Arsenal refuses to break 8 year curse, while Man U thrashes another team 4-0
It’s been an interesting Saturday in the English premier league, with Arsenal, fresh from beating Leicester city last week, were defeated by Stoke City via a Jesé Rodriguez effort, Southampton beat West ham 3-2, while Manchester United, potential favorites to win the league this season (considering Mourinho’s second season factor), defeated Swansea city 4-0 (their second 4-0 win in the space of 7 days).
Welsh forward, Hal-Robson Kanu’s effort was enough for West Bros to squeeze a win over Burnley away from home , while Shinji Okazaki’s effort in the 1st minute combined with Harry Maguire’s goal in the 54th minute gave Leicester City a comfortable home win over Premiership newbies, Brighton and Hove Albion.
Liverpool, still reeling from the dram caused by Barca’s ongoing chase for star player, Philippe Coutinho, got three points after Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute from close range.
In Arsenal’s game on Saturday evening, Stoke’s Jese Rodriguez, made an amazing debut for his new club as he scored the winner after be started and finished the decisive move 90 seconds just after half-time. Jese, on loan from PSG, sloted home expertly after a sharp link-up with striker, Saido Berahino.
Wenger, in a bid to save his team’s face from eminent shame, unleashed his attackers upon Stoke City, but goalkeeper , Jack Butland was in very superb form. Arsenal with this match refused to break their ‘Epl opener curse’- Arsenal have not won their first two opening games of a premier league season in the last 8 years.
But the match of the day, which got football lovers all over Europe talking, was the Swansea and Manchester United game. Not just for the fact that Mourinho’s men put four goals past Swansea, just like they did West Ham the previous week, but the swagger with which the team demolished Paul Clement’s boys in the second half, plundering 3 goals within 6 minutes has got pundits placing Man united as the strongest contenders for the English premier league title this season.
Even Arsenal legend and Football pundit, Thierry Henry after the match exclaimed ‘Those guys can play’…
Manchester United were really given a tough time in the first half but Swansea who played with three central defenders and Paul Pogba, was lucky to escape being red carded. With few minutes to go before the end of the first half, Pogba headed in a corner which hit the bar but refused to cross the line, before defender, Eric Bailly, prodded in- to score his first goal for Manchester United.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, stifled in the first half, set up £75m Lukaku for his third goal of the season 10 minutes from the end, and assisted another goal, two minutes later as Pogba chipped Swansea’s goalkeeper to put the tie beyond all reasonable doubt.
Jose Mourinho and his United side were not done though, as Pogba set up Martial for the fourth goal. It could be a return to the glory days for Manchester United, but until they face and defeat the titans- Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and Tottenham and find a way to negotiate Champions League football with the stress of the Epl, the league title still remains a dreamable dream.
