Round Five: Studs & Duds

Studs

Frank Lampard, Manchester City: Don’t do a double take, that’s right, Frank Lampard plays for Manchester City now, at least for a few more months.  No one could have predicted this storyline a year ago, one which saw the former Chelsea man score the equalizer in a hotly contested match against the club he spent over a decade at.  His emotional goodbye to the traveling Chelsea supporters was a heartwarming sight, and his refusal to celebrate his goal showed his undeniable class.

The Leicester City Forwards: Leonardo Ulloa scored a booming header seconds after United extended their lead to 2-0, and later a spot kick after Jamie Vardy won the second of two penalties.  Vardy’s work-rate was inhuman on Sunday, while the eight million pounds Nigel Pearson paid for Ulloa is paying dividends.

Winston Reid, West Ham: Reid opened the scoring with a simple tap-in from James Tompkins’ flick off of an excellent Stewart Downing ball in.  Reid was constantly in the right place defensively, serving as a leader on the West Ham back line.  His goal was what started the momentum for the snatch-and-grab Hammers.

Ryan Bertrand, Southampton: Bertrand had expensive shoes to fill at the Saint Mary’s Stadium following Luke Shaw’s move to Manchester United, but the on-loan Chelsea man has proved his worth in the South.  Bertrand, billed as the successor to Ashley Cole a few years ago when he joined Stamford Bridge, is finally flashing the form we all expected of him back then. 

Mesut Ozil, Arsenal: “I don’t play to prove anything to anyone, I play for Arsenal.”  These were the words of Arsenal record signing Mesut Ozil in the morning papers, who silenced critics with a scintillating contribution at Villa Park on Monday.  Everyone points to the positional change as the reason for Ozil’s performance, but it’s nice to see the player confidently stand up for himself with both his words and his play on the pitch.  

Duds

Wilfried Bony, Swansea: Bony cost his side a chance to continue their strong start when he inexplicably earned himself two very bad yellow cards.  The second challenge on Maya Yoshida was unforgivable, and the suspension which follows the red card will further cost the Welsh club.  Credit to his teammates for keeping it close playing a man down for so long.   

Steven Gerrard, Liverpool: I called Gerrard’s display ‘spineless’ in my power rankings today, and after much contemplation, I concluded that this was not too harsh of a word to describe the former England captain.  Gerrard’s positioning as the only defensive midfielder doesn’t help him, but the one-club man’s influence is waning on Merseyside.  

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United: Rooney assisted on Di Maria’s mercurial tally in the first half, but otherwise struggled in the playmaking role for Manchester United.  The image of Wayne Rooney losing his head after Leicester tied the game won’t vacate twitter anytime soon, and neither will the speculations that Van Gaal chose the wrong man to captain his side.  

Tim Howard, Everton: It was unusual to see Howard make two such glaring errors.  First, Howard and Jon Stones had a collective brain fart, then the American missed his punch which led to Frazier Campbell’s goal.  As an American, I’m not used to seeing Howard make such awful mistakes.  

Liverpool Back Line: Between Manquillo, Lovren, Moreno, and Sakho, the Liverpool back line from Saturday’s horror show have one year of premier league experience.  Brendan Rodgers, known for his philosophies on the offensive side of the ball, may want to allocate more attention to his increasingly shaky back line led by a big-money signing who admitted to a lack in confidence early on.  

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.  

New Boys Shine Brightest

After weeks of wondering, pondering, hoping, and celebrating, the transfer window if finally closed.  Oddly enough, there were three rounds of premier league fixtures while the window was still open, a moot point, but a curious one. 

Nonetheless, the distraction of transfer talk is no more, and we can finally focus on football.  This weekend, it was the new boys on the block who shined the brightest.  

Diego Costa, Chelsea

Praise continues to be heaped on the Brazilian errrhmm…Spaniard.  It remained to be seen if Costa could handle the physicality of the premier league, but this is by no means an issue.  With seven goals from four games, Costa has enjoyed a historic start to life at Stamford Bridge.  

His goal record is indicative of his nature; he simply doesn’t miss when given the chance to score.  Chelsea is brimming with midfielders who make a living off of creating chances, so it’s no surprise Costa has been seeing the back of the net with such frequency.  With the addition of Costa, this could be one of the strongest Chelsea squads ever.  

Alexis, Arsenal

I was recently in a debate as to whether or not Arsenal needed the services of Alexis.  35 million pounds is a lot of money, but so far he has proved he is worth every penny.  The Chilean’s work-rate is ridiculous, and his injection of relentlessness into the lineup seeing Arsenal hunting the ball more effectively high up the pitch.  

His go-ahead goal was a thing of beauty, a perfectly timed side foot volley past a helpless Joe Hart.  The Emirates crowd is adopting Alexis as a fan favorite, a title he completely deserves.  He has now scored a goal in each of his last three appearances for Arsenal, but his performance against the Citizens on Saturday proves he doesn’t shy away from the big stage.  

