Money, like air and sex, can never really be appreciated until it’s gone. Likewise a cash injection after a long dry spell (not unlike its counterparts) can bring a smile and an optimism about the road ahead. Football teams are affected by this phenomenon as we all are. Manchester City’s cash infusion has brought a trophy, European competition, and resulted in the best football any team has played over the first two weeks – seven goals and six out of six points. Cash-strapped and overmatched Blackburn and West Brom toil at the bottom already pitted in a relegation battle that will surely last through May.
Consider then the setting for Queens Park Rangers and Everton at Goodison Park this weekend. Last week, QPR was as low as can be. Their best attacker looked to have sustained a serious injury, their best defender picked up a red meaning he’d be unavailable, and the club was taught a nasty 4-0 home lesson on how miserable life in the English top flight could be. Fast forward to Thursday, when Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes rode in on his white knight (okay, actually a Formula 1 race car) and announced he had purchased a majority ownership in the team. Talk of stadium renovation, last minute transfer spending, and a total top-to-bottom investment in the club suddenly had buoyed the spirits of the new Premier League participants. The club hadn’t played a top-flight away game since 1996, but talk of an extended stay excited their West London fans ahead of the trip to Goodison Park.
The same day QPR’s new owner made his announcement, Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright “privately told an insider group” (it was leaked almost immediately) what the majority of fans already knew: that his club is in dire financial straits. Of the twenty Premier League sides, all but the Barclays Bank-managed Toffees opened their chests to acquire some talent over the summer. While manager David Moyes was busy looking at players he couldn’t buy, Kenwright was pursuing new ownership he couldn’t sell. Kenwright hasn’t taken a salary from Everton and has received death threats from supporters over his lack of transfer funds, not understanding the logistics of how bank-owned properties operate. With an influx of cash nowhere in sight, the team appears to be standing still on the interstate that is the Premier League.
QPR, a team that hasn’t played in the top flight of English football for 15 years, had found its new owner. Everton, a club that has spent the last 57 years in the top flight of English football, can’t find a buyer. On Saturday, Queens Park Rangers had secured their first away win in the Premier League since September 1995 and are planning a massive investment to make sure many more follow, while Everton sit without a point at the bottom of the table wondering if and when their white knight will arrive.
Game Rundown-
- Manchester City 3-2 Bolton: Goals from Silva, Gareth Barry (yes, that Gareth Barry), and Edin Dzeko gave City a hardfought win. The margin could’ve been larger, but City win their sixth straight against Bolton to get six points out of six so far.
- Liverpool 2-0 Arsenal: The match changed course when Frimpong received his second yellow with 20 minutes remaining in a scoreless match. Super sub Luis Suarez caused an Aaron Ramsey own goal, then converted a tap at the close to give Liverpool the win.
- Aston Villa 3-1 Blackburn Rovers: New Villa manager Alex McLeish’s first match in front of the home fans was a comfortable victory against his former team. Agbonlahor, Heskey, and Darren Bent all scored against tame defending.
- Chelsea 2-1 West Bromwich: New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas narrowly avoided a disappointment in his first match at Stamford Bridge with second half goals from Anelka and Malouda the difference.
- Swansea 0-0 Wigan: A game dominated by Swansea was set to be decided after Wigan were awarded a PK in the 73rd minute, but keeper Michel Vorm saved Ben Watson’s spot kick and the match ended scoreless.
- Everton 0-1 QPR: QPR created exactly one decent scoring chance in the match, and Tommy Smith converted earning their first away Premier League win since 1995. The man everyone is talking about, though, is Everton’s 17 year-old phenom Ross Barkley. He was the true blue bright spot for the team in turmoil.
- Sunderland 0-1 Newcastle: A superb, curling Ryan Taylor free kick was the difference at the Stadium of Light in a game dominated for long stretches by the home team. Sunderland could have been down a man and in dire straits early, when a clear and deliberate hand ball was uncalled by Howard Webb, but Newcastle were stout in defense and kept a clean sheet.
- Wolves 2-0 Fulham: Fulham were coming off a Thursday night victory in the Europa league, but laid their second consecutive egg in league play. Mick McCarthy’s Wolves made it six points from six, their best start to a campaign since 1998-1999. Doyle and Jarvis netted the goals just before halftime.
- Norwich 1-1 Stoke: 10 man Norwich nearly held on for the full points, but Kenwyne Jones equalized in stoppage time to force the draw. Ritchie De Laet scored for the Canaries in the 37th minute, and teammate Leon Barnett was sent off for a foul in the box in the 63rd. John Ruddy saved the ensuing penalty and Norwich defended galliantly, right until the last.
- Manchester United 3-0 Tottenham: One of the oldest clubs in Europe fielded an incredibly young team of scorers, as Welbeck, Anderson, and 25 year-old elder statesman Wayne Rooney all netted second half goals at Old Trafford.
Match of the Week – For the second time, Roberto Mancini’s men were part of the most entertaining matchup of the weekend. This time, though, they had an equal partner in Bolton who like City had cruised to a 4-0 victory in week one. 25 minutes in, David Silva opened the scoring with a swerving bouncer that Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen probably should have stopped. Just 11 minutes later, defensive buzzkill Gareth Barry struck a left footed thunderbolt that left Jaaskelainen with no chance. It looked like City were on their way to another comfortable win, but Ivan Klasnic struck back 90 seconds later. Klasnic, whose body was heading slightly away from goal, showed superb balance and tucked home a Martin Petrov cross. Edin Dzeko had another superb game, and the big man’s efforts were awarded just after half time. He held off 9 foot tall defender Zat Knight before firing a shot past Jaaskelainen to make the scoreline 3-1. Again, it looked like City were off to the races, but Kevin Davies nodded a Petrov free kick past Joe Hart to narrow the margin. Mancini made the necessary substitutions to see the game out – in total bringing off Aguero, Dzeko and Silva and replacing with Tevez, Johnson, and Zabaleta. Probably a deserved result for City, but Bolton showed they will play attacking football and look serious enough to challenge for European play.
A Strange Weak – Cesc Fabregas, after months and years of flirting with his boyhood team, is now gone. “Invincibles” era left back Gael Clichy has moved to Manchester City. Samir Nasri, who was forced into action on Saturday despite an impending transfer, will soon be joining him at Eastlands. Jack Wilshere has not yet played due to a nagging ankle injury. Abou Diaby is likewise inflicted and could miss 2-3 months. Tomas Rosicky is battling a thigh injury that may cause him to miss more time. And the man at the helm, Arsene Wenger, was handed a two match touchline ban in European competition for speaking to his assistant during a game in which he was serving a one match touchline ban, even though he was apparently told this would be allowed.
It’s been a strange start to the 2011 campaign for Arsenal, a team routinely at the top of the Premier League table and in the thick of European competition. The team now faces Udinese in the Champions League playoff without almost all of the squad’s best midfielders from a year ago. It’s still much too early in the season to make any rash conclusions about where the club will end up, but it must concern the Arsenal faithful that the club appears to have some air of victimization. Wenger’s remarks after the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday point the finger not at his own team’s performance or even that of the opposition, but at the referees: “It is absolutely scandalous, every single decision in the last three or four months” had gone against the team. That a rash second challenge and sending off for Emmanuel Frimpong and an Aaron Ramsey own-goal were the difference appear to be nowhere in the Frenchman’s mind.
Red Army Youth Movement: While City are making all the noise, their housemates United have also taken six points so far this year. And while Roberto Mancini’s squad may give Sir Alex some cause for concern now, the side that United fielded against Tottenham could cause Mancini to stock up on a decade’s worth of antiacid now. The eleven starters for the Reds over the weekend with their ages:
- Defenders – De Gea, 20; Jonathan Evans, 23; Phil Jones, 19; Patrice Evra, 30 (to keep the older fans interested); Smalling, 21.
