10 things we learned from the Premier League’s 2016/17 Match Day 4

Match Day 4 in the Premier League saw usual suspects confirming their title credentials, surprise packages continuing their remarkable early season runs and the reigning champs being brought back down to earth.

By MATT HOOY and ATIBA JACKSON

1. Manchester Is Blue


For the first Premier League battle between the two managerial giants Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, Guardiola asserted his City side as the team to beat in this year's title race. 

Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva ran amok in the first half of the Manchester Derby against a lacklustre United side that did not seem ready or capable of combatting the attacking duo’s influence. 

Despite a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal late in the first half, City showed just how brilliant and dominant they are, providing wave after wave of exciting attacking play. Even without the likes of Sergio Aguero, Pep’s side looks every bit the title-challenging, Champions League-qualifying team he demands. Pep 1, Mourinho 0.   (MH)     

2. Arsenal escape again

"Fergie Time" was the name bestowed on extra time played following 90 minutes of regulation given Sir Alex Ferguson’s side’s ability to eke out wins in the dying stages. But with Arsenal once again pulling a rabbit out of the hat to avoid a 1-1 draw against Southampton and secure the three points, maybe it is time for a new moniker to be devised. 

Arsene Wenger’s men were brilliant for most of the match, however could not execute – posting 17 shots with only two on target. An amazing bicycle kick from Laurent Koscielny equalized for the Gunners, but once again they needed all of extra time to eventually seal the victory. 

Moving forward, Wenger will want to finish teams off a lot earlier in matches and avoid having to spend all 90+ minutes looking for the winner.   (MH)

3. Bournemouth’s main man Callum Wilson is crucial to their season

With the game in the balance heading into the last 15 minutes, Callum Wilson provided a strike that reminded the league of his sheer brilliance. Adam Smith played a low hard cross into the box from the right hand side and Wilson was able to provide a deft backheel, directing the ball just inside the right goalpost for what was Wilson’s first goal since returning from an ACL injury sustained last season.

It was a strike that proved the difference in a game that Bournemouth rightly felt they deserved to win. Up until that point, both goalkeepers had done well to keep the scores level, with a number of troubling chances being saved.

Jack Wilshere, fresh off his loan deal from Arsenal, also made his debut as a second half substitute and it will be hoped that both he and Wilson can remain on the pitch to provide Bournemouth with their attacking nous this season.   (AJ)

4. Snodgrass the saviour

This year’s current surprise packet in the Premier League has escaped yet another blow. Hull City have had a tumultuous off-the-field start to their re-emergence in England’s top flight, but their on-the-field exploits have told a different story.

Despite a 72nd-minute opener from Burnley’s Steven Defour, it was Robert Snodgrass who stole the show yet again, salvaging a point with a 95th minute free-kick to beat the keeper. 

With Hull adding some much needed depth to their incredibly thin roster during the transfer window, it looks like Snodgrass and Curtis Davies will have a little more help on their hands to deal with the gruelling 38-week season.    (MH)

5. Bentekes to the rescue

As the two Bentekes made their debuts for Crystal Palace this week against Middlesborough, it was Christian who had more of an influence in their first outing. The Liverpool misfit scored a 16th-minute goal on his Crystal Palace debut which proved vital in his side’s 2-1 victory. 

He was replaced in the 84th minute by his brother Jonathan, who also made his Eagles and Premier League debut. However, it was not the family reunion that had Palace fans on their feet as the partnership of Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke looked fearsome, with Zaha providing Benteke with an assist and scoring a goal himself. 

Boasting surprising amounts of depth, Crystal Palace will look to make a run at a spot in European competition if the two forwards can add consistency to their early chemistry.
(MH)

Stoke Manager Mark Hughes had to deliver instructions from the stands in the second half as his side went down with a whimper against the Spurs. Picture: LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/GETTY IMAGES

6. It will be a long season for Stoke fans if their club serves up many defensive performances like that provided against Tottenham

In what should have been an important game for the bottom of the league Stoke City, they instead provided a lacklustre performance. The Potters continually played schoolyard defence, allowing Tottenham’s attacking players to remain unmarked – seemingly all game – in their defensive area. 

