English UCL Roundup

Liverpool

After an unconvincing win over Ludogrets at Anfield, Liverpool were sluggish again in Switzerland as they fell 1-0 to Basel to further complicate Brendan Rodgers’ current situation.  Basel have now gone unbeaten in the Champions League against English opposition for seven games, adding to their resume of wins over Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham. 

With Real Madrid looming in three weeks, Rodgers will be happy to see Daniel Sturridge rejoin the starting XI by then, but collectively the entire team is in a funk.  Even Raheem Sterling, whose form has been encouraging for Liverpool, looked sluggish and was not his usual scintillating self.  

The most concerning issue with Liverpool right now though is their leaky defense.  With Mamadou Sakho relegated to the bench, Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren have to give more for all 90 minutes.  Today, the pairing was solid for most of the day, but lack of communication with Simon Mignolet and a momentary lapse in concentration cost the Reds dearly.  

Chelsea

England desperately could have used the services of John Terry in Brazil.  Terry put in his customary dominant performance at the heart of the Chelsea defense, commanding the defensive third and always being in the right place at the right time.  The star of the show however, was Nemanja Matic.  

Sitting next to the less defensive-minded Cesc Fabregas, Matic was happy to break up play time and time again in the first half, and was gifted a lovely headed goal for his efforts.  Matic is a key cog in the Chelsea midfield, and his value to Jose Mourinho only grows. He will play a key role in Sunday’s London Derby, and will only further prompt Arsene Wenger to rue his inactivity in the market for a defensive midfielder.  

Oscar’s performance was noteworthy too, his well-weighted balls for Andre Schurlle, Eden Hazard, and Diego Costa constantly causing problems for the Lisbon defense.  Times remain free and easy for Chelsea.  

Manchester City

Manchester City followed their competition-opening loss in Munich with a disappointing draw against visitors Roma on Tuesday.  Manchester City’s chances for qualification into the knockout stages took a big hit, and City’s recent dominance in England is no barometer for how this team plays in Europe.  

Gael Clichy was constantly out of his depth tracking the aging Maicon, while Fernandinho and Yaya Toure were stormed in the middle by Pjanic and Keita.  It is becoming too familiar of a theme for City to do so poorly in the European competition, something Manuel Pellegrini’s addition promised 16 months ago.  

The two bright spots for City were their English players Joe Hart and James Milner.  Milner came on for Jesus Navas at halftime, and was effective on both the right and left wings.  Hart, meanwhile, put to rest doubts about his grasp on the #1 jersey, stopping Gervinho from scoring on multiple occasions.  

Arsenal

Danny Welbeck scored a hat trick on Wednesday against Galatasaray, something he failed to do in his entire tenure at Manchester United.  Nonetheless, the Englishman is enjoying life in North London, with six goals from five starts.  

Arsene Wenger will be more pleased with the all-around effectiveness of all his attacking players.  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who got the nod over Alexis in the North London Derby, justified his inclusion in the last two fixtures.  Alexis was his usual self, always up for a chase or a trick.  Mesut Ozil, surrounded by three players with exceptional pace, was gifted the middle of the park and was at the middle of every move in the attacking third.  

Mathieu Flamini’s inclusion made Arsenal fans nervous, but the Frenchman redeemed himself today with a solid performance in front of the back four.  The lone blemish for Flamini was his booking, although one can hardly blame him for lunging in after seeing several of his teammates hacked down, particularly Alexis when Felipe Melo should have been sent off in the first half for an utterly inexcusable two-footed challenge.  

Round Five: Leicester, Palace, Hammers Rise

1. Chelsea (1): Perhaps unhappy to have not capitalized on the sending off of Pablo Zabaleta, Jose Mourinho will still be satisfied with one point at the Etihad Stadium.  Diego Costa's goal output is impressive but his temperament could cost Chelsea if it doesn't subside.  

2. Southampton (3): Ronald Koeman is manager of the year so far without a doubt.  This week, it was Victor Wanyama’s turn to play the hero, as the Nigerian came off the bench to sink Swansea on the road.  Roll on you Saints.  

3. Manchester City (2): Frank Lampard has proved his worth in each of his two appearances.  The former Stamford Bridge man looked embarrassed and apologetic after equalizing for the Citizens, but his last farewell to the Chelsea traveling fans would put a smile on even Fabio Capello’s face.  

4. Arsenal (4): On a weekend where Liverpool, City, United, Everton, and Tottenham all dropped points, Mesut Ozil stamped his influence on a three-goal outburst in the same amount of minutes.  The North London Derby beckons on Saturday. 

5. Leicester City (11): Enough cannot be said about Leicester’s resurgence in the top flight.  Jamie Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa led a stellar line of direct football against Manchester United.  Nigel Pearson’s unorthodox positioning up above during matches looks to be paying off for the Foxes.  