- Mids/Forwards – Anderson, 23; Cleverly, 22; Ashley Young, 26; Nani, 24; Rooney, 25; Welbeck, 20.
That’s a top-notch squad that averages 23 years old, and that’s with Patrice Evra who’s practically the side’s pensioner at 30. Of the side that City fielded against Bolton, only Micah Richards and Kun Aguero are that young – both are 23. Even with the new money at City, United have shown they’re willing and able to buy young, stock up, and let talented players grow within the system.
Individual Performance of the Week – In the first Premier League game ever played outside of England, Welsh eyes smiled on Swansea keeper Michel Vorm. He made several huge saves to keep Wigan at bay, with none bigger than getting a forearm on Ben Watson’s penalty in the 73rd minute to preserve the clean sheet. Even when the keeper was beaten by strikes from Victor Moses and Jordi Gomez, the woodwork conspired with Vorm to keep the shots in play and a point in the Welsh side’s pocket.
BONUS LATE COVERAGE Carling Cup Washouts – Almost as soon as the QPR uniforms were washed after their victory away to Everton, the team had to trot out to play what would surely amount to a training match against League One (third tier) outfit Rochdale in the second round of Carling Cup play. Bookend goals from Rochdale in the 5th and 81st minutes ensured that the Tony Fernandes-sparked euphoria would not last for long.
Not wanting to be outdone, fellow Premier League newcomers Norwich fielded an entirely different starting 11 than the one denied three points by Kenwyne Jones over the weekend. The result? A 4-0 drubbing at the hands of League One side MK Dons. That former Norwich man Luke Chadwick netted twice only adds to the Canaries’ plight. According to Opta Sports, the 4 goal margin was the worst ever Cup defeat by a top tier side against any team from the 3rd tier or below.
The Fab Five –
- Robbie Keane – If you haven’t read Daniel McDonnell’s scathing take on Keane’s move to MLS, do yourself a favor and go kick a puppy instead. Irish critics are apparently livid that Ireland’s all-time leading scorer would dare to move to Los Angeles and play for the Galaxy instead of grinding it out for Crystal Palace or Doncaster Rovers. He didn’t take long to dazzle a very pro-Keane crowd, finding himself on the end of a Beckham long ball before coolly finishing and celebrating with a trademark somersault.
- Liverpool – They did what needed to be done against 10 man Arsenal, and looked decidedly more cohesive than in their 1-1 draw at home against Sunderland. Jose Enrique appears to be settling in and Suarez looks poised to lead the attack. Andy Carroll still appears to be a question mark, but having too many strikers is never a bad problem.
- Wolves – Who knows how long their fabulous run will last, but for now they rightly deserve to be here. They’ve dropped no points, scored four times and conceded just once. A team that some thought would be solidly in the middle or even toward the bottom of the table appears charged to possibly make a run for a potential Europa League spot.
- Manchester United – A lackluster first half performance at Old Trafford against Tottenham was all but forgotten after the second half scoring spree. Questions still remain with Ferdinand and Vidic both injured, but the young combination of Phil Jones and Jonathan Evans at the back will hope to calm fears and weather the storm.
- Manchester City – Aguero came down to earth after a magical first game, but the glut of attacking options for Roberto Mancini make a scoring lull unlikely. City have to be slightly concerned about their back line’s performance. Lescott and Kompany are City’s best defensive pairing, and they allowed two Bolton goals that could have been dealt with. Still, City are the highest scoring team in the Premier League, have taken the full points, and deserve to hold the top spot for another week.
Next Week – Wenger reads from the works of Voltaire at the post-match presser, exhibiting how Howard Webb inhibited the free flow of goals from Robin Van Persie’s boot.
Football photo via Flickr.
Wenger photo via Flickr.
