Hiatus

I just wanted to post because it's been so long since I've actually written anything on this blog. The reason I stopped putting up content was largely due to full-time work commitment. I didn't want to upload half-hearted articles and comment pieces, so I decided it would be for the best to postpone articles for the time being.

However, due to a reshuffle of work commitments, I should have a little bit more spare time and as a result should get content up for next gameweek. I hope those of you who did read my articles before enjoyed them and please do stay in touch for all further content.

Thanks again.

Match coverage - Tottenham vs. Liverpool

Hello and welcome once again to matchcast coverage of this afternoon's match between Tottenham and Liverpool. Going into this game both teams would be looking to for a dominant performance; especially Liverpool who actually took double the amount of games last season to reach the same points mark. Tottenham on the other hand were handed an incredibly difficult opening set of fixtures including both Manchester sides, and the London riots did nothing but hinder their schedule. Nevertheless, these top sides are here to prove they should be taken seriously this season; there really was no doubt we were in store for an action packed 90 minutes.

Tottenham vs. Liverpool

GK: Friedel

DR: Walker DC: Kaboul DC: King DL: Assou-Ekotto

RM: Kranjcar CM: Parker CM: *Modric* LM: Bale

ST: *Adebayor* ST: Defoe

GK: Reina

DR: Skrtel DC: Carragher DC: Agger DL: Jose Enrique

RM: Henderson CM: Lucas CM: Adam LM: Downing

FW: Suarez ST: Carroll

1^st half:

2.30 opportunity: Kranjcar slides Adebayor into a 1-on-1 but he had to strike it first time – the ball goes wide and it’s a big miss for Tottenham.

6.30 *goal*: Modric strikes the most beautiful of volleys into the top right-hand corner – unbelievable goal. Really made something special out of nothing.

11.40 yellow card: Adam takes down Modric and gets the first yellow of the game.

13.00 opportunity: Tottenham look fantastic as Bale steals the ball off Skrtel and lays it off to Defoe who sets up Modric for a low drive which is saved well by Reina. Adebayor keeps it alive by chipping it back into the box, but it doesn’t find a white shirt.

15.20 opportunity: Assou-Ekotto and Bale are simply abusing the left wing as Skrtel is nowhere to be found in his make-shift right back role. Bale crosses the ball but fails to find Defoe in the box.

18.00 goal disallowed: A messy Tottenham fail to deal with a ball as Carroll pokes the ball through to Suarez who calmly pokes it into the back of the net. He was clearly offside.

21.00 opportunity: Adebayor is invited to a left-footed drive at the edge of the box, but it floats high over the bar.

23.00 yellow card: Adebayor picks up a yellow for a 50/50 challenge with Carroll.

25.00 substitution: Agger is forced off with an injury and new signing Coates comes on to replace him.

27.00 red card: Adam lunges in studs up against Parker and gets his 2^nd yellow – things are just getting worse and worse for Liverpool.

35.40 yellow card: Skrtel gets a yellow for holding Bale back during one of his terrific runs.

39.00 yellow card: Debutant Coates who replaced Agger earlier, goes into the book for bringing Adebayor down.

41.59 opportunity: Kaboul sends a header wide – the delivery from Modric was beautiful, unfortunate miss.

49.00 yellow card: Suarez sarcastically applauds the referee and goes into the book – the discipline is truly lost.

Tottenham 1 - 0 Liverpool

As the first half comes to a close you have to wonder what King Kenny is thinking; his side just haven't showed up today. Not taking anything away from Tottenham of course, they have been brilliant, especially taking advantage of Liverpool's make-shift right-back and exploiting Skrtel with Bale's pace. Liverpool will have a whole load of work to do if they hope to get back into the game, but they are certainly fortunate to only be down by a single goal.

2^nd half

45.00 substitution: Van Der Vaart comes on for Kranjcar who is reported to have a tight calf.

46.00 opportunity: Walker bombards past Enrique and crosses the ball towards Adebayor who knocks it cleverly towards Defoe. Defoe strikes it first time just wide; big miss from the Tottenham striker.

58.30 opportunity: Defoe beats Skrtel in the air and takes the ball away – he finds Adebayor who pokes a horrific attempt at goal, another chance of taking a 2 goal lead squandered.

61.10 opportunity: Suarez earns himself a controversial free kick on the edge of the box but scoops it over the bar.

62.00 red card: Skrtel picks up his second yellow for another poor challenge on Bale. Liverpool down to 9!

65.00 *goal*: Defoe is left unmarked and runs away – a poor first touch but he recovers and scores with a great strike.

67.30 *goal*: Reina spills a shot and Adebayor picks up the pieces and puts it into an open net.

