EPL 2021/2022 - Game Week 12

Bottoms up! We shall discuss from the bottom, up. Norwich City finally got their first win! That Brentford we saw earlier have now lost four matches in a row. Aston Villa have outdone Brentford with 5 straight losses as Southampton remained undefeated in four games (3 wins and a draw). Crystal Palace achieved two wins and drew four times. Burnley surprised all with a battling 1-1 draw at Chelsea. Newcastle equalised at Brighton to steal a point. Leeds for the first time this season played like the team of last season and dominated Leicester but could only get a draw. Everton played to a stalemate at Goodison Park against Spurs. Hard work ahead for Conte. Arsenal remained unbeaten for the 10th time with a 1-0 win over Watford. Liverpool crash-landed 2-3 to West Ham who fought for a fine win. I wonder what David Moyes could have done at Manchester United had he been given the same support and money in his time there and to think what Moyes has achieved with much lesser resources at West Ham! The worse performance of the week belong to Manchester United who were totally dominated by bitter rival and neighbour City with yet another toothless and clueless performance.

The international break shall give all clubs time to recover and review. Back to the drawing board. Those who under-performed, has injuries and suspension will feel some relief while those who are winning cannot wait to carry on. Many teams have their iconic players and talisman. who are they this season? Just last week, you saw Harvey Barnes' beauty for Leicester who also have Youri Tielemans. Reece James, primarily a right back scored a brace at Newcastle. Conor Gallagher was already so good at Palace last season. This season he has added more assists and goals, even match winning and point-saving ones and to think that he has got his England cap and has yet to play for Chelsea is madness. Southampton have young Valentino Livramento. The Red Devils have Ronaldo, Liverpool have Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. West Ham have quite a few - Antonio, Fornals, Bowen, Benrahma. Chelsea have Mateo Kovacic and Reece James. City have Phil Foden and Jack Grealish while Leeds have Raphinha. Arsenal have Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Even Brentford have Ivan Toney. All of them are having an outstanding season so far. Game Week 12 is the first game back after the international break so it may throw out some surprise results.

Leicester v Chelsea - Barely two minutes after Leeds scored, Leicester equalised. From the restart, the ball came from their half and was headed by Soumare, Harvey Barnes took the ball, beat his man and swung in an angled curling shot to the top corner! Just wow!!! What-A-Player! Barnes has been strutting his stuff since last season and was in the initial England squad for the Euro only to be injured and left out. Leicester have been wobbling between good and bad this season. Somewhat disappointing at times but not at a level of despair. Will Brendan Rodgers be distracted by the rumour mill swilling around that he is wanted by the Red Devils? Frankly, he should stay put at Leicester and we do not even need to go into the details. Rodgers built a very exciting Liverpool team that just missed out on the title. He dominated Scottish football with Celtic and he has made Leicester into a very vibrant team. Going to bed with United is fraud with dangers for both. Even Zidane, Conte and others don't want the job. Chelsea can look back and feel happy about actually appointing a manager based on his ability and is therefore a lesson for Manchester United and remain a strong contender for the title but after Newcastle their goals are drying up a bit. An away 1-0 win over Malmo in the Champions League and a 1-1 home draw with Burnley were not too exciting. The Foxes are a much better side to play them since their 0-1 loss to Juventus in September. Leicester sometimes surprise when they bring on their "A" game. There was also the international break so this is a tricky trip for the Blues. Leicester has quite many good players like Tielemans, Barnes and Vardy that could do some damage. If it is the "A" game for Leicester then a draw. Leicester also seemed to play well and get results against Chelsea. 1-1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_OoH646sOA (Harvey Barnes)

Aston Villa v Brighton - Dean Smith, the popular and very likeable manager has been sacked by Aston Villa! He was the one who transformed Villa and brought them back to the Premier League. Were they so dismal because they have lost Jack Grealish? With money in the bag with his sales, they looked set do do well. It has been hellish since they defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford. 5 bad defeats have wiped out years of good credit. Graham Potter's Brighton plays good football with much better returns this season but fine games against Arsenal and Liverpool with a few draws too many was a mixed bag but it has all been positive. They have become a draw specialist. Now that Steven Gerrard has been installed as the new head coach at Villa, will he have an immediate impact on his team and in this game? He has done exceedingly well at Rangers breaking records in a short period of 3 years. Rangers was but a stepping stone Villa gives him a chance to prove himself at the Premier League and this may be a good game since the Seagulls have suddenly forgotten how to win games as they have drawn all five matches. Villa could get something here and it can be interesting to see how Gerard prepare and name his squad. If Villa players respond positively, they could actually win again at Villa Park. 2-1.