Angel Di Maria, Manchester United

Di Maria was at the core of most of Manchester United’s attacking moves on Sunday.  His dynamism from a deeper role earned him a man of the match performance.  Had Robin Van Persie finished Di Maria’s sublime outside-of-the-foot chipped pass among other chances, the game could have been worse for QPR.  

As I said on twitter this morning, Di Maria is proving his worth.  His game is much more complete than people imagined, and as a fan of the sport it is always a treat to see a player of his quality develop even further.  Touted as a speedy winger, the Argentine has much more to him than initially meets the eye.  

Graziano Pelle, Southampton

In a way, Pelle is a poor man’s Diego Costa.  The Italian is proven physical poacher.  He takes his chances well, and is a big reason Southampton are in the position they are.  At 29, Pelle is by no means a ripe prospect, but that’s not what Southampton need out of their strikers.  

Pelle is similar to Rickie Lambert, in that he is an intelligent forward who is an exceptional header of the ball.  Ronald Koeman deserves a gold star for signing the Italian, who must prefer his new life in England to the dull nature of the Dutch league.

Ward-Prowse Poised to Make an Impact

Arguably the story of the summer in the premier league was the fire sale from the doorstep of the St. Mary’s Stadium.  Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Calum Chambers, and Dejan Lovren all left Southampton for a combined 92 million pounds.  To add insult to injury, manager Mauricio Pochettino also bolted for White Hart Lane.  

From a Southampton fan’s point of view, the summer couldn’t have gone much worse.  From a more neutral point of view, Southampton have managed to keep hold of their brightest young star in James Ward-Prowse. 

The 19 year old, who joined the Saints’ academy at just eight years old, is already entering his third season as a full-time member of the first team.  It goes to show why over two years ago, then manager Nigel Adkins had the faith in the 17 year old Ward-Prowse to give him his premier league debut in midfield against defending champions Manchester City.  

Up against Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri, David Silva, Yaya Toure, and Vincent Kompany that day, Ward-Prowse earned the high praise of his manager in 65 minutes of impressive two-way football.  Since then, Ward-Prowse’s rise has been steady but relatively undetected.  

With the aforementioned Saints now having moved on to new clubs, now is Ward-Prowse’s time to shine.  It remains to be seen if he has the toughness and desire to deliver with added pressure on his young shoulders, but I wouldn’t bet against him.

He is a technician in the mold of Steven Gerrard, with less of a physical presence but possessing superior speed and quickness.  Also reminiscent of the Liverpool skipper, Ward-Prowse is outstanding in dead-ball situations and can spray the ball to any corner of the field with accuracy and vision.  

He has yet to score in the premier league, but his strengths are not illustrated in his goal tally.  In the 2013/2014 premier league season, Ward-Prowse had a better pass completion and average pass length than both Ross Barkley and Jack Wilshere, England’s two most promising playmakers.  

Furthermore, the young Saint also averaged more key passes and chances created per 90 minutes than both of his countryman last season.

Internationally, Ward-Prowse has experience at the U-17 through U-21 levels, most recently representing England in the 2014 Toulon Tournament in France in May.  His only goal of the tournament was a breathtaking free kick against Brazil, which was eventually voted goal of the tournament.  

He was also voted one of the best three players of the tournament, which is a showcase for the best young talent in the world.  In my humble opinion, he was robbed of a spot on Roy Hodgson’s recent squad he named for the upcoming friendly against Norway and the Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland, but his eventual inclusion in the Three Lions is a formality.

After a summer in which England were eliminated so swiftly and with such ease from the World Cup, Ward-Prowse gives hope to a Three Lions team in desperate need of a new star.  With Gerrard and Lampard deciding to hang up their boots, Ward-Prowse will certainly challenge Wilshere, Barkley, Adam Lallana, and Jordan Henderson for playing time in central midfield.  

Here and now however, James Ward-Prowse’s focus will be on the premier league, while more viewer focus should be on him individually.  Down the road it is a formality that he will move on for a very hefty transfer fee, but for now Southampton fans can rest easy that they still very much have a star to watch.

Defenders for the Future

The future is bright for these stars, some of whom have already featured in the top flight, but some who you may not be familiar with just yet.

Kenneth Omeruo, 20, Chelsea

Kenneth Omeruo probably has as much international experience as any 20-year old in the world.  The Nigerian started all four games for Nigeria in the World Cup, as well as every game in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, a competition the Super Eagles won for the third time.  

Omeruo, on loan at Middlesborough, was bought by Chelsea in 2012 and has yet to feature for the first team in England.  In addition to wonder-kid Kurt Zouma, Mourinho has two physically dominant center backs at his disposal for the future.  

Hector Bellerin, 19, Arsenal

Arsene Wenger always has a plan, and it’s easy to see how he envisions Arsenal’s future at right back.  With the departure of Bacary Sagna, Mathieu Debuchy was brought in to replace his compatriot as the first-choice right back.  However, Debuchy is 29 and merely a short-term replacement.  