82.50 substitution: Defoe makes way for Dos Santos and King comes off for Bassong.

85.32 opportunity: With 9 men Liverpool can’t really do anything – Spearing tries an opportunistic shot from far out and it trickles wide.

87.00 man of the match: Adebayor is given the award for a great showing today; a great work ethic capped off with a goal to his name.

90.05 opportunity: Van Der Vaart breaks into a 1-on-1 and tries a cheeky chip but Reina stands tall and plucks it out of the air.

92.50 *goal*: Adebayor is left completely unmarked in the box and he volleys a cross home; thumping volley. 

Final score: Tottenham 4 - 0 Liverpool 

A broken Liverpool left the field as Tottenham celebrated a deserved victory. Man of the match Adebayor must have really enjoyed hearing Tottenham's applause and to be fair he deserved the ovation for putting in such a hard-working shift. It will be interesting to see how this result effects both sides, with Tottenham hoping to continue off such a fantastic result while Liverpool forced to bounce back against Brighton in the Carling Cup 3rd round mid-week.

CL Group Stage Game 1: Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Finally the Champions League Group Stage is upon us and what a fantastic opening round of games it was. I had a feeling there was going to be some seriously exciting football on the cards so not only did I throw down a fat accumulator (I didn’t win obviously, cheers Zenit St. Petersburg), I also streamed Barcelona vs. Milan with Chelsea vs. Leverkusen on the TV -- while most of my focus was drawn to a 32” Sky Sports HD viewing experience, I still managed to catch all the goals from Camp Nou. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts regarding Chelsea’s opening game at Stamford Bridge against very efficient opposition, Bayer Leverkusen.

Chelsea 2 (Luiz, Mata) – 0 Bayer Leverkusen

GK: Cech

DR: Bosingwa DC: Ivanovic DC: David Luiz DL: A. Cole

CM: Meireles CM: Mikel CM: Malouda

RF: *Sturridge* ST: Torres LF: Mata

Sturridge continues to impress.

A strong Chelsea side graced Stamford Bridge for Andres Villas-Boas’ first Champions League game and notably without Terry or Lampard. This for me was a fantastic sign and is completely in tune with my line of thinking throughout pre-season and currently in the Premier League campaign. Some Chelsea fans may not like it, but sooner or later, these players have to be slowly phased out. Hence why this game was so important for AVB, as a strong showing would suggest that they don’t need the aforementioned players to function.

There were of course a few issues, but that’s to be expected considering some of these players haven’t really had an opportunity to play together competitively – this includes the centre back partnership and all three central midfielders. I don’t really like Malouda playing the central role, as I believe you lose his effectiveness, but with Mata playing his preferred position, it’s to be expected, especially considering Malouda can put in a competent shift. Nevertheless, apart from a shaky conclusion, Chelsea looked very strong in the centre of the park and distributed the ball well, something that AVB will be extremely pleased with.

This new air of dynamism and pace that Meireles, Sturridge and Mata bring to the team definitely addresses the core issue Chelsea had to solve, their slow transition from defence to attack; something they had no problem doing against Leverkusen. Chelsea executed a number of fantastic moves and Sturridge especially provided most of the serious chances up until David Luiz scored the opener; it’s just the lack of an on-form striker that is hurting Chelsea.

If anyone can unlock Torres, it has to be Juan Mata.

AVB stated that if Torres compromises the Blues in front of goal, he will be dropped – his two assists suggest that he’s contributing but they weren’t exactly phenomenal assists last night; the first was a mere lay off and the second he just passed calmly across goal. The commentator praised Torres for his unselfishness in the second Chelsea goal, but he was on the left flank with nowhere to go and no angle for the shot (this was due to his poor touch and control), of course he was going to pass. I feel like Torres has both been criticized far too quickly, but also praised for menial contributions that I believe are only being noted because everybody is trying to find some positive out of an otherwise poor performance from a man who should be scoring. He had numerous opportunities in front of goal and with such a poor first touch, there’s no wonder he can’t find the back of the net. I can say it all day long; it is all well and good that Torres links other players into the game etc, but a £50 million front man MUST SCORE GOALS.

I stand corrected, Bosingwa has impressed so far this season.

Chelsea’s strength resides now in their fantastic wing-play, very similar to Manchester United. Cole, Mata, Bosingwa and Sturridge provide pace, flair and fantastic delivery, much like Evra, Young, Smalling/Jones and Nani do for United. The difference now is the Red Devils have two twenty-goal strikers, which Chelsea have in abundance on paper, but when they come onto the pitch, it just doesn’t seem to happen. Watching Chelsea I honestly feel players like Ivanovic have a stronger chance of scoring than Torres, which is just not right.

