[long_read]
[ad_pod ]
Following the return of Champions League and Europa League football in midweek, domestic football returned to our screens over the course of the weekend.
With the Spygate saga still lingering fresh in mind as Derby County travelled to Leeds United, Manchester City playing their first league match since suffering a stunning defeat away at newly-promoted Norwich and Liverpool travelling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, there was plenty for the Football FanCast team to sink their teeth into.
Our team of regional correspondents kept a close eye on things and have since offered their views on some of the major talking points to emerge.
Here’s what the FFC team have had to say…
[snack_break title=”Underdogs challenge La Liga’s status quo”]
The La Liga weekend was defined by the underdogs.
Currently, Athletic Bilbao are sitting pretty at the top of the table and are level with Real Madrid, who quickly brushed away the claims of any sort of crisis with a narrow yet assertive 1-0 victory away at Sevilla, something they hadn’t achieved since recording a 3-2 win in May 2015.
Newly promoted Granada are just one point off the top after their sensational 2-0 victory over Barcelona.
At this point, Ernesto Valverde is definitely feeling the fire underneath his feet and will have to act quickly if he wants to save his job. His team currently sit ninth in the table with just seven points from five games played. With all the claims the Spanish domestic league is a two-horse race, the new season is definitely shaping up to present an enthralling counter-argument.
How long can the underdogs offer stark resistance to its impervious titans?
Domagoj Kostanjsak – La Liga correspondent
[snack_break title=”City blitz doubters”]
Just a week after being on the wrong end of a monumental upset in the Premier League, Manchester City rediscovered their groove big-time with a mammoth victory over Watford. The naysayers were out after Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a shock 3-2 defeat at Carrow Road to Norwich, and there would undoubtedly have been some nerves in the home camp heading into Saturday’s fixture.
So what did the Citizens need? A rapid start to blow away all the doubts. In the grand scheme of things, David Silva’s goal in the opening minute of a contest that ended 8-0 seems fairly insignificant. But it proved to be a catalyst for how City demolished Watford. Quique Sanchez Flores’ men had overwhelmed Arsenal to earn an impressive 2-2 draw last time out, and may have fancied adding to the champions’ woes.
Instead, Silva settled any nerves, and set City on their way to a triumph that proves the title race is far from over even at this early stage.
Vijievan Jeevathayalan – Manchester correspondent
[snack_break title=”United construct their own crisis”]
It was just bound to happen wasn’t it? After all the talk and debate surrounding Manchester United’s lack of options up front, the club now currently have all three of their strikers out with various injuries.
Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood were both ruled out for the clash at West Ham, and so Marcus Rashford had yet another opportunity to stake a claim for being the side’s undisputed number nine.
Instead, he looked toothless like the rest of his United teammates, and was forced off mid-way through the second-half with a suspected groin injury. The defeat against Manuel Pellegrini’s side is bad enough, but the lay-off to Rashford could have major ramifications for the Red Devils over the coming weeks. The fact Jesse Lingard had to come on and play up front said it all really.
A mess of United’s own creation, and with potentially dire consequences yet to come.
Vijievan Jeevathayalan – Manchester correspondent
[snack_break title=”Role reversal for Villa’s defenders”]
On a week where it was reported that Dean Smith would have a £20m+ January transfer kitty to improve his faltering frontline – one that had made them the joint-second lowest scorers in the Premier League, for once it wasn’t they weren’t liable for throwing away all three points against a ten-man Arsenal.
Villa’s defence had been the one shining light in their disappointing top-flight homecoming having recorded two clean sheets in five matches, putting them then-tied for the best in the league.
Bjorn Engels felled Matteo Guendouzi for their first error to give the Gunners a way back into the game before his partner Tyrone Mings made a mistake to let Calum Chambers and then Tom Heaton should have done better for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s winner.
As soon as one problem looks seemingly out of sight, another crops up as the Villa boss still waits for his playoff-winning side to click in the big time.
Lewis Blain – Midlands correspondent
[snack_break title=”There’s no place like home, unless you’re Leeds”]
Leeds’ home form has all of a sudden become a sticking point for the Whites. Marcelo Bielsa continues to keep his selection the same and in a game with Derby where they should have been out of sight, this was one of the factors to blame.
Eddie Nketiah and Helder Costa were forced to watch on from the bench as Jack Harrison was unsuccessful with five crosses while Bamford hit the post in a torrid afternoon in front of goal.