Enter Bellerin, who is certain to feature for Arsenal in the coming years.  Bellerin recently claimed the ‘fastest gunner of all time’ title after beating Theo Walcott and Thierry Henry’s 40-yard mark, and impressed both defensively and in attack at the Emirates Cup.  The La Masia Academy product is flying through the ranks at Arsenal and could appear in the premier league much sooner than anyone expects him to.  

John Stones, 20, Everton

Some reckoned John Stones had an outside shot at making the plane to Brazil this summer, but we can definitely assume he will be in the mix four years from now.  As an understudy to premier league veterans Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka, Stones has improved on his already immense pedigree since joining Everton.  

Stones can also deputize for Seamus Coleman at right back, making him a versatile asset capable of filling a number of roles (he more than filled this role when Coleman was sidelined last year).  Roberto Martinez deserves all the credit in the world for plucking him out of Barnsley last summer, and the sky is the limit for this multifaceted young man.  

Calum Chambers, 19, Arsenal

Similar to Stones, Chambers can play both center back and right back.  It wouldn’t be a far reach to predict that the two youngsters could be England’s first-choice center backs one day, but like Stones, Chambers can also play wide right.  

Chambers was bought for 16 million pounds by Arsenal this summer, a hefty fee for a teenager with just 22 premier league appearances under his belt.  However, he has impressed thus far while Per Mertesacker regains fitness and Laurent Koscielny battles though an achilles injury.  

Matt Targett, 18, Southampton

Southampton endured a long and difficult summer in the transfer market, one which saw them lose half their starting lineup as well as their managar.  Similar to what Arsenal did, Southampton brought in short term cover at the left back position vacated by Luke Shaw.  Ryan Bertrand joined on a two year loan from Chelsea, but the future lies with Matt Targett.  

Targett joins Gareth Bale and Shaw as the latest of left backs to come up through the South.  A Southampton supporter born into a Southampton-mad family, Targett has incredible pace and explosiveness going forward.  Ronald Koeman has reportedly taken a liking to the teenager who impressed in a preseason which saw him earn a pair of starts at left back.  

Eric Dier, 20, Tottenham

Two weeks ago, I would have looked like a genius for putting Eric Dier on this list.  Now, it’s a formality.  Dier’s story is one of the more unique ones in football.  Born in England, Dier moved to Portugal at age ten with his mother when she was offered a catering job for the 2004 European Championships.  

After impressing in none other than P.E. class, Dier was referred to Sporting Lisbon scouts by his school instructor soon after moving there.  In 2010 at age 16, Dier, loyal as ever, turned down Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United to stay in Portugal and play for the club who schooled him.  Now, the Englishman has returned to England and certainly made his presence felt with goals in each of his first two appearances for Tottenham.  Even as an Arsenal fan, Dier’s story puts a smile on my face.  

Youthful Impressions

James Ward-Prowse

Ward-Prowse was as good as advertised in the season-opener against Liverpool at the heart of Southampton’s midfield.  The 19-year-old Englishman imposed himself on the defensive midfield pairing of Gerrard and Lucas all afternoon, and delivered cutting-edge free kicks time and time again for the Saints.  He was full of energy and looks poised to take up the attacking mantle Adam Lallana left in the South.  Ward-Prowse looked extremely comfortable in front of Victor Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin, the former having a similarly impressive day.  

Ki Sung-Yueng

The South Korean midfielder showed everyone why Gary Monk needs to keep him around for the season.  Typical of his countryman Park Ji-Sung, Ki put in an energizing shift in the midfield, but also scored the first goal of the premier league season.  The goal he scored gives Swansea more promise for the season, as it’s usually a given that the 24 year old will give the necessary effort.  Ki was vital to the three points for Swansea who will be keen to further integrate the smooth-moving South Korean.  

Eric Dier

Dier’s journey is a very unique one, as the young Englishman started at the Sporting Lisbon youth academy at age nine.  Eleven years later, Dier made his premier league debut for Tottenham at right back, and scored the games only goal in extra time.  It was a fairytale ending to the day for the youngster, whose dream of playing in the premier league has finally been realized.  

Saido Berahino

Another talented young Englishman, Berhahino was the star of the show for West Brom against the hosts Sunderland.  He stepped up and buried a penalty for West Brom’s first, and scored a phenomenal volley for the second.  Berahino, 21, is an unsung English player who could feature for the Three Lions one day.  He is tied to the club until 2017, having just signed a new contract at the Hawthorns in December.  

Calum Chambers

Man of the match for me, Chambers proved me wrong after my comments on him earlier in the week.  I still think Arsenal need another center back, as Chambers would be more suited as a fourth center back while featuring in the defensive midfield more often.  However, the 19-year-old held his own in defense, but more impressively played the ball cooly and efficiently when stepping up into the midfield.  One wouldn’t have thought they were watching a teenager on Saturday, as his star could yet rise higher in the immediate future.