Manchester United appear to have sprung a leak, the wheels are coming of for Spurs, Arsenal are on fire and more- Gary Lemke looks ahead to the weekend’s Premier League action!
MAN UNITED HAVE SPRUNG A LEAK
If you’re a Manchester United fan, best to look away now. According to published stats, their 3-3 draw at Galatasaray meant they have conceded 33 goals in their first 20 matches of the season, the most since 1962-63.
Andre Onana made another two big errors in that Champions League match, meaning he’s made seven “big mistakes” leading to goals in the competition since 2018-19.
Next on the list are three by Manuel Neuer and Geronimo Rulli. And that’s not all. They have now conceded 14 goals in five Champions League matches. That’s three more than they shipped in 1994-95 and that Tottenham leaked in 2019-20. This weekend they are away to Newcastle.
This onana edit 😂 pic.twitter.com/fvtWikW14d
— ExtraDip (@ExtraDip78) November 30, 2023
IT’S DECEMBER, SO IT’S SILLY SEASON
In last week’s blog we mentioned that this time of year, the start of December, signals the beginning of “Silly Season”. One month left until January’s transfer window opens. Which means that agents are doing their best to get their players in the shop window and cream off their fat percentages if they can push through a sale.
Of all the rumours this week, it’s the news that Timo Werner is being chased by Manchester United that stands out. Yes, the German striker who was signed for Chelsea for £47.5m before becoming a meme, scoring 10 goals in two Premier League seasons.
I can’t think of too many players who have been in the EPL, gone back to Europe and returned as EPL successes. Not even Romelu Lukaku. We will know soon enough whether United’s interest is genuine, or whether it’s just the start of a busy window of transfer speculation.
Would you take Timo Werner at the club? Yes/No 👇 pic.twitter.com/fuszn5Hvfk
— UnitedReds (@UnitedRedscom) November 27, 2023
ARSENAL ON COURSE TO BEAT 2022/23
No one is ever going to accuse me of being a mathematician, but I’ve done a primitive look as to where things stand with basically a third of the EPL season completed.
After 13 of 38 rounds, Arsenal lead with 30 points, followed by Man City (28) and Liverpool and Villa (both 26). So, loosely, let’s multiply each team’s points by three, and see how they finished last year and we can gauge how each team is performing with an end-of-season projection.
In brackets are last season’s final total. Arsenal 90pts (84), Man City 87 (89), Liverpool 84 (67), Tottenham 78 (61) and Aston Villa 75 (60). Based on the calculations, the nine teams who will do better than last season are: Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Villa, Brighton, West Ham, Chelsea, Wolves, Nottm Forest.
Ooooo to be a Gooner!! @Arsenal 😍❤️🫶 pic.twitter.com/ZBliu4ftXu
— Mel (@MisssMelina) December 1, 2023
SPURS RUN INTO TROUBLE
The wheels haven’t fallen off for Tottenham, but their fine start to the season has been slowed by three successive defeats, which sees them join Huddersfield Town (1924-25) and Sheffield United (1971-72) in the history books. What do all three clubs have in common?
They’re the only teams in English top-flight history to go unbeaten in their first 10 games and then lose their next three. Moreover, Spurs fielded no English players in their starting XI in the defeat to Villa for only the second time in their history.
Can you remember the first EPL team to field an entirely “Foreign XI”? It was Chelsea, in 1999 against Southampton. The Blues won 2-1 thanks to a brace from Norwegian Tore Andre Flo.
The league table after Tottenham’s best ever start to a season. pic.twitter.com/RMGqXY2aGb
— The Red Side of London (@Red_London21) November 26, 2023
HAALAND MAKES IT 20 OUT OF 21
The Erling Haaland Express keeps going. Within a few days he became the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the English Premier League and then 40 in the Champions League.
And in scoring against Liverpool, in that unpredictable Saturday lunchtime slot – the Reds struck back to earn a 1-1 draw – he chalked off the 20th different club from the 21 he’s played against in the EPL. The only club that Haaland hasn’t scored against in the Premier League? Brentford.
I've said it before. I'll say it again. Nothing happens without you all. Thank you for the endless support! We keep working 💙 pic.twitter.com/lLw45dYAfU
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) November 29, 2023