Burnley v Crystal Palace - Burnleys' come from behind 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge against the European Champions was huge! If they could just do so similarly more often they would surely climb up the ladder. They have beaten the Eagles in the last three meetings. By now Patrick Viera's methods must have been sold. They have beaten Tottenham and City away from home! They held West Ham away and came back from two down to catch Leicester. They are certainly looking up with four draws and then two 2-0 wins. Burnley are a battling team and not easy opponent at Turf Moor but Palace have just beaten City at an away turf and also Wolves but sometimes the Clarets can go on a good run and this could be another one but the Eagles are looking too good to be beaten by Burnley. 2-2.

Newcastle v Brentford - Newcastle, the newly crowned richest club in the world has kick-started their wheels or revolution with the appointment of the young and promising English manager Eddie Howe who previously brought joy and success to Bournemouth - from the fourth tier to the Premier League and kept them in the top flight for five seasons. Howe is a modern, forward-thinking, transformational and passionate manager. At Bournemouth, his funds were always very limited and yet he has been able to churned out fine players and built a good team that plays attractive, attacking soccer and who do not simply park a bus. He has won numerous manager of the month and the year awards and even the Football League Manager of the Decade (2005-2015). The Magpies may now be the richest club courtesy of their new owners but the journey may yet be a long one. The giddy early season's charming spell has come to a complete halt. It is now reality from here. Meanwhile, Newcastle have Allan Saint Maxima to entertain us at all times plus Eddie Howe will renewed his relationship with Callum Wilson who worked with Howe at Bournemouth. Howe is famed for his progressive passing game and the current Newcastle team could not do. This will be an immediate improvement if you see it soon but he has a huge problem to turn it around. Howe will now have something he never had at Bournemouth - money to spend on players. Brentford have hit a rough patch as they lost four games in a row. The new manager plus the Toon Army may just roar the Magpies for their first win. They are now the only team without a win. It is indeed an exciting era for the Toon Army but first they have to start winning. There is no better time to play Brentford and a win is vital for Eddie Howe and his team. 2-1.

Norwich v Southampton - Norwich City got their first win of the season in what was probably their best game of the season when they went to Brentford and won. The reward for manager Daniel Farke was to get sacked! How now from here? All the high profile summer departures of key players and a bad start but most recently three 1-0 wins and a draw meant they also got three clean sheets and ten points. Interestingly, Dean Smith just sacked by Villa last week in the new Norwich manager. The Saints are on a four match unbeaten run so it is all possible for them to keep that streak. Too early for Smith to get his team to play a certain way. Dean Smith has done it all before bringing Villa up to the Premier League and then battling against relegation so he has to do the same for the Canaries and in case they go down, he can help bring them back up again but the Saints have been looking real solid and could even win here at Carrow Road. 1-1.

Watford v Manchester United - Claudio Ranieri can still be relaxed despite defeat. The same cannot be said about Ole Gunnar  Solskjaer. Insipid performances, cluelessness in so many games suggest something is seriously wrong with the Red Devils. Eleven games into the season, this is no man's land. To sack and replace or to continue, it's a no win situation. You can call it a Catch-22 situation, a chicken and egg dilemma, a Gordian Knot, a quagmire, between a rock and a hard place or simply lose-lose. When is Solskjaer's last game really? Should he be spared the prolonged pain? Watford have suffered four 0-1 defeats this season including the last two games and hovering just one place above the relegation zone. Ranieri is already for games in charge but there is no better time to play the Red Devils is'nt it for they have lost fur out of six games. Their 3-0 win at Spurs was a false dawn that got Nuno the sack and Spurs promptly appointed Antonio Conte who was United's own target. What irony! Since Solskjaer has spent so much on Jadon Sancho he should use him and give him many more minutes since United has already been so shitty. He has been used on the wrong side and given very few minutes. Watford will have to get their act together. Many teams are playing better as a team than United. Can the Hornets sting? You cannot imagine if United do not get full points here. Anything other than a win will see them at their lowest of the lowest ebb. Maybe the much maligned Harry Maguire who scored a goal each for England against Albania and San Marino and became the highest goal scoring England centre half with seven goals beating the record of John Terry and Jack Charlton who both have six goals (Phil Neal, Stuart Pearce, Tony Adams and Gary Cahill all have five) may get one here. The international has offered OGS a breather. They just cannot drop more points. Ronaldo could not score against the Serbian defence, can Watford do a Serbia? 1-2.

