Erling Haaland is the difference for Man City again – Premier League hits and misses

Haaland is the difference for City again

Manchester City are not the team that they were a few years ago when sweeping all before them and Pep Guardiola and the supporters know that. What nobody knows yet is whether this current version of City might still be good enough to win the title.

With Erling Haaland, they have an excellent chance. Nobody else in the Premier League has scored more than six goals this season. He hit that total with the opening goal against Arsenal and has added five more in the three games since that fixture.

As well as his 11 goals in eight Premier League games, Haaland has three in two in the Champions League and an outrageous nine in three appearances for Norway. Twenty-three goals in 13 games is simply outrageous. Against Everton, he could have had more.

He is the difference maker, as illustrated by Beto’s travails at the other end of the pitch. The Everton striker is a handful himself but his lack of precision is lamentable. Haaland decided this game. If he keeps doing that then the title is not beyond Manchester City.
Adam Bate

Beto blunder stokes Everton striker worries

Saturday afternoon could have been so different for the Toffees. A trademark David Moyes’ performance, filled with grit, frustrated Pep Guardiola’s side for the best part of an hour through brilliant pressing and resolute defending.

But this was a game decided at the top of the pitch. Haaland stole the show with his unstoppable finishing, while Everton striker Beto seemed to suffer from a case of stage fright.

His big moment came after just 13 minutes. Iliman Ndiaye, who remains a bright spot for Everton, produced a gilt-edged cross, taking Gianluigi Donnarumma out of the game. But Beto, with the goal at his mercy, failed to convert.

The Guinea-Bissau international, who seemed to have a renaissance last season under Moyes, has only netted once in eight Premier League outings this season. Thierno Barry, Everton’s new £27m striker, has an even worse goalscoring record, with none since signing.

Everton have no shortage of quality and creativity behind the number 9. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish and Ndiaye will continue to create chances. But, as of now, Everton will continue to struggle if they have no one to finish them off.
Noah Langford

The one problem Ange’s successor can’t solve

The appointment of Ange Postecoglou – or anyone for that matter – after parting ways with Nuno Espirito Santo was always going to be a risk.

The spotlight was on and the expectations following last season were always going to be weighty. But it went worse than anyone could have anticipated.

There will now be less pressure on the Australian’s successor, purely based on the fact that it cannot go much worse.

Regardless of the next decision and the next coach to walk through the door at the City Ground, one problem will be out of their control and the responsibility of solving that will fall on the players.

They have to take their chances. Postecoglou spoke at length about wastefulness in the final third after previous games and in the game that ultimately sealed his fate, eight chances were missed, with two of them having an expected goals value above 0.5 xG.

If the quality within the squad do not begin to show it from inside the penalty area, whoever takes on the role will inevitably suffer the same demise as the previous regime.
Patrick Rowe

Baleba showed signs of dominant best

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler called for more from Carlos Baleba and the midfielder responded against Newcastle.

Amid speculation about his future at the Amex and links to Manchester United, the Cameroon international’s form has been indifferent so far this season.

It led to the calls from Hurzeler for Baleba to step up and in the 2-1 win against Newcastle, he showed signs that his dominant best could be returning.

He drove forward with purpose in his 71 minutes on the pitch and up against one of the best and most powerful midfields in the Premier League in Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, he more than held his own.

“I’ve seen him a bit this season and he’s shown moments of his ability,” said Sue Smith on Soccer Saturday following Brighton’s win.

“We know he’s got those moments in his locker. He covers the ground so well. He broke forward against Newcastle a couple of times and glides past players. He also reads the game really well, but there is still more to come from him.”

And that’s a real positive for Brighton and Hurzeler.
Oliver Yew

Wastefulness becoming a huge issue for Leeds

It was another frustrating result for Leeds against Burnley.

Last season, they failed to score in both Championship encounters against the Clarets, and it proved to be the same story a division up as they lost 2-0 on Saturday.

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How Leeds did not score will baffle boss Daniel Farke as they dominated the statistics only to walk away from Turf Moor empty-handed despite having 42 touches in the opposition box and 69 per cent possession.

Leeds also put 47 crosses into Burnley’s box, the most by a team in a Premier League match this season and most by Leeds in a league game since June 2020 away at Cardiff (47), which was also a 2-0 defeat.

The Whites only had four shots on target at Burnley from their 19 attempts overall, and so Farke must find a way to convert their dominance.

Wastefulness is becoming a huge issue for Leeds – in three of their four league defeats this season, they have had more shots than their opponents and more touches in the opposition box.

Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin failed to have a shot on target in Saturday’s loss and Farke will need more from him if they are to bounce back on Friday at home to West Ham, live on Sky Sports.
Declan Olley

Mateta sparks sensational Palace turnaround

The resurgence of Jean-Philippe Mateta under Oliver Glasner has been one of the most notable stories of Palace’s season. On a day when his side looked beaten, the Frenchman almost single-handedly dragged them back into the game. His hat-trick, a mix of movement, power and precision, showcased a striker brimming with confidence and purpose.

Mateta’s link-up play was intelligent, his positioning sharp, and his composure from the spot in stoppage time summed up his growing maturity. For long periods, Bournemouth simply couldn’t contain him. The Palace number 14 is now producing the consistent end product his talent has long promised, and that could be pivotal in defining the club’s campaign.

But for all his brilliance, football can be cruel. In the dying seconds, Mateta had the chance to complete a storybook afternoon, four goals, a comeback win, and Selhurst Park in ecstasy. Instead, with the goal gaping, he lifted his shot over the bar. The groans said it all.

It didn’t undo his performance, but it did underline Palace’s ongoing problem with ruthlessness in decisive moments. Mateta may have rescued a point, but it could easily have been all three.
Sam Cohen

No place like home for high-flying Black Cats

If Sunderland are to confound the preseason sceptics and stay up this season, it will be because of their impressive home form, which continued on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over bottom side Wolves.

Regis Le Bris’s well-drilled team recorded a fourth league win already this campaign, three of which have come at the Stadium of Light, where they are unbeaten so far.

Incredibly, no side has won more home points in the Premier League than Sunderland’s 10 – making this their best top-flight home start to a campaign since 1968-69 – while only Arsenal (1) have conceded fewer home goals than the Black Cats this term (2).

And it is that kind of dominant form in front of their passionate fans that will make a trip to the northeast a tricky examination for any Premier League team this season.
Rich Morgan