The Bookie of Eli

Week 2 of the Premier League season is behind us. Already we have seen upsets, last second goals and the top teams establishing themselves. This week is headlined with dominance from the London clubs of Tottenham, Arsenal, and Chelsea. Not to be outdone, Brentford, Everton, Bournemouth and Burnley also won all 3 points this week for their first victory. Analysis for every game will keep you ahead of the oddsmakers and up to date on all Premier League action.

West Ham 1 – Chelsea 5

Chelsea Wreck West Ham

Last week Chelsea were shut down offensively in a goalless draw against Crystal Palace. That was not the case here as 5 different Chelsea players scored. Enzo Maresca’s squad made quick work of West Ham who have yet to win a point in their first two weeks of action. 3 of Chelsea’s 5 goals came from corners and Graham Potter is on the hot seat already after averaging less than a point over his first 21 fixtures. Even a pregame injury from Chelsea star Cole Palmer was not enough to save the Hammers from embarrassment. This result shows the depth and quality Chelsea possesses even without their top player. There may be even more quality added as Chelsea target both Alejandro Garnacho and Xavi Simons before deadline day on September 1st. For West Ham, they must travel to Nottingham Forest next week and will be hard pressed to earn their first points of this new season. Chelsea have another London Derby next week against Fulham to follow at Stamford Bridge. Maresca and Chelsea fans will certainly hope Cole Palmer will be fully fit for that game.

Arsenal 5 – Leeds 0

Gyokeres Lampoons Leeds

Arsenal’s dream start continues with an audacious display of goals against Leeds on Saturday. To make matters even better, Arsenal stole Crystal Palace player Eberechi Eze from rival Tottenham this past week. Eze was introduced before kickoff to an overjoyed Emirates crowd that was a sign of more to come. New striker Viktor Gyokeres scored his first 2 goals as a new Arsenal player who will be the key to Arsenal achieving Premier League glory. Corners also continue to be a source of goals for Mikel Arteta’s side with defender Jurrien Timber scoring twice from Declan Rice’s delivery. Bukayo Saka also scored a rocket from a tight angle and his side currently sits at the top of the Premier League table by goal difference. Even 15 year old Max Dowman made his debut and earned a penalty for his side. New signing Noah Okafor debuted for Leeds, but was shut down by the Gunner’s defense. Leeds face Newcastle next week and must show more defensive resistance or the bigger teams will continue to dominate them. Question marks over the fitness of stars Saka and Odegaard will be the most pressing subject for Arsenal.

Burnley 2 – Sunderland 0

Burnley Sink Sunderland

Captain Josh Cullen scored Burnley’s opening goal to kick start his side’s season following promotion. In the seond half, Cullen assisted Jaidon Anthony to put the game out of reach for Sunderland. Burnley were ripped apart last week by Tottenham defensively, but stood firm against a more even opponent in newly promoted Sunderland this time around. This win was crucial for Burnley who must take points from every fixture they can especially at Turf Moor. On the other side, Sunderland were brought back down to reality after their opening week 3-0 drubbing of West Ham. West Ham’s performance this week against Chelsea proves West Ham’s lack of quality as the leading force behind that result. Next week Sunderland will host Brentford at the Stadium of Light and Burnley will travel to Old Trafford.

Brentford 1 – Aston Villa 0

Villa Still Struggling

Club record signing Dango Outtara who debuted for Brentford scored the game’s only goal early in the first half. The Burkina Faso international showed blazing speed as he ran away from Villa’s defense and finished off his own rebound. After a 3-1 defeat last week to Nottingham Forest, Brentford fans will have some renewed optimism after this result. Unai Emery will be hard pressed to get Aston Villa going offensively after another goalless performance. The last time Villa failed to score in their opening 2 matches in the Premier League was 2002. A match up with Crystal Palace next week will have increased pressure for Emery following Villa’s opening results. Brentford will take on newly promoted Sunderland in what is sure to be a tight contest.

Man City 0 – Tottenham 2

Spurs Stun City

New manager Thomas Frank and Tottenham shocked Manchester City in the Etihad and made it back to back victories. With their first chance Spurs took the lead courtesy of Brennan Johnson’s finish and never looked back. Just before halftime, Joao Palhinha scored off an error from goalkeeper James Trafford inside his own area to double the advantage. Trafford, who was filling in for Ederson who has been linked to a move to Galatasaray, showed his lack of experience in this affair. Spurs have been a tough outing for Pep Guardiola’s teams with 10 losses to the London club — the most in his career. Manchester City travels to Brighton next week with a chance to rebound from a humbling defeat. Tottenham will host Bournemouth next week and Thomas Frank’s squad will feel they can compete for a Premier League title this season.

