Now I understand. If only we’d given Wayne Rooney to Sam Allardyce in his prime and England might have won a bloody World Cup. Everton’s favourite sun has been in terminal decline for the last five years and the mere mention of Big Sam getting a deal until the end of next season and suddenly Wazza is a player once more. He kicked the ball further for his third goal than most of the Everton team have run all season. Of course, on the flip side of the argument is how absolutely shockingly bad are West Ham United? Everton put in two of the worst performances in their proud history over the last week and then have just been allowed to look like the 1970 Brazil side by David Moyes’ “men”. In a total non-taking-the-mick moment, I’m pleased David Unsworth at least has that to remember his time managing the club by.
Raheem Sterling’s doing alright, eh? The tabloid favourite has notched two winners in the last two games and is becoming one of Pep Guardiola’s key men. This is Pep who used to look on a kid called Messi as his key man. Surely we can get excited about having an actual talent who is English? Sterling netted against Southampton five minutes into injury time before showing another sharp turn of pace to sprint away from the entire staff of Manchester City who wanted to share the moment. Even the crocked Benjamin Mendy, recovering from an ACL and probably not doing it much good, legged it after the group trying to get a selfie. City moved eight points clear once more.
I don’t know if Paul Clement has kids, but if he does then I reckon they might get the luxury of having Dad home for Christmas this year. Another game for Swansea, another defeat and another lack of goals. Sure, they were playing Chelsea but Chelsea were far from on top form and chose to rest most of their team anyway. Antonio Conte managed to get himself sent off before Rudiger headed home the game’s only goal. Let’s put two and two together to make seven. Tony Pulis is out of work and Welsh. Swansea are in Wales. Pulis stops teams getting relegated. Swansea need someone who can do that. Brendan Rodgers style of football to Tony Pulis’ style in under a decade. That’s what Premier League survival does to footballing beliefs.
Huddersfield Town don’t win much on the road and as soon as Arsenal took such an early lead it was purely a matter of how many they would score. 5 was the answer and if Giroud had taken just one of the two bites of the open goal cherry it would have been six. Wenger’s men are flying right now, fourth and four points clear of Tottenham. Saturday’s game with Manchester United has become very interesting.
Could Mark Hughes also be looking over his shoulder? Stoke City lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool who could afford to leave the Premier League top scorer Mo Salah on the bench, from where he came and scored yet another. Jurgen Klopp mixed his team up and even gave Simon Mignonlet the armband. Mignolet rewarded his boss by taking out Diouf when clean through on goal and incredibly avoiding a red card. Hughes, as expected, was relieved to have something to blame yet another defeat on.
Alan Pardew arrived at the Hawthorns the day after his new West Bromwich Albion side shipped a two-goal lead to Newcastle United, conceding twice from set-pieces. Nothing says that Tony Pulis had left the building more than the last bit of that sentence. Pardew is promising to “free up” the WBA side and allow them to express their attacking talents. Oh, Alan, next season is going to be tough for you isn’t it? No doubt you’ll have an immediate impact like you normally do but it’s always the second season with you. And Alan? Lose the goatee mate.
Who could have possibly thought that Claude Puel was actually a half decent manager? Obviously, he was lucky to take Southampton to Wembley last season. But, beating the “World’s Greatest Team” 2-1 shows Claude for what he really is. A manager capable of getting Riyad Mahrez to turn up. Vardy scored his 100th league goal with an exquisite finish for someone who is meant to be just a speed merchant and Mahrez scored the identikit Mahrez goal, cutting in from the right and curling a left foot finish past Lloris. Tottenham have now lost their last three away games.
Jose Mourinho prefers to forget the last ten minutes where Watford scored twice, so we won’t even mention them. Manchester United score four away at Watford, Ashley Young getting a brace. Romelu Lukaku needs a new boot deal and Kevin Nolan should never be allowed to cover a game on Sky Sports Soccer Special ever again.