Yet another weekend of action-packed Premier League football has come to an end. The game week started out with the resurrection of the Manchester United team under Jose Mourinho while Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur picked up three points each yet again to remain unbeaten.
Arsenal on the other hand finally got the better of Chelsea and in clinical fashion.
Down in the bottom half of the table, West Ham United and Sunderland dropped points yet again while Stoke City finally picked up a point. After three days of fantastic football, we are 10 things we learnt from game week 6 of the English Premier League
1) Manchester United are fine without Rooney
The big news from Saturday was Rooney being benched as Manchester United welcomed Leicester City, the Champions. Although the game was open and free-flowing for the first twenty minutes, Manchester United buried Leicester in the next 25 minutes in what would be one of the best halves of football United have played since the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Daley Blind’s ability to distribute the ball from the defense, Juan Mata’s experience in midfielder along with Herrera’s tireless efforts in the centre of the field was a beautiful sight. Paul Pogba benefitted from Rooney’s absence as he displayed glimpses of his best football. Marcus Rashford was as good as ever as United racked up three points in thumping fashion.
2) Chelsea’s defense not good enough
Antonio Conte’s arrival at Chelsea had pundits and fans excited about the changes he would make to the team defensively. The arrival of David Luiz was widely celebrated by the fans, however, it looks like Chelsea’s defense is far from good.
Ivanovic and Tim Cahill are ageing while David Luiz is as inconsistent as ever. John Terry at the age of 35 being their best defender is a matter of concern for the Blues. Antonio Conte will have to quickly turn things around for Chelsea in order to avoid an embarrassing finish outside the top four for Chelsea in the second consecutive season.
3) Iwobi’s rise and Sanchez’s form are big positives
While the whole world is talking about the two youngsters from Manchester i.e., Marcus Rashford and Kelechi Iheanacho, Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi has been on the rise ever since the start of the season. His pace has proven to be a nuisance for oppositions while his skill to make it big in the Premier League is obvious.
Also Read: The rise of Arsenal's Alex Iwobi
On the other hand, Alexis Sanchez’s form is easily the best thing for Arsenal fans right now. The Chilean has been scoring at will this season and he could be in contention for the PFA player of the year award.
Other positives from the Chelsea game include the fantastic pairing of Mustafi and Koscielny looking as formidable as ever. Good times for the Gunners!
4) Wilshere and Bournemouth have a great weekend
Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side are the first team to derail the Koeman express this year. Maybe Pep Guardiola did have a point when he mentioned that Bournemouth is the best team he has faced this season?
The Cherries have had an average start to the season but they have been playing fantastic free flowing football since the start of the season.
Jack Wilshere is wasting no time in rebuilding his career as he put on a fantastic display in midfield against Ronald Koeman’s Everton. Ross Barkley was overshadowed by Wilshere’s performance on Saturday.
Adam Smith is another player who has been fantastic for Bournemouth this season as his pace has troubled the opposition on many occasions this season.
5) Liverpool looks flexible under Klopp
Probably the best team this season after Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have been incredible this season. The Reds made a mockery of the Hull City side as they scored five while conceding only one goal.
Coutinho was the main man once again while Sadio Mane, Roberto Firminio, Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana joined the party. Once again James Milner has proven his importance. The midfielder adds composure and experience to the side and scored two goals from the spot looking as relaxed as ever.
6) Not a happy return to the Premier League for David Moyes
After being sacked by Manchester United David Moyes had a stint in Spain before being hired by Sunderland. However, his return to the Premier League isn’t going according to plan as the Black Cats find themselves at the bottom of the table already.
The relegation spots are something Sunderland have been accustomed to but have almost everytime got away with a few great performances towards the end of the season. However, Moyes will have to quickly climb up this season.
With the quality of the league looking much better, Sunderland would be risking things if they are looking to leave things until the end of the season.
7) Manchester City wins despite a shaky performance
It has been said that great sides win even when they aren’t at their best, and that's probably what Manchester City are this season – a great side. Pep Guardiola’s team started off well with Sergio Aguero scoring a fantastic goal on his return. However, Llorente’s strike left them shaky for the rest of the first half.
As Guardiola pointed out, City lacked the intent and sharpness to make the final pass which would lead to a chance. With two big games coming up i.e., the Champions League clash against Celtic followed by a big game against Tottenham Hotspur, Pep Guardiola’s team could be tested this week.
8) Son’s great form a boon for Tottenham
Star striker Harry Kane picked up an injury last week leaving Tottenham devastated. The striker could miss up to two months of football action for Tottenham. Cometh the hour, cometh the man as Heung-Min Son has come to the fore for the Lily Whites and looks to be in fantastic form.
The South Korean has already scored 4 goals this season and looks to be in the best form of his life at the moment. He could fill in the hole left by Harry Kane as Son makes a case for more playing time at the White Hart Lane.
9) Crystal Palace continue fine start
FA Cup runners-up Crystal Palace have made a fantastic start to the season under Alan Pardew and continued their fine form with a win over Sunderland. After six games, Palace finds themselves at the seventh spot above Chelsea on goal difference and only two points behind Mourinho’s Manchester United.
Palace has had a great summer transfer window and their signings seem to be performing really well at the moment. While Benteke has been great, James McArthur has had a brilliant start to the season. Yohan Cabaye and Andros Townsend have been fantastic in building the attack for Palace as they look to continue their fine form.
10) Inconsistent Watford lose
On Monday night, Watford faced Burnley at Turf Moor. The Hornets came into this game with a fantastic victory over Manchester United. However, Burnley put on a great performance backed by their fans who have played a massive role in Burnley picking up points this season.
This was been the story of Watford’s journey in the Premier League since their promotion. The Hornets need to perform at a high level consistently and show the same intensity and hunger to win as they did against Manchester United. With Pereyra, the team should now aim to finish in the upper half of the table by the end of the season.
