PELLEGRINI PLAYS IT COOL, AS CITY DOMINATE
“Today we had a very good day, and that allowed our superiority against Manchester United. Maybe they [United] couldn’t play better, because we played very well.” – Manuel Pellegrini following Man City’s 4-1 win over arch-rivals United
As Sergio Aguero tapped home Man City’s third goal on Sunday, putting them 3-0 just 62 seconds after the interval, manager Pellegrini wheeled away and threw a punch of delight towards the ground. He knew his side had won, but he celebrated in a relaxed and controlled manner. The docile Chilean was magnanimous in victory and that nature emanates spectacularly when he’s carefully marshaling the sideline. After the convincing win, many slated Manchester United’s display, but Pellegrini alluded to it, City were just too good and blew their neighbors out of the water. His high-pressure tactics forced United back from, and they couldn’t handle the pace and relentless pressure Pellegrini’s men possessed, he loved his teams performance, and so did the fans. City’s new manager suits the club’s hard-nosed, attacking mentality perfectly, and he’s got a jump start on Moyes’s rebuild at United.
The 60-year-old exudes an air of self-confidence and belief, without even saying a word. And in the first half he didn’t have to say much, as his team, lead by the individual brilliance of Aguero, Samir Nasri and Alvaro Negredo, tore Untied apart down the flanks. Those three were a constant thorn in United’s side, I wrote about City’s awesome attacking trio, live from the Etihad.
In the second half Pellegrini appeared slightly agitated, losing his suavely cool persona on a few isolated occasions. The former Villarreal revolutionary has managed in the intense pressure of the Argentine, Chilean and Spanish leagues, and he looked at ease in the heat of the Manchester Derby on Sunday. And so did his team. But the man from Santiago, he wants more.
“We must improve every day,” Pellegrini said. “The way we play, I think we are just starting another style to play.”
Premier League Schedule – Week 5
| Result | Recap & Highlights |
|---|---|
| Arsenal 3-1 Stoke City | Recap and watch here |
| Cardiff 0-1 Tottenham | Recap and watch here |
| Chelsea 2-0 Fulham | Recap and watch here |
| Crystal Palace 0-2 Swansea | Recap and watch here |
| Liverpool 0-1 Southampton | Recap and watch here |
| Man City 4-1 Man Utd | Recap and watch here |
| Newcastle United 2-3 Hull City | Recap and watch here |
| Norwich City 0-1 Aston Villa | Recap and watch here |
| West Brom 3-0 Sunderland | Recap and watch here |
| West Ham 2-3 Everton | Recap and watch here |
TOP PERFORMERS
As aforementioned, Nasri and Agueo stole the show in City’s dominant win, with the Frenchman cutting in from the left to cause havoc, and Aguero bullying United’s defense with his clever, darting runs in behind the full backs. In Everton’s 3-2 win over West Ham, left back Leighton Baines curled home two magnificent free kicks that left Jussi Jaaskelainen helpless. Speaking of ‘keepers, more on this next, but Brad Guzan had himself a doozy of a game at Carrow Road. And finally, the scary Samba boy, Paulinho, was Spurs’ game-winner with an audacious finish right at the death to seal all three points vs. Cardiff. Mágico.
GUZAN’S THE MAN
Following his terrific first half penalty stop (okay, we know he was a couple yards off the line, but FIFA don’t seem to care about that rule anymore) Aston Villa’s Guzan showed once again why he should be considered for a starting spot with the USMNT. Norwich battered Villa for large spells in the second half, but Guzan made some fine fingertip saves and was cool and calm when collecting numerous crosses, to preserve the 1-0 win. Just watch below. With Tim Howard performing okay, but not great, how long will it be before Guzan dons the no. 1 jersey for the USA?
