Relentless Chelsea buy into Conte’s team ethic, Koeman’s pragmatism a welcome relief for Everton fans and Mané shows Levy what Tottenham are missing
1) West Ham give Bilic reason for hope once Payet returns
Unlike last year’s corresponding fixture, when West Ham beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad, Slaven Bilic’s side came up short this time but they gave Pep Guardiola’s men a scare during a post-interval resurgence and the Croat can be optimistic for the season. He said: “In the second half we put them under a bit of pressure, the goal helped, but the second half I am more than happy. It gives us hope when the players are out injured. We stayed in the game. I wasn’t happy at half-time, I asked the guys to show character and spirit and a different mentality, which they did. Praise for the team for the second-half performance. A few will be back after the international break. It should be [Manuel] Lanzini and then [Dimitri] Payet. That will change the shape of the team and the quality of the team.” They only have three points from three games but expect Bilic’s team to start rising up the table. Jamie Jackson
2) Relentless Chelsea suggest Conte can lead title charge
Chelsea topped the fledgling Premier League table on Saturday night, their record still pristine under Antonio Conte, but the Italian is offering only realism when he assesses his own immediate impact at Stamford Bridge. The early season momentum is significant only because it permits his players “to trust my methodology” more. He is not resting on his laurels after wins against West Ham, Watford and, most impressively, Burnley. “But we know we can improve,” he said. “We must improve, and improve a lot, and [we can do that] only through work. But I’m pleased today because I saw, also, the idea about our football.”
That is not all about scintillating pace and skill on the flanks. Or rugged defence in securing a first clean sheet at home since Scunthorpe visited in January. Conte, his usual demanding self on the touchline, actually reserved his most ferocious, manic show of appreciation for an interception mustered by Oscar deep inside his own half. That selfless industry and desire to put the team first is at the core of his philosophy. Chelsea have bought into what he wants, and that only bodes well for his team’s title challenge. Dominic Fifield
3) Benteke-Townsend combination offers hope to under-fire Pardew
If Alan Pardew’s tenure at Selhurst Park could be encapsulated in a single game then surely this was it. Terrible for one half, yet fantastic in the next, Scott Dann’s injury-time equaliser must have come as a huge relief for their embattled manager after a difficult start to the season. Some supporters have already lost patience with the club’s former midfielder after the dreadful run of just two wins in 2016, with Tottenham’s bid for the club’s player of the year, Wilfried Zaha, last week only serving to heighten anxieties. But after breaking their transfer record twice this summer and with the prospect of two players to arrive before the transfer deadline, there could be brighter times ahead. Christian Benteke’s combination with Andros Townsend for the cross that led to Palace’s first goal in the league this season was a promising start, although Pardew will know he needs plenty more where that came from after the international break. Ed Aarons
4) Koeman’s pragmatism a welcome relief for fans after Martínez
Ashley Williams was only named in one press conference, and it wasn’t by the manager who committed £12m to bring him to Goodison Park. Yet while Stoke’s Mark Hughes complained about the Everton newcomer’s part in securing the debated, decisive penalty, his impact was apparent in both boxes. Ronald Koeman took heart from the clean sheet his side kept. That owed much to Williams, a paragon of solidity in his newly formed partnership with Phil Jagielka. They have a combined age of 66 and their experience was allied with that of a still older centre-back: the manager himself.
Koeman introduced Ramiro Funes Mori and removed Ross Barkley in the closing stages, successfully protecting the lead by deploying a five-man rearguard. Such pragmatism was welcome at Goodison Park. While Stoke only recorded one shot on target, this felt the sort of game Roberto Martínez’s self-destructive team would have contrived to find a way not to win. Koeman’s side emerged with three points. Last season Everton only mustered six home league victories at Goodison Park, five against the eventual bottom five. While Stoke prop up the table now, they are probable mid-table finishers. So although this may seem a routine home win and came coated in controversy, it represented progress nonetheless. Richard Jolly
5) Guidolin’s odd selections leave Swansea looking lost
All is not well at Swansea City. Another defeat and another listless performance should be ringing a few alarm bells at the Welsh club. It came as a surprise when Swansea gave Francesco Guidolin the manager’s job on a permanent basis in the summer, and that decision seems likely to come under greater scrutiny over the coming weeks, unless there is an improvement. Guidolin’s side looked clueless against Leicester. There was no pattern to their play, no leadership, and it was worrying to see how brittle they are in central defence now that Ashley Williams has departed. Even the team selection seemed curious – Leon Britton and Nathan Dyer have both recently signed new contracts but were not even in the 18, while Gylfi Sigurdsson, the club’s most influential player last season, was withdrawn in the second half. Their next five league fixtures: Chelsea (h), Southampton (a), Manchester City (h), Liverpool (h) and Arsenal (a). It could be a long season. Stuart James
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário