Premier League GW14: Three players who impressed from the week that was
After 38 goals, a set of massive results and a weekend characterized by spectacular moments, the Premier League has delivered yet again. There’s hustle and bustle around the table; there were upsets, comebacks, and rivalries reignited.
Brentford, Arsenal, and Burnley secured home victories to kickstart Saturday. Who’d have thought Burnley would swat Sheffield United aside 5-0 in an early relegation six-pointer?
Everton recorded their first win since losing 10 points for breaching the league’s financial rules. Had they not met that fate, the Toffees would be sitting pretty with 17 points in 12th place as the current table stands.
Also read: Everton Docked 10 Points For Financial Breaches
Newcastle United took Manchester United down, piling further misery on Erik ten Hag in Saturday’s headline fixture, thanks to Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal.
Come Sunday, the league lit up when Chelsea held on to a 3-2 win after losing stand-in skipper Conor Gallagher at the brink of half-time. Meanwhile, Liverpool and Fulham found themselves in a slugfest that finished 4-3 for the hosts, who once again proved their mettle at Anfield.
While Aston Villa and West Ham dropped points to AFC Bournemouth and West Ham, respectively, Tottenham Hotspur held Manchester City to a 3-3 draw at the Etihad, with Dejan Kulusevski’s 90th minute heroics reminding us how many steps forward they’ve taken under Ange Postecoglou.
So, who were the players that made the difference and set this match day ablaze?
Also read: Newcastle vs. Manchester United Match Notes
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Sometimes we’re blinded by greatness when it comes all too regularly at our doorstep. The current Liverpool team, and one of their chief protagonists – Trent Alexander-Arnold – are prime examples.
Alexander-Arnold had one of the games of his life. He’s had many across nearly 300 senior appearances for Liverpool, and even then, a portrait of his celebration was one that will go up the walls of his room when he retires.
He peppered eight long balls, dominated the game for Liverpool’s assaults going forward with an astonishing 102 touches, and scored an 88th minute winner. Adding to that, not many will deny he had his hands all over the free-kick from about 25 yards, which will go down as a Bernd Leno own-goal.
It’s not just about the goals, it’s the quality he exudes, at crucial junctures of games. To strike a free-kick that ferociously, or smack a volley with poise and intricacy, is beyond special for a right-back by tradition.
He’s a mentality monster created by Jurgen Klopp. And after an equalizer against Manchester City, he followed it up with a couple of screamers against Fulham. At the right time of the season, Alexander-Arnold is firing on all aspects of his game.
Ollie Watkins
It’s almost tiring to hail Ollie Watkins’ name in the back pages at this point. Ahead of Euro 2024, he’s having the season of his life. He’s been through the grind in his early days, and patience is finally paying off for the former Brentford striker.
“He was playing for Weston-Super-Mare (when he first saw him), he’d gone on loan there from Exeter and I went to watch him. I just liked his attitude, everything about him, he’s a team player, he works really hard. He talks about wanting the grass in front of him because he will chase things and you saw that with his goal,” said Dean Smith, who coached him at Brentford and snapped him up at Aston Villa, earlier this season.
Watkins was in doubt for this game, having missed midweek action. But he started, and often as he does this season, proved to have the midas touch of the game for Villa in their 2-2 draw at the Vitality stadium.
He set up Leon Bailey for the Villans’ first goal of the afternoon, before getting his head on a Moussa Diaby cross in injury time. He ultimately had the say in an entertaining exchange between two sides who have set out to exceed expectations this season.
It came to the point where Aston Villa were throwing bodies into the box and dishing crosses out. When Diaby, in sublime form himself, whipped a cross with his favored left foot from the right flank, Watkins was the first to attack, beating his mark and flicking a sensational header past Neto.
Aston Villa are a force to reckon with at home. With Manchester City and Arsenal set to travel this week, they’ll rely on Watkins to supply the goods in front of goal.
Anthony Gordon
Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle lured Anthony Gordon from Everton – a club he joined at the age of 11 – for £45m, making him the third-most expensive player in their history.
After a slow start to life at Tyneside, naysayers questioned the Magpies once again. Fast forward to the present day, and Gordon has scored as many PL goals for Newcastle as he did for Everton, in half the number of appearances.
He’s developed into an accomplished winger under Eddie Howe, a player who knows when to square it, drive with it, take players on, or arrive at the box. And so he did when Newcastle caught Manchester United napping with the ball, snapped it back in midfield and eventually, Kieran Trippier found Gordon at the far post waiting to apply the finishing touch.
That’s an aspect of his game that has improved by leaps and bounds of late. Gordon has been a fox in the box for Newcastle this season, along with his speed and ball-carrying ability.
From a player who received his fair share of condemnation, Gordon has developed into a humble, intelligent footballer who is on top of his game.
It’s easy to forget that Newcastle have been without Harvey Barnes for large stretches, such has been the volume of Gordon’s contributions.
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Ardfern. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.