The world is used to muted celebrations now but the sight of Manchester City loanee Frank Lampard looking genuinely angry after scoring against Chelsea was unusual.
The idea of the Chelsea icon scoring against the team he bagged a total of 211 goals for seemed to unsettle everyone except Jose Mourinho but it did mean that Lampard registered a new Premier League record of goals against 39 different clubs, moving one ahead of Andrew Cole. It was actually his 11th Premier League outing against Chelsea but having failed to score against them in his 10 matches for West Ham, this goal will live long in the memory.
By the time we find out whether it will have an impact on the title race, Lampard will be playing for New York City and his slightly odd spell at the Etihad will be but an intriguing footnote.
VILLAIN TO HERO
Acknowledging Mesut Ozil’s increasingly lacklustre displays has gone from niche to mainstream in the past few weeks.
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Nigel French / EMPICS Sport
Nigel French / EMPICS Sport / EMPICS Sport
Thankfully, the German playmaker threw off his shackles on Saturday and subjected Aston Villa to a vintage display. The first two in the Gunners’ quickfire burst of three goals in three minutes and 15 seconds were scored and assisted respectively by Ozil in a period of only one minute and 20 seconds.
It is only the second time that the German has scored and assisted in the same Premier League game and by ensuring that Arsenal were the only realistic title contenders to win this weekend he helped end a difficult week for the club on an upbeat note.
CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Since narrowly losing to a Liverpool team who raided their squad more than any other in the summer, Southampton’s form has been exemplary.
PA Wire / PA Wire/Press Association Images
PA Wire / PA Wire/Press Association Images / PA Wire/Press Association Images
Ten points from four games has pushed the Saints into second place with goalscorer Graziano Pelle turning provider at Liberty Stadium, assisting Victor Wanyama as the former Celtic midfielder scored his first ever league goal for Southampton. Not only was it Wanyama’s first strike, it was also the first Premier League goal from a Kenyan, taking the number of nationalities to have scored in the division to an impressively wide-ranging 91 countries.
With Ronald Koeman’s summer signings apparently slotting together seamlessly with the players left behind by the transfer vultures, there appear to be smooth waters on the Solent.
FAULT LINES
Two years ago Brendan Rodgers became the first Liverpool manager to lead the Reds to three defeats in their opening five top-flight games since the 1930s.
John Walton / EMPICS Sport
John Walton / EMPICS Sport / EMPICS Sport
Back then he had the excuse of being a newly appointed figure who had inherited a team still reeling from a turbulent few seasons under Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish. Two years on and he has served up a repeat, yet this time he is managing the runners-up, a squad expanded by signings who so far look like they will struggle to replace the loss of a single player, Luis Suarez.
West Ham’s early brace of goals was the first time Liverpool had conceded twice inside the opening 10 minutes of a Premier League goal since playing Southampton in February 1994, while new striker Mario Balotelli has now scored with only one of his last 37 shots in the English top flight, a period spanning 19 games.
Already seven points behind Chelsea, Liverpool have recorded half the number of defeats they did in the whole of 2013-14 and nagging memories of their seventh place finish in 2009-10, a year after coming second, will only make matters worse.
Super Frank, Ozil's back & Liverpool slack: it's the Prem review in numbers
FRANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
The world is used to muted celebrations now but the sight of Manchester City loanee Frank Lampard looking genuinely angry after scoring against Chelsea was unusual.
The idea of the Chelsea icon scoring against the team he bagged a total of 211 goals for seemed to unsettle everyone except Jose Mourinho but it did mean that Lampard registered a new Premier League record of goals against 39 different clubs, moving one ahead of Andrew Cole. It was actually his 11th Premier League outing against Chelsea but having failed to score against them in his 10 matches for West Ham, this goal will live long in the memory.
By the time we find out whether it will have an impact on the title race, Lampard will be playing for New York City and his slightly odd spell at the Etihad will be but an intriguing footnote.
VILLAIN TO HERO
Acknowledging Mesut Ozil’s increasingly lacklustre displays has gone from niche to mainstream in the past few weeks.
Thankfully, the German playmaker threw off his shackles on Saturday and subjected Aston Villa to a vintage display. The first two in the Gunners’ quickfire burst of three goals in three minutes and 15 seconds were scored and assisted respectively by Ozil in a period of only one minute and 20 seconds.
It is only the second time that the German has scored and assisted in the same Premier League game and by ensuring that Arsenal were the only realistic title contenders to win this weekend he helped end a difficult week for the club on an upbeat note.
CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Since narrowly losing to a Liverpool team who raided their squad more than any other in the summer, Southampton’s form has been exemplary.
Ten points from four games has pushed the Saints into second place with goalscorer Graziano Pelle turning provider at Liberty Stadium, assisting Victor Wanyama as the former Celtic midfielder scored his first ever league goal for Southampton. Not only was it Wanyama’s first strike, it was also the first Premier League goal from a Kenyan, taking the number of nationalities to have scored in the division to an impressively wide-ranging 91 countries.
With Ronald Koeman’s summer signings apparently slotting together seamlessly with the players left behind by the transfer vultures, there appear to be smooth waters on the Solent.
FAULT LINES
Two years ago Brendan Rodgers became the first Liverpool manager to lead the Reds to three defeats in their opening five top-flight games since the 1930s.
Back then he had the excuse of being a newly appointed figure who had inherited a team still reeling from a turbulent few seasons under Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish. Two years on and he has served up a repeat, yet this time he is managing the runners-up, a squad expanded by signings who so far look like they will struggle to replace the loss of a single player, Luis Suarez.
West Ham’s early brace of goals was the first time Liverpool had conceded twice inside the opening 10 minutes of a Premier League goal since playing Southampton in February 1994, while new striker Mario Balotelli has now scored with only one of his last 37 shots in the English top flight, a period spanning 19 games.
Already seven points behind Chelsea, Liverpool have recorded half the number of defeats they did in the whole of 2013-14 and nagging memories of their seventh place finish in 2009-10, a year after coming second, will only make matters worse.
Duncan Alexander, GOAL.com
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