The 2020/2021 Premier League campaign is gradually gaining momentum as the contenders are now being separated from the pretenders.
Last weekend saw Matchday ten took place across all the stadiums with Crystal Palace kicking off action against Newcastle while West Ham’s clash against Aston villa ended the round of games.
In its usual tradition, Freshsports take a look at some of the talking points from matchday ten.
Mourinho’s Ponies Are Title Challengers: One of the intriguing debates of the season so far is whether Tottenham are genuine challengers for the title.
But following the victory over Man City, there was a general sense of belief that Spurs could actually win the Premier League. Then last Sunday, Mourinho’s men played out a barren draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
It was not a game for the neutrals, but a valuable point for Spurs. Tottenham came under criticism for their approach to the game, especially in the second half, but it was a typical performance from a Mourinho team.
Following the clash, the Portuguese tactician claimed his side are ponies in the title race, but the former Inter Milan manager was clearly playing mind games.
Spurs have taken four points from Chelsea and Manchester City and have not lost since the opening weekend. They also lead the table alongside Liverpool after ten games.
The picture will get clearer as the season enters the busy festive period, but right now, Jose Mourinho’s Ponies are title challengers.
Problems Looming For Arsenal: While Spurs are having a good season, their North-London rivals, Arsenal, are having their worst start to a Premier League season after ten games.
The Gunners suffered their fifth defeat of the season following a 2-1 loss to Wolves at the Emirates on Sunday night. Mikel Arteta’s men are now eight points behind their rivals, who they play on Sunday.
It could get worse should they lose that game. Their latest defeat raises a lot of questions, and Arteta needs to find a solution to their worrying run of form.
The Gunners looked like a team low on confidence. Arteta’s tactics have also not helped matters with the Spaniard sacrificing their attacking threat for stability.
According to whoscored, Arsenal haven’t managed more shots per game (9.5) than any of the bottom clubs across Europe’s top five leagues, and that shows how poor the Gunners have fared in attack this season.
Everton Went From Contenders To Pretenders: Everton started the season like a house on fire, winning their first four games. It raised suggestions that they could actually challenge for the league title.
But their form has dipped afterwards, picking up just four points from their next six games. The Toffees welcomed Leeds United last time out, but it was the newly-promoted side that picked up the three points in what was an entertaining game.
Although only ten games have been played, the defeat probably ends the talk of a title challenge from Carlo Ancelotti’s men. A top four or six finish is a more realistic target for the Blue half of Merseyside.
United Pull Through Again: Although there are still doubts over their title credentials, Manchester United are now gaining consistency in their results.
The Red Devils came back from two goals down on Sunday to secure a dramatic 3-2 win over Southampton at the St. Mary’s stadium. At half-time, it looked like the 13-time Premier League champions were staring at another defeat.
However, United mounted a dramatic comeback as Edison Cavani came off the bench to score two goals after Bruno Fernandes had pulled one back.
It was not a strong performance, but it was a result that once again takes the pressure off United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Fulham Finally Win: Leicester had the chance to go joint top when they hosted Fulham, but they could not take the advantage as the Cottagers secured a shock 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium.
Scott Parker’s side were winless away from home in the league going into the game, but they flipped the script to record a valuable win. It shows the fickleness of the Premier League, and that’s what makes it the best league in the world.