The transfer market has certainly put Chelsea on the right path, another central player like Luka Modric would really help solidify the midfield and what can you say about the strikers other than they need to find form; Chelsea don’t need any other players, they have the best strikers, it’s just a matter of continuously knocking on the door and eventually they will burst through.

What a hero, and was terribly unlucky not to score last night.

I feel like I’ve gone off on a tangent, so returning to last night’s game, Bayer Leverkusen were clearly a very good side and it will be a fantastic battle for second place between them and Valencia. I think Chelsea were always firm favourites to take three points and they did so, but by no means was it a comfortable victory as a thoroughly efficient and organised Leverkusen troubled Chelsea throughout with a goal disallowed and two fine one-on-one saves from Cech ensured Chelsea could breath a sigh of relief. Also let’s take this moment to pay tribute to Michael Ballack who came back to the Bridge, what a magnificent talent he was and still is.

Chelsea’s next Champions League venture is in Spain on September 28 as they take on Valencia, so stay tuned for coverage then. In the mean time I hope you all enjoy the rest of the fixtures tonight.

Match analysis week 4: Dmitri Kharine says ...

Love football, love life.

 

Hello and welcome back to the Premier League after the international break. We hope you enjoyed some of the world’s centre-stage football, but now it’s time to get back to serious business and crack on with the domestic campaign.

*Unfortunately all the teams we follow played on Saturday and all but Manchester United had a 3.00pm kick off – this means that we could only bring you match analysis for two games, which were the following.

Sunderland 1 (Ji Dong-Wong) – 2 Chelsea (Terry, Sturridge)

GK: Cech

DR: Bosingwa DC: Ivanovic DC: Terry DL: A. Cole

CM: Ramires CM: Meireles CM: Lampard

RF: Sturridge FW: Anelka LF: Mata

Igor: Prior to this game Andres Villas-Boas was quoted saying “if Fernando Torres’ inability to score compromises the team, then he will be dropped.” Well today Torres found himself on the bench as Nicholas Anelka lead Chelsea’s attack with Daniel Sturridge joining him as he came back from his 3-game suspension. Mata was also given a starting debut and last minute signing Raul Meireles stepped into the holding midfielder role instead of Jon Obi Mikel.

Meireles is a fantastic signing for the Blues.

Dmitri: It was apparent right from the off that inclusion of the two new boys and re-emergence of Sturridge had a huge impact on Chelsea’s transition from defence to attack. Meireles is certainly a much more attack-orientated player but his skill and ability to keep and distribute the ball makes him a suitable holding midfielder. The Portuguese international has a lot more creativity and can provide goals and assists from that position, something that I feel Mikel cannot. It will be very interesting to see how the team is shuffled when Essien comes back, but from our prior analysis, I say drop Lampard.

This boy is brimming with talent.

Igor: One word that we have not been able to use when discussing Chelsea is flair – something which both Mata and Sturridge provide. The Spanish winger has sped Chelsea’s game up significantly; his silky skills, great vision and passing ability all resemble David Silva and will no doubt serve Chelsea well. He was also incredibly unlucky not to get a goal from the free kick that consequentially led to John Terry’s opening goal. Sturridge is another example of a more creative individual that certainly helps to give the Blues something a little different to their stagnant approach we have witnessed recently. His back-heel goal says it all really, full of confidence, brimming with talent and plenty more time to grow and mature into one of Chelsea’s best players.

Dmitri: We saw the introduction of Malouda, Torres and Romeu as the 3 substitutes, with Malouda being the only one that contributed significantly. Torres continued to his goal drought while Romeu didn’t really have time to become an influence in the game, but it was nice to see the young lad make his debut.

Igor: When Sunderland scored Chelsea began to panic and momentum shifted very quickly back to the home side, who were absolutely terrible all the way up to the 90^th minute. The point is that with such experienced players, Chelsea should be able to control situations like that much better – it seems that considering the age and wisdom, the Blues’ composure is still not quite up to scratch, but perhaps that’s rust that needs to still be shaken off.

Star player:

Igor: Juan Mata was involved in all of Chelsea’s transition play and his free kick was the catalyst to the first goal, a kind of third-party assist if you will. I think there’s plenty of opportunity for the Spaniard to become a star man in Chelsea’s squad.

Dmitri: Ashley Cole had a brilliant game; almost all of Chelsea’s threat came from the left wing as the veteran defender partnered with Juan Mata. The left wing should get star player as far as I’m concerned!

