%20(200%20x%20110%20px).png)
The second round of league matches in the Premier League took place this past weekend.
August 26, 2024
By: Davis Rothman
The match that opened this weekend’s fixtures, was on Saturday, where Brighton hosted Manchester United at the AMEX Stadium. Going into the match, both sides were in search of a second straight win of the season. Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag would make no changes to his team that started in the had won against Fulham at Old Trafford in the weekend prior. New Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler would make just one change from the team he fielded in the win against Everton last weekend. Billy Gilmour would take the place of summer signing Mats Wieffer in the midfield.
Brighton, once again, would prove to get the better of Manchester United, as a goal from Danny Welbeck and a late winnter from Joao Pedro would cancel out Amad Diallo’s equalizer to win the match 2-1, marking the first loss for Erik Ten Hag’s side this season, and only having won once out of the five league fixtures that he has been against them. In contrast, Hürzeler’s side remain unbeaten, picking up six points out of six possible points to play for so far this season, moving into the weekend fixtures ahead.
Looking into Tottenham’s match they played at the weekend against Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, both of these sides were in need of a win. For they dropped points the prior weekend against Leicester City (Tottenham) and Brighton (Everton). Changes would be made to Tottenham’s team selection from that side that started against Leicester, as Yves Bissouma made his return to the starting team after being suspended by the club for their match last week against Leicester City, for disciplinary issues. Wilson Odobert, a winger newly signed from Burnley, also had a place in Ange Postecogolou’s starting team as Dominic Solanke was not available due to injury. Which would move captain, Son Heung-Min to the central striker position up front. Dejan Kulusevski would take the place of Pape Matar Sarr in the midfield, who would be dropped to the bench. The only change made for Everton from the team that was fielded in the defeat to Brighton last weekend, would be Roman Dixon at right back in place of the suspended Ashley Young.
Tottenham would go on to run rampant, and would win the match 4-0, goals from Bissouma, defender Cristian Romero, and a brace (two goals) for Son. A day to forget for Everton and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for a blunder that would lead to one of the two goals that Son would score, Sean Dyche’s Everton move into next week having picked up no points in their opening two games.
Crystal Palace hosted West Ham at Selhurst Park, as both sides would go into the match searching for their first win of the season. Oliver Glasner would make three changes to the team that started in their defeat against Brentford the prior weekend. Chadi Riad, a central defender signed from Spanish side Real Betis this summer, would take the place of the departed Joachim Andersen, after signing for Fulham this past week. Jefferson Lerma would take the place of Will Hughes in the midfield to partner Adam Wharton. And Odsonne Edouard would replace summer signing Daichi Kamada in the attack, who would be unavailable due to injury. In contrast, new West Ham manager, Julen Lopetegui would persist for the same team that started in the defeat to Aston Villa the weekend before.
West Ham would run away from the match with the three points, winning 2-0 with the goals coming from midfielder Tomas Soucek and captain Jarrod Bowen playing in the attack.
Southampton hosted Nottingham Forest at St. Mary’s Stadium, where they would play their first Premier League match at home since May of 2023 having spent last season in the Championship, the division below, following their relegation. Manager Russell Martin would make no changes to the team that started in the loss to Newcastle the weekend prior. Nuno Espiríto Santo would make two changes to the team that started in the draw with Bournemouth last weekend. Summer signing from Italian outfit Fiorentina, Nikola Milenković, would take the place of the suspended Wily Boly in the center of defense. And another summer signing, Eliot Andersen from Newcastle, would take the place of the Brazilian midfielder, Danilo, after having suffered a season ending injury in that prior match to play alongside Ibrahim Sangare.
In a game where both of these sides would be searching for their first win of the season, attacking midfielder and captain Morgan Gibbs-White would be the one to step up to grab the only goal of the game to separate the two sides, and earn the three points for Nottingham Forest.
Fulham would host promoted side Leicester City, at Craven Cottage. Searching for their first wins of the season, neither Fulham manager Marco Silva nor Leicester City boss Steve Cooper, who was appointed this summer to replace Enzo Maresca who left to take charge of Chelsea this season, would make any changes to the teams that started in the loss against Manchester United (Fulham) and in the draw against Tottenham (Leicester City) last weekend.
Fulham’s headline summer signing from Arsenal, attacking midfielder Emile-Smith Rowe would open his personal goal tally and the scoring for Fulham in the match, scoring on his home debut, after receiving a pass from Adama Traore, into the space in front of him to run on to. Despite central defender Wout Faes scoring an equalizing header after a detailed review from Video Assistant Review (VAR) to ensure nothing wrong had occurred in the build up to it, midfielder Alex Iwobi would score the winner from a pass from left back Antonee Robinson. This would ultimately be what would separate the two sides, earning Fulham the three points and a first win of the season, and leaving Leicester winless in their first two games where they only have picked up one point out of a possible six to play for so far.
The four-consecutive Premier League champions, Manchester City, would open their home Premier League fixtures this season, against newly-promoted Ipswich Town. Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, would achieve back-to-back promotions with the club and earn himself a new contract with the club this summer. The former Manchester United first-team coach would make three personnel changes to the team that started in the defeat to Liverpool last week. With the change of the formation of the team also taking place, playing in a more defensively-minded shape, goalkeeper Chris Walton would be replaced by summer signing and former Manchester City goalkeeper, Arijanet Muric. Summer signing Ben Johnson from West Ham would replace Wes Burn on the right side of defense. And the last change in the Ipswich team selection would come in the form of another summer signing - Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn in the place of Conor Chaplin. And Kalvin Philips, on loan from Manchester City would not make the squad due to ineligibility to play against his parent club. For Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, the homecoming and return of midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who spent the last seven seasons at City before leaving in the summer of 2023 for Barcelona, would have to wait until the 70th minute. As no changes were made to the team that started in the win against Chelsea last weekend.