Wolves v West Ham - West Ham are a fantastic team! They have fine individuals, play as a team and have no stars. They are well -drilled and organised, fearless and have beaten the biggest teams - Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United (if they are still considered a big team) and this means they are capable of playing anyone and win! Also, they have been very consistent. The Hammers have players who will come in to to do things to win matches - Zouma, Cresswell with impressive midfielders in Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals and Said benrahma who have been brilliant and running their socks off and then when it is needed Michail Antonio scores but among them all, they have Captain Marvellous Declan Rice who at 22 and 6 ft 1in., is growing and glowing and there will come a day for him to be England Captain. To think that he was with Chelsea from 7 to 14 and then was cast aside. West Ham and England have a fantastic player on their side. It is not just Rice but others all around like Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, Said Benrahma, Michail Antonio and so on. Moyes has been so good that some quarters are saying he should go back to Manchester United who just years ago sacked him! There is a Chinese wisdom that says " a good horse does not return to old pastures". The Hammers are legit and strong top four contenders. Wolves have put behind their early season jitters and have been having a good run till their dismal defeat to Palace in the last game. West Ham are just looking unbeatable and should fancy another win. I fancy the Hammers to win. 1-2.

Liverpool v Arsenal - It takes a very good team to beat Liverpool and West Ham were such a team ending the Reds' record 25 game unbeaten run in all competitions! Liverpool had it coming as Alisson and their midfield surprisingly put in a weak display. You know how the Hammers will approach the game often with a flat back six and yet fell into the trap. Kudos to West Ham for a fine win! A sublime free-kick goal by Trent Alexander-Arnold and a superb one from Divock Origi were not enough. Even Sadio Mane missed a gilt edge chance to equalise. Liverpool have to review their defence where they have shipped 5 goals in 2 matches. You can't always outscore your opponents as the only way. Liverpool's high defensive line functions exceedingly well when everything clicks but becomes vulnerable when opponents bypass their midfield and pump high balls over the top. So shouldn't they adopt a more varied way to play? Alisson Becker produced his worst performance in a Liverpool shirt at West Ham. Will Klopp drop him and  play Caoimhin Kelleher? Probably not as he has some good warm up for Brazil recently. 

Arsenal spent 50 million pounds each on Aaron Ramsdale and also Ben White. Eyebrows were raised then. Ramsdale has exceeded all expectations including that out of this world save form James Maddison free-kick. White has a shaky start but now is key to a stable Gunners' defence and they are unbeaten in ten games now with wins in their last four so they are in better form than Liverpool. At times, Liverpool looked like being back to their best when they first almost won the title, then became Champions of Europe and when they finally won the title while right now Arsenal are lookin great again. So this will be a very good match and also a very important one for both. Liverpool seemed to miss the presence of Wijnaldum and the failure to replace him may hurt them in the long run. Declan Rice and Soucek were strong for West Ham. Thiago and Alex Chamberlain are just not the same as they may be good for Europe but in the Premier League it is different. 

Liverpool are on a nine game unbeaten run against Arsenal at Anfield but this accounts for nothing if Liverpool's defence get caught napping or their frontline is wasteful. The Gunner have improved a lot and can be dangerous especially Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe who is so good with the second ball. The Reds need to be at their best and must be hopeful that their injured players recover in time. Sometimes when we watch two teams separately it is hard to tell which is really stronger and will hold out. It also matters what they do on the day that counts but this is Anfield and Liverpool are still sore from that West Ham defeat but they will need to solve the midfield puzzle as there no one has Wijnaldum's calibre to protect them. Their defence will need to not make mistakes. Van Dijk has been very good but it appears he is not really 100% after his serious injury. Otherwise Arsenal are ready to exploit these vulnerabilities. There should be a proper response from the Reds but they have to watch the fast breaks by the Gunners. A real test for both. 2-0.

Manchester City v Everton - City have been unplayable at times winning by four or five goals without reply. Then there were matches where they struggled to find the goal to win. Everton started well with Rafa Benitez but lately the fizzle has gone flat. With more big games to come against City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, things will get even tougher. The absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been telling as the goal threat has gone. City strolled through Manchester United but maybe the Toffee could offer more resistance but for how long? A whole match? City have some key players not available - Torres, Grealish, De Bruyne and Foden. That is a bit of good news for Everton. 3-1.

Spurs v Leeds - The goalless draw with Everton was mediocre. Conte is a very fine winning manager. So maybe it is too soon to judge. Leeds have forgotten about defending but that is nothing new. What was new is that they have forgotten how to attack. However, there are a few signs of them playing better. So here is an interesting match between Antonio Conte and Marcelo Bielsa. Meanwhile, Harry Kane came back to life and bagged a hattrick against Albania and then scored four goals against San Marino for a total of seven goals in two World Cup qualifiers. His Albanian goals was a perfect hattrick - one with the head then the left foot and finally that right footer was a spectacular bicycle kick and it puts him at 48 England goals level with Gary Lineker, one behind Bobby Charlton and five behind Wayne Rooney. You can safely say that very soon he shall become England's greatest goal scorer of all time! It was not just the goals but the way he went about doing things suggest strongly he is back and this could be bad news for Leeds. If Harry Kane brings his form here, Spurs will be firing. Meantime, where is the talented Dele Alli? What has happened to him. A player lauded by Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and more has not been playing. Will Conte give him an audition and to raise their creativity? 2-1.