DI CANIO OUT
Premier League Star Performers
| Player | Reason |
|---|---|
| 1. Sergio Aguero (Man City) | 2 goals, superb movement |
| 2. Samir Nasri (Man City) | 1 goal, mesmeric dribbling |
| 3. Brad Guzan (Aston Villa) | Clean sheet, PK save |
| 4. Leighton Baines (Everton) | 2 stunning free kicks from LB |
| 5. Paulinho (Tottenham) | 1 goal, powerful CM display |
After five games of the season, Paolo Di Canio won the dreaded ‘sack race’ as Sunderland gave their Italian manager his marching orders. Apparently he was accused of ‘systemically destroying the players’ as many argued he built a regime, instead of a family. The Black Cats picked up just one point from a possible 15. Di Canio was living a charmed life. And coupled with his strange confrontation of Sunderland’s fans after the 3-0 loss to West Brom on Saturday, and an abrasive team meeting on Sunday, he went out with a bang. But after he brought in 14 new players over the summer, what did Chairman Ellis Short and the directors really expect him to deliver, just over a month into the season? The Premier League will be a poorer, and less crazed, place without Di Canio. Who will manage Sunderland next? Gustavo Poyet and Roberto Di Matteo are the bookies favorites… good luck, guys.
SAINTS BEAT LIVERPOOL, SHOULD WE BE SHOCKED?
Liverpool weren’t at the races on Saturday, as they lost their first-game of the season. But Southampton were really good. Many treated Saints’ win on Saturday at Anfield (watch above) as a shock of epic proportions. But the Saints have had the Reds’ number for quite some time now. Southampton have won five of their last seven games against Liverpool, so the smart money was on the away win. It seems as though Southampton are Liverpool’s ‘bogey team’ and Mauricio Pochettino’s men deserved the win and it could’ve been more than 1-0. Many neutrals picked Saints as their ‘surprise package’ this season, a team that battled relegation last year but will make the top 10 in 2013-14. With their high-pressing style (another team benefiting from the risky style of play, a la Man City) working for young English players and a talented manager, can the South Coast club shock everyone and challenge for the top six?
SLUGFEST IN MANCHESTER
Did anyone else enjoy that beautifully bruising battle between Vincent Kompany and Wayne Rooney on Sunday? My word, it was like we’d been sucked into a time capsule and sent back to the early 1990’s, as elbows, knees and carefully placed shoulders flew everywhere. Kompany was immaculate, intercepting slightly loose forward passes with remarkable ease. He didn’t break a sweat, and helped City start off numerous attacks with his impeccable reading of the game. As for Rooney, he could rightly feel aggrieved to not win the Man of the Match award, such was the nature of his domineering display. He curled in a spectacular late free kick, just to cap it off, but Kompany had landed the heavyweight punches all afternoon, despite Rooney’s late ‘Haymaker.’
If someone tells you a gruesome battle between a center half and center forward can’t be a thing of beauty, they’re wrong. Kompany vs. Rooney was like poetry in motion at the Etihad. Perfectly timed tackles, grit and determination replaced wonderfully constructed stanzas and beautifully flowing verses.
THE RETURN OF SEXY FOOTBALL – SPURS AND CITY STYLE
Samir Nasri bamboozled Chris Smalling with his step overs, left, then right, then left, while Aleksander Kolarov edged up from left back unmarked to whip in a perfect cross that Aguero deftly volleyed home with a swiveling flick of his left foot. The Etihad erupted. City had their breakthrough, and it was a thing of beauty. Elsewhere on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur battled Cardiff City for vast swathes in the Welsh capital, but just when it seemed to be heading for a 0-0 stalemate, up popped Paulinho. The Brazilian midfielder ghosted into the box as the ball went wide to Erik Lamela, before timing his run perfectly to backheel the cross into the net. Cue a massive man hug in the far corner. ‘Sexy football,’ made famous by the Dutch national team in the 1980s, showcased itself in the Premier League on Sunday. Good god, we’ve missed that. 29 goals in 10 games over the weekend saw us just under the magic 3.0 goals per game barrier. Safe to say, we needed a few big scores to get the goals flowing after a tense opening four weeks. Check out the best goals below.
