This could be the year Spurs stop being 'Spursy'
Tottenham Hotspur's Sunday draw with Chelsea felt like a watershed moment in the development of the side under boss Antonio Conte. Outplayed for most of the game, Tottenham did what the great teams do; if you can't win, don't lose.
Spurs were second best in the contest, of that there is no doubt, but under previous regimes, this would have been a game they would have lost. This time, Tottenham hung in there, showing battling qualities and a nasty streak not often associated with the club. In the calendar year, Spurs have beaten London rivals Arsenal, Won away at the Etihad against Manchester City, Drawn with Liverpool at Anfield, and drawn with Chelsea (They have only won once in 37 visits to Stamford Bridge).
Conte is a passionate character and most importantly for Spurs, a club without a trophy since 2008, he is a bad loser and a winner of titles. He demands players give every ounce of themselves in training and matches. Where Tottenham used to concede late goals, the tables have turned. Late goals in the draw against Chelsea and the winners last season in stoppage time against Leicester City and Man City show how the psychology is changing at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
With Liverpool off to a slow start, Tottenham could be an outside bet to challenge Man City for the title. It would be a big ask but with Conte's experience winning titles at Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter Milan, Spurs could cause a shock or at the very least push to end their trophy drought.
Manchester United's Best Goalkeeper Is Out On Loan
A Manchester United goalkeeper saved a penalty on the way to keeping a clean sheet last weekend, no it wasn't David De Gea but Dean Henderson on loan at Nottingham Forest. After De Gea's difficult start to the season, United may regret not fighting harder to keep Henderson.
Saturday's performance was yet another sign of the decline of the once imperious De Gea. Key mistakes were made last season against Aston Villa, Atalanta, and Watford to name a few, and already this season De Gea has looked anything but convincing in the opening two games. Along with his loss of form, another problem posed for the Manchester United manager Eric ten Hag is whether United’s current no.1 is good enough to play out from the back. So far the signs have not been good.
De Gea ranked in the bottom 1% last season when it came to touches from goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues. His accuracy of long passing is ranked in the bottom 34%, basically, in comparison to the likes of Ederson and Alison, De Gea is more likely to give the ball away with his poor distribution. With United looking to move away from a counter-attacking style to a more possession-based approach, he is not the right goalkeeper for this tactical shift.
No one can doubt David De Gea’s shot-stopping abilities but at the minute that is all he brings to the party. Alongside poor distribution, he struggles to dominate his area, take crosses, and is vulnerable to set-pieces. For a team with high ambitions, this marks him out as a serious weak link. Henderson might not be the answer long-term to United’s problems, but he is a more rounded goalkeeper who in the short-term would have proven a more reliable option as No.1. If the contrast in the two goalkeepers' performances is anything to go by last weekend, United appear to have made a serious error in their choice in the goalkeeping department.
Gabriel Jesus will thrive as Arsenal’s main man
Gabriel Jesus has hit the ground running at the Emirates since his transfer from Manchester City in July. On Saturday against Leicester City, the Brazilian was in scintillating form, scoring two and setting up two on the way to a 4-2 win and picking up the man of the match award. Everything about his play thus far suggests he is going fill the void up front that Arsenal have struggled to fill, arguably since Thierry Henry left.
Yes, Arsenal has had goalscorers such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin Van Persie, and Olivier Giroud since Henry departed back in 2007, but you could argue none has provided the different options and possibilities that Jesus offers. Excelling so far as a No.9, the new recruit can play anywhere across the front three, he has so far been given the freedom to roam whereas at Man City he was more restricted due to Pep Guardiola’s more disciplined role for him in the side.
Against Leicester, he simply thrived with the shackles off. Jesus had 54 touches overall, had 15 touches inside the box as well as winning 8 of his duels, to go alongside his two goals and two assists. On current form he is will be simply unplayable for Premier League defences, it is a long time since Arsenal have had a forward posting such numbers and making such an impact. Of course, it is still very early in the season, but the signs look good for Arsenal.
Arsenal had a disappointing end to last season, losing five of their final ten games. Rivals Tottenham Hotspur pipped the Gunnars by two points for the final Champions League spot. In four of those five defeats, Arsenal failed to score. With Gabriel Jesus hitting the ground running, you feel if the club is in the same position this time around, his presence will ensure that fate deals them a better hand.
Everton need a striker and fast!
Everton have started the season poorly, no wins and one goal scored makes for very worrying reading for all concerned at Goodison Park. Add in an injury list that appears to grow with every passing week, the Toffees could be in for potentially a long season. Though they have made a few big signings, mainly in midfield with Amadou Traore joining from Lille and Idrissa Gueye likely to rejoin from PSG, Everton are lacking attacking options to get goals to help them stay clear of a relegation scrap.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffered an injury on the eve of the start of the season, leaving Everton with only the aging and seemingly past it Salomon Rondon to provide cover. With such a lack of options, it is now looking foolish of Frank Lampard to allow Eliis Simms to join Sunderland on a season-long loan. The young striker has exploded into life up on Wearside, scoring three in his first two games. Of course, the Championship is a different league altogether than the Premier League, but he wouldn't be the first young Everton striker to seize upon an opportunity to break into the first team.
Ben Bereton Diaz, Serhou Guirassy, Che Adams, and Michy Batshuayi have all been linked with joining the club in recent weeks. The most likely for the club to sign appears to be Bereton Diaz, though French side Nice are also interested and have reportedly submitted a ten million bound bid for the Blackburn Rovers player. He would be a potential gamble but with few options available currently, he has experience of playing in England and might adapt quicker than an option from overseas. If Bereton Diaz was to score around even half of his twenty-two-goal haul from last season, it would be a shrewd signing.
The City Ground will be an intimidating place to go to
Nottingham Forest fans on Sunday were belting out Mull of Kintyre, with Nottingham Forest-specific lyrics to go with the tune. The atmosphere at The City Ground was electric and never abated throughout the ninety minutes. The supporters drove their side onto their first Premier League victory in twenty-three years. Forest definitely rode their luck with West Ham missing a penalty as well as hitting the woodwork twice, but it felt like the sheer will of the fans applied supernatural forces to deny the Hammers a win they deserved.
With such a feel-good factor around the club at the minute after promotion, last season, and the club's transfer business so far, there is potential for Forest to finish higher than just the relegation places. The purchases of Jesse Lingaard on a free, the arrivals of Emmanuel Dennis and record signing Taiwo Awoniyi, along with the sensational prospect of Houssem Aouar joining from Lyon could see Steve Cooper's men stay up and go on to re-establish the club in the top-flight for the first time in over thirty years.
With around fifteen new signings joining the club and needing time to adapt to their new surroundings, the patience and support of the fans will be crucial. On Sunday, the first Premier League game back at The City Ground since May 1999, those supporters showed what they are capable of when in full voice. They will need to be like that for every home game, inspiring the players on the pitch as they work their way through any teething problems.