cardiff is a sign of big trouble. Considering that Cardiff had only scored 4 goals in total up to that point.
The stats are against them as the promotion playoff winner. In the 17 seasons since the magnificent efforts of Ipswich Town to finish 5th (third at Xmas) nine of the teams have relegated first year. The average finishing position of the 17 sides is 16th, with an average goal difference of -25 and points haul of 36.
Let’s hope they kick on soon, and they might just do that. Fulham did drop to as low as 17th in the Championship last season in November before going on a season record of 23 games unbeaten.
CRYSTAL PALACE ARE GREAT VALUE FOR THE DROP
Granted Crystal Palace are going much better than last season where they started off with 7 games, 0 wins and 0 goals scored, but we think they are tremendous value for the drop this season.
Currently they are in 15th place, however they have only played Liverpool of the big teams, and face a 4 game run in the Premier League of Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Manchester United. Even Middlesbrough in the League Cup won’t be easy.
Their 7 points after 9 games with just 5 goals scored could very well be still 7 points after 13 games and not too many more scored. In comparison, last season after 13 games they were on 8 points and has scored 8 goals after their blank start. Hard to think they could be in a worse position than last season.
They rely on Zaha for goals to win games, and he has three, but with him prone to injuries, especially after spending most of the games being kicked, one wonders if they might just find themselves in a relegation scrap for the rest of the season.
Crystal Palace are currently $6 for the drop.
FOR ONCE MOURINHO WASN’T THE BIGGEST JERK
The biggest talking point of the weekend was the scuffle in technical area of Manchester United. For once Jose was not the aggressor.
After watching the first half of Chelsea and Manchester united it was hard to see how Manchester United could be leading into injury time.
Perhaps Jose should tell United that they are one of two nil down in the shed before the game kicks off. They sure play better.
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