The Premier League football just keeps on coming and the last matchday through up some controversial moments on and off the pitch. We saw a couple of horrific challenges, one that was punished and one that wasn’t properly while one manager completely lost it after his side was ripped apart by a former player. These three make up the Wally of the Week shortlist:
3. Dele Alli
England’s golden boy is having a tough time of late and it’s well known that he has a very short fuse. When his team is winning and he’s playing well, that short fuse is often what spurs him on but when it’s not going well it can lead to his downfall. Manchester City seem to be winding up almost everyone in the Premier League – just ask Jose Mourinho and they claimed another victim in their record-breaking winning run on Saturday as they cruised past Tottenham at the Etihad.
With the score at 1-0 to the home side, the Tottenham players were becoming increasingly frustrated and started to lash out at their opponents. Harry Kane went in the book for a poor challenge on Raheem Sterling but it was Dele Alli who had Pep Guardiola raging in the dugout when he went studs-up into Kevin De Bruyne’s ankle on the halfway line. Referee Craig Pawson showed the youngster a yellow card when it really should’ve been red and, to add insult to injury, De Bruyne smashed in City’s second goal just moments later. Alli was booed off when he was substituted later into the game and is lucky not to be missing more action through suspension.
2. Troy Deeney
This isn’t the first time the Hornets’ captain has made this shortlist and I suspect it won’t be the last. He’s another player with a quick temper and that got the better of him when his team were struggling at home to Huddersfield. Elias Kachunga had put the away side in front, somehow evading every offside rule in the book to score from close range, and Deeney was not a happy man.
Things got worse when Aaron Mooy doubled the Terriers’ lead and so, being the responsible captain that he is, Deeney lunged in Collin Quaner from behind and deserved the straight red that he received. His team went on to lose 4-1 and Deeney faces another lengthy ban having already served a suspension for grabbing Joe Allen’s face. And to think he’s baffled to why the last two managers haven’t trusted him.
1. Mark Hughes
Marko Arnautovic embodies everything that has gone wrong for Mark Hughes at Stoke after an impressive start to his time at the club a few seasons ago. The former Manchester United and Chelsea player is under increasing pressure after a run of poor results and they loiter in the depths of the Premier League relegation zone. On Saturday, rather fittingly, the club got off to a slow start as a power cut delayed their game with West Ham by an hour and they were probably better off postponing the game because of what happened next. West Ham, led by an inspired Arnautovic ripped Stoke to shreds and came away from the Bet365 Stadium with a 0-3 win.
The former Stoke winger was booed heavily by the home crowd as he saw a number of efforts rebound off the woodwork or fly wide of the goal. He got his goal in the second half and celebrated in front of the Stoke crowd, much to their and Hughes’s anger.With the game over, Arnautovic was substituted by David Moyes and was serenaded with more boos and even Hughes couldn’t resist hurling a foul-mouthed tirade at him as he left the field. Stay classy Mark, even if you don’t stay employed.