Bolton 0 - 5 Manchester United (Hernandez x2 & Rooney x3)

GK: De Gea

DR: Jones DC: Ferdinand DC: Evans DL: Evra

RM: Nani CM: Cleverly CM: Anderson LM: Young

ST: Hernandez FW: Rooney

Igor: The score line suggests that international week certainly didn’t break United’s stride after an incredible performance against Arsenal. Continuing on exactly as they left off, Wayne Rooney bagged another hat trick while Javier Hernandez made his first start since coming back from concussion and bagging a well-deserved brace. The Red Devils looked pretty much unstoppable and if not for the unfortunate injury to Cleverly (broken foot), there would have been no negatives to come out of this game.

De Gea's confidence is growing.

Dmitri: David De Gea’s confidence is clearly growing and a strong showing between the sticks will no doubt but benefit the young keeper. There has been a little bit of debate in the papers whether Sir Alex was going to drop the Spaniard, but his inclusion suggested his manager’s backing. This was repaid with a few decent saves, impressive distribution that at one point cleared Hernandez into a 1-on-1 and a couple of strong showings in the air (a clear weak point in the past few games for De Gea). Overall, I was impressed with what I saw from him.

Igor: Everything Rooney touches continues to turn to gold. 6 goals in 2 games, that’s not bad is it? There are so many things you can say about this wonderful player, but his composure, work ethic and clinical finishing stood out for me – he really is in the form of his life.

Dmitri: Kevin Davies breaking Cleverly’s foot is a frustrating blow for United. Sir Alex I’m sure will be very upset but that’s where United’s strength in depth comes into play. Michael Carrick replaced the youngster and put in a great shift, which all United fans know he can do. I wish Cleverly the speediest of recoveries and look forward to seeing him play as soon as possible.

Igor: Ashley Young had a relatively quiet game considering his explosive start to the season. We didn’t really see much of the English winger and Nani seemed to have the bulk of the chances off the wing. Nevertheless, United’s two wide-men continue to cause serious problems for any defence and it was obvious Bolton just couldn’t handle the ruthless efficiency that is Manchester United.

Star Player:

Igor: Wayne Rooney for me, another perfect day with 3 more goals, such tremendous form.

Jones is quite strange looking, but boy can he play football.

Dmitri: Phil Jones had a terrific game at right back – it seem Sir Alex is fond of playing his new centre backs in the right back roll to perhaps try and install versatility into their games, but it’s clear that both Jones and Smalling can put in terrific shifts in the aforementioned position. A beautiful cross to set up 1 goal and a fantastic run to set up another made Jones’s performance stand-out for me.

Summer Transfer Window 2011/12 - Through the looking glass.

Love football, love life.

Being the devoted fans that we are, Dmitri and I stayed up until way past the 11pm deadline last night to watch Sky Sports News wrap up the final deals and wind down a hard days work by bringing the window to a close.

With the transfer window shut we can all finally suspend our nerves and excitement until the frenzy begins again in January as more sagas spiral out of journalistic control. This article will cover the big 5’s transfer movements across the final day and our opinions regarding the new signings, what type of impact we expect from them etc. We hope you enjoy the read!

Arsenal

Players in: 5

Andre Santos, LWB / LM (£6 million, from Fenerbahce)

Dmitri: Let’s be perfectly honest here, neither of us follows Turkish football, but looking at the statistics (52 club games, 10 goals) and 22 caps for Brazil since 2009, it’s certainly not a bad record. Aged 28, Santos should bring experience to the left-back position, which desperately needed attention after Traore left for QPR, leaving Gibbs as the only available player to fill that role.

Igor: However, this article I found suggests Santos defensive abilities are lacking and is the main reason why Dunga didn’t take him to South Africa. It also indicates that the Brazilian “might” be a little bit of a loose cannon, so it will certainly be interesting to see what kind of character this left-back actually has – god do we love a bit of football gossip!  

Per Mertesacker, DC (£10 million, from Werder Bremen)

He was a mean, green German machine; now he's a Gunner.

Igor: 6”6 and German, that is surely criteria enough to be a powerhouse in the centre of defence? In all seriousness Mertesacker has been a long target for the Premiership in general so it’s about time someone picked him up. Regardless of the problems Arsenal have been through, Vermaelen and Mertesacker in the heart of defence is a top-tier pairing on paper, so let’s hope they can reach the potential everyone expects of them.

Dmitri: £10 million is definitely a bargain for the 26 year old. Per has 147 appearances for Werder Bremen and 75 for Germany, so this guy is going to bring in vast amounts of experience and maturity to a team that is so very clearly lacking in especially the latter.

Chu-Young Park, FW (Undisclosed fee, from Monaco)

Dmitri: Again, The French league isn’t exactly our port of call but 91 appearances for Monaco and scoring 25 goals (08/11) isn’t terrible by any stretch. He also has 53 caps and 17 goals for South Korea, which is on top of over 50 games for the Under 20 and 23 sides as well. It’s simply too early to tell how he will fair in English football but one of my favourite players in the Premier League is Ji-Sung Park, so hopefully he can grab me just like the Manchester United midfielder did.

