Premier League Hot Take: The Postponement addition (with Extra Sauce)
Brentford/Man United
Once upon a time, I was singing the praises of the new addition to the Premier League but since Raya went down with a knee injury back in October, Brentford have looked less than ordinary. With only three days rest, they faced to task of playing Man United, a team who since their drubbing at the hands of Watford which saw the sacking of OGS, have been a work in progress. Sure, they have only lost once but I just can’t figure out who they are. One thing I am learning, and I hit upon this the other day: I believe Man United are a better team without Cristiano Ronaldo. The player movement on the pitch is much more fluid (see Rashford’s goal) and Bruno gets to be Bruno. At the start of the season, I was looking forward to the Bruno-Ronaldo connection, but it just doesn’t work. My compliments to Antony Elanga; that goal was tasty! More playing time for this Swedish gentleman, please!
Leicester/Tottenham
Boy, that escalated quick! The moment Steven Bergwijn receives his yellow card for his little donnybrook with Soyuncu, I’m thinking Spurs are getting frustrated by The Foxes and its game over, three points to Leicester. But what a finish, Bergwijn channels all that frustration and anger to tie and then score the winner in a manner of about a hundred seconds. I was just about as stunned as the some 17,000+ at the KP. I know what I’m about to say is going to be viewed as unpopular but watch out for The Spurs. Their three games in hand are away at Burnley and Brighton and at home verses Arsenal. I think worst case scenario is four total points, best case, all nine. If they can weather the storm until Son comes back, they will be sitting pretty. My heart goes out to Leicester a little bit. They played hard and to lose like this is just so demoralizing. Brendan Rodgers, is that seat starting to feel hot?
Extra sauce: Brighton/Chelsea
No easy way to put this but Brighton completely out played Chelsea. Thomas Tuchel’s side was lucky and undeserving to earn a point. Chelsea didn’t even defend on Brighton’s equalizer and if it wasn’t for a disinterested Neal Maupay, who had no less than three ball put right at his feet, the Seagulls would have earned all three. I watched Thomas Tuchel’s presser after the match and thought his excuse of his team being tired, physically, and mentally, was just that, an excuse. But damn! They have played a shit ton of matches. Eight matches since Boxing Day; in contrast Man City has played five. Part of me wants to place a little blame at the feet of Tuchel; you need to do a better job at rotating your starters. And with Chilwell and James out until who knows when, why in the hell did you not go after Lucas Digne.