Pulis looks like he has got a Britt of alright
TONY PULIS looks like he has pulled a fast one as his Boro side continue to set the pace at the top of the table.
A fortnight ago he was complaining about his squad being nowhere near promotion quality.
Now his troops sit at the summit, unbeaten in four and with a healthy 10 points from a possible 12.
They look to have all the credentials required for a sustained bid to reach the top flight.
And they underlined this at struggling Bristol City where goals from Martin Braithwaite and Britt Assombalonga maintained the excellent start – and ended a run of three straight losses to the Robins.
Not that Pulis is getting carried away.
He said: “We didn’t win a game in pre-season so the lads are doing okay.
“But it’s going to be very tough. The three teams that came down look very strong – they haven’t sold too many – and there are others like Aston Villa, Leeds and Forest who will be up there.
“We still haven’t got the strength in depth we want. We need more quality.”
City’s early control had Pulis on edge but his side were in front after 12 minutes when Adam Webster’s clearance fell to Braithwaite and he fired past Robins keeper Niki Maenpaa.
For a spell Lee Johnson’s side responded well. Andreas Weimann blasted high from the edge of the area and then a cross just eluded an unmarked Lloyd Kelly.
But as they sensed an equaliser Boro suddenly doubled their advantage.
Stewart Downing was the architect, the former England winger skipping to the byline and whipping in a fine cross for Assombalonga to head in.
City, who had come from two down at Bolton last week, were in familiar territory.
But on this occasion there was to be no fight back, even though Josh Brownhill and Eros Pisano both hit the bar in the final stages.
City boss Johnson said: “I have no qualms about the result because that first goal was a joke. But we are patched up at the back and have to go into the market.”
ECSTASY for Maurizio Sarri – agony for Unai Emery.
Gentlemen, welcome to the Premier League.
Chelsea boss Sarri saw his side claim a late win in a pulsating London derby through a Marcos Alonso goal.
That was after Pedro and Alvaro Morata had given the Blues a flying start.
And there was a superb substitute appearance by Eden Hazard, who created the winner.
But new Arsenal boss Unai Emery suffered in the way his long-serving predecessor, Arsene Wenger, often did at Stamford Bridge.
Emery saw his side fight back to level 2-2 through goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi.
But they wasted a succession of chances and Emery is still without a point after two games in charge.
Sarri went into his first home match as Chelsea manager saying: “This is my first London derby, so I hope to experience a special atmosphere.”
And The Bridge was rocking after only nine minutes when Chelsea ripped open the Arsenal defence to take an early lead.
Jorginho released Marcos Alonso on the left with a superb pass and the Blues left back supplied a perfect, low cross.
Waiting in the middle was Pedro, who finished a devastating move.
Just a minute earlier Arsenal should really have taken the lead.
Nacho Monreal crossed from the left and Mesut Ozil, given the No. 10 role in an attempt to involve him more in the game, met the ball with a volley which travelled across the face of the goal and wide.
History then repeated itself with Arsenal missing another chance and being punished a minute later with another Chelsea goal.
In the 19th minute, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shot over with the goal at his mercy after Hector Bellerin had created the opportunity with a low cross from the right.
And Chelsea immediately struck again when Cesar Azpilicueta’s long ball found Morata, who easily beat Shkodran Mustafi before rolling the ball home with his left foot.
Despite Chelsea’s superiority, Arsenal continued to create and squander chances.
Mkhitaryan was the next culprit, shooting over from seven yards from Iwobi’s pull-back.
But the former Manchester United playmaker made amends in the
37th minute with a left-foot drive which Kepa, Chelsea’s new
£71million goalkeeper, got a hand to but could not keep out.
Former Chelsea keeper Petr Cech denied Morata with a tip-over save before Arsenal stunned Sarri with a
41st-minute equaliser. Mkhitaryan was the provider this time, with a low cross from the right which was crashed home by the lively Iwobi.
Chelsea were rocking and Arsenal immediately wasted another two chances.
Aubameyang sent the ball wide from a cross by Iwobi, who then shot over.
When a shot by N’Golo Kante was blocked by Mustafi, who ended up almost lying on the ball, Chelsea appealed more in hope for a penalty for hands than anything else.
Arsenal keeper Cech had to beat out a David Luiz free kick before Chelsea grabbed the winner
10 -minutes from time. Hazard produced a superb delivery from the left and Alonso, the full back with the attacking instinct, applied a neat left-foot finish.