Bournemouth 1 – Wolverhampton 0

Bournemouth Blow By Wolves

An early goal from defender Marcus Tavernier was enough for Bournemouth to gain all 3 points. Wolve’s chances took a hit when Toti Gomes was shown a straight red for a tackle as the last man. Wolverhampton continued to struggle offensively just as they did in their opening game, failing to score in either fixture. Manager Vitor Pereira has made it obvious he wants at least 3 more signings, but whether or not those reinforcements arrive remains to be seen. The Cherries on the other hand showed their quality after a rough opening fixture at Anfield. Antoine Semenyo continues to look a threat to score as he missed a golden opportunity from close range. Bournemouth will travel to London for a match up with Tottenham next weekend looking to give Thomas Frank’s squad a challenge. Wolves host Everton in an opportunity to redeem themselves for a season that is already off to a poor start.

Fulham 1 – Manchester United 1

Bruno Skies Penalty

Another week of Manchester United performing well, but not achieving their desired result. Bruno Fernandes sent a first half penalty opportunity into the nosebleed seats. In the second half, Lenny Yoro put his side ahead with a deflected header that would eventually go down as a Fulham own goal. An equalizer from Emile Smith Rowe late in the second half would be enough to earn Fulham a point at Craven Cottage. They were able to end a run of 8 straight home defeats to United, although still without a win this campaign. Marco Silva’s side will need to show their fighting spirit again as they visit Chelsea next Saturday. Manchester United have a meeting with newly promoted Burnley and it is now or never for Rubin Amorim if he hopes to remain at Old Trafford.

Everton 2 – Brighton 0

New Stadium New Everton

Everton played their first game at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium and got 3 vital points against Brighton. Jack Grealish was given his first start since his loan from Man City and made an instant impact. A low cross from Grealish was finished off by Iliman Ndiaye after 23 minutes from close range. In the second half Grealish again orchestrated a goal this time by James Garner from outside the box. Brighton were given an opportunity to get back in the game when they were awarded a penalty for a handball, but James Pickford was equal to the task saving Danny Welbeck’s attempt. Next week Everton travels to face a struggling Wolves squad at Molineux with this game giving them renewed hope. Brighton will host Manchester City fresh off a loss next week and will need a much better performance if they want a good result.

Crystal Palace 1 – Nottingham Forest 1

Palace and Forest Fight For a Draw

Crystal Palace opened the scoring in the first half with a clinical first time finish from Ismaila Sarr. Forest answered in the second half when Callum Hudson-Odoi outpaced the Palace defense for a break away goal. The game had a hostile atmosphere with Eagle’s fans unhappy over Forest’s involvement in their demotion to the Conference League. Forest replaced Crystal Palace in the competition after they were cited for breaching multi-ownership rules. On the pitch it was a heated back and forth affair with both sides deserving of a point. Nottingham Forest have won 4 points through 2 games and sit in 5th place in the Premier League. A home fixture against West Ham next will give them a chance to continue this upward trajectory. Next up for Crystal Palace is a visit to Aston Villa with both sides looking to improve on slow starts.

Newcastle 2 – Liverpool 3

Rio Rescues Liverpool

St. James’ Park was roaring with last year’s champions Liverpool visiting. Liverpool are also in hot pursuit of Newcastle star Alexander Isak which only added fuel to the fire. The raucous crowd was momentarily silent when Ryan Gravenberch scored from outside the box to put Liverpool ahead. To make matters worse for Newcastle, Anthony Gordon received a straight red card for a late tackle on Virgil Van Dijk right before halftime. Hugo Ekitike doubled Liverpool’s lead 30 seconds after the start of the second half and Liverpool looked to be cruising. Newcastle did not give up and despite being a man down for the entire second half rallied with a diving header from Bruno Guimaraes in the 57th minute. A goal from substitute William Osula in the 88th minute tied the game and brought the home crowd to a frenzy. Just when Liverpool looked to be down and out 16 year old substitute Rio Ngumoha became the youngest scorer in Liverpool history. Heartbreak for Newcastle who showed a lot of spirit to fight back from two goals down with 10 men against last year’s champions. A visit to Leeds next week provides a great opportunity for Newcastle to bounce back from this defeat. Liverpool face off with Arsenal next week in a battle of the best teams the Premier League has to offer.