Igor: We can’t forget though that Chu-Young Park is a forward so he will need to do a lot more than work hard to impress Arsenal fans as he’s gonna have to put some goals away. An interesting fact, in 2005 when he played for FC Seoul, Guus Hiddink was actually very interested in bringing him to PSV Eindhoven. An unfortunate trip with the transfer fee broke the deal down, but clearly different top managers have appreciated his talent for a while now.

Mikel Arteta, CM (£10 million, from Everton)

Igor: Essentially a like-for-like replacement for Fabregas, only Arsenal won approximately £20 million from the transfer. I can sing Arteta’s praises all day long; he has incredible vision, a terrific pass and a deadly finish. He will compliment Arsenal’s style of play perfectly and I wish him all the best at his new team.

Have you lost a little bit of respect for Arteta?

Dmitri: I feel the exact same way, except I think it’s important to note that Arteta has had quite a few injury concerns over the past few years. I think keeping him fit could be a problem; it will be very interesting to see how the added strain of European football will impact upon his general health and performanc. Nevertheless, I do wish him the best because he is a fantastic player to watch.

Yossi Benayoun, ACM (season-long loan, from Chelsea)

Dmitri: I know we both feel the same way, incredibly frustrating that Chelsea football club build their team to centre around Frank Lampard, thus not giving any room for such talented players like Benayoun. Yossi had a terrific pre-season with the Blues, which is probably why there was such high interest in the player on deadline day. Being a Chelsea fan, I wanted to see him in a Blue shirt, but a player of such high quality deserves to play first-team football, and if Arsenal can offer that then fair play and I hope he succeeds.

Chelsea fans should be sad to see Yossi leave.

Igor: Can I just copy and paste exactly what you said? Yossi is an exceptional talent and a very clever loan signing by Arsene because just like Arteta, Yossi will compliment Arsenal’s style of play superbly. I too am sad to see him leave for a season because he’s not getting any younger but at 31 years of age, the guy needs to play football for a couple more years, so good on him for accepting a new challenge.

Chelsea

Players in: 1

Raul Meireles, CM (£12 million, from Liverpool)

Igor: Oh Chelsea you sly dogs you! Cleverly hiding under the radar and swooping in literally on the last minute with the signing of Meireles for £12 million, a superb deal! Certainly a bit controversial how it all came to light, with a written transfer request being unveiled at 10pm, only 1 hour before the end of the window. There must have been some sort of confusion and perhaps he handed in the request much earlier and it was only revealed near the end for some strange reason? Nevertheless, it didn’t backfire, as now the terrific midfielder is a Chelsea player under a 4-year contract.

Andres Villas-Boas is reunited with Meireles.

Dmitri: Can I get this out there; Luka Modric (£40 million) or Raul Meireles (£12 million)? You’d have to be insane to choose the former. Meireles’ fantastic form at the end of last season showed how prolific he can be as a player, so picking him over Modric and saving £28 million is an absolute no brainer as far as I’m concerned. I am very happy Tottenham rejected Chelsea’s final bid as I believe it would have been another foolish signing by Roman if this was on the cards the entire time. I also can’t stand Sky Sports continuously referring to Meireles as the back-up plan if the Modric deal failed, it’s not like he’s any worse a footballer, if anything on his day he could be a better player.

Liverpool

Players in: 1

Craig Bellamy, RW/LW/FW (Undisclosed fee, from Manchester City)

Dmitri: I’ve always believed that Bellamy is a dangerous forward and deserved top-flight football. He is a bit of a hot-head but let’s just go ahead and call that passion for the sake of the argument. But I’m finding it difficult to place the Welshman in the Liverpool team currently, maybe bombarding up the right flank instead of Jordan Henderson? Nevertheless I always believe that nothing bad can happen if you have Bellamy as an option in your squad.

A great player comes back for round 2.

Igor: Well it’s certainly a terrific move as far as Bellamy is concerned as what else did he have on offer, Celtic, QPR and Cardiff again? I think at Liverpool he has a genuine chance at some form of consistent first-team football down that right wing, or maybe do the new modern thing and switch Downing with Bellamy so they both cut inside? Who knows but there’s definitely opportunity to experiment there.

Manchester City

Players in: 1

Owen Hargreaves, DCM, RB (Free transfer, from Manchester United)

Igor: I’m not going to say much here because I know how much Dmitri wants to talk about this transfer, so go for it …

Does this man deserve a move to Man City?

