I’m back! Did you miss me? I know you at least missed the unmatched coverage that The Premier Post has to offer 🙂 Even if that’s not the case, you better buckle up and make sure your arms and legs remain inside the vehicle at all times!
“Absolutely stupendous!” “Have you ever seen anything like that?!” “THIS is what football is all about!”
These phrases represent three of the many interjections spewed out by announcers over the past two weeks–specifically in the waning minutes of multiple games–that captured each moment perfectly.
The drama began last week (foreshadowed in the title “with a hint of Gameweek 3”) in the match between Liverpool and Newcastle. As mentioned in the previous post, Newcastle has high hopes this season; their stellar defense and improved offense are huge assets, and they were on full display for the entirety of their game against Liverpool. Scoring in the 25th minute, followed by a red card for Liverpool in the 28th minute (in case you are new to the post, this is what a red card means), Newcastle was looking to increase their advantage but failed to find the net again; however, they weren’t the only ones trying to navigate towards the goal. In the 80th minute, Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, made a decision that wrote one player into Liverpool folklore. Losing 1-0, down a man, squeezing out every last bit of energy, Liverpool needed a savior; that man was Darwin Nunez. Against all odds, Nunez scored in the 81st minute to salvage a point for Liverpool (Premier League point system); however, Nunez was not finished. In superhero fashion, seconds before the final whistle, Nunez buried a second goal, turning Liverpool’s disastrous afternoon into a fairytale.
What drama! What excitement! Could a week of soccer possibly get more exciting? Yes, yes it can (enter Gameweek 4).
This week embodies the phrase “it’s more than just a game”; it is a lifestyle; a contest that spews venom rampantly yet is so abundantly rewarding. At the headlines of every news from this week article, you’ll find these names: Heung-min Son, Erling Haaland, Evan Ferguson, and Declan Rice. Of these four, the first three all share one thing in common: a hattrick. Hattricks are nothing new for Erling Haaland, goals are common for Heung-min Son, but for Evan Ferguson, this was truly something special. Only a teenager, Ferguson has kickstarted his career by scoring a hattrick in the most elite league in the world.
The fourth of those on the list is Declan Rice, who netted the game-winning goal for Arsenal in the 6th minute of added time (additional time that makes up lost time from injuries and substitutions). After a hard-to-swallow tie last week–giving up a lead with their opponents down player–Arsenal was more than delighted to tally a win this week against Manchester United at home.
The last two weeks defined chaos in the best way possible, setting a precedent for what will certainly be an exciting season. Unfortunately, the Premier League will be on International Break (a time for players to participate in their national teams) for the next two weeks, however, I will replace weekly updates by discussing some of the greatest moments in Premier League history, so stay tuned! See you soon 😉
As a hockey player, I can understand the significance of being able to pull off a hat trick. I’m really surprised by Evan Ferguson, though— it seems unfathomable to me that another person my age could be playing at that high of a level, let alone have had a contract signed two years ago. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised— I’m used to seeing very young people perform at the top level internationally in other sports. Figure skating (especially in Russia) is somewhat infamous for churning out younger and younger athletes each year. One of the competitors for the Russian Olympic Committee two years ago, Kamila Valieva, was actually fifteen going into the games! She later got exposed for doping and her age helped her face fewer consequences, but that’s neither here nor there. I hadn’t heard about the break for international competition until now– how does that work?