Robbie Mustoe and Robbie Earle look back at a defining derby match between Man City and Man United (00:30), Liverpool’s comfortable win against Fulham (25:45), the stalemate between Chelsea and Everton (31:30) and a hard fought match between Arsenal and Wolves (41:30).
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We told you this weekend could provide big tumult in the power rankings, as several clubs in close proximity tangled in the Premier League, and the matches delivered in a big way.
20. Fulham — Much better against Liverpool than recent opposition, but still on pace to break the Premier League record for goals allowed. Last week: 20 Season high: 11 Season low: 20
19. Huddersfield Town — A nice point against West Ham, but it’s difficult to look at the match and think the Terriers would’ve managed a point from performances of that ilk more than once in a great while. Last week: 19 Season high: 18 Season low: 20
18. Burnley — Still capable of solid performances, but the attack looks like a relegation candidate more often than not. Last week: 15 Season high: 13 Season low: 20
17. Crystal Palace *New season low* — A victim of the schedule? Sure, but there’s little to like about the attack as even Wilfried Zaha appears shaken in confidence. Last week: 14 Season high: 6 Season low: 17
Zaha (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
16. Cardiff City — Aided in a big way by Dale Stephens red card, but the Bluebirds are looking less and less like the automatic relegation team of early weeks. Last week: 16 Season high: 16 Season low: 20
15. Southampton — Probably deserved all three points against Watford, but looking ready to take the next step despite a miserly start points-wise. Last week: 17 Season high: 13 Season low: 17
14. Newcastle United — Rafa Benitez‘s men are the pound-for-pound defensive champions of the league. Only six teams have allowed fewer goals, and only one is lower than 7th on the table (Wolves, 11th). Last week: 16 Season high: 13 Season low: 19
13. Brighton and Hove Albion — Two-straight losses following the 2-1 defeat at Cardiff, in what draws Bournemouth as the top disappointments of the week. Last week: 10 Season high: 9 Season low: 19
12. West Ham — Manuel Pellegrini‘s men had to work hard to get a point from Huddersfield Town, and is hoping Samir Nasri can help fill the hole left by Andriy Yarmolenko‘s injury. A big ask? Last week: 13
Season high: 9
Season low: 20
11. Watford — Hornets looking more and more like early over-performers. Last week: 12 Season high: 4 Season low: 14
10. Wolves — Gave Arsenal all it could handle, but fans should be demanding more from a club which thrives against big clubs but has not performed against several seemingly lesser sides. Last week: 13 Season high: 5 Season low: 13
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
9. Leicester City — To take four of six points with a trip to their owner’s funeral in Thailand sandwiched in between is a serious achievement. Last week: 9 Season high: 7 Season low: 13
8. Bournemouth — Eddie Howe will be raging with his Cherries for their performance at Newcastle United, a lost chance to sit a point back of Arsenal. Last week: 8 Season high: 6 Season low: 12
7. Manchester United — Count our own Joe Prince-Wright among those tired of the excuses for Jose Mourinho’s struggles at Old Trafford. The gulf between his men and Man City is huge. Last week: 6 Season high: 4 Season low: 14
6. Everton — Two weeks to prepare for a visit from Cardiff, and then the away Merseyside Derby. If the Toffees manage a draw at Liverpool, it’s not unreasonable to think they should nab 10 from their next 12 points. Last week: 7 Season high: 5 Season low: 13
5. Arsenal — Beat Everton in September, and that will keep the Gunners ahead of the impressive Toffees… for now. Last week: 4 Season high: 2 Season low: 9
4. Chelsea — Surely the draw vs. Everton is a case of a decent opponent and Europa League lag, but championship winners generally find a way to get the winner at home. Last week: 3 Season high: 1 Season low: 5
3. Liverpool — It seems unrealistic to expect blowouts each week, but the Reds’ 2-0 win over a defensively-weak Fulham was tepid at best. Last week: 2 Season high: 1 Season low: 4
2. Spurs *New season high* — Despite injury and form problems for pretty much all of its biggest stars, Spurs sit three points back of second, are two rounds from the League Cup final, and aren’t dead in the Champions League. Yes, Spurs were by far second-best in a Sept. 15 home loss to the Reds, but it’s been two months.