Dmitri: Ridiculous. 11 minutes of first-team football in 2 years with United, a YouTube video and he gets a 1-year deal with potentially an even bigger club. Logically, a team like West Brom should have taken him, he should have played half a season, showed that he can still cut it and play consistently and injury free, then maybe a big club could move in for him. I wish him the absolute best, but if he breaks down, it’s simply an “I told you so” moment. This reminds me of the Ledley King fiasco during the World Cup, players need actual football matches to prove their fitness, not training sessions and video montages.

Manchester United

Players in: 0

Igor: No one! Ah man the buzz on Sky Sports of a potential Wesley Sneijder move on transfer day was so huge, but it just wouldn’t formulate. Wage issues were outlined as the major stipulation both parties simply could not agree upon, but what a big deadline day move that would have been eh? We can still dream!

There you have it folks, these were the big moves for the big clubs on deadline day. Some great signings for Arsenal certainly strengthen their ranks, while both Chelsea and Liverpool increase their depth by 1. Manchester City take a big gamble and add another holding midfielder to their arsenal consisting of Yaya Toure, Gareth Barry and Nigel De Jong, good luck getting ahead of them Hargreaves. Manchester United unfortunately stayed silent and the big money move for Sneijder that was building up all Summer, could not come to a satisfying conclusion. Enjoy the international break and let’s look forward to the next Gameweek in the Premiership! As always, we are on Twitter @ss4Igor, check us out! 

Laters! 

Match analysis week 3: Dmitri Kharine says ...

Hello and welcome back once again to our third week of match analysis! Today Dmitri Kharine and I run through various topics including Chelsea’s new star signings and how they faired in their debut, Liverpool’s continued impressive start to the season, Arsenal’s devastating loss to United and both Manchester Club’s supremacy in the Premier League.

United and City can only be described as goal machines combining for a staggering total of 13 goals scored between them, while Chelsea and Liverpool continue winning but showing their defensive woes. Arsenal on the other hand, have issues in just about every position apart from goalkeeper, with some very smart and fast transfer moves absolutely essential to keep the Gunners afloat.

Game 1: Chelsea 3 – 1 Norwich

GK: Hilario

DR: Bosingwa DC: Ivanovic DC: Terry DL: A. Cole

RM: Ramires CM: Mikel CM: Lampard LM: Malouda

ST: Drogba ST: Torres

Igor: As you can see Chelsea began this game in a 4-4-2 formation, allowing Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres another opportunity to try and create that deadly partnership all Blues fans are waiting for. Once again the lack of a direct right-winger forced Ramires to play out wide, however the young Brazilian had a fantastic game creating numerous chances cutting inside along with the penalty which Lampard converted. Chelsea looked incredibly clumsy in defence and the lack of Petr Cech is still a continued woe for the Blues. A defensive mix up led to Norwich’s goal and in all honesty the score line does not do Norwich’s effort any justice at all.

Dmitri: Of course we also saw the introduction of Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku today, both exciting players that are considered to be the future of Chelsea. Juan Mata looked incredibly dangerous when he came on in the last 30 minutes for Malouda, finding pockets of space and drifting into the middle looking for the ball. He reminds me a little bit of David Silva with his movement and showed great composure to score Chelsea’s 3^rd goal. Torres came trudging off goalless to make way for Lukaku’s entrance into the game and the young lad showed power and hunger for the ball. He was actually lined up in front of an open goal when Juan Mata chose to slot the ball into the corner instead of passing, so either of the new boys could have taken the final goal.

Igor: The introduction of Juan Mata for Malouda spurs an interesting debate, as I believed the Spaniard would play from the right wing, keeping Malouda in the starting XI. Now that position is wide open, perhaps Juventus’ interest in the Frenchman is not unjustified. Didier Drogba’s injury is incredibly unfortunate but will at least make AVB’s decision of playing Torres a little easier for the next few games.

Dmitri: Alex’s mistake last week forced him onto the bench and was a perfect opportunity for Ivanovic to play 90 minutes since his injury. Unfortunately it was Chelsea’s 2 centre backs that were the liability, often miss communicating with goalkeeper Hilario and turning a shoulder to find Norwich’s strikers goal-side. Perhaps it was a lack of concentration from Terry and Ivanovic because the two experienced players should have plenty of tactical awareness and vision.

It is clear Torres must re-invent himself.

Igor: As we have mentioned before, Torres needs an opportunity to play as a free-roaming forward, not a rigid striker. In the past few games, although the Spaniard has failed to find the net, he has still shown promise and key skills required for the free-role position (holding the ball up, turning defenders, linking other players into the game etc) but it is undisputable that playing alongside another forward today forced Torres’ worst performance of the season so far.

