Good day everyone,

I hope you are all well and had an excellent weekend, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things sports. The fourth match week saw Liverpool equal the record for the biggest win in the league, City roar back from 2-0 down at the break, while Arsenal continued their 100% start to the season. Brighton continued their impressive form and Brentford were unlucky not to secure all three points at home, while Newcastle performed a late comeback to continue their push for European places.

If you would like to check out the preview on this round of games it can be found here: https://www.publish0x.com/cryptogod-1-sports/premier-league-2223-match-week-4-preview-xmymeek

 

Weekend Predictions & Final Results

So in terms of the predicted scores, I got 0/10 correct this weekend with none of the results I predicted correct. In terms of match-winner/loser, I managed to predict 3/10 correctly in this round of games.

 

Predicted: Southampton 2-2 Manchester United

Result: Southampton 0-1 Manchester United

Fernandes

United ended their tun of seven away losses in the league, and did so without starting new man Casemiro. He was on the bench, along with Maguire, Shaw and Ronaldo. The match started brightly, with both sides cancelling each other out in a very even contest. Twenty minutes in and Elanga wasted the first big opportunity as his effort was saved by Bazunu. Ten Hag's side controlled possession for large periods of the match but it was Southampton who looked dangerous on the counter. Bella-Kotchap blazed over and Adams saw his effort saved in the best chances for the home side. Ten minutes into the second half and as United continued their pressure it was Elanga who provided the spark. He found Sancho who in turn found Dalot to whip in an outswinging cross for Fernandes to volley home from the edge of the box. The Saints responded well, even seeing a penalty against McTominay turned away by the referee Madley. Casemiro and Cristiano Ronaldo were brought on as Southampton piled on the pressure but could not find a way through. This was the first time United had back to back wins in the league since February. Southampton meanwhile have managed to keep just one clean sheet in their last 16 league fixtures.

 

Predicted: Brentford 3-0 Everton

Result: Brentford 1-1 Everton

Janelt - Gordon

The home side started the brightest here, flying out of the blocks in similar fashion to when they beat United. Mbeumo wasted a glorious early chance and after that the match settled down. There was little in terms of chances until Henry saw his cross scuffed straight to Jensen, who smacked the base of the far post from 20 yards. Soon after Everton took the lead, as the man with all the speculation around him delivered the goal. Coady played a lovely long ball into the path of Gordon, and the young Englishman fired across Raya inside the far post to send the away fans wild. Brentford continued to push, as Toney hit the post and Wissa missed the rebound from eight yards. In the second half it was much of the same, as Norgaard produced a spectacular overhead kick which rattled the bar and almost went in off Pickford's back. Gray to Iwobi used their ability and pace to pose the only really threat from Everton, but the Bees got their deserved equaliser seven minutes from time when Janelt was quickest and prodded home a Potter flick from a corner. Thomas Frank's side pushed on to try find a winner but could not produce another clear chance, leaving both sides to share the points. Brentford dominated and will be disappointed not to have won this match, while Lampard will need to deal with the potential sale of Gordon and find his replacement over the coming days.

 

 

Predicted: Brighton 1-1 Leeds

Result: Brighton 1-0 Leeds

Groß

After their impressive win over Chelsea last weekend, Leeds were hoping to continue their excellent start to the season against inform Brighton. It seemed like another one of those days for the Seagulls where they were destined for a share of the points against a Leeds side which didn't threaten much until they went behind. The match started with Potter's side being sharper and more creative than their opponents which made it a a very one-sided first half. Webster wasted a great chance when he headed wide from a corner, while Trossard sent an effort over just before the half hour mark. Another goalless draw seemed on the cards, as the second half continued in a similar manner to the first half. Leeds saw their substitute Sinisterra narrowly miss with a poked effort at the back post, but soon after Brighton had the lead. Groß was set up by Trossard, who had skipped across the box with the ball beforehand, and the striker was cool and calm to beat Meslier in the Leeds goal. Marsch got a reaction from his players after that, but with eight minutes left it was Forshaw who played a delicious ball from the right only for Llorente to head over. Brighton secured their third clean sheet of the season from four matches so far, leaving them sitting happily in the top half. Leeds meanwhile will need to perform better in the opening half of their games to keep up their push to remain in the top half of the table.

 

Predicted: Chelsea 3-3 Leicester

Result: Chelsea 2-1 Leicester

Sterling x2 - Barnes

Playing the majority of this encounter with ten men after an early bath for Gallager, who received two yellows in the opening half hour, Chelsea showed their resilience to secure the win at home to Leicester. Both teams had lost last weekend and were looking to put that behind them, with Tuchel in the stands and Chelsea going with a 4-2-2-2 formation. Gallagher was a sitting midfielder but did not look comfortable in the role, which led to his dismissal. Leicester should have capitalised on the extra man advantage but were unable to as Sterling fired Chelsea into the lead just after the break. He struck a shot from the edge of the area and it deflected off Amartey over Ward and into the net. Just after the hour he got his second as Sterling got on the end of James cross from the right to tap home. Three minutes later and Leicester responded as Barnes played a one-two with Vardy before drilling a shot past Mendy. The Foxes pushed on from there and with their extra man they bombarded the Chelsea goal, but Vardy missed two excellent chances and Perez hit the underside of the bar to sum up Leicester's afternoon. Chelsea atoned for their lacklustre performance last weekend, but will know a few more faces are needed to strengthen up the squad. Leicester meanwhile remain winless and in the relegation zone as their poor form continues into the new season.

 

Predicted: Liverpool 4-1 Bournemouth

Result: Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth

Diaz x2, Elliot, Alexander-Arnold, Firmino x2, Van Djik, Mepham OG, Carvalho

Emphatic to say the least from Liverpool! After their disappointing start to the season, the Reds ripped the Cherries apart from the off, with Firmino getting three assists and a goal within a half hour and the club equalling the biggest ever Premier League win. It took three minutes for Diaz to open the scoring, as his brilliant header back across goal from Firmino's cross set the tone for what was to come. On six minutes Elliott got his first Premier League goal, latching onto Firmino's layoff and curling one into the far corner. Liverpool controlled the game from there, and on 28 minutes Alexander-Arnold saw a long range effort thump the back of the net to make it three, once again an assist from Firmino. The Brazilian got his deserved goal then, as he finished nicely just after the half hour mark which a Salah pass ricocheted into the box for the striker to pounce. On the stroke of half time Van Djik rose to head the ball home from a corner to make it five at the break. Liverpool did not let their foot off the gas, as a strong counter press just after the break allowed Alexander-Arnold to whip a ball into the box which Mepham turned into his own net, albeit with Diaz lurking behind him ready to pounce. Firmino got his second just after the hour mark, making it seven for Liverpool before the subs came on. It didnt end there, as on 80 minutes Carvalho got his first Premier League goal when Tsimikas flicked the ball down for the younster to unleash a beautiful volley, and Diaz made it nine with a delighted header with five minutes of normal time to play. All in all it was a well deserved victory and the boost Liverpool needed, equalling the biggest win in Premier League history. The last time Liverpool won by nine goals was September 1989 vs Crystal Palace, and it also marks the heaviest defeat Bournemouth have ever suffered.

 

Predicted: Manchester City 1-3 Crystal Palace

Result: Manchester City 4-2 Crystal Palace

Silva, Haaland x3 - Stones OG, Andersen

After seeing his side 2-0 down at the break, Pep will have been delighted with their second half performance. It was a game that had everything, from a disallowed third goal for Palace to a potential red card for a high boot by Haaland, and Pep will certainly know his side are showing true champion form by once against coming back from two goals down. It took 21 minutes for City to be two down after some awful defending, the first saw Eze's free-kick deflect off multiple City players before beating Ederson in the fourth minute. Palace pushed on and it was an Eze corner which saw Andersen unmarked to head home, leaving City without a shot on target by the end of the half. A bizarre moment saw Edouard block a Ederson kick, and the ball ended up in the net but the referee blew for a foul on the keeper which stopped Palace going 3-0 up. In the second half City responded on 53 minutes, when Silva collected a Rodri pass and drive towards the area before firing a low shot past Guaita. Nine minutes later and Haaland got his first, as he nodded home from a Foden pass. Haalands second came as Stones scuffed a shot in the area but the striker was on hand to apply the finish, giving City the lead for the first time in the match on seventy minutes. His final came ten minutes later as  Gundogan had plenty of space and slotted the ball in for the big striker to score. This was the first time ever that Man City came back to win after being two goals down at the break. Palace meanwhile can be pleased with their efforts and in scoring first against the Champions, having done so in three of their last four league trips to the Etihad. 

 

Predicted: Arsenal 3-2 Fulham

Result: Arsenal 2-1 Fulham

Ødegaard, Gabriel - Mitrovic

Both of these sides had started the season unbeaten, and were determined to continue that beyond this encounter. Arsenal applied the early pressure but without Partey and Zinchenko they looked somewhat off form. Arteta's men did dominate possession and territory without creating much, although Xhaka wasted a chance after Jesus teed him up, and Martinelli hit the bar from a corner. Saka had the best chance of the first half, as he was played in one-on-one but saw Leno save his effort. Arsenal pressed on after the break and created a host of chances, as Odegaard and Jesus were denied by Leno. Fulham took the shock lead though when Gabriel found himself delaying on the ball and Mitrovic punished him to steal possession and score his fourth goal of the campaign ten minutes into the second half. On 64 minutes Ødegaard levelled the match, as his shot took a deflection on its way towards goal after Saka had played in the Norwegian. Mitrovic was denied by Ramsdale moments later, with White on hand to block the rebound as Fulham pushed on and refused to give up. Arsenal however stole the match with five minutes left to play, as Leno could not keep hold of Martinelli's corner and Gabriel reacted to atone for his earlier mistake and give Arsenal the lead. Fulham will be dismayed at loosing the lead the way they did but their performance against the only side with a 100% record in the league was excellent. They certainly look true contenders to comfortably remain in the league. As for Arteta's side, they have won each of their first four games in the league for the first time since 2004-05 when they finished runners-up. The time before that, in 2003/04, they went on to win the league title.

 

Predicted: Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham

Result: Aston Villa 0-1 West Ham

Fornals

West Ham secured their first points of the season as Gerrard's side suffered another defeat, piling pressure on the Liverpool man. Moyes side were bottom of the table going into this, without scoring but having progressed into the Europa Conference League Group Stage. It was a poor first half performance from the Hammers, as they failed to create much and even saw the ball in the back of their net. Konsa thought he had scored for Villa but it was ruled out due to Digne's corner going out of play before arriving in the box, much to the dismay of the Villa fans. The away side controlled the majority of the half but failed to produce enough to test their opponents. The second half did not produce anything better of note, as both sets of fans began to get agitated with their players. Moyes had to take off both his new signings in Scamacca and Emerson, as chances continued to be few and far between. Finally in the 75th minutes West Ham made the breakthrough, as Fornals saw his effort deflect and loop over the hapless Martinez in the Villa goal. The Hammