Power Rankings: Palace on the Rise, Liverpool Fall Again

1. Chelsea (1): Another easy win for Chelsea who dispatched of Aston Villa easily at home.  Diego Costa now has eight from six premier league matches, and Jose Mourinho celebrated his 250th match in charge of the club.  Chelsea will look to take advantage of Arsenal’s injury troubles next weekend and replicate the last meeting between the two London clubs.

2. Southampton (2): Since losing at Anfield on opening day, Southampton are undefeated in all competitions (seven matches), riding the high of Ronald Koeman’s brilliant philosophies.  Graziano Pelle’s strike could be the goal of the season already, and Ryan Bertrand looks keen to jump ship from Chelsea permanently.  

3. Manchester City (3): The top three remains unchanged here, given Southampton’s form in September.  City won 4-2 at Hull City, but made it harder on themselves than necessary; Eliaquim Mangala will want to forget this day which saw him conceded a penalty and put one in his own net.  

4. Arsenal (4): Arsenal only stay in the top four of the rankings by virtue of the four teams behind them losing.  Saturday’s North London Derby was a disappointing result for the Gunners, with fans scratching their heads wondering why Alexis started on the bench.  The Chilean has been Arsenal’s best player in the young season, and his introduction changed the game late on.  A full 90 from Arsenal’s big signing could have seen a different outcome.  

5. Crystal Palace (9): Crystal Palace’s rise in the last two weeks has been meteoric; two wins in six days an a recent home victory over talk-of-the-town Leicester will put to rest any doubts about Neil Warnock’s pedigree for now.  Mile Jedinak continues to log impressive shifts in the middle for Palace; there are probably a host of top teams wishing they had a player of his solidarity.  

6. Leicester City (5): Leicester couldn’t continue the blistering pace with which they dispatched of Manchester United last Sunday, and subsequently fell to Crystal Palace 2-0 on the road.  Nigel Pearson is a manager who, however, ‘gets it,’ and they should look to impress more moving forward. 

7. Aston Villa (6): That’s two losses from two for Aston Villa, but this one won’t sting like last weekend’s 3-0 home loss to Arsenal.  Chelsea are in a different class, and it’s important for Paul Lambert and Roy Keane to refocus their efforts toward more winnable fixtures ahead.  

8. Swansea (7): For the second week in a row, Swansea drop a spot in the rankings.  Lukasz Fabianski was a busy man on Saturday, and also for the second weekend in a row Swansea ended the game with 10 men.  This time it was Angel Rangel who received his marching orders, but credit Sunderland for making it very difficult for Swansea to find chances throughout.  

9. Everton (13): Everton stood firm in the season’s first edition of the North London Derby.  Phil Jagielka’s pile-driving effort assured a point for Roberto Martinez, but today’s here for Everton was American Tim Howard.  Howard had a disastrous outing last Sunday, making two unforgivable errors.  On Saturday, Howard was Everton’s best player, making several impressive saves even while falling victim to Steven Gerrard’s brilliant free kick.  

10. Stoke City (12): Another club on the rise for the second week in a row, Stoke City easily dispatched of sputtering Newcastle United.  This could be the last nail in the coffin for Alan Pardew.  

11. Hull City (8): Steve Bruce will applaud his side’s resilience after going down 2-0 so early, but won’t be happy with some of the lazy marking which allowed Sergio Aguero to open the scoring.  Had it not been for Eliaquim Mangala’s day to forget, it could have been much worse for the Tigers.  

12. Manchester United (15): 19 year old Paddy McNair was handed his debut by Louis Van Gaal, more papering over the cracks than a must-see first start.  However, credit the debutant for holding his ground and managing a near-physically impossible clearance down the stretch from a dangerous West Ham cross.  Wayne Rooney’s sending off only adds to the laundry list of questions directed toward the Red Devils’ captain.  

13. Liverpool (11): Liverpool missed an opportunity to springboard into a run of excellent form, as they did last year when they dismantled Everton 4-0 at Anfield.  Brendan Rodgers’ side took 37 or the next 39 available points after that, and a team struggling to find it’s post-Suarez identity won’t look to this one for any encouragement.  

14. Tottenham (14): Tottenham scored against Arsenal, something they didn’t manage once last season, so that has to be a huge positive coming away from this one.  