Dmitri: Yes it seems that Fernando simply cannot play side-by-side with another striker so it would be interesting to see him playing a deeper role to try and find a way to impact and score goals.

Star man:

Igor: Jose Bosingwa had a terrific game at right back for Chelsea. He opened the scoring with an absolute belter and is one of the few players today who showed any form of creativity and hunger in the offensive third. Well played.

Dmitri: I’m going to say Juan Mata who clearly made an impact upon the Chelsea players and fans. The Spaniard is going to have a bright future with the Blues and a debut goal is the perfect way to elevate that confidence.

Game 2: Liverpool 3 – 1 Bolton

GK: Reina

DR: Kelly DC: Carragher DC: Agger DL: Jose Enrique

RM: Henderson CM: Lucas CM: Adam LM: Downing

FW: Kuyt ST: Suarez

Igor: Liverpool hosted Bolton with a largely unchanged side as only Luis Suarez came in for off-form Andy Carroll. King Kenny is looking increasingly confident with this line-up and there’s no reason he shouldn’t be as Liverpool are now sitting on top of the Premiership. A dominant offensive performance capped by one defensive mistake rounded up a great team effort from Liverpool whose offensive line impressed with a flurry of fast-paced moves and efforts on goal. The only disappointment is Luis Suarez didn’t get on the score sheet as the invaluable striker caused Bolton’s defence problems all the way to his substitution.

Dmitri: The more I watch Liverpool’s newly enforced XI play, the more difficult it is for me to decide where Steven Gerrard would fit in once he comes back to full fitness. Charlie Adam put out another inspiring performance topped with a goal and assist, while Henderson also got on the score sheet. I’ve been tooting Stuart Downing’s horn for the past 3 weeks and the boy is still doing everything right, but he just can’t get on the score sheet!

Where does Carroll fit in this exciting Liverpool team?

Igor: When I watch Liverpool play without Andy Carroll it just keeps convincing me that their record-breaking signing is not good enough for this starting XI. When he replaced Luis Suarez, Liverpool lost that spark immediately – perhaps it’s because he is replacing the Uruguayan superstar but he doesn’t seem to have the technical prowess required to play the fast football Liverpool are showing off currently.

Dmitri: Yes Andy Carroll’s dimension of gaming currently does not compliment Liverpool’s passing style, but he is young and still might have a massive part to play in Liverpool’s future.

Igor: This game also proved to me that so far in the campaign King Kenny has made only 1 mistake, not starting Dirk Kuyt in the opening game. Kuyt is such an important member of Liverpool’s squad and for me is an automatic selection choice.

Star man:

Igor: Charlie Adam was the most influential man on the pitch next to Luis Suarez but the Scot sealed a consistent performance with a goal and assist, top points!

Dmitri: Yes Adam continues to impress as a top distributor, he has definitely earned a place in Liverpool’s starting XI.

Game 3: Tottenham 1 – 5 Manchester City

GK: Hart

DR: Zabaleta DC: Kompany DC: Lescott DL: Clichy

CM: Yaya Toure CM: Barry

RW: Silva FW: Aguero LW: Nasri

ST: Dzeko

Igor: Manchester City’s formation, inclusion of Zabaleta and 2 defensive midfielders entailed a defensive orientation away from home, something that we wanted Mancini to steer well away from in a hope to continue City’s prolific and entertaining offensive football. The defensively minded approach didn’t stop City from making a mockery out of Tottenham as they walked through their defence, giving Edin Dzeko 4 goals and Sergio Aguero 1. The inclusion of new signing Samir Nasri clearly served to enhance an already dangerous front 4 and there’s really nothing else to be said other than Manchester City are a dominant force to be reckoned with.

Dzeko has arrived in shining form.

Dmitri: Last season Manchester City played the same formation but lacked a creative spark to ensure the front 4 dominated and scored goals. There’s nothing wrong with a strong defensive attitude, if your attacking players replicate the kind of form we saw here. Samir Nasri compliments David Silva perfectly as the two twin-like creative wingers twist, weave and form a fantastic partnership with the Aguero and Dzeko. The ability to rotate from one wing to another makes marking them incredibly tricky and both the Frenchman and Spaniard will play a massive role for City this season both in the goals and assists department.

Igor: Well Edin Dzeko has certainly proved all his critics wrong as he bombarded 4 goals past Brad Friedel, what a drumming! He is really showing the ability of a top-tier striker; his movement off the ball, work-rate and clinical finishing ability with both his head and feet make him a devastatingly effective front man if he shows consistency this season.

