Wow. It has been quite some time since I was last privileged with the opportunity of lathering you in the recent events of the Premier League. Because it has been such a long time–as would logically follow–there is much to cover. And, though I wish to cover it all, I will only focus on the most important events (yes, I am indeed sparing you for once). On with the post!
As discussed in the previous post, Ange Postecoglou has been brought on by the Tottenham Spurs this year as the new manager. He has exceeded all expectations, and the Spurs, prior to Gameweek 11, stood at the top of the league with an 8-2-0 record. Frustratingly, that undefeated run was terminated this week with a 4-1 loss to Chelsea at home. What. A. Game.
Early on, the Spurs were far superior, pounding Chelsea and finding the back of the net with a fortunate deflection just 6 minutes after the opening whistle. With no intent of letting the Spurs run away with the game, Chelsea pieced together several spectacular plays; both resulted in a goal, but VAR called both of them back for offsides. On thin ice after conceding two goals that were luckily offside, the Spurs could not afford any more major mistakes; I think you know where this is going. In the 30th minute, a mad scramble occurred in the Spurs’ defensive end, ending with Chelsea putting another ball in the net. Fittingly, that goal was also called back for offside. While checking for that offside, VAR caught Spurs’ Oscar Romero committing a dangerous tackle that was deemed worthy of a red card. Because the foul was in the box, Chelsea was awarded a penalty which they converted, tying the game 1-1. In the second half, the Spurs lost their composure, and another player was shown a red card; it was now 9 v 11. A shooting gallery for the remainder of the match, Spurs made a valiant effort to hold on with several spectacular saves from their goalkeeper, Vicario. Inevitably, they met their demise, conceding three goals in the last 20 minutes, facing defeat for the first time this Premier League season.
Like the Spurs, Arsenal was also undefeated going into Gameweek 11. Facing Newcastle, it was no secret that the game was going to be low scoring, if anyone even scored at all. As is characteristic of them, Arsenal came out in full swing, looking to hit a home run. In response, Newcastle stifled them, restricting Arsenal from gaining any momentum at all. Though Arsenal is slick and agile on their attack, they are slightly above average at best on defense. The effective defensive measures employed by Newcastle in combination with Arsenal’s mediocre defense gave Newcastle the edge. As the game dragged into the second half, it was looking like a 0-0 draw, but Arsenal got too comfortable. While slightly too lax on defense, Arsenal let Anthony Gordon slip through and bury the ball in the back of the net. Newcastle took that 1-0 lead and held it, and the last of the undefeated teams had been defeated.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s rendition of The Premier Post 🙂 With the teams at the top of the Premier League shifting around so abruptly, there is no telling who could win this year’s trophy; maybe we’ll see a team in the middle or bottom of the table write a Cinderella Story. Until next time!
As a Tottenham Hotspurs fan, this post pained me to read. The Spurs were finally earning proper success and now Manchester City is leading the Premier League. A truly saddening fact. Having played soccer my entire life, I know just how impactful red cards can be to the overall mentality of each team playing the game. But two in the same match offsets the emotions of the game dramatically, and I can understand how Tottenham began to fail as soon as this happened to them. If Tottenham had not gotten two red cards, do you believe that they could have won that match and remained undefeated in the Premier League?
It’s been a crazy few weeks for the EPL. I come to you from a single matchweek ahead, and it’s heartbreaking to see Ange’s side lose yet another match. Wolverhampton scored twice on the Spurs, and both goals were in the last ten minutes. City didn’t exactly build upon their lead, and there’s now competition from all of the teams in the top five! Aston Villa is an unlikely competitor, but they’re just two points behind Liverpool and Arsenal.
Man, reading your posts consistently makes me miss the olden days of playing soccer for my high school. I remember going and messing around before practice with my friends and teasing the coaches when practice was over. It really shows how any community can become a family, and sometimes families go though rough times like the teams you talked about in this post.