A weekend full of post match VAR decisions, flops and surprise Leceister wins.
The past weekend’s Premier League action delivered plenty of drama to say the least. Handballs snowballed to VAR decisions, to angry coaches leaving the pitch and players looked on in disbelief. This is how we can sum up this weekend’s UK football. Surprised? Very. Will this change any future rules, possibly.
It is not a surprise that Leicester smashed Manchester City, and who is to blame? We also saw the debut of Nathan Ake with the blue shirt, which unfortunately did not see him leave the pitch with a smile, albeit his stellar performance. So in a nutshell, what did we learn from the action that took place over Saturday and Sunday? Let’s break it down, shall we?
The Handball Saga strikes again
The talk of the pitch was all about handballs this weekend. Manchester United scored a post whistle penalty following a VAR spotted handball against a mighty Brighton. Yet, this is not the only incident with a handsball occurring during the weekend round up play. One of the pillars that was quite outspoken following this weekend’s action was Crystal Palace Boss Roy Hodgson. The ex England boss and his team, suffered a massive loss of 2-1 at home against Everton following a controversial VAR decision. Allegedly the ref ruled that Joe Ward struck a handball and a penalty was awarded. Richarlison took center stage, scored and secured a solid 3 point win for Everton, leaving Hodgson scratching his head and deeming the VAR decision as pure ‘nonsense’.
On Sunday, the VAR dominated the headlines yet again, as Eric Dier was issued a warning for a handball. A very angry Jose Mourinho left the football pitch immediately, complaining to oneself in the tunnel, as the Nescastle’s Steve Bruce admitted that his team ‘’We’ve got away with one’’ and saw both teams securing 1 point each with a 1-1 draw. But, if one looks back at the Eric Dier action, was he really at fault here?
Leicester and that Jamie Vardy goal
One of the highlights of the weekend, a positive highlight, has to be the colossal Jamie Vardy backheel goal. The striker took to Twitter following the win and asked all Foxes fans if they are happy enjoying the hat tricks that he scored at the Etihad Stadium.
The Foxes failed to secure a place in the Champions League this year, and potentially this is why Leceister have come in full force this season. They have already secured some notable wins this season with a 3-0 win at West Bromwich, a 4-2 victory smashing Burnley and the match of all matches ….a 5-2 over Manchester City last Sunday. Who would have thought that Pep Guardiola would be humiliated with such a score by none other than Brendan Rogers?
Will this be another one of those seasons, where Leceister raises the winning cup? Head over to Uk Betting sites to bet if the mighty Leicester will keep this great momentum going.
Everton: looking quite chummy this season!
If there is one team to lookout for (apart from Lecesiter), it is definitely Everton. The Toffees have a good momentum going, a great team spirit and just the right amount of football talent in the pitch. Both teams have managed to score the maximum points for all the games they have played so far. Carlo Ancelotti’s vibe, determination and drive is finally the framework that Everton operates and only goals and wins are on the agenda. Summer signings include the likes of Allan, Abdoulaye Doucuore and James Rodriguez, all massive players that have brought in some of the best football we have witnessed from the Toffees. Dominic Calvert – Lewis scored another goal, and is on his way to a formidable season. But will this be enough to stop the mighty Liverpool?
Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United – Time to go?
Unfortunately for Chris Wilder’s men, there are some tougher matches coming up. These include face offs against Arsenal, Liverpool , Chelsea and even Manchester City. The loss against Leeds hit home hard. How will future losses affect the team? Will Wilder pay the ultimate price?
Let’s talk about Silva’s captaincy
If there is one player that enjoys a stellar reputation and career, it is definitely Brazil’s centre-back Thiago Silva. The Ex Paris St Germain sought a change last season, and with the help of scholar Frank Lampard, he secured a free transfer to Chelsea. Nowadays Silva enjoys a hefty 80k a week salary, but how has Chelsea’s debut with Chelsea painted him in the ranks of the Premier League?
On Saturday Chelsea’s draw against West Brom highlighted the fact that Silva still does need some time to find his feet and settle within the team structure. Raising eyebrows, Silva was welcomed to the pitch with the captain’s armband. A much talked about defensive error cost Chelsea an offensive goal, scored by Callum Robinson, yet Lampard insists the best is yet to come for Silva. His language barrier (yes, he does not speak any form of English) will not prevent him from being the same star that he was with his French and Brazilian teams.
We guess, time will tell.
Image from: unsplash.com