15. West Brom (17): West Brom dismantled Burnley, thanks to a brace from Saido Berahino.  Berahino’s impressive start to the season continues, and Fabian Delph’s call-up gives the youngster hope of seeing action in Roy Hodgson’s England squad.  

16. West Ham (10): Taking a closer look at this game, West Ham missed an opportunity to snatch a point from Old Trafford.  Enner Valencia blasted wide from a Daley Blind error, United capitalized on a terrible error for their second and game-winning goal, and Wayne Rooney's sending off should have boosted the Hammers coming off their win over Liverpool last weekend.  

17. Sunderland (18): Sunderland are also still searching for their first win of the season.  A draw to Swansea isn’t the worst thing that can happen, but Gus Poyet may see pressure from above if he continues to go winless.  

18. Newcastle (18): If cats have nine lives, Alan Pardew surely has hundreds and is by now running out.  Newcastle lack inventiveness, organization, and fighting spirit.  Only a matter of time now until SackPardew.com can finally be deemed irrelevant, but while it’s not, check it out; lot of interesting facts about the Pardew era on there.  

19. Queens Park Rangers (20): The only thing keeping Queens Park Rangers out of the DFL zone is Burnley’s unworldly poor form.  However, had it not been for Graziano Pelle’s unworldly strike, Harry Redknapp could have walked away with a point from the South.  

20. Burnley (16): Ironically enough, Burnley had three bids for Michael Dawson rejected over the summer.  Dawson scored from Chris Brunt’s corner to only worsen the 4-0 defeated handed to them by West Brom, while Burnely are currently riding a 526 minute streak in which they have not scored a league goal.  

Plenty on the Line in the Merseyside Derby

Two teams no one expected to start so poorly will face off on Saturday in the season’s first edition of the Merseyside Derby.  Between the two, Everton and Liverpool have amassed just eleven points in 10 games.  

Both teams will be eager to impress in this early season showdown with more than a place in the table on the line.

Both clubs have lost three of their last four premier league fixtures, and both are without key contributors.  Missing out will be Everton’s young star Ross Barkley, while Daniel Sturridge faces an uphill battle in order to be ready for Saturday.  For Everton, Romelu Lukaku is hard at work repaying the transfer fee they doled out for him.  

It’s imperative that the Belgian steps up in big games and shows more consistency than last season.  His price tag means he’s expected to lead Everton through thick and thin, and although he was at times unstoppable for Everton on loan last year, he endured multiple scoring droughts among injury concerns.  

Everton’s biggest threat in this contest is Roberto Martinez.  Everton have only amassed five points in the league, but they’ve played better than that number suggests.  They dominated Arsenal for 75 minutes before squandering a two goal lead, and were involved in the instant-classic 6-3 match against Chelsea.  

Martinez will make sure his players know they’re doing the right things, but they need to be more precise.  Saturday could be a historic day for the Toffees, who haven’t beaten Liverpool at Anfield in 15 years.  Surely this is an excellent chance to put up a fight and maybe snatch a win, so plenty is on the line for the Spaniard.  

It was a formality last season that Everton would be hard to break down, regardless of their opponent.  Things have changed with the form of their aging core of defensive players.  With Sturridge very questionable, Mario Balotelli has another chance to impose his will once again on England.  

Balotelli will be going up against Sylvain Distin whose age is taking a toll on him, and an uncharacteristically struggling Phil Jagielka.  Tim Howard’s issues are a whole different story, but Roberto Martinez put to rest doubts about the resolve of his American shot-stopper.  

Balotelli and whoever starts alongside have a chance to inflict the same irreparable damage Liverpool were so accustomed to handing out in bulk with Suarez in the side.  Raheem Sterling should play a big part in the Derby too, as he has been by far Liverpool’s best player this term.

Steven Gerrard is one player whose leash is running short with the supporters.  Rodgers made a mistake playing Gerrard three times in eight days, because by the time West Ham came around he was running on fumes, left to protect a back four struggling enough already.    

I would expect Martin Skrtel to make a difference in his return to the lineup, as he usually does in big games at home.  Thus, either Dejan Lovren or Mamadou Sakho will be dropped.  Lovren’s struggles came to a head last weekend, and Sakho’s inability to head balls out of his own area cause much concern. 

Brendan Rodgers was hailed in the summer window for his swift and aggressive strategy following Suarez’ exit.  It’s only five games into the season, but dropping points at home to Everton of all clubs would put even more pressure on a squad failing to produce results.  

