GOOD
Chelsea flexes muscles
In an ominous sign for their Premier League rivals - and defences across the country - Chelsea has finally found a striker to deliver them silverware.
After putting up with the misfiring Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba last season, it’s no wonder Jose Mourinho is in raptures over new strike weapon Diego Costa, the Spaniard showing just how devastating he can be in the 6-3 hammering of Everton.
His double took his tally to four goals in three games so far this season. In contrast, it took Torres 39 games to score the same amount of goals in the blue of Chelsea.
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Costa was bought for $58 million from Atletico Madrid during the off season to add more firepower to a Chelsea side that managed 71 goals last season. And he hasn’t disappointed.
Mourinho is not one usually to hand out the plaudits but he couldn’t control himself when asked about Costa’s impact at Goodison Park.
“It was the complete performance of a striker,” Mourinho said.
“The perfect performance in every aspect.
“In the first half he was tackling, he recovers balls, he holds the ball, and his movement was quality. Everything was really good.
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“Diego had three chances and he scored two goals. He is a good finisher and he gives us a lot. In the end we are killers in attack.”
Costa wasn’t the only bright spot for Chelsea. Nemanja Matic was his usual dominant self in the middle of the park, Branislav Ivanovic tireless down the right and Ramires a constant threat.
On a weekend when Manchester City suffered a shock loss, Jose Mourinho’s side might have just won the tag of outright title favourites.
Spurs are Liverpool’s whipping boys
It’s fair to say Liverpool likes playing Tottenham.
The Reds have won the last four clashes between the sides 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 and 2-0. That’s 14 goals to zip in Brendan Rodgers’s side’s favour.
After destroying Queens Park Rangers last week, much was expected of Tottenham, but Spurs couldn’t handle Liverpool’s swift attacking unit, as the Reds ran out 3-0 winners at White Hart Lane on Sunday night.
Gerrard praises Balotelli
Mario Balotelli was profligate on debut, but with Raheem Sterling at his brutal best, backed up by strong performances by Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson and new man Alberto Moreno, it mattered little as last season’s runners up bounced back from their loss to Manchester City a week ago.
Sterling went close to submitting his early nomination for goal of the season with a weaving run through Spurs’ hapless defence, but his comical left foot scuff when bearing down on goal will live long in the memory of the England youngster.
For Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, it’s back to the drawing board. The fact his attack struggled to create many clear cut opportunities against a Liverpool defence that has offered chances to other sides, would be of concern to the new boss.
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Swans flying high
Garry Monk is certainly working some magic at Swansea — and the good times are rolling at Liberty Stadium.
Second only to Chelsea on goal difference — and playing some sumptuous football to boot — three wins out of three and the fans singing ‘we’re going to win the league’. Swansea City are indeed in rarefied territory.
Monk, himself, can take credit on a number of levels. He has pulled off the transfer of the season thus far — plucking Gylfi Sigurdsson from Spurs — and is also bringing the best out of a couple of once-frustrating players.
Diminutive wingers Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge have surprised everyone by impressively leading the line. The Swans are scoring screamers, defending impressively and making the league stand up and take notice.
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But Monk knows it’s one thing beating an out-of-sorts Manchester United, Burnley and WBA. A visit to Stamford Bridge looms next. But for the next two weeks at least they can enjoy life at the top.
Joining Chelsea and the Swans in the winner’s list were Southampton, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City, Aston Villa and Liverpool.
It’s too early to predict how the relegation battle will pan out, but the likes of Aston Villa will be delighted with their start (seven points from three games) after playing catch up for most of last season, while the three points also eased the pressure on Harry Redknapp at QPR.
EPL Round 3 wrap
Stoke stuns the champions
Those who saw Stoke City’s opening two games against Aston Villa and Hull probably weren’t expecting much from the visit to Manchester City.
After all, they hadn’t won there for nine seasons, barely scoring a goal in the process.
Yet Mark Hughes’s men not only produced the upset but did it so comfortably that opposing manager Manuel Pellegrini lamented his team had no cutting edge. It’s no wonder talk of Radamel Falcao’s potential arrival dominated the after-match press conference.
The winning goal was most un-Stoke-like as well. A classic break and Mame Biram Diouf holding off Aleksander Kolorov and Vincent Kompany before slotting the ball between Joe Hart’s legs. Very classy!
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It’s no wonder Stoke fans were singing at the end: ‘We’re Stoke City, we’re passing the ball.’
City just didn’t have the swagger of their opening two games as they did against Stoke. Stevan Jovetic looked the player he was last season, Sergio Aguero didn’t look happy and Yaya Toure became frustrated and looked for penalties.
Maybe it was a one off. Manuel Pellegrini was certainly hoping so.
“We started with the most creative players that we have in the team — with Yaya, Silva, Nasri, Jovetic and Aguero. Today, two things happened — first, that we are not very creative and second, Stoke did very well,” he said.
Slater on round 3 EPL action
Arguably the weekend’s most entertaining match was Newcastle and Crystal Palace’s six-goal thriller. It was Neil Warnock’s first match in charge of Palace and one of those seesawing clashes where the result was impossible to predict.
In the end, new man Wilfried Zaha’s injury-time goal rescued a point for Palace after it looked like Mike Williamson had pinched a point for the Toon army with a poacher’s finish on 88 minutes.
Goals weren’t lacking in week three of the Premier League, with the nets busted 30 times in the 10 matches for an average of three per match. Long may it continue!
BAD
Angel flies in but United stumbles again
Who would have thought the two Manchester clubs would be featuring here so early in the season?
United, well, yes, it’s not so unusual, but City as well?
Louis Van Gaal’s rude introduction to life in England continued when United were a little fortunate to come away with a point against Burnley in a 0-0 draw.
Angel Di Maria made his debut, and provided a few sparks before he had to come off in the 70th minutes, obviously undercooked for a lack of playing time.
BUR v MUN: Match highlights
He showed his pace and range of passing in the cameo appearance, and should only get better as he spends more time with his new teammates.
Even with a frontline featuring Van Persie, Rooney, Di Maria and Mata, they failed to get past the heroic Tom Heaton and Van Gaal knows they must start gelling soon.
“In the games we played earlier, we didn’t give a lot of chances away, but we have to create more chances and today we have created chances to score and that is where we have failed,” he said.
“The progress is there, but you have to win, a club like Manchester United have to win. When you have two points (out of) nine that is not good enough and that is disappointing.”
EPL Saturday round up
The same problems continue to plague van Gaal. The defence lacks an experienced leader to marshall the three centre backs, wingers and being played as wingbacks (mainly due to injury) and the lack of a quality holding midfielder is leaving the defence exposed and starving the attack of much-needed possession.
The international break can’t come quickly enough for the Red Devils. Daley Blind and perhaps one more signing will come in and Marcos Rojo’s arrival issues should be resolved. Expect a vastly different XI for QPR’s trip to Old Trafford in a fortnight’s time.
Hammers blowing leads, not bubbles
West Ham United led Southampton at home before the Saints stormed home to win 3-1 at Upton Mark, leaving Hammers boss Sam Allardyce anything but a happy chappy.
“There was nothing to be pleased about,” he said after the match.
“It was an under-par performance across the board and perhaps some of the players need a reality check.”
The home fans made their frustrations known too, booing their side at the final whistle.
New loan signing Alex Song was in the crowd, hopefully for the Londoners he can help stem the flow when he makes his debut after the international break.
WHU v SOU: Match highlights
Ugly
Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard had a match to forget against Chelsea at Goodison Park.
Not only did he have to pick the ball out of the net six times, he probably should have been sent off for handling the ball outside the area.
And to cap it all off he was involved in an ugly exchange of views with Chelsea hero Diego Costa after Seamus Coleman had put through his own goal to give the visitors a 3-1 lead midway through the second half.
Costa ran over to taunt Coleman after the ball unluckily deflected into the net off his leg and the American goalkeeper certainly didn’t take too kindly to it.
EVE v CHE: Match highlights
He chased after the Spanish striker, grabbing him and started shouting in his face. They had to be pulled apart by some Chelsea players.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez launched a passionate defence of his players and laid the blame entirely on Costa’s shoulders.
“There are certain foreign players who come to the Premier League who need to understand the ethics and the culture as the behaviour in the British game is unique,” he said.
“The last thing you want to see is disrespect from a player to another player and I am sure he will learn that very quickly.
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