In this post, I will talk about 8 games in the PL, and my quick takeaways from their respective matches, and what it could mean for the future. I am aware that you can't judge a season by a match, however, these matches marked a single point where I feel comfortable sharing this post.
Everton 0 -1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa came in prepared, with a clear vision and playstyle, proving that Steven Gerrard wasn't just another ex-player getting the job but rather a studied decision that fits the name and style Aston Villa aims to play.
Everton was smart enough not to rush the hiring of a new manager ahead of a two weeks break. However, their performance against Aston Villa highlighted the difference between the clubs. Everton's numbers indicate that they are close to relegation. Many of their players don't match the club's ambition and don't belong in the team, some areas lack depth.
Everton seems to have the Sunderland problem where they are falling slowly while living in denial. The club needs visionary professionals and not some guy with money wanting to put himself in everything. Otherwise, if they don't get relegated this season, they will get relegated the year after.
Manchester United 0 - 1 West Ham United
3 points against a direct rival for the top 4th spot, Man Utd still suffers in sticking to a shape, still suffers from the randomness when coming back to defend that made them look cartoonish. The winter break is crucial to fixing these problems as after the winter break will end with relatively easy matches then the hard part begins.
Newcastle 1 - 0 Leeds United
One direct shot brought Newcastle the win from Jonjo Shelvey, he had scored 61% of his goals from outside the box according to OPTA. Jonjo Shelvey is the kind of player I would like to see as part of the new Newcastle project, at least for a year or two. He might not be great technically but his fighting and leadership spirit should cover for that.
Newcastle got 5 points from 3 games, judging PL's history, it is a good average as they need 20 points at least to remain in the PL. A tough task, they might need a center back and a midfielder to accomplish.
Also, Trippier had a decent showing, which shows the importance of transfer deals. That along with Allan Saint-Maximin show some positive signs ahead.
Manchester City 1 -1 Southhampton
Southhampton forced the draw against City as City didn't create many chances. Southhampton made the game more physical which is not really something City is equipped to face. City remains most likely to win the league, but this game may have given a weakness out for other teams aiming to play against or beat City.
Wolverhampton 2 - 1 Brentford
You might have seen the game stop for 10 minutes due to a drone flying over it. That's part of the regulations in Europe in general, any foreign object existing on the pitch causes the game to stop, which also means the space above the grass.
Liverpool 3 -1 Crystal Palace
Despite another refereeing controversy, we saw Liverpool using versatility to compact the absence of their biggest goal scorers. This shows us that a versatile team can live without the main starts for at least a small period of a season.
Liverpool also needed their keeper to step up to remain in the game, the mentality goes to everyone who takes shits in holding the responsibility for the team.
Arsenal 0 - 0 Burnley
I have always taken time to watch Arsenal whenever they have a bad period to watch their reaction. That applies to losing 3 of their last 4 matches. Arsenal was present physically and mentally. However, their youthful spirit is going to waste at times as they're not clinical enough.
I already talked about Arsenal in a post last week. But this game showed why they're insisting on bringing in Dušan Vlahović or a top striker in this transfer window, as well as a defender.
The only fear for them is being stubborn and decide not to bring someone as the competition for the 4th spot is tough and Lacazette/Aubameyang/Nketiah don't seem like the strikers for it.
Chelsea 2 - 0 Tottenham
I am currently working on two separate posts for each team that should be out in less than 2 weeks. So, despite this being the top game of the round, I won't be talking about it as much.
It is a painful experience for Conte as he was tactically outsmarted by Tuchel three times in a row. For someone with Conte's spirit, this is painful and we will see a reaction for him.
This tactical advantage shows us two important things reflecting Chelsea and Tottenham.
The difference of quality leans heavily toward Chelsea, yes, Tottenham has Kane and Son, but for the rest of the lines, they remain behind Chelsea.
Tuchel's time with Chelsea is longer than Conte's with Tottenham. Tuchel knows all there's to know, Conte is still getting to know Tottenham.
We also saw both teams drop their 3 at the back style, at least while defending. Chelsea deserved the win, despite not getting their goals from build-up play.
For Chelsea, this game indicates the need to change shape ahead of the club world cup as, without James and Chilwell, it doesn't mean to work.
For Tottenham, this game showed the difference in quality that might lead Conte to be more aggressive in demanding new blood for the club.
That's it for this round
This won't be a weekly series, I usually prefer focusing on one thing, but this round happened to be a crossroad for many things I was planning to talk about.