We learnt from the EPL last weekend
Martial putting pressure on Rashford to give Mourinho a welcome headache
Two substitute appearances, two goals. Despite not starting either of Manchester United’s Premier League matches this season, Anthony Martial’s impact has been felt as he’s helped the club secure back-toback 4-0 victories over West Ham and, on Saturday, Swansea.
Jose Mourinho used Martial sparingly last season as he appeared unconvinced on his talents, and after a strong pre-season, it was a surprise to see the 21-year-old left out of the starting line-ups for their opening Premier League fixture as well as the Uefa Super Cup.
However, the France international appears to be playing with a point to prove, having scored twice in the space of seven days, and with Marcus Rashford yet to find the back of the net after snatching at a chance when one-on-one with goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski on Saturday, Mourinho will have a welcome selection dilemma of which one to play next weekend.
Chelsea looking for Alonso’s competition, not replacement
Chelsea were heavily linked with a move for Juventus defender Alex Sandro during the summer, though the Italian league champions look to have closed the door firmly on any move. Despite this, Chelsea are clearly looking to add to their squad, with Antonio Conte unhappy with the lack of numbers he has available even if the Blues were able to inflict a 2-1 defeat on Tottenham on Sunday.
However, even if they land either Sandro or another leftback, Marcos Alonso showed on Sunday why he will not be ousted without a fight. The Spaniard was one of Chelsea’s star players last season as Conte’s side powered to the title, and the prospect of him being replaced after such a strong season was one that defied belief.
What Conte may hope is that the arrival of a new left-sided defender will force Alonso to step it up another gear, and his two goals against Spurs – the first a beauty of a freekick before a well-struck second beneath Hugo Lloris – suggests Conte may already be getting a response out of Alonso.
Mane’s importance to Liverpool demonstrated in one match
Last season, Liverpool’s fall away from the title challenge coincided with Sadio Mane’s season-ending knee injury, with the £37m addition having his campaign cut short in a major blow to Jurgen Klopp’s plans for the year.
The 25-year-old has wasted little time making up for his injury pain, scoring Chelsea’s two-goal scorer Marcos Alonso Liverpool’s first goal of the season in the 3-3 draw with Watford last weekend before netting the crucial winner in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
The Senegalese international has the Xfactor that few players in the league can boast, and if Klopp can keep him fit for the entire season, the attacking midfielder can be the difference between a top-four challenge and a genuine tilt at the title. Arsenal’s undoing lies with Wenger The problem with Arsene Wenger is not that he cannot change, but that he doesn’t appear to learn the obvious. Nacho Monreal started as the central defender in a backthree that hardly instils confidence in the rest of the Arsenal team, especially after the Gunners let in three goals against Leicester City on the first day of the season – all three of which came from central positions.
The same happened again on Saturday afternoon. Jese Rodriguez, the Spanish striker who is hoping for a second wind at Stoke after failing to make an impact at Paris Saint-Germain, was able to ghost past Monreal as if he wasn’t there before sliding the ball past Petr Cech to clinch a 1-0 victory.
Why Wenger is so afraid of playing Per Mertesacker, only he will know. The German suffered a facial injury in the Community Shield, but this should not affect his ability to defend and given that he was fit enough to be on the substitutes’ bench on Saturday, he should have been fit enough to start.
Playing two leftbacks in Monreal and Sead Kolasinac in a centrally-position back-three should be unacceptable for a team of Arsenal’s calibre, yet Wenger was unable to see why this wouldn’t work and refused to criticise the line-up after the loss.
Chicharito alone will not be enough to save West Ham
That West Ham kept their encounter with Southamptoncompetitive until the final minutes should be commended, given the 10 men that played out most of the game had to cope with Marko Arnautovic’s stupid red card offence early in the first half.
At 2-0 down after goals from Manolo Gabbiadini and Dusan Tadic, West Ham looked in disarray, especially given that Jose Fonte had conceded a penalty to hand the latter the chance to score from the spot.
It would’ve been easy for the Hammers to collapse, but in Javier Hernandez, they have a striker who knows how to score goals from nowhere.
The Mexican struck twice to pull West Ham level, and only a 93rd-minute penalty from Charlie Austin prevented them from snatching a point from the jaws of defeat. West Ham shouldn’t have a problem scoring goals this season, but Davids Gold and Sullivan have plenty of work to do over the next 10 days to fix the defence.
Huddersfield hit the ground running in this season’s surprise
Just two teams have six points from six: United and Huddersfield Town. Even the most ardent of Terriers supporters will not have expected such a strong start to their first season in the Premier League, with victories over Palace and Newcastle defying their status as Premier League strugglers.
If David Wagner can maintain this wonderful start, Huddersfield could prove to be the surprise package of the season, and given how tight the relegation battle often proves, points on the board early will do them the world of good.
Gareth Southgate has a goalkeeper problem on his hands
Not so long ago Joe Hart was the undisputed No 1 for England. But the goalkeeper’s year in Italy and subsequent loan to West Ham looks to have dented his form as well as his confidence, with the City ‘keeper conceding seven goals in just two games.
This is also a reflection on the West Ham defence, but Hart is not faultless and while he struggles, both Jack Butland and Jordan Pickford have impressed. Pickford is developing by the day and has already impressed many at Everton, while Butland’s return from nearly a year out of the game is going well given his performance to keep Arsenal at bay at the weekend.
With Gareth Southgate already showing that he is not afraid to make big decisions, having dropped Wayne Rooney from his last squad, Hart’s time as the England first-choice appears to be nearing its end. – The Independent
Javier Hernandez