6. Aston Villa (6): There were plenty of positives to take from Aston Villa’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal on Saturday.  Had a nasty bug not taken hold of several players slated to play, this one could have been closer.  Paul Lambert cannot let his club slip into obscurity after just one bad day at the office.  

7. Swansea (6): On a weekend which saw Chelsea and Manchester City duke it out, England boss Roy Hodson’s attention was on this fixture.  Players like Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge, and Fraser Forster were unjustly denied a better opportunity to impress the England boss by Wilfried Bony’s overzealous pair of fouls on Maya Yoshida which resulted in a rightful sending off.  

8. Hull City (13): The purchase of Mohamed Diame is looking like one of the bargains of the summer, while the rest of Steve Bruce’s vast crop of recruits are settling in nicely at the KC stadium. 

9. Crystal Palace (16): A major, major result for Neil Warnock, who earned his first win as the Golden Eagles’ new boss.  Mile Jedinak’s leadership and the uncharacteristic errors of Tim Howard aided Palace to a much-needed victory at Goodison Park.  

10. West Ham (17): A fantastic atmosphere and an even better win will cool the critics regarding Sam Allardyce’s future.  Enner Valencia is looking to be an excellent signing, while former top-club players Stewart Downing and Alex Song impressed.  

11. Liverpool (7): Another spineless performance from Steven Gerrard allowed West Ham to snatch victory from the Reds at Upton Park.  Daniel Sturridge’s return could not come any sooner on Merseyside.  

12. Stoke City (14): Mark Hughes was denied a chance to exact total revenge on his former club Queens Park Rangers in a 2-2 draw.  Peter Crouch, who played for QPR as a youngster, scored for both teams in a game which twice saw Stoke surrender the lead.  

13. Everton (9): Tim Howard was strangely vulnerable in the home loss to Crystal Palace, misjudging a punch and failing to communicate with young Jon Stones on the second Palace goal.  The Toffees showed flashes of brilliance, but unforgivable errors at the back ultimately cost them.  

14. Tottenham (10): Since their two wins to start the season Tottenham have struggled.  A home loss to bottom feeders West Brom won’t do Spurs any favors, but shouts for the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino are ridiculous.  

15. Manchester United (8): Another plummet in the rankings for a disorganized and undisciplined United squad.  They showed how capable they are going forward but must do something about their gaping exposure at the increasingly unfit back line.  

16. Burnley (12): Sean Dyche missed a terrific opportunity to notch his first premier league win against Sunderland at Turf Moor.

17. West Brom (20): West Brom rebounded from a day at the Hawthorns with Everton which ended with the home fans booing their team off the pitch.  The Baggies were unlucky not to have won a first-half penalty, but a 74th minute James Morrison strike was the only goal in an uplifting win for a struggling club.  

18. Sunderland (15): Ashley Barnes’ late drive off the crossbar was the difference in what could have been another disappointing result for Gus Poyet.  Emmanuelle Giacherrini was a threat in an otherwise lethargic Black Cats team.  

19. Newcastle United (18): Alan Pardew avoided all-out anarchy on Tyneside when he saw his Magpies come back from a 2-0 deficit to earn a point.  His job is safe for now, but his leash must be running very thin.  

20. Queens Park Rangers (19): QPR’s start to the season, although not as terminally awful, is mirroring that of 2012/2013.  Harry Redknapp’s side dropped more points at home, not the best rebound to the 4-0 thrashing they endured at Old Trafford.  

Chelsea Set For Everton Test

Jose Mourinho has had the luxury of facing two premier league newcomers in Chelsea’s first two premier league fixtures.  After a brief scare against Burnley, the Blues have gone on to dominate both games, winning comfortably in the end.

To make matters even better for Mourinho, he saw his team draw by far the easiest group of any English team in the Champions League yesterday.  This weekend Chelsea will face their first real test of the season when they travel to Goodison Park and face Everton.  

The two blue-clad clubs dueled to offsetting 1-0 home wins last season, leaving no doubt that tomorrows fixture will be hotly contested.  Everton have a pair of Chelsea strikers facing fitness battles before the weekend, but anyone who claims Samuel Eto’o isn’t out for revenge to some degree is kidding themselves.  

Eto’o, the ever confident Cameroonian who recently retired from international duty after 56 goals in 118 appearances, will have his former manager's comments about the strikers age in the back of his mind.  However, he has been with the team for less than a week, and his inclusion will likely be limited to a substitute appearance should he be available.  

Regardless of Eto’o’s fitness status, Romelu Lukaku will lead the line for the Toffees.  A year ago, Lukaku declared that he would score more goals in the premier league for Everton than any Chelsea strikers while on loan.  He came through on his promise, netting 15 goals and eventually earning a permanent contract with Everton.  

Lukaku will show the determination to prove himself under the watchful eye of Jose Mourinho, who sold the Belgian earlier in the summer.  Ross Barkley is still sidelined with injury, as are Steven Pienaar and Bryan Oviedo.  Roberto Martinez still has plenty of quality players at his disposal however.  

