The Premier League season is off to a flyer. Let’s recap the best of matchweek number two.
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Sheffield United
An exciting watch and a result that, even in August, might turn out to be vital in the relegation race.
Things were fairly even and tense until Chris Wood’s 89th minute header won Forest the match.
To me, the difference-maker in the match was Serge Aurier. Difficult to break down on the defensive end, Aurier’s attacking product was picture-perfect all match long. Aurier picked up assists on both Forest goals and was their best player on the night.
Gustavo Hamer’s debut performance for the Blades will encourage them despite the loss. He was dominant in the midfield and scored an incredible goal to get his team back in it.
Nonetheless, a solid victory for Forest.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Serge Aurier
Liverpool 3-1 Bournemouth
The headlines coming out of this match centered around Alexis Mac Allister’s red card, which was soft to leave it gently.
However, I’ve thought through the first two games that his holding positioning wasn’t a great fit for him, and this match proved it. He was clumsy all game and didn’t quite seem like he was fully comfortable. It will be interesting to see if that situation changes moving forward.
Bournemouth got out to an early lead thanks to some soft defending, but Liverpool’s individual attacking talent was too much to handle. Luis Díaz scored an absurd volleyed goal, and Salah and Jota pitched in with great efforts of their own.
When those three are on the scoresheet, it is very hard for Liverpool to lose under any circumstance.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Luis Díaz
Wolves 1-4 Brighton
Admittedly, I thought this would be a tight match after seeing Wolves hang tough with Manchester United last week.
It didn’t take long at all to be proven brutally wrong.
The red card had no effect on the result either; simply a case of boiling frustration from Nunes at the very end.
Just like last week, the Brighton wingers were overwhelming. Mitoma on the left is always a joy to watch, but Solly March followed up his MOTM performance last week with an even better showing this week with two goals. He was simply immaculate for the entire match.
Wolves will have some issues if they continue to defend like that. A disappointing display after some real encouragement in the opener.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Solly March
Fulham 0-3 Brentford
This one raised my eyebrows a little bit, but this was stereotypical Brentford under Thomas Frank.
Blistering pace and lethality on counter attacks puts real pressure on opposing defenses, and no matter what you think about Tim Ream’s sending off, Brentford consistently found ways to control the match without having the majority of possession.
The movement and pace is so quick, but unlike previous seasons, the Bees’ defense feels really secure. The pairing of Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins is incredibly solid and provides a clear trampoline for their signature counters.
Bryan Mbeumo will get the glory for his brace, but I thought Mathias Jensen was the best player on the pitch. He pulled all the strings and knew exactly when to push the envelope. A brilliant midfield performance.
Fulham struggled to handle Brentford’s counter style, and that’s all there is to it.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Mathias Jensen
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester United
Not too shocked with this result, especially after watching these teams opening week.
For the second week in a row, the United wingers straight up stunk. Garnacho doesn’t quite look like he’s ready for this level, and Antony… oh boy. He’s turning out to be a disastrous signing.
After having a couple previous chances and looking surprisingly lively out of the midfield, it was great to see Pape Sarr score the opener. He was terrific: the perfect mix of aggressive and poised.
Beyond Sarr, that Tottenham central midfield with Bissouma looks incredibly solid and well-balanced. That pairing dominated the match, simply put.
United were just poor. Rashford and the rest of the attack barely got into the game.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Pape Matar Sarr
Manchester City 1-0 Newcastle
A hard-fought match between two teams I expect to be near the top of the PL this season.
Newcastle were fine; City were just that little bit better. They were confident with the ball and content to pass it around and wait for any kind of opening.
Both teams showed plenty of enterprise and intent, but the end-product made the difference. Phil Foden’s layoff to Julian Alvarez, and Alvarez’s stunning finish past the keeper, won City the game.
Overall, a tense match with only a slight magic moment making the difference.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Phil Foden
Aston Villa 4-0 Everton
Everton are in big, big trouble.
Villa just dominated the ball and the major chances from start to finish, and Everton looked hapless to do anything about it.
It was nice to see former MLSer Jhon Duran score off the bench, but his goal was a summation of the entire match: terrible play by Everton and lethal enthusiasm from Villa.
Simple, simple win for the Villains.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Leon Bailey
West Ham 3-1 Chelsea
Remember how optimistic I was about Chelsea after their draw against Liverpool? Throw that out the door, because this was horrendous.
West Ham were professional, they were clinical, and they never panicked under pressure.
Nayef Aguerd’s ignorant second-yellow forced them to see out the final third of the match down a man. Instead of giving up ground, they kept Chelsea out and scored once more themselves.
Alphonse Areola turned in a vital performance in goal, making multiple saves and keeping control of his penalty area. It’s not hard to see why he’s the Hammers’ clear number one.
Michail Antonio’s goal was clinical, but the Chelsea defending was worse than poor. The Blues looked uninspired and unmotivated to do anything. Good luck, Pochettino.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Alphonse Areola
Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal
I think Arsenal might’ve gotten away with one here. Neither team really took control of the match, and they were lucky not to concede after Tomiyasu’s second yellow.
Side note on that: Time-wasting is one of my least-favorite parts of the game, so I love seeing someone get a second yellow after receiving the first for that sort of offense. Amazing refereeing.
What wasn’t amazing was the lack of a decision on Eberechi Eze’s penalty shout in the 73rd minute. I thought there was clear contact after a breathtaking bit of attacking skill, and it deserved a call that never came.
Palace were unlucky not to score at least once in the end, but for a club that expects to be in a title race, these are the kind of results that will feel more valuable than gold and taste sweeter than sugar.
MAN OF THE MATCH: William Saliba
Luton v. Burnley was postponed due to ongoing construction at Luton’s home stadium.
NICK’S POWER RANKINGS (Matchweek 2)
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Liverpool
- Newcastle United
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Chelsea
- Manchester United
- Aston Villa
- Brentford
- West Ham
- Crystal Palace
- Fulham
- Bournemouth
- Nottingham Forest
- Burnley
- Sheffield United
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Everton
- Luton Town
Follow Nick Hedges on Twitter @nicktrimshedges or Instagram @nicktrimshedges