Their next two league matches are home to Chelsea and away to Arsenal, so the heights could be brief, but what Spurs have done in the face of wild injuries is impressive. Last week: 4 Season high: 2 Season low: 8
1. Man City — For everyone mentioning the absence of Paul Pogba for United in the derby, City was missing Kevin De Bruyne. This team is hearkening back to Pep’s best Barcelona teams, without a Lionel Messi in the bunch. Last week: 1 Season high: 1 Season low: 2
The FA announced Thursday that it had charged Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge with misconduct related to two FA betting rules. The 29-year-old has until 6pm local time on Tuesday to respond to the charge.
One rule states that a “participant” shall not bet on matches or anything relating to soccer across the world including transfers, while the other rule concerns providing insider information to someone else who is making a bet. Liverpool released a statement on Monday evening, denying the charges.
“Daniel has given his full and unequivocal co-operation throughout this process and has assured the club he will continue to do so,” a Liverpool spokesperson said via the BBC. “Daniel has also stated categorically that he has never gambled on football. As with any issue of this nature, we will allow the process to be concluded in its entirety before making any further comment.”
Below are the two rules in which Sturridge is alleged to have breached.
Rule E8(1)(a) – a participant shall not bet, either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person to bet on – (i) the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in or in connection with, a football match or competition; or (ii) any other matter concerning or related to football anywhere in the world, including, for example and without limitation, the transfer of players, employment of managers, team selection or disciplinary matters.
Rule E8(1)(b) – where a participant provides to any other person any information relating to football which the participant has obtained by virtue of his or her position within the game and which is not publicly available at that time, the participant shall be in breach of this Rule where any of that information is used by that other person for, or in relation to, betting.
Klopp, Jokanovic on wild Liverpool opener: ‘Absurd situation’
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had differing opinions on the offside call that denied the Cottagers a goal and allowed Liverpool a quick restart goal against the celebrating visitors at Anfield on Sunday.
But Klopp’s reaction to the offside call against Aleksandar Mitrovic wasn’t too strong, and Jokanovic was raging after the match.
The Fulham manager labeled the call “disrespectful” to Fulham and its supporters. From The Liverpool Echo:
“The damage is done,” Jokanovic said. “I don’t want to say Liverpool didn’t deserve to win the game. We did not defend well against the counter-attack but it shouldn’t have happened. It is an absurd situation.”
The margin was very thin, with Mitrovic perhaps a hair off. And Alisson Becker quickly pulled the ball out of the goal and got it moving (or kept it moving, as NBC studio analyst Kyle Martino pointed out that it never stopped).
Thirteen seconds later, Mohamed Salah had it in the back of the Fulham net.
Klopp was nonchalant about the call, ironic given the froth expected should the call have gone against him. Such is football.
“I saw the Fulham goal once,” Klopp said. “Was it offside? Against Arsenal we scored a clearer goal and didn’t get it. We cannot change it. The reaction was brilliant from us.”
It’s the quick restart that should probably be under more scrutiny than the offside call, as there aren’t too many offside restarts played that quickly at any spot on the field (let alone the matter of whether the ball moved).
Liverpool will be atop the Premier League table should Chelsea fail to beat Everton and Manchester City lose to United.
Mitrovic goal ruled offside, Salah quickly answers [ VIDEO ]
Shaqiri makes it 2-0
Liverpool went atop the Premier League table for the moment following a 2-0 win over Fulham at Anfield on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah scored 13 seconds after a Fulham goal was ruled offside, and Xherdan Shaqiri also scored as the Reds moved to 30 points.
That’s one point more than Man City, who hosts Manchester United at 11:30 a.m. ET, and three ahead of Chelsea ahead of the Blues 9:15 a.m. ET meeting with Everton.
The first dozen minutes went as expected, as Liverpool mostly did what it wanted in attack. Xherdan Shaqiri was the closest to finding a finish with a 13th minute drive from the top of the box.
Mohamed Salah forced Sergio Rico into an in-tight save in the 16th, as the opener looked certain to arrive any moment. Rico stopped Salah again in the 22nd.
Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon turned Virgil Van Dijk inside out but blasted a shot inches wide of the far post for the Cottagers best chance of the half. Andre Schurrle was stymied by Alisson Becker before the half-hour mark.
Shaqiri missed with a 35th minute bid for the near post.
Then Fulham went from ahead to behind in a flash. Mitrovic headed a cross behind Alisson, and was quickly ruled offside (The margin was thin). Alisson restarted play, and Salah blazed down the right wing for a goal.
The change in fortunes was dramatic, and took 13 seconds.
