Manchester City and Liverpool are still level atop the Premier League, Manchester United dropped more points, while the Premier League’s bottom three remain in dire straits.
Here are four winners and four losers from the weekend’s action.
WINNERS
Eden Hazard
Make it six goals in Eden Hazard’s last six matches for Chelsea across all competitions. After scoring the winner in the Carabao Cup versus Liverpool, the Belgian struck again at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, although the Blues had to settle for a draw this time.
Even though everybody knew Hazard was going to be the lone dangerman for Chelsea, he still ended up leading the team in shots (2), passes in the final third (21) and chances created (3).
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri mentioned that if Hazard focused less on tracking back to defend, he would be able to score 40 goals in a season. It’s paid off so far because the 27-year-old has spent less time in the defensive third.
When comparing his heat maps from the previous meeting against Liverpool – when Antonio Conte was still managing Chelsea – there is a noticeable difference as well.
Hazard might be the best player in the league right now and it wouldn’t be surprising if he earns the PFA Player of the Year award if he stays the course.
Manuel Pellegrini
West Ham United is now unbeaten in four consecutive league matches. A 0-0 draw with Chelsea and the latest triumph, a 3-1 victory over Manchester United at the Olympic Stadium, has catapulted West Ham out of the relegation zone.
Manuel Pellegrini deserves all of the credit for finding the perfect balance in the midfield and for sticking with the Issa Diop-Fabian Balbuena partnership at centre-back. They were absolutely outstanding as they held the United attack at bay and kickstarted some promising attacks.
But the real difference has been the inclusion of 19-year-old Declan Rice in midfield. Rice has alleviated some of the burden on Mark Noble on both sides of the ball, and both players are benefitting. They combined for 15 ball recoveries, covered a ton of ground defensively and dictated the tempo of the game brilliantly.
Kudos to Pellegrini for making the change, and to the players for repaying Pellegrini.
Arsenal attack
Unai Emery had to decide whether to build his attack around Alexandre Lacazette or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He chose the former and it’s worked well thus far.
Aubameyang is more comfortable playing out wide, as he tended to drift out wide on occasion while at Borussia Dortmund. He occasionally filled in as a winger in Dortmund and with Saint-Etienne as well. Mesut Ozil, meanwhile, is on the right with Aaron Ramsey occupying the No. 10 role.
That combination still hasn’t completely gelled, but Lacazette is being utilized properly. He thrived at Lyon executing runs off the shoulder of the defender before latching onto low crosses or through balls.
In the future, Henrikh Mkhitaryan might be a better option out wide with Ozil returning to the centre of the pitch. For now, the quartet is producing results and that’s what matters for Arsenal, even if the defence is still shaky.
Harry Maguire
A pair of goals from Harry Maguire clinched another big win for Leicester City, and it was fitting that the England international was the hero on the day.
After a wild summer – guiding England to the World Cup semifinals and being heavily linked to Manchester United – Maguire has had little time to rest, yet he’s started the season magnificently.
If this keeps up, United might make some calls in January.
LOSERS
Jose Mourinho
Even though Jose Mourinho had one eye on the Champions League in midweek, losing emphatically to West Ham certainly isn’t a great look for Manchester United.
Every defeat heaps more pressure onto the manager, especially as United slips further away from the top four. The club cares mostly about maintaining its revenues, so if Champions League qualification looks unlikely, then Mourinho’s job is in question.
Speaking of money, it’s very likely that Mourinho will lose this supposed standoff with Paul Pogba, because the Frenchman is a marketing machine. His social media presence and worldwide appeal benefits United’s bottom line. Mourinho does nothing of the sort.
The fact United looked as flat as they did on Saturday has to be the most concerning issue for Mourinho. These dropped points against so-called “inferior” opposition has cost the Red Devils dearly under the Portuguese’s reign. If the players aren’t motivated enough to keep up with West Ham, then there’s very little he can do to reinvigorate the squad.
Watford’s finishing
Those aforementioned issues with Arsenal’s defence should’ve benefitted Watford on Saturday. Unfortunately for the Hornets, their finishing was woeful, and when it was clicking, Bernd Leno made a number of quality saves.
As evidenced by expected goals (xG) – an advanced analytic used to determine the quality of a shot – Watford actually generated some fantastic scoring opportunities from their 14 shots. Arsenal only had nine by comparison.
xG map for Watford – Arsenal. The Gunners were very fortunate not to concede. pic.twitter.com/Wy8lJzExw2
— Caley Graphics (@Caley_graphics) September 29, 2018
That’s why Watford manager Javi Gracia should not be discouraged after that performance. Everything went well, but one unfortunate own goal swung the momentum and Watford couldn’t recover.
Fulham’s defence
Fulham has been one of the most exciting sides in the Premier League. It’s not just because their attack is loaded with quality and they’re a fluid side, the defence is also atrocious.
Following their 3-0 loss to Everton, the Cottagers have now conceded a joint league-high 16 goals. Their xG currently stands at 16.86, so it’s not luck they’ve been unlucky at the back, either.
One issue has been the constant rotation across the back line. Manager Slavisa Jokanovic has named seven different combinations in a couple of different systems. Considering Jokanovic prefers his team play out from the back, a settled back line is necessary for the system to thrive.
History has shown that Jokanovic has started slowly in each of his previous two seasons at Fulham. Perhaps he’ll eventually find a settled back line and have the club firing around the holidays. If not, then the Serbian might be out of a job.
The Premier League basement
Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United are all in the relegation zone after seven games, and it’s arguable that they’ll be locked in those positions at season’s end.
All three clubs suffered defeats over the weekend, and it’s very grim for all of them. However, Huddersfield surviving last season was remarkable given that their wage bill was one of the lowest in the Championship when the club was promoted. Meanwhile, Cardiff was favoured by the bookies to go straight back down.
Newcastle’s plight is just despondent. Manager Rafa Benitez is already calling for January reinforcements, but whether he receives the adequate backing from owner Mike Ashley is a huge unknown.
If the squad isn’t bolstered in January, then it might mean another relegation for one of England’s most reputable clubs.
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