The Premier League returned this past week from a three-week international break, and Manchester City played their first game since their guilty verdict away to Liverpool, with an unpleasant welcome.
Meanwhile, Manchester United aren’t any better than they left off after conceding a late goal to Tottenham Hotspur, with Fulham still struggling for their first win as Brighton continued to ride their wave of momentum.
Here are the takeaways from Gameweek Six.
Hostile atmospheres the new normal for Man City
The international break was not all quiet, as news broke that Man City had been found guilty by an independent commission of almost all 115 charges.
City have since appealed and played their first game on Sunday away at Anfield, with the Cityzens receiving a negative reaction from the home supporters. Some even had banners made reading “cheat” in Oasis style.
Despite City’s players doing their job on the pitch, loud boos and chants of “cheats” still rang out across Anfield. But this is the new normal for City, with the saga playing out in the background.
Some supporters will feel aggrieved and angered that City cheated their way to success at the expense of their teams. Any ground Enzo Maresca’s side goes to will be an unpleasant welcome, and they’ll try to put City off their game.
Man United stuck in a groundhog-day cycle
Pressure is growing for Michael Carrick at Manchester United, with Utd only winning one game so far this season and missing out on the chance for three points after conceding late against Spurs.
They sit 13th with six points, and their on-pitch performances aren’t good enough. Spurs pressed up against Utd, outran them, and showed more desire to win than in any other game this season.
Utd, meanwhile, had players standing around and letting Tottenham pile on. It is rinse and repeat with the Red Devils. Their squad has barely improved, puts in little effort, and it puts Carrick’s job in question.
How many times has Utd been in this situation before, and how often has it worked out for them in the long term?
Fulham are relegation favourites
Six games, no wins and two points, with Fulham sitting bottom of the League. While Alvaro Arbeloa has had his side play exciting attacking football, they still struggle to win.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace pulled out a win against Nottingham Forest. The Cottagers are falling behind and risk a season-long fight for survival.
Football doesn’t wait for anyone, and if Arbeloa cannot get his side to win games, Fulham could make a switch; if their results don’t pick up, they might be too far gone to save their season.
They conceded two late goals to Ipswich, in similar fashion to when they had a lead against Utd but could not see the game out, and results like that, if they continue to go on, are what can send a team down.
Liverpool’s misfiring attack proving costly
Despite their defensive crumble after Ryan Gravenberch got sent off with a second yellow, Liverpool built goodwill in their defence while the game was still deadlocked.
The problem was that their attacking quality wasn’t at the same level; Bradley Barcola does not look ready to compete in the League yet.
He had a few drives and got down the left inside, but he couldn’t cut inside and barely threatened. Only Víctor Munoz looked lively in Liverpool’s attack against City.
Andoni Iraola faces a dilemma with key players like Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo missing. With the players available, it’s a matter of figuring out how they can threaten in front of goal, as games against City are when the Redmen can’t afford to lose points.
Brighton have great character
Brighton went down to ten men on Saturday afternoon, with a 1-0 lead at one of the toughest away grounds in the League, the Stadium of Light.
But the Seagulls dug in, didn’t let the disadvantage derail them and walked away from Wearside with three points, as Jaouen Hadjem came on to double their lead.
A testament to their character and belief, the Seagulls’ fighting spirit has carried them to their best League start in eight years, with three successive victories, and sustained their momentum before the international break.
Third in the League at the end of the weekend, Fabian Hurzeler and Brighton’s character shine much more strongly than some of the top sides in the League.