Dmitri: Yaya Toure has been absolutely shackled into that defensive midfielder role now hasn’t he? I know we discussed keeping him in the centre of the park to allow more freedom for the forwards, but his ability to run from deep is a huge asset and I would still like to see from time to time, the big man dashing forward and putting a belter past a keeper.

Star man:

Igor: Edin Dzeko, you don’t score 4 goals and not get the best player award.

Dmitri: Well Samir Nasri set up 2 of Dzeko’s goals and for a debut he played very well; slotting into the City team without a single issue. So for me, the Frenchman was the best player.

Game 4: Manchester United 8 – 2 Arsenal

Manchester United:

GK: De Gea

RB: Smalling CB: Evans CB: Jones LB: Evra

RM: Nani CM: Cleverly CM: Anderson LM: A. Young

ST: Rooney ST: Welbeck

Igor: Clinical is the word that needs to be used here; United performed like a team with absolutely no mercy as they abused Arsenal’s weak defence and heart. The Gunners tried to fight back but a Wayne Rooney treble, 2 stunners from Young and one a piece for Welbeck, Park and Nani closed an absolute riot.

The Red Devils are terrifying this season.

Dmitri: It is very rare to see Sir Alex not change his starting line-up but it seems he has certainly chosen his starting XI bar the injuries to Ferdinand and Vidic. The midfield was a huge issue last season for the Red Devils but boy has the centre of the park been solidified with Anderson really coming to life and Cleverly maturing with each passing game. Ashley Young once again was simply sensational, scoring 2 beautiful goals and being involved with all the action. Wayne Rooney also had a terrific game, picking up a hat-trick with 2 magical free kicks and a penalty. Not much can be said at the moment to critique Manchester United as they were pretty much perfect today.

Igor: Yes sometimes it’s difficult to analyze a team when they play at such a fantastic standard, but what we can say is that the city of Manchester is a serious contender to have the Premier League and indeed all other major trophies, there by the end of the season.

Dmitri: We do need to mention David De Gea however, who played a very important role in what arguably was the pivotal moment in the match. His penalty save (albeit it was a terrible penalty) and double save not long after helped ensure United kept control of the game. However, he did let a simple goal in through his legs, so I believe we need to see consistency from the young lad as he certainly has the potential.

Star man:

Igor: Ashley Young hands down; what a clinical signing from Sir Alex, the boy is unstoppable at the moment.

Dmitri: Wayne makes those free kicks look so easy when they are anything but. To be able to put 2 of them away is reason enough to take man of the match, but his consistent work rate off the ball to help his side always wins me over.

Arsenal:

GK: Szczesny

DR: Jenkinson DC: Koscielny DC: Djourou DL: Traore

CM: Rosicky CM: Ramsey

RW: Walcott ST: Van Persie LW: Arshavin

Igor: What can be said about a team that just lost 8-2 to their rivals? Arsenal’s team needs major reconstruction as certain players clearly don’t even want to be on the pitch for the Gunners. Manchester United versus Arsenal was a battle of two young sides, one with clear maturity and the other, a great lack of. Arsene Wenger has a long way to go if he hopes to recover this season and finish in a respectable position.

Dmitri: Let’s get this out of the way first of all, Arshavin and Rosicky looked like they weren’t interested in the slightest. The Russian should have been sent off for numerous horrific challenges and unlike United, Arsenal simply did not play for each other. This strikes me as a display for purchase, with players trying to make an individual statement and leave the club before they are subjected to more disappointment. To be honest I don’t blame players like Nasri who want to leave for success and better opportunities and I won’t be surprised if more players pack up their bags and head out the door.

Igor: So it is of the utmost importance that Arsene takes the time to invest in at least 3 players (CB, CM, ST) before the transfer window shuts. There’s not a lot of time left but hopefully he has already been tracking players, because without those key purchases Arsenal will be in a lot of trouble.

Star man:

Igor: Can you give a star man award to a team that lost so badly? I guess Theo Walcott deserves it for showing at least some signs of commitment. Isn’t this the time where veteran players like Robin Van Persie should be stepping up and rallying his team?

This man did not deserve to concede 8.

Dmitri: You might disagree with me, but I think Szczesny deserves a certain amount of praise, coupled with sympathy. Apart from the ridiculous Welbeck goal, the Polish keeper made numerous important saves that could have sent the score well over the 10 mark. But the main reason I choose Szczesny is because to me, he seemed the only player who was proud to be wearing an Arsenal shirt and it’s true, Arsenal are in ruins across every position apart from in between the sticks.

There you have it guys, another incredibly entertaining week. There’s not much to say about Manchester United and Manchester City when they play such terrific football. Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal on the other hand still have a fair way to go before they reach the heights the 2 Manchester teams have set so far this season. If you would like to get in touch, check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor.