Premier League Week 2 Round Up
Erling Haaland only managed to steer two of his four shots on target
By Ed Emeanua
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Last 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |
| 2 | Manchester City | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| 3 | Brentford | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 4 | Liverpool | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| 7 | Arsenal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 8 | Crystal Palace | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 9 | Nottingham Forest | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| 10 | Manchester United | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 | |
| 11 | Fulham | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 3 | |
| 12 | Chelsea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 13 | West Ham United | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | Bournemouth | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 1 | |
| 15 | Everton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | |
| 16 | Sheffield United | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 | |
| 17 | Luton Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 | |
| 18 | Burnley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 | |
| 19 | Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 | |
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
Teams of this season’s league appear to be bringing out the heavy hitters early on as hopes and aspirations clash with trepidation over failure and fear of the unknown. The overarching aphorism now seems to be; if you can’t make top seven, at least steer clear of the bottom 3 finishes. Cut to the chase and let it rip!
Friday, August 18
The premier league is now regarded as the most exciting league in the world and rightly so. The English league is renown for its fast pace, skillfulness, and plenty of drama to spare. Season 2023-2024 is not going to be an exception.
Notts Forest Versus Sheffield United: Nottingham Forest’s Nigeria forward Taiwo Awoniyi is hot, take that back-red hot-and there is no gainsaying the fact. It is two out of two for the Super Eagles forward who has now found the net two weeks consecutively this term for his run of the mill team.
Awoniyi struck early against newly promoted Sheffield United in the 3rd minute of the week 2 fixture at City Ground on Friday, with Gustavo Hamer restoring parity in the 38th minute to score scores at halftime to 1 all. Chris Wood left it to late on before scoring Forest’s winner in the 89th minute of the thrilling encounter.
Taiwo Awoniyi celebrates scoring Nottingham Forest’s first goal at City Ground this season
Nottingham Forest’s Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier featured for his side against against Sheffield United at City Ground
Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer celebrates scoring his side’s first goal
Wood’s 89′ winner is his clubs latest premier league winning goal matching Alf Inge Haaland’s 89′ winner against Arsenal in December of 1996. On the other hand, Sheffield United have now lost every one of their last 16 away games in the premier league that they had conceded had fallen behind first.
Taiwo Awoniyi is the second Nottingham Forest star to score in six consecutive premier league matches following Stan Collymore in the 1994-1995 term. Awoniyi’s six scoring runs now surpasses all Nigerian goal scoring stretches in the premier league, only eclipsed by the run of two other African stars in Liverpool striker Mohammed Salah of Egypt and Togolese forward Emmanuel Adebayo, both with 7 scoring runs.
| 18/08/2023 | 19:45 | Nottingham Forest | – | Sheffield United | 2:1 (1:0) | |
| 19/08/2023 | Luton Town | – | Burnley FC | rescheduled | ||
| 15:00 | Fulham FC | – | Brentford FC | 0:3 (0:1) | ||
| 15:00 | Liverpool FC | – | AFC Bournemouth | 3:1 (2:1) | ||
| 15:00 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | – | Brighton & Hove Albion | 1:4 (0:1) | ||
| 17:30 | Tottenham Hotspur | – | Manchester United | 2:0 (0:0) | ||
| 20:00 | Manchester City | – | Newcastle United | 1:0 (1:0) | ||
| 20/08/2023 | 14:00 | Aston Villa | – | Everton FC | -:- | |
| 16:30 | West Ham United | – | Chelsea FC | -:- | ||
| 21/08/2023 | 20:00 | Crystal Palace | – | Arsenal FC | -:- |
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Despite the Luton Town clash with Burnley already being rescheduled, it was already given that this Saturday’s premier league fixtures, like all those before it, was certainly going to be interesting.
Fulham FC Versus Brentford: Though this one was certainly going to be tough to predict, preceding it, nobody saw its eventual outcome coming. Last week, Fulham went rocking at Goodison Park, edging out an unpredictable Everton side in a famous 1-0 away win. However, Fulham took their remarkable failure to win their opening two league matches to a seven consecutive run-the last time they achieved that beat being in season 2016-2017 of the Championship under Slavisa Jokanovich.
This week it was the turn of the Cottagers to rue their home ill luck after allowing the visitors to run amok enroute to a 3-0 away victory at Craven Cottage. Yoane Wissa opened scoring for the visitors on 44′ before Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo’s second half braces on 66′ (penalty kick), and 90 + 2′ sealed the win for the Bees.
Nigeria international midfielder Frank Onyeka for the second consecutive week failed to make the Brentford matchday team while compatriot, defender Calvin Bassey featured as a 67′ substitute for Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed. Brentford have now matched their 11 consecutive unbeaten run against a London opponent (W6, D5).
This is their joint longest unbeaten run in the first four tiers against teams from London, matching their 11 game run from February 1954 through August 1955. Fulham’s last seven losses in the premier league by 3 + goal margin were all in home defeats, starting from their 1-4 massacre at Watford in April 2019 under Scott Parker.
Liverpool FC Versus AFC Bournemouth
Jaidon Anthony seemed to have scored the opening goal for the visitors before it was disallowed
Mohammed Salah finds the net for Liverpool
Luis Diaz on target for Liverpool
The Reds need a return to consistency in winning games and they need this is the only way they can remain in serious contention for the premier league shield. Jürgen Klopp’s loss last term was Josep “Pep” Guardiola Sala’s gain as Manchester United outstared all to won the shield in 2022-2023.
Having tied thier week one clash with Chelsea 1-1 at Stamford Bridge last week, Liverpool need all the spoils that are up for grab to make a statement. And just that they did, with Luis Diaz (28′), Mo’ Salah (36′), and Diogo Jota (62′) all scoring, with Alexis Mac Allister red carded.
Ghana striker Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring in the 3′ and accounted for Bournemouth’s lone goal in their 1-3 loss at Anfield, Saturday. Liverpool remain unbeaten in their last 13 premier league matches at home, with 10 wins and 3 draws to the bargain.
The Reds are also yet to taste defeat in their first home encounter of any of their top flight encounters over 20 seasons (W15, D5). This stretch of record extends to the 2004-2005 season.
Bournemouth away loss despite their early goal on 3′ means the Cherries have now lost their last five premier league clashes against the Reds at Anfield by a combined score of 20-2. All in all, Bournemouth have only left Anfield with a point from 21 on offer in the premier league (P7, L6, D1).
Egypt international Salah becomes the first Reds player to either score or assist in goal scoring in 10 back-to-back games out of 10 at Anfield. The Liverpool striker is also the first player to do so in the top flight since Jamie Vardy of Leicester in December of 2015 (with 10 goals as well).
Wolverhampton Wanderers Versus Brighton & Hove Albion
Kaoru Mitoma 15′, Pervis Estupiñán 46, Solly March 51′, 55′ scored to put the Seagulls up 4-0 at Molineux Stadium Saturday. South Korea forward Hwang Hee Chan 61′ found the net for the Wanderers to bring the final scores to 4-1. Wanderers’ Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes was red carded on 90 + 5.
The win brings the away sides win of the opening 2 games in top flight football to only 2 after doing so in the 2021-2022 seasons. Their highest joint scoring in their opening two games in the league is 8 in 1999, same number they have also scored at the week 2 stage this term.
Wolves have let in 4 goals in their first league match at home in any season just once since the 2003-2004 term, same number of goals they conceded at Molineux Saturday against the visitors.
Tottenham Hotspur versus Manchester United
In sensational fashion Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester United 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with goals from Pape Matar Sarr 49′ and Lisandro Martinez 83′ (OG) to take all the spoils on offer and leave their famous visitors empty handed. Manchester United was roundly beaten by a comprehensively composed Spurs side within their elements. Anything short of a victory for the London team would have been an injustice.
Spurs have somehow been able to find life without former Spurs forward Harry Kane still profitable in front of goal since the departure of the prolific England striker to Bayern Munich this month. The victory means that finally, Spurs have defeated the Red Devils in a premier league match at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium but it took them a total of 5 games (D2, L2, W1) to do so.
Senegal defensive midfielder Pape Sarr becomes the second youngest to score for Spurs in the premier league aged 20 years and 339 days, following in the footsteps of Juan Foyth who scored against Crystal Palace in November 2018 aged 20 years and 302 days.
Manchester City Versus Newcastle United
Champions Manchester City continued their form in their premier league title defense going 100 percent with another victory against rivals Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium Saturday. The Citizens took down visiting Newcastle by a lone goal.
Argentina forward Julián Álvarez’ 31′ strike made all the difference in the encounter as the Magpies could not find the mettle to erase City’s lead. The lost means that Newcastle have now lost their last 15 games away to the Citizens in the premier league. This represents the Magpies’ longest ever away losing streak against any opponent in their league record.
