EPL week 7 review: A new manager for the chop; tough day for the champs

A round-up of Week 7 of the English Premier League including a new manager’s head on the chopping block, a tough day for the champions, and same old same old for Crystal Palace 

Chelsea 0 v 1 Man City 

Leading into this tie, City boss Pep Guardiola told the press he would learn more about his team’s progress after they had played the champions. City has been brilliant, scoring goals for fun, without conceding at the back. But this was Chelsea. This was Stamford Bridge.

It was always going to be a different proposition for City. There was no way Antonio Conte’s side would allow the City frontline to abuse his defence as they had done to the other teams that crossed their path in a scintillating September. And with Sergio Aguero missing with a broken rib, Guardiola had to make do with a man who had scored six goals in six league games.

The first chance fell to Chelsea when a sweeping move resulted in Alvaro Morata heading over the bar from the near post. It was the only meaningful contribution the Spaniard made before limping off midway through the first 45 with a hamstring injury.

With Aguero out injured, City’s primary goal threat came through Gabriel Jesus, and the brilliant Brazilian nearly opened the scoring when he rushed Thibaut Courtois forcing the dithering Belgian to strike the ball into the legs of Jesus from six yards. The ball flew outside of the post to save the keeper’s blushes.

Courtois made up for that blunder, though.

A corner from the clever Kevin De Bruyne landed on the head of Fernandinho in the middle of the goal, but Courtois was able to parry it away with a superb save.

And then came the breakthrough.

City poured forward; the ball ended up at the feet of the master sculptor De Bruyne who played a pinball quick one-two with Jesus before unleashing a Hot Shot Hamish drive into the top corner with his left peg in what turned out to be the winner.

It was the first time since 2012 that Chelsea have failed to score at home in two successive ties.

Man Utd 4 v 0 Crystal Palace 

EPL week 7 review: A new manager for the chop; tough day for the champsIt’s too early to suggest the title race will come down between the two Manchester sides, but there is a five-point gap between United (2nd), and Spurs (3rd) after Jose Mourinho’s side spanked Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.

United was quick off the mark, a problem they seem to have solved since last season. Marcus Rashford made a mug out of Joel Ward on the left before cutting the ball back for Juan Mata to do what Juan Mata does best.

The second goal came ten minutes before the break. Ashley Young flinging the ball in from the left and Marouane Fellaini volleying home from close range at the far stick. And the Belgian made it three, within ten minutes of the restart heading home from an Anthony Martial cross.

United hit the woodwork twice. The first through Rashford, and the second when Romelu Lukaku had a clear sight of goal from eight yards only to shunt it towards the outside of the big tall white thing.

But Lukaku did get his goal, his eleventh in ten games. The Belgian striker won the ball in the air to set up the play, rampaged into the box, and finished off a smart move that involved Ander Herrera and Martial.

United have now scored 33 goals in their previous 11 games with only their neighbour’s City scoring more.

The defeat means Palace remain the only side in the top tier of European leagues yet to score a single goal in their first seven matches, and with Christian Benteke out of action for the next six weeks, it’s hard to see how they prevent that record from extending.

Huddersfield 0 v 4 Spurs 

Go back to 2001 and Michael Owen was hitting the back of the net with the same frequency a cod hits a Norwegian trawler’s net. The world of football honoured Owen by handing him the Ballon d’Or, the last time an Englishman won the award. Will Harry Kane be next?

Kane scored twice in a four-nil win against the Terriers, once again underlining his ability to score a broad variety of goals. The 24-year-old has scored 13 goals in September, after failing to find the net in August. Only the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have achieved that feat in recent times.

His first goal came in the 9th minute. Keiran Trippier headed the ball towards Kane from just inside the Spurs half; the defender misread the situation and Kane bore down on goal and dispatched with minimum fuss.

The second was awesome.

Kane picked the ball up from a throw-in with his back to the goal. A feint and turn later, and he was sprinting across the box before unleashing a left-footed curler into the back of the net.

Ben Davies and Moussa Sissoko scored the other two goals to take Spurs into third place with Chelsea losing at home to City.

Huddersfield remains in mid-table and can be proud of the fact that before this humbling performance they had only conceded three goals in their previous six games.

And to the Bottom, we go 

Swansea City falls into the bottom three after losing to a late goal at the London Stadium. The victory for West Ham eased the pressure on Slaven Bilic, but he remains a 2/1 shout to lose his job. The only goal came in injury time when substitute Diafra Sakho arrived at the far post like an express train to get to the end of Arthur Masuaku’s brilliant cross.

EPL week 7 review: A new manager for the chop; tough day for the champsBilic isn’t alone as a 2/1 shot to lose his job. Ronald Koeman joins him after Everton suffered a home defeat to Burnley. Jeff Hendrick scoring the only goal of the game in the 21st minute after a series of 24 passes by the men in claret and blue. Everton sinks to 16th, Burnley takes 6th.

Here are the rest of the weekend’s results:

Premier League Week 7 Results

Huddersfield 0 v 4 Spurs
Bournemouth 0 v 0 Leicester
West Brom 2 v 2 Watford
West Ham 1 v 0 Swansea
Stoke 2 v 1 Southampton
Man Utd 4 v 0 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0 v 1 Man City
Arsenal 2 v 0 Brighton
Everton 0 v 1 Burnley
Newcastle 1 v 1 Liverpool

Premier League Table (Week 7)

1. Man City – 19 pts
2. Man Utd – 19
3. Spurs – 14
4. Chelsea – 13
5. Arsenal – 13
6. Burnley – 12
7. Liverpool – 12
8. Watford – 12
9. Newcastle – 10
10. West Brom – 9
11. Huddersfield – 9
12. Southampton – 8
13. Stoke – 8
14. Brighton – 7
15. West Ham – 7
16. Everton – 7
17. Leicester – 5
18. Swansea – 5
19. Bournemouth – 4
20. Crystal Palace – 0

Premier League Title Winning Odds (Courtesy of Oddsshark)

Man City – 4/6
Man Utd 11/4
Chelsea – 9/1
Spurs – 14/1