Ipswich would shockingly be the team to strike first, going 1-0 up through a goal from Szmodics just seven minutes after the start of the first half. However, 10 minutes later would see Manchester City turn the match around completely and be up 3-1 via a goal from Kevin De Bruyne and their talisman up front, Erling Haaland with two goals, where one of the goals would be gifted to him via a Muric blunder and a penalty won by Brazilian winger and summer signing Savinho. But Haaland would score again later on, getting his tenth Manchester City hatrick, and leading City to win 4-1.
The last Saturday fixture of the second matchweek of this new season would take place as Aston Villa hosted Arsenal at Villa Park. In their efforts to make it two wins from two games, Villa boss Unai Emery, who signed a new long term contract with the club this summer, would make no changes to the team sheet that started in the win away at West Ham last week. Mikel Arteta would make just one change from the Arsenal team sheet that started in the win against Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) last week. Ukrainian midfielder and full back Oleksandr Zinchenko would make way for the return of Jurrien Timber, who would start his competitive match for the Gunners after having spent the last calendar-year injured, on the left side of defense. Despite Aston Villa causing Arsenal initial problems, mainly facilitated through forward Morgan Rogers and midfielder Amadou Onana, who signed from Everton in the summer, Arsenal would get the job done.
Substitute Leandro Trossard just two minutes after coming off the bench to replace Gabriel Martinelli on the left side of the attack, with another assist from Bukayo Saka. And midfielder Thomas Partey, would be the one to add to Arsenal’s goal count, via a blunder from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who left Arsenal for Villa four years ago, sealing Arsenal’s second win of the season.
To open the Sunday fixtures of this matchweek, Bournemouth hosted Newcastle at the Vitality Stadium. In search of their first win of the season, manager Andoni Iraola would make four changes to the player personnel that started Bournemouth’s draw at Nottingham Forest the prior weekend. A home debut would be given to summer signing from Barcelona, Julian Araujo, replacing Adam Smith at right back. Marco Senesi would return to the side, in place of summer signing from Juventus, Dean Huijsen at the center of defense. Ryan Christie would also return to the team, and to the middle of the park where he spent most of last season, in place of Alex Scott. And summer signing from Porto, Brazilian striker Evanilson, brought in to replace Dominic Solanke who was sold to Tottenham this summer, would replace Dango Ouattara in the attack. Eddie Howe would make two changes to the Newcastle team sheet that started their win against Southampton last week. Emil Krafth would fill in the center of defense with Fabian Schar suspended, and Lloyd Kelly would get a first start for the club, replacing Lewis Hall, against the team he left this summer to join Newcastle.
The match would end 1-1, where Marcus Tavenier’s goal in the first half would be canceled out by Anthony Gordon’s second-half header, leaving Bournemouth winless in their two games of this season.
The match that would steal most of the headlines of the Premier League fixtures this weekend - Wolverhampton (Wolves) would take on Chelsea at their home stadium, the Molineux. Gary O’Neil would make only one change to the team sheet. Matheus Cunha would return to the starting team, and saw summer signing, Rodrigo Gomes from Braga, dropped to the bench. New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca would make two changes to the team that started in Chelsea’s home defeat to Manchester City last week. Romeo Lavia would miss out with a hamstring injury, and Christopher Nkunku would drop to the bench. The replacements, coming in the form of wingers Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke would see Enzo Fernandez drop into a deeper-lying midfield position, alongside Moises Caicedo.
This game would see Chelsea blow Wolves away, by a score of 6-2. Nicolas Jackson would open the scoring for the Blues just two minutes into the match, off the assist of Cole Palmer from a set piece from the corner flag. Matheus Cunha, would not only return to the starting team, but would return with the equalizer to make it 1-1 just inside the first half-an-hour. But it would be the 2023/2024 Young Player of the Year Award winner, Palmer, to pick up where he left off last season, in scoring his first Premier League goal of the season, and a goal that could be in the conversation for goal of the season already to put Chelsea back in front near the end of the first half. But almost instantly, Jørgen Strand Larsen would equalize for Wolves, making it 2-2 going into halftime. But it would be through a standout performance by winger Noni Madueke, with a hat trick of goals, where Palmer would be the creator of all of them. And to make matters worse for Wolves, former winger Pedro Neto, who had just joined Chelsea only a few weeks ago, would come off the bench to add to Chelsea’s goal tally - an assist for the returning Joao Felix, on his second Chelsea debut. Chelsea getting their first win of the season, emphatically and convincingly, whereas Wolves would walk away with only the conceding of a second straight loss of the season and six goals in the back of their net.
In the final match that would conclude this second weekend of matches of the 2024/2025 Premier League season would take place at Anfield, where Liverpool and their new manager Arne Slot would host Brentford at home. Both teams in search for a second straight win of the season, Slot would mark his first home game in charge with one change to the team that started in the win at Ipswich the weekend before. Ibrahim Konate would start alongside Virgil Van Dijk in the center of defense, as Jarrell Quansah would be unavailable through injury. As for Brentford and Thomas Frank, one change would be made from the team sheet that was selected to start in the win against Crystal Palace the weekend prior. forward Kevin Schade would make way for Keane Lewis-Potter, in an effort to set up in a more defensive shape with playing five defenders instead of four.
But despite the change, it would not aid them in taking a single point from this match, as Liverpool would win this match 2-0, goals courtesy of forwards Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.
Comentarios