Stoke manager Mark Hughes was sent to the stands following an angry outburst at the match officials, and he could only watch on as his team fell behind just before half time with Son Heung-min left alone in the box to neatly convert a Christian Eriksen pass. 

After Son doubled Tottenham’s advantage with a stunning strike early in the second, Deli Alli was free in the box, increasing the lead to three before Harry Kane was able to tap in a fourth to conclude an easy day at the office for the Spurs.  (AJ)

7. Watford’s front two mean business

This six-goal match provided fans with a lot to take in. West Ham's Dimitri Payet was at his sparkling best providing Michail Antonio with one of the assists of the season, cutting in from the right side and using his magical skills to lift a pass over the top of Watford's defenders for Antonio to finish.

Despite the brilliant first half from West Ham’s attacking mids, it was Watford’s front pair that eventually made their mark on this match as their side ran out 4-2 victors. After going down 2-0 early, it was Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney who steadied the ship for the Hornets, ensuring scores were level at 2-2 by half-time. 

Despite being heavily relied upon, the two strikers seem up to the challenge of carrying Watford through the season, relishing the extra pressure and attention from opposition sides.  (MH)

8. Liverpool’s best football is as eye-catching as any in the world

The Liverpool faithful – bolstered by the rebuilt Main Stand that has increased capacity at Anfield by 8000 – were treated to a dominant performance by their home side. Roberto Firmino sweetly-struck goals in either half, a spectacular finish from Sadio Mané and a blistering strike from Adam Lallana combined to make onlookers easily forget Liverpool were playing against the reigning Champions of England. 

Leicester City were totally outplayed throughout the game with their only moment of joy coming when last year’s PFA Player of the Year, Riyad Mahrez, picked out Jamie Vardy with a cross. It was the type of the performance that will have Reds supporters dreaming of a top four finish at the end of the season.

Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, will be hoping to build on this performance as his side travels to Stamford Bridge to play staunch rivals Chelsea, as they kick off Match Day 5 in the early hours of Saturday (5am AEST). (AJ)

9. Diego Costa is back to his dominant best

It was a game largely dominated by Chelsea, but two Swansea second-half goals in as many minutes meant Chelsea dropped points for the first time this season following the 2-2 draw. When Diego Costa gave Chelsea the lead in the 18th minute with a calm finish past Łukasz Fabiański, the game looked settled as Chelsea continued to push forward. 

However in the 59th minute, after playing a long ball forward Swansea was awarded a penalty that Gylfi Sigurðsson slotted away with ease. Flash forward no more than two minutes and Swansea scored again via a contentious no foul call against Leroy Fer. He stole the ball from Gary Cahill, allowing him to engage in a one-on-one contest, with the goalkeeper with the ball eventually ending up in the back of Chelsea’s net once again. 

As the clock ticked past the 80-minute mark, Costa – for the third time already this season – was the man to deliver the late game heroics, providing an acrobatic scissor-kick finish to level things up. 

When the Brazilian is in such rich goalscoring form, Chelsea are a formidable attacking team. But manager Antonio Conte will be hoping to shore up his defensive performances in the coming weeks to capitalise on his team's attacking prowess.   (AJ)

10. Romelu Lukaku still knows where the goals are

Since Romelu Lukaku scored twice in the FA Cup quarterfinal on March 12, the 23-year-old had gone 1139 minutes without a goal for his Everton side. That all changed on Monday night, where an 11 minute streak in the second half against Sunderland saw Lukaku storm back into goal scoring form with a hat-trick. 

His first came when he headed home Idrissa Gueye's cross, doubling it with another header supplied by Yannick Bolasie. His final goal in Everton’s 3-0 victory came as he calmly executed a low finish past the keeper after running clear of the Sunderland defence. 

For Everton, it gives them three wins out of four matches to continue a successful start for new manager Ronald Koeman. As for former Everton manager David Moyes, his Sunderland side now sit second last on the table, only above Stoke on goal difference having yet to taste victory this season.   (AJ)