The English Premier League’s week nine schedule was jam-packed with action, with Brentford defeating Liverpool, the league defending champions.
As the highest echelon of English football continues to unfold, if there is one thing we could learn from the contrasting results between Chelsea and Manchester United, it is that nothing stays the same. Many wouldn’t have predicted that the newly promoted side Sunderland were going to salvage all three points against the world champions Chelsea. Ruben Amiron’s team, on the other hand, survived a late scare to defeat Brighton 4-2.
Chelsea 1–2 Sunderland
Summer signing Alexander Garnacho opened his account for the Blues in the fourth minute, but the Black Cats fought back to shock the home side. Wilson Isidor levelled the scores in the 22nd minute.
Chelsea enjoyed the majority of the possession but couldn’t quite break Sunderland’s defense for a second time. Moroccan international Chemsdine Talbi completed the comeback with a brilliant finish right at the death.
Newcastle 2–1 Fulham
Fulham lost their fourth consecutive game after falling short against Newcastle.
The home side drew first blood through Jacob Murphy in the 22nd minute, but Sasa Lukic equalized for Fulham 11 minutes into the second half. It was a fiercely contested affair that took a moment of magic from Bruno Guimaraes to seal all three points for Newcastle.
Manchester United 4–2 Brighton
It was a day for the new boys as Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha stepped up to prove their worth. Cunha put United deservedly ahead in the 24th minute. Casemiro doubled his side’s lead in the 34th minute to put the home side in a 2-goal lead before halftime. Mbeumo scored United’s third in the 61st minute.
Former United man Danny Welbeck reduced the deficit in the 74th minute through a brilliantly taken free kick. Substitute Charalampos Kostounlas scored in additional time to set the game up for a nervy end.
Mbeumo scored his brace shortly afterwards to put the game beyond reach. While many might have been calling for Ruben Amiron’s head a fortnight ago, the result temporarily places United in the top four brackets on the log.
Speaking after the game, Amirom expressed delight in his side’s performance and also credited his opponents for doing everything, stating that it was a good game.
He further added, “It’s something that happens in football. You have the game under control, and then you suffer a goal. And then we suffer a little bit. They have a lot of talent. They have a lot of quality with the ball, and they control that, and they use that momentum to control the game. But we are improving in the way we respond to bad moments, and today, we did it again. We respond a little bit better, and that’s really important. We know how to suffer. If we suffer together, it’s so much easier to win games.”
Amirom has since urged his troops to “enjoy today, but tomorrow, we need to prepare for Nottingham Forest because, if you look at the table, two weeks can change everything. One week can change everything. We need to enjoy the week but work really hard to prepare for the next one. Today, we finished the game with a goal that gave us a different feeling. So, when you have the right spirit, everything is going in your favor. We need to hold onto that, work really hard, and take that to the next game.”
Brentford 3–2 Liverpool
Arne Slot’s men suffered their fourth consecutive loss in the league, as Brentford edged the defending Premier League champions. Danga Ouattara scored the opening goal of the game after four minutes.
Kelvin Schade breached Liverpool’s defense to double Brentford’s lead. Milos Kerkez scored shortly afterwards to lessen the deficit before halftime. The second half continued with the same amount of flair; Igor Thiago converted through a spot kick after Virgil Van Dijk committed a foul leading to the penalty kick. Mohammed Salah’s goal in the 89th minute was only a mere consolation as the Reds’ dreadful start to the season continues.
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