Premier League Week 4: Erling Haaland Wins The Manchester Derby; Liverpool Get Lucky
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In a predictable Manchester derby, Haaland shone above everyone else. Liverpool rode their luck, and Arsenal’s squad exhibited title-winning depth for the first time, writes Manik Sharma. |
Haaland, the difference in an uneventful Manchester derby GONE ARE THE DAYS when the Manchester derby showcased bite, animosity or the vernacular display of what football rivalries amount to. This one at the Etihad had a predictable script. City largely dominated without ever having the authoritarian control of old. And United barely laid a hand on the storied former champions despite their ongoing struggles between Guardiola-n soul and modern footballing substance. But if this was billed as the battle of giant strikers up-front — Erling Haaland vs the Slovenian Benjamin Ssesko — Haaland came up top. With consummate ease, I might add. You could argue that Sesko had less to work with in terms of delivery and support. And, while he showed he is capable of handling himself, there is simply no one as ruthless, comprehensive, and, in literary terms, biblical as Erling Haaland. Isak, Gyokeres, Sesko, and whoever else you can think of in the league are far removed from Haaland’s prodigious ability to find the back of the net. City just need to find him more often. |
Manchester United will live and die by Ruben Amorim’s tame style That United’s midfield is a walking hazard had been written in the headlines well before the season even began. The humbling lack of pace in the middle makes it impossible for United to play the 3-4-3 formation that their manager, Ruben Amorim, continues to favour despite a spate of poor results. The problem isn’t fitness alone, but the fact that neither of United’s wing-backs — arguably the fulcrum of the system Amorim wants to play — is exactly cutting-edge to pull off what he fantasises about. The formation has historically yielded poor results, and with United’s lack of depth and, more importantly, lack of stomach, it’s easier to see the club change managers than burn the house down trying to adapt to a style that is more obsession than structural ploy. It’s square pegs, round holes, and maybe Amorim needs to see the exit door to see which fits which. Watch the Man City vs Man UTD match here on OTTplay Premium Arsenal’s bench signals a title tilt with a difference Arsenal finally played some handsome, energetic football. That they did it without their best outfield player, Bukayo Sako (out injured), and Martin Odegaard (who went off with a shoulder injury at the quarter mark) was even more impressive. With their creative linchpins out of the picture, Arsenal’s latest recruit Noni Madueke — as if propelled by a sense of responsibility — took on the creator’s job and practically roasted the Nottingham Forest back line into submission. Considered a stand-in for Saka, Madueke is already showing signs of paying back the faith Arsenal have shown in bringing him to the Emirates. The fact that, in the absence of their creative war room, Arsenal had the likes of Eze, Trossard, Nwaneri and Madueke to turn to — with one of their defensive midfielders contributing two crucial goals — indicates the club might finally have the ammunition to go the distance this season. |
Liverpool might rue not having backup at centre back Probably one of the more uninspiring games at the weekend, this backyard exercise between attack and stolid defending at Turf Moor could have, on another day, gone against Liverpool. Close to the hour mark, Burnley broke quickly, and it was the 34-year-old Virgil Van Dijk who matched the entourage step for step in a last-ditch tackle to dispossess the attacker. It was a one-off incident in the otherwise calm space that Van Dijk otherwise maintains around him. But in that moment was the evidence that Liverpool, who were clueless in front of goal — barring that lucky handball at the end — could suffer at the hands of teams slightly more ambitious than lowly Burnley. An injury to either Konate or Van Dijk, and that back line looks concerningly thin and fragile. It’s the difference between a 1-0 undeserved win and a 1-0 undeserved loss. Either of which would have been an acceptable result of this unwatchable game. Chelsea’s lack of leaders is a concern Chelsea went away to Brentford, with a shuffled squad, several absentees on the roster and a clear bump in what is a large canvas of players somehow trying to coalesce to pursue a common goal. The club has the deepest squad in the league — with more wide players than you can name — but is still thin along its spine. That, however, isn’t the main concern for manager Enzo Maresca. That Brentford lobbed long throws into the Chelsea box to eventually undo its sense of composure tells you of the lack of leadership in the team. Neither Robert Sanchez nor club captain Reece James marshalled the back line to keep an archaic punt of the ball out of the sacred 6-yard box. Some might argue it reasserts Chelsea’s need to replace Robert Sanchez with a more authoritative figure in goal. But the cold, hard fact is that the youngest squad in the Premier League, despite its sparkly sheen, often misses the dull, wise hand of experience. |
Postscript Is Guardiola's ball over? There was something different about the way City approached the Manchester derby. There was a keenness to find Haaland early, a press that was adept but not exactly suffocating, and in Jeremy Doku, a spinning wheel that could yield footballing jackpots or showy nonsense — ie, less control, more risk. To add to that, Gianluigi Donnarumma made an impressive start to life at City by exerting his sizeable presence and making a brilliant save from a Mbuemo shot at goal. That change of personnel — the post-Ederson era — in goal hints at a shift. Maybe from tiki-taka to more thunder and lightning? The coming weeks will tell. Premier League matches come to you live and exclusive on JioHotStar, with an OTTplay Premium subscription for only Rs 149 per month. Don’t miss a minute! |
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