The midfield duo of Gareth Barry and James McCarthy has been excellent in the past year, while fullbacks Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines are a mainstay on either flank.  John Stones could deputize anywhere along the back line should Martinez need a late replacement.  Muhamed Besic has yet to make his first premier league start, so I wouldn't rule out Martinez sending him out there in front of the holding pair of Barry and McCarthy with confidence.  

Chelsea will have their hands full going into a hostile environment, but will have a full squad to choose from.  Diego Costa had a brief injury scare midweek, but has passed a fitness evaluation this afternoon and will likely lead the Chelsea line.  

Mourinho has fielded an attacking lineup in the two previous matches, but could opt for a more defensive starting XI and deploy the tireless Ramires next to Nemanja Matic in the middle.  

This would mean either Oscar or Cesc Fabregas would be sacrificed to the bench, something Mourinho is not afraid to do in big games away from home.  Ramires could also feature on one of the wings, since defending the flanks is never easy against Everton.  Whoever Mourinho selects on either wing must have a tactical understanding and help out against the marauding Coleman and Baines.  

As they did last weekend against Arsenal, Everton will likely come out aggressively.  However, Mourinho will not allow his team to go down 2-0 as Arsene Wenger did.  He has to be wary of how dangerous Everton can be when the run of play favors them and at times will be forced to play behind the ball.  

For Everton, it is imperative that lessons be learned from last weekend’s result against the Gunners.  For 75 minutes, Everton defended excellently and took their chances extremely well.  They took advantage of a sluggish Mertesacker and a weak defensive midfield, but must know the team they face tomorrow will be tougher and more organized.  

If Everton grab the lead, they mustn’t so deep in the dying moments as they did against Arsenal and allow Chelsea to mount a comeback.  Chelsea will probably play relatively simple and compact for the first portion of the game and Jose Mourinho will adjust as he always does.  

If Mourinho can sustain a defensive presence and assess how to improve the squad he has on the pitch at halftime, Chelsea could sneak away with a win.  However, the big game mentality that Roberto Martinez instills in his players will reign supreme over Mourinho’s methods.  I’m predicting Everton to snatch their first win of the season in what is sure to be a heavyweight duel, 1-0.  

Week Two Preview: Chelsea v Leicester City

If Chelsea’s opening fixture against Burnley was David vs Goliath, one would argue the Blues’ hope opener against Leicester City could be construed as the United States vs Grenada.  The Blues were impressive in disposing of top flight new boys Burnley on Monday, and look to wow the fans at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.  

Cesc Fabregas turned in an immaculate performance in his competitive debut for the East London club, delivering a man-of-the-match performance which included a sublime flick to Andre Schurrle for the Blues’ second tally.  Diego Costa also impressed, opening his account for Chelsea to level at 1-1.  Even so, Chelsea showed some vulnerability, but don’t expect them to do so again this weekend.  

After going down 1-0 on Monday, Chelsea kicked it into top gear.  This weekend look for Chelsea to attack from the opening kickoff, feeding off of the Stamford Bridge crowd.  Leicester were impressive in their home draw against Everton, Riyed Mahrez putting in a terrific performance.  Mahrez showed he belongs in the top flight, and that should be encouraging for Leicester.  

However, Chelsea will be near impossible to compete with at home, at least for a club like Leicester.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Chelsea went unbeaten at home this season, given Jose Mourinho’s pristine record at the Bridge and the arrival of new signings Fabregas and Costa.  

Felipe Luis earned a place on the bench in the opening fixture, but could feature this weekend at left back with Cesar Azpilicueta moving over to right back in place of Branislav Ivanovic.  I would speculate that this would be the long-term solution to Chelsea’s deep set of fullbacks.  Luis has a great deal of pace compared to the aging Ivanovic.    

The combination of Oscar, Nemanja Matic, and Fabregas in the midfield is a lethal one.  Matic is happy to sit deep and dictate the middle third, with Oscar and Fabregas searching out creative opportunities up the field.  Eden Hazard turned in an exceptional performance against Burnley, as did Andre Schurrle who was on the end of Fabregas’ wonder-through ball.  

Diego Costa completes this Chelsea team.  Costa showed promise that he could replicate his La Liga form in the premier league, while his skill set could have easily made the difference in Chelsea’s title challenge last season.  He doesn’t look it, but Costa is still at a tender enough age that he could yet show his best.  

Under Jose Mourinho, Costa will be managed well, not that he wasn’t under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.  With a top striker, Chelsea look set to reek havoc both in Europe and in England.  Mourinho has the depth at every position to challenge on multiple fronts, and expect them to take care of business fairly easily this weekend.  They have yet to be tested against a contending team, but the Blues look to be in excellent form early on.  I see Chelsea coming away with a 3-0 win on Saturday.