The Premier League gave us a lot to talk about, some of which were political and some of which were about things bigger than football.
From Erik ten Hag’s decision to let Bruno Fernandes off at Fulham to Arsenal’s outrage when VAR turned down their claims of a foul that stopped a goal, big teams had to either curse their luck or praise it.
Luis Diaz scored a memorable goal on Sunday, making Luton Town’s famous comeback from behind go from a win to a draw. Diaz was playing for the first time since his father was kidnapped in Colombia.
Mauricio Pochettino will be back at Tottenham for Chelsea’s game against Spurs, which you can watch live online at 3pm ET on Peacock Premium. There’s also a very tempting treat that will be served as a main course.
Let’s go back to Week 11 and listen to our writers Joe Prince-Wright, Nick Mendola, and Andy Edwards talk about the nine Premier League games that have already been played this weekend.
Fulham 0–1 Manchester United: Scared and slow, United gets the win but not the performance
Erik ten Hag got the result he was after, but it wasn’t a very good showing. Not at all. At first, United looked strong, but that went away when Scott McTominay’s goal was ruled out in the eighth minute after VAR and the judge checked the monitor. It’s likely that Erik ten Hag wanted to see a response, a character, and someone, anyone, grab the game by the collar and try to make something happen. Bruno Fernandes did beat them in the end. But United was scared for most of the game. They didn’t want to lose. It’s not fair to Fulham, but that’s not how it should be. United did the opposite of what their fans in the away section yelled (“attack, attack, attack”) for most of the game until the last 10 minutes, when they finally went for it. The only players who really tried to get through Fulham’s defense were Garnacho and Fernandes. Pilistri also did well when he came on, and United ended the game with 0.73xG, while Fulham had 1.00xG. Erik ten Hag will say that Fulham kept a clean sheet and played better defense, but Andre Onana still had to make two great stops, and Fulham looked like they were going to win the game in the second half before Bruno Fernandes again saved United. – John Prince-Wright
After beating Fulham, Onana feels “more confident.”
Andre Onana, the goalie for Manchester United, talks to Joe Prince-Wright after the team’s win over Fulham. He talks about why he feels better about his play now that United has won.
Luton-Liverpool has a lot of dramatic and emotional moments.
Luton Town 1-1 Liverpool
You could feel the outsiders’ nerves getting tight as they waited for a historic upset that would go down in Premier League history. There were times when the favorites were angry because they missed chances and times when they were behind because of a deadly counterattack. Then Luis Diaz came in as a substitute during one of the hardest times in his life. He scored, of course.
These things happen in sports, and luckily Jurgen Klopp was there to put it all in perspective. Yes, Diaz made a famous goal during a very bad time, but don’t forget that the second part is much, much more important. We all feel what Diaz’s “Libertad para Papa” shirt means.
“It’s a great moment, but it doesn’t change anything,” Jurgen Klopp said. “Getting his father out of jail is the most important thing.” He gets that he wants to be here, which is great, but that’s it. It was an emotional goal that was very important to him, but that was it. He’s always a part of exciting things when he’s on the field. We were sure he would be dangerous. We did not know how long he could play. That’s not the important part, though. Things need to get better in Colombia.” — Nick Mendola
Flat and tangled Gunners can’t get past times that are controversial
Newcastle won 1-0 Arsnels
Arsenal didn’t have many good ideas for how to get past Newcastle’s strong defense, and Anthony Gordon’s controversial goal was too much for their failing offense to handle. Yesterday, Arsenal scored 0.72 goals against West Ham in the League Cup. On Saturday, they didn’t even come close to that amount. With an xG of 0.55, the Gunners took 13 shots, but only one hit Nick Pope. They controlled 59% of the ball. This shouldn’t take away from the fact that Eddie Howe’s Newcastle defense is well-organized, focused, and fierce. Not in the least. On the other hand, Arsenal is thought to be a team that can beat anyone. Gunners fans will talk about the goal and Bruno Guimaraes’ possible red card in the first half (although Kai Havertz also got away with something from a lenient referee crew). These are all valid points of discussion, but the main thing that should be remembered is Arsenal’s lack of creativity in the final third. Keep in mind that even if the controversial goal is ruled out, the Gunners are still down 0–0. It’s okay to be upset that Newcastle got three points. Very bad. — Nick Mendola
It’s not a surprise that City beat Bournemouth so badly; it was Jeremy Doku’s big day.
Man City beat Bournemouth 6–1.
It looks like Jeremy Doku was a great late addition to Man City’s four-peat run. His biggest impact so far was a goal and three helpers on Saturday. Doku was especially involved in Manchester City’s third goal, which came just four minutes after he tripped players and set up Bernardo Silva’s goal. This time, the ball went to him outside the penalty area. To make room for another shot at goal, he danced back and forth again. Instead, he hit Manuel Akanji on the behind a few yards away, who deflected the ball on goal and past Ionut Radu for the third time in seven minutes. For some reason, Akanji got credit for Doku’s missed goal, which was his first Premier League goal. However, Doku was the star of the game on Saturday. Bournemouth never had a chance. — Arthur Edwards
Doku shines in Manchester City’s game against Bournemouth
Becky Lowe, Tim Howard, and Robbie Mustoe all give Jeremy Doku credit for being the best player for Manchester City against Bournemouth at the Etihad.
Oliver Norwood gives Sheffield United sweet relief
Wolves beat Sheffield United 2-1.
It makes sense that the player who scored the first goal in the Blades’ Premier League win this season has been a part of so many great moments and every high and low for the team. This 32-year-old player has been with the club since a loan from Brighton in 2018–19, and his long-ball skills have been a big part of many great moves in the last five years. Even though it was a spot kick, the Blades really needed this win to get their season going because they are still in the hunt for safety (thanks to Burnley, Bournemouth, and Luton). His 233rd game for the team was a big one.— Nick Mendola
Vincent Kompany, Burnley has a big problem because there have been too many changes.
Burnley 0–2 Palace of Crystal
Finally, Burnley won the Championship last year, but they got rid of a lot of the players who helped them do that, and it’s already showing in the first few games of this season. While Vincent Kompany tries to slowly introduce his ideas to his new players, Burnley is stuck. They aren’t a team that likes to counterattack or keep the ball. They are not at all like the brave team that got promoted, and Kompany might do better to go back to that style instead of just trying to stay in games and steal something. There aren’t many goal scorers on Burnley’s team, so they’ll probably lose games like this one, which are pretty even. Other Premier League teams have better finishers who can take chances and capitalize on mistakes made by the other team. Burnley will have a better chance of keeping up if they use Kompany’s strategies, which helped them get promoted last year. They will be able to control the pace of games and keep the ball for longer. They are having a hard time making their mark on the Premier League right now, with any style of play. – John Prince-Wright
Mitchell gives Crystal Palace a two-goal lead over Burnley.
Tyrick Mitchell scores Crystal Palace’s second goal of the game, giving his team all three points against Burnley at Turf Moor.
After Everton’s comeback, there was quick, calm movement.
Everton vs. Brighton 1-1
Unfortunately, Everton did not hold on for the win. However, they have been much better lately, and it is all because they have a focus point and play to it quickly. They get an out-ball from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Abdoulaye Doucoure, Dwight McNeil, and Jack Harrison are all ready to run in behind him. It worked really well for Everton in the first half when they quickly and cleanly played the ball forward. Harrison and McNeil were great at staying calm and choosing the right pass to move the team up the field and take advantage of Brighton’s mistakes. This worked well for Burnley under Sean Dyche, and this Everton team is a good fit for his quick passes and movement. Some people call it straight, but it’s more like smart, simple, and quick. Under Dyche, Everton is making things better. They have only lost one of their last four games. – It was Joe Prince-Wright
Forest shut down to end Villa’s chances of coming back.
Nottingham Forest 2-0 Aston Villa
When Ola Aina scored the first goal in the fifth minute, it made Forest more defensive. When Mangala scored the second goal, it shut everyone inside the castle walls. After the half, Forest gave Villa 78% of the ball and dare them to find a way into the six. The away team had eight shots, but Odisseas Vlachodimos, who replaced USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner after he made a mistake last week, made two of his three stops in the second half. Villa stayed strong in the middle, but Ollie Watkins and John McGinn were surprisingly quiet. Moussa Diaby didn’t see much danger, and Nicolo Zaniolo was lively but a bit wasted. What a great job Steve Cooper did as a coach! Unai Emery must have known everything that was going on the whole time. Villa’s players who like to score goals didn’t get many chances at the City Ground. — Nick Mendola
West Ham gets stung by bees on the way up by
Brentford 3-2 West Ham
After beating West Ham, Chelsea, and Burnley, Brentford (9th place, 16 points) has won three games in a row and scored eight goals. Thomas Frank’s team continues to play above their weight and reach new heights. In the 55th minute, Bryan Mbeumo sent in a dangerous cross that Nathan Collins looked like he would score from six yards out to tie the game. However, Konstantinos Mavropanos stooped low and put a spinning header into his own goal, making the score 2-2. Collins did reach his goal, which was a very important one. In the 69th minute, Mathias Jensen sent in the cross, which this time hit Collins on the face as he fought for position at the far post. The big summer buy stepped up, tucked his shot inside the post, and then wheeled away as the crowd at Gtech Community Stadium roared again. — Arthur Edwards
The magpies have turned St. James’ Park, which is always lively, back into a blaze.
Newcastle 1-0 Arsenal
For a whole generation of Premier League fans, the glory days of Newcastle are long gone. Back then, players like Alan Shearer, Nolberto Solano, and even Shola Ameobi were tearing up opponents’ 18s in the UEFA Champions League at night. Newcastle has only come close to that once in the last 15 years or so, when they won the Europa League under Alan Pardew and twice in the Championship after terrible relegation seasons. Now Newcastle is strong again, and at home it’s even better. On a whole new level, St. James’ Park is now loud for all the right reasons. It’s like a giant that never sleeps. The Magpies fight for this crowd, and players with flames like Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes have thrived on it. No one wants to go on away days in Newcastle, even though they won’t be a Champions League threat for a few more years. – Nicholas Mendola
PL Update: Newcastle beat Arsenal
Rebecca Lowe, Tim Howard, and Robbie Mustoe talk about a crazy Premier League weekend in which Newcastle beat Arsenal, Manchester United came back to beat Fulham and get three points, and Brentford beat West Ham.
