Controversy stole the headlines in match week three as five penalties were awarded across the ten games, while one player faces retrospective punishment for violent conduct.
The weekend’s action commenced when Liverpool travelled to Tottenham Hotspur hoping to avenge last weekend’s shock defeat at Burnley. James Milner gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot after Erik Lamela clipped the heels of Roberto Firmino in the box. However, Danny Rose equalised in the second half to maintain Spurs’ unbeaten start to the season.
With very minimal excitement on Saturday, the highest-scoring game was at Vicarage Road where Arsenal ran out 3-1 winners against Watford. A penalty from Santi Cazorla and a goal each from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil gave the Gunners a comfortable lead at half-time. However, Watford improved in the second half but could only add a consolation through Roberto Pereyra, the Hornets’ new signing from Juventus.
The first three weeks of the season have seen referees stricter when players push and pull each other in the penalty area, particularly at set pieces. Many more penalties are now being given and it is certainly an area of the game that needs clamping down on. Last week, two penalties were given in the game between Stoke City and Manchester City, and it continued this weekend with Crystal Palace and Everton being awarded spot kicks for similar incidents. However, Liverpool felt they should have had another penalty in their game against Spurs but the referee deemed the ball to have not been in play, which of course means a foul cannot be committed.
The penalties awarded to Palace and Everton were extremely dubious, but the officials have to award them if we are to stop defenders trying to gain an unfair advantage whilst defending a set piece. Ironically, both penalties were missed, Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc saved Yohan Cabaye’s spot kick with ease, while Leighton Baines’ effort hit the post, only for the ball to rebound off the body of Stoke goalkeeper Shay Given and roll into the corner of the net for the only goal of the game.
The Eagles, however, ended up with a lucky escape. Having fallen behind courtesy of Josh King’s well taken goal at Selhurst Park, Alan Pardew’s side needed defender-turned-striker Scott Dann to equalise in the third minute of second half stoppage time. Palace were poor in the first half and new signing Steve Mandanda, making his Premier League debut, kept his side in the game during the first half with two magnificent saves. Palace improved in the second half, and had an incredible twenty shots. Having had three of those efforts cleared off the line, they finally found the back of the net when Dann powerfully headed home Jason Puncheon’s excellent cross.
Defending champions Leicester City finally earned their first victory of the season, beating Swansea City 2-1. Another first as Jamie Vardy scored his first goal of the season followed by a Wes Morgan strike cancelled out Leroy Fer’s goal as the Foxes finally get their Premier League title defence underway.
Another club who will be firmly within the title race in the latter stages of the season will be Chelsea. They emphatically dispatched Burnley by three goals to nil, with Eden Hazard, Willian and Victor Moses all on the score sheet.
Saturday’s action finished with Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United maintaining their perfect start to the season with a 1-0 over against Hull City. The Tigers, who had also won both of the opening two games, defended astoundingly for ninety minutes, but youngster Marcus Rashford, a surprise exclusion from the latest England squad, tapped home Wayne Rooney’s cross two minutes into injury time.
United’s rivals, Manchester City, produced the performance of the weekend on Sunday as they beat West Ham 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Each of the three goals were wonderfully crafted, with every player only needing two or three touches and minimal seconds to move the move the ball on to their team-mate, almost Barcelona-esque. Pep Guardiola’s revolution at City is quickly piecing itself together, with goals from Fernandinho and Michail Antonio sandwiched between the excellent Raheem Sterling double.
The only sour taste for City is that star striker Sergio Aguero now faces three games in the stands having been charged by the Football Association for violent conduct, subject to an appeal. Aguero will miss the Manchester derby, the Premier League clash with Bournemouth and the League Cup tie against Swansea City. The Argentinian was caught elbowing Hammers defender Winston Reid in the face, although referee Andre Marriner did not record the incident in his match report meaning retrospective action was allowed to take place.
Finally, Middlesbrough kept up their solid start to the season as they drew 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns. Neither side created any meaningful chances and it made for a fairly tedious affair between two sides who will hope to stay away from any potential relegation fight as the campaign comes to a climax.