In their last two outings at Elland Road, they’ve had over 60% of the possession but only picked up a solitary point. If anything summed up their misfortune in front of their own fans, it was Mateusz Klich’s missed penalty in the second half on Saturday.
Something has to give, particularly when they are the hosts. Perhaps that’s finally handing Costa and Nketiah a start in the league. After all, Leeds have now only won one of their five home matches in all competitions this term.
Matt Dawson – Leeds correspondent
[snack_break title=”Barren Benteke”]
Impulse forces us in the direction of Christian Benteke after his latest Crystal Palace showing.
The Belgian could have wrapped things up when one on one with Rui Patricio, but his confidence is well and truly on the floor – the 28-year-old eventually got his shot away, but hit it straight at the Portugal international after what felt like an age to ponder his next move.
Palace’s club-record signing also had the ball at his feet when on a breakaway with Wilfried Zaha in the 95th-minute, but some sloppy decision making gifted possession back to Wolves before Diogo Jota stole a point for his side at the depth.
With four goals in his last 53 Premier League games, while earning £120,000-a-week, the former Liverpool man is definitely a problematic player for the Eagles right now, to say the very least.
Billy Meyers – South London and South Coast correspondent
[snack_break title=”Baggies bouncing back”]Two familiar trends, if you can call it that, continued over at the Hawthorns on Sunday – they still remain the only unbeaten side in the Championship, but too their ability to gain a result from going behind.West Brom have picked up 16 points from their opening eight league matches with 15 of those – nearly 94% – gained from a losing position. That’s all but one game where some sort of comeback has been required in order to pick up some points. And yet they are unbeaten for doing so. Quite extraordinary.Whether that’s a good trait to have remains to be seen; you’d imagine sooner or later that’ll have a more damning effect, but for the time being, Bilic’s Baggies are showing why they can be considered promotion challengers – even more so after coming from behind twice against Huddersfield Town, sticking four past them on their way to three points.Lewis Blain – Midlands correspondent
[snack_break title="Liverpool show mark of champions"]
Liverpool showed they can win without playing close to their best, and did it away to a top-six side, which many fans and pundits alike consider a big win to maintain the early lead over Manchester City.
The fact the Reds had just three shots on target and 45% possession highlights the fact they weren’t at their best, but positive contributions from Adrian and Joel Matip, who was named Man of the Match, shows that even players who aren’t as well regarded as others are performing to a high standard.
Jurgen Klopp’s side has only one clean sheet from six in the league, but the defence has been resolute when required, and proving they can win ugly should serve them well over the course of a title challenge.
Kealan Hughes – Merseyside correspondent
[snack_break title="Are Spurs lacking commitment?"]
Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat against Leicester City on Saturday means they are still without an away win in the Premier League since they beat Fulham in January, and you have to wonder whether the mentality and commitment of certain players could be brought into question for the goals they are shipping on their travels.For example at the weekend, their back four consisted of Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Serge Aurier.Rose was reportedly left behind for the pre-season tour to Asia during the summer in order to find a suitable move away. The Daily Mail said Vertonghen was left out at the start of the season by Pochettino due to fitness issues and, of course, his contract runs out next summer. Alderweireld is in a similar boat to his Belgian compatriot and Aurier was heavily linked with an exit during the previous transfer window, before questioning the lack of competition he has for the right-back spot.It is hardly an ideal situation for Mauricio Pochettino that the quartet appear to be the club’s first-choice backline right now, and then you have Victor Wanyama, another player Spurs were reportedly keen to offload during the summer, who came on for his first appearance of the season and put in a disastrous cameo at the King Power, too.Pochettino’s team selections in the next few weeks could be worth keeping an eye on.James Beavis – Editor [snack_break title=”Emery’s substitutions pay dividends “]Some Arsenal fans may not want to admit it, but Unai Emery got his substitutions spot on against Aston Villa.The former Sevilla boss was put in a difficult position against the Villans when Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off for two bookable offences. However, the introduction of Calum Chambers, Joe Willock and Lucas Torreira swung the match in the Gunners’ favour, with the former scoring the second equaliser as his team eventually won 3-2.Sections of the fanbase that will blame the 47-year-old for his starting line-up, but it is the mark of a good manager when he is able to recognise his mistakes and correct them during the game.Perhaps his rotation policy did him a favour this time around.Football games are not just decided by the 11 players on the pitch, but rather the 18 in the matchday group and the squad on the whole. Here, Emery deserves credit for using it to his advantage.Jon Radcliffe – London correspondent[/long_read]