ClapThe latest set of Premier League fixtures have both enthralled and infuriated fans in equal measure whether it be due to fantastic goals or bizarre VAR decisions. A lot of that action went down on Saturday, but Sunday also threw up some pretty entertaining games.
We started off with a midday encounter between Sheffield United and Leeds United as the two Yorkshire rivals went toe to toe in a big, big clash. It was Leeds who managed to get the win thanks to a late Patrick Bamford goal which ensured their positive start to the campaign continued.
Then, a few hours later, a controversial late VAR decision handed Newcastle United an unlikely point against Tottenham Hotspur. Many will continue the debate about this new procedure for months to come, but Spurs probably should’ve killed off the game.
Manchester City were up next and they were expected to take Leicester City apart – especially after they took the lead. Alas, football can throw up a few surprises now and then, and the Foxes stunned the masses with a 5-2 win that put them top of the league.
Pep Guardiola is determined to reclaim the Premier League title from Liverpool and win the Champions League with City, but neither of those two things are going to happen if they can’t sort out some of their defensive issues.
Then came the turn of Wolverhampton Wanderers and when they were put up against West Ham United, very few people thought that they would slip up. Unfortunately for fans of Nuno’s men that’s exactly what they did in what turned out to be one of their worst performances under the current regime.
What this seems to be pointing to, in its entirety, is one of the greatest and most unpredictable Premier League seasons of all time. We’ve seen more than a few of those over the years and we’ll see plenty more as this incarnation of the top flight continues, and that can only be a good thing.
We’ve seen a parade of interesting results up to this point and more clubs are starting to make a push for the top six. Besides that, though, even clubs that are expected to be in the relegation battle are scratching and clawing in an attempt to cause a stir at the top of the pile.
Whether that’s due to the money in football or the lack of fans in the stadium, there are plenty of reasons to sit down and watch the Premier League between now and May. Maybe a few predictable results will still go down, and in fact that’s a virtual certainty, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we shouldn’t keep watching to find out what the next step is going to be.
In terms of the two results we highlighted, you’d have to think Leicester and West Ham are going in two massively different directions. Brendan Rodgers looks to be setting his club on the path to Europe once more, and David Moyes is trying to overcome all of the odds to prove he can still handle life at this level.