A win would be a massive result, and Rodgers would feel very good about his club going forward if they put on a show like they have in the past at Anfield.  A tie though, let alone a loss, wouldn’t bode well with supporters who have been so critical of Steven Gerrard in recent days.  

As for Everton, a solid showing and any points at all could serve as a springboard off of which to catapult back into the top four discussion.  On what could be a historic day for the Toffees, Liverpool must be more organized defensively and get a good showing out of their forwards or face the wrath of the Anfield faithful.  

Welbeck 'That Guy?'

England put doubts to rest about the state of their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a satisfying 2-0 win over Switzerland tonight.  A nation still suffering the after effects of a horrendous performance in Brazil, England can rest easy that their Three Lions are headed in the right direction.  

Jack Wilshere, albeit not in his best performance, gave a glimpse of what life after Steven Gerrard could be like for England.  Jordan Henderson, tireless as ever, filled his usual quota of long runs and defensive cover.  Often the whip of English fans’ criticisms, Wayne Rooney also turned in a good shift.

The star of the show was Danny Welbeck though.  Arsenal’s latest addition spurned a glorious chance in the first half, but atoned for his lack of opportunism with two goals to secure a winning start in qualifying.  

When he returns to London Colney tomorrow, Welbeck will get his first chance to train with his new Arsenal teammates, culminating in a weekend showdown with holders Manchester City.  It’s almost a guarantee that Welbeck will start at the tip of the Arsenal attack on saturday, today’s performance indicative of what he is capable of.  

Like Olivier Giroud, he brings more to the game than scoring goals, as evident in his excellent passing numbers and ability to interchange with his teammates.  However unlike the Frenchman, Welbeck has the pace to make runs in behind the defense.  This will suit Arsenal’s midfield, which is adept at finding pacing runs in the final third.

What he showed today though, is that he can deliver when trusted in the middle.  Welbeck’s qualities are not that of an ruthless goalscorer like Diego Costa or Falcao, but his all-around game will compliment those who line up next to him.  

At Real Madrid, Mesut Ozil led Europe in assists, thanks in large-part to the pace of Angel Di Maria, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s runs.  In the absence of Theo Walcott and the inclusion of Alexis last season, Arsenal were stagnant, often playing a midfielder on the wing and the less-than-quick Giroud up top.  

Welbeck brings another dimension to the forward position; he has the pace that Giroud will never have, and the size that Alexis needs to be more consistent in the #9 role.  The biggest thing to take from today was his ability to take chances, and there will be plenty of chances at Arsenal.

It’s imperative that Welbeck integrates himself with the side in the days leading up to saturday.  If Arsene Wenger can see this transition through, Danny Welbeck’s impact at the Emirates will be very positive. 

Room to Improve for Liverpool

An early season loss at the Etihad Stadium these days is far from the worst thing that can happen to a premier league team.  Brendan Rodgers will make sure his players know this all too well and will use the Manchester City game on Monday as a barometer for what Liverpool must improve on.

Defensively, all three of Manchester City’s goals started from the left side of the pitch.  Stevan Jovetic was easily the man of the match, and aside from his two goals he was a constant thorn in the side of Liverpool’s defenders.  Usually taking up a position behind Edin Dzeko, Jovetic worked in the channels on either side of Gerrard to great effect.  

Alberto Moreno was not quick enough to clear from inside his own penalty area and allowed Jovetic to fire home the opener off of a loose ball.  Then, Jovetic again broke down Liverpool’s left side with a deft flick to Samir Nasri who stormed into the penalty area past Moreno and delivered the assist to the Montenegrin.  

The introduction of Jesus Navas was the last thing Moreno needed, as the wide-man delivered an inch-perfect through ball for Sergio Aguero to send home the third and final goal.  Moreno was excellent for a majority of the game, but has probably found out that he has to be at the top of his game at all times to keep his place in the side.  There’s no doubt in my mind that he is a fantastic player, and away to City is as hard as it gets in a premier league debut.  

Lovren was not as sharp as he was against Southampton in week one, but that’s going to happen against a team like City.  Glen Johnson on the other hand, is running out of excuses for his increasingly poor and lazy performances.  Johnson, a fullback who loves to get forward, was caught upfield several times by the efficient Blues counter-attack.  If Manchester City had targeted Johnson as they did Moreno and Lovren, this game could easily have been much worse.

It's never nice to see fans cheering when a player gets injured, but that's exactly what's happening right now in Liverpool-clad households around the world.   Jon Flanagan’s return cannot come sooner for the Reds in my opinion, as he is the most well-rounded fullback in the squad.  He should feature at the weekend given Johnson’s injury, but I would play him regardless of his fellow Englishman’s fitness.  

Up front, the biggest impact by a Liverpool player was made by Rickie Lambert, who scored in a substitute appearance.  It is becoming more and more clear that Liverpool play best with a midfield diamond and two strikers, which is what they played primarily throughout last season.  With Mario Balotelli joining the Reds, we could see a drastic change from how Liverpool have started out in the first two games of the season.

Given Daniel Sturridge’s desire to roam the front line in search of the ball, it’s imperative that Rodgers has another striker in there to occupy the box when Sturridge makes these runs.  Lazar Markovic should figure in the conversation to start as well, his impact a positive one in his late appearance on Monday.  

Perhaps the most intriguing player ready to make his return is Adam Lallana.  Brendan Rodgers made the Englishman his top transfer priority in the summer and paid top dollar for his services.  Lallana should challenge Coutinho for the keys to Liverpool’s attacking midfield, but we could very well see both players line up at the same time.  

It seemed as if Rodgers would revert to his favored 4-3-3 formation after the departure of Luis Suarez, but it’s beginning to look more and more like the 4-4-2 diamond will be the most effective.  Rickie Lambert, not a world-class striker by any means, changed the game after coming on.  This is indicative of the fact that tactically, Balotelli should fit nicely.  

If Liverpool are to play with one holding midfielder, and if that one player is going to be 34 year old Steven Gerrard, things must change on Merseyside.  I feel like a broken drum when I say Emre Can would be ideally placed alongside Gerrard, but part of it is also the fullback play.  

Liverpool need more out of their wide defenders if they are to give their captain more help, Glen Johnson the main culprit.  If Rodgers can optimize his formation, Liverpool will be an excellent side as they were last year.  There’s no doubt that Luis Suarez has been replaced adequately by the Scot, so an early season loss to Manchester City should be the least of supporters’ worries. 

Will Mario on Merseyside Work?

Luis Suarez’ exit from Anfield signaled a major change for the Merseyside club.  Personnel-wise, a crop of new signings litter the training ground nowadays, and the polarizing presence of the Uruguayan is no more.  However, the antics-driven media fracas which hung over Liverpool like a cloud (literally, it’s always cloudy on Merseyside) is back with the arrival of Mario Balotelli from AC Milan.  

18 months ago, Balotelli was sold to his boyhood club by Manchester City and Roberto Mancini, who after years of trying to tame the young Italian’s mercurial personality, threw in the towel.  Balotelli was instrumental in the 2011-2012 premier league title, but was known more for making the wrong sort of headlines.  

The stories go on and on about the striker, about how he drove his car into a Brescia women’s prison, how he once set his house on fire with fireworks, and how he inexplicably showed up at an Inter Milan press conference to congratulate the club on hiring a new manager with cameras rolling and all.  Thus, one has to wonder if life at Liverpool will be any simpler than it was for him in Manchester.

Is he a rotten egg or is Mario Balotelli in the mold of ‘misunderstood genius’?  His behavior off the field has been nothing short of bizarre, but on the field his talent is unquestionable.  It is expected that Brendan Rodgers will utilize his new striker next to Daniel Sturridge, reverting to the two-forward formation the Reds played in with Saurez.  

Balotelli will pick up a chunk of Suarez’ absent goal output, but the issue will be finding enough playing time for everyone.  When Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic return, Liverpool will have a plethora of attacking options.  Keeping Balotelli happy is a must however, since his discontent could derail a title challenge altogether as it did in 2012-2013.  

However, it will be easier to keep Balotelli happy in England than in Milan. Balotelli is desperate to play on a contending squad, and there is hardly a racist presence in England.  The best book I’ve read this year has to be I Think Therefore I Play, which is Andrea Pirlo’s autobiography.  

Pirlo, a very well-spoken individual in his own right, sees Mario as a symbol for the fight against racism in not just Italy, but the entire world.  Pirlo puts Balotelli’s life struggles into perspective, how he just wants to be loved and play football.  I felt I had made up my mind on the striker years ago, but listening to what Pirlo says about him sways him toward the ‘misunderstood genius’ crowd.  

Being one of the only African-American Italian players in Serie A, Balotelli’s stints in Italy have been marred by improper fan conduct and hateful gestures directed at him.  For me, Balotelli is going into a very positive situation at Liverpool.  At Manchester City, players are not loved as they are at Anfield.  He had the bad-boy-for-hire image at the Etihad, and while the home crowd cheered him, they didn’t adore him.  

Even through all the turmoil he insinuated at Liverpool, Luis Suarez was still loved by home fans until the day he left (well, you know…).  It should go the same way for Balotelli who, for what it’s worth, has never bitten another player on the pitch.  At 24, it is time for the Italian to become more a leader, something Brendan Rodgers will make crystal-clear to him.  

With talents like Raheem Sterling, Coutinho, Adam Lallana, and the presence of Steven Gerrard, Balotelli is in a place to succeed, but only if he puts his situation into perspective.  At Liverpool, the team won’t be built around Balotelli; he will be the one who has to adapt, but it is also him that could be the final piece in the post-Suarez Liverpool era puzzle.  

His work rate has always been in question and doesn’t share the same knack for hunting the ball down like Luis Suarez does.  Even so, it was a no-brainer for Rodgers to bring in Balotelli at that price.  His age almost guarantees that his value won’t dip given his abilities, and he could even feature as early as Monday against Manchester City (what a debut that would be!).  

It seems we’ve been saying it for years now, but Balotelli has all the potential in the world.  Of all the clubs Balotelli could have gone to, Liverpool may be the best choice for him.  Brendan Rodgers proves time and time again that he is an excellent man-manager who gets the most out of his players.  As long as he keeps the Italian happy, Suarez could be a forgotten name in Liverpool in a few months’ time. 

How Liverpool Can Succeed Against City

If there is one thing premier league viewers can be assured of, it’s that Manchester City will bring it at the Etihad Stadium.  With a 17-1-1 mark last season at home, the Blues come off an impressive title-winning campaign in which they netted 63 goals in front of their home fans.  

Liverpool shared similar success at home, but won’t be playing in the friendly confines of Anfield on Monday evening.  Liverpool and Manchester will meet for just the second premier league fixture of the season in the first marquee matchup between two title contenders in the new campaign. 

If Liverpool are going to have any success against high-octane Manchester City, they must defend better in the middle of the park than they did against Southampton.  James Ward-Prowse was allowed too much time and space, but that’s not to take anything away from the impressive Saints teenager.  

Emre Can has to start in place of the sluggish Lucas, whose time may be wearing thin at Liverpool these days.  Can has the engine and tenacity in the tackle to cause discomfort for the likes of Yaya Toure and David Silva in the midfield.  Can’s presence should ease pressure on Steven Gerrard, while the German is considered by many to be the Liverpool captain’s heir in central midfield.  

The most important area of the pitch for Liverpool will be the defensive line.  Dejan Lovren appears primed to take up a leadership role alongside either Martin Skrtel or Mamadou Sakho.  However, Alberto Moreno would be the focus of attention if he were to make his Liverpool debut on Monday.  

Moreno wowed La Liga with his pace and skill on the ball going forward, but what makes Moreno such a valuable asset to the Reds is his defending ability.  Similar to Jon Flanagan, Moreno has the ability to shut down a flank, something Glen Johnson looks less and less capable of doing.  The Englishman could still feature for Liverpool, but I would argue a fullback tandem of Flanagan and Moreno will be most effective against Manchester City.  

Finally, Liverpool must utilize their speed all over the field if they are to snatch goals at the Etihad.  Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge will feed off of Coutinho, who was recently called up by Dunga to the Selecao.  The aforementioned fullbacks will likely be eager to get forward on occasion, and I personally can't wait to see Moreno pitch in to the attack.  Obviously, taking their likely limited chances is a must if they are to walk away from the Etihad with any points.  

Brendan Rodgers grows more experienced every week in the premier league.  He should have seen Javier Manquillo’s rough go about against Ryan Betrand and Dusan Tadic as a sign that he isn’t ready for a fixture of this magnitude in England.  Manchester City will surely attack Liverpool, so they have to maintain shape and take their chances with pace when they are presented.  For me, a shift in personnel would lead to improvements for Rodgers’ side in such a test on the road.