The Premier League: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly


Kyle Jones
The Good: Liverpool
If you had made me write solely based on  last Saturday’s results then Manchester United would’ve been the “good” team, but, after rolling over Arsenal 4-0 at home the next day, Liverpool fully deserves this spot. A quick goal from Roberto Firmino, followed by a Sadio Mané strike in the 40th minute meant that this match looked done before the second half, but Liverpool wasn’t finished as Salah and Sturridge scored to seal this comprehensive victory for the Reds. Liverpool’s proficiency in front of net was not the only reason for their dominating victory, with their defense shining almost as much as their attack. With 22 tackles and impressive positioning, the Liverpool back line didn’t allow a single Arsenal shot to go on goal. A Liverpool victory wasn’t exactly a surprise, with the Merseyside club having claimed a win in both of their last two games against the Gunners, but the magnitude of their victory is what puts them above every other Premier League team this week. Liverpool travels to the Etihad to play Manchester City in their next match, in what promises to be an exciting tie.
The Bad: West Ham United
West Ham traveled to Newcastle, with both teams looking for their first points of the season. Unfortunately for the Hammers, the hosts took the lead through Joselu’s 36th minute strike and added two more after the hour mark, sending the Hammers back to London as 3-0 losers. One unfortunate result would be excusable, but West Ham were run over by a team that wasn’t even in the Premier League last year, and after suffering defeats at the hands of Manchester United and Southampton over the past two weeks West Ham are looking like surprise relegation candidates. After finishing 11th place last year, and top players like Chicharito and Joe Hart signing on at the beginning of the summer, West Ham should be challenging for a Champions League spot, but instead they are barely staying afloat after three matches. West Ham will host Huddersfield Town in their next match, where they’ll try to get back on track against a team that’s had a surprisingly great start.
The Ugly: Arsenal
As previously stated, Arsenal were simply outclassed by Liverpool in a 4-0 loss. It’s the second loss in two weeks for the Gunners, after coming from behind to beat Leicester 4-3 on opening night. The North London club looked like they would be exciting to watch after their first match, but now sit in a humiliating 16th place as fans continue to see the same old routine. On Liverpool’s 3rd goal the Gunners were cut out on the counter-attack in a defensive display that was laughable at best, not characteristic of the reigning FA Cup Champions. They were beat on the counter-attack on Liverpool’s 4th goal as well, with Daniel Sturridge’s 77th minute header putting the nail in Arsenal’s coffin. Arsenal’s attacking production was absent, with the team mustering only 8 shots and none of them hitting the target. Last week’s loss to Stoke City could be chalked up to a bit of bad luck and good play from Stoke keeper Jack Butland, but there are no real excuses for this week’s loss. The Gunners host Bournemouth in their next match, with both teams trying to bounce back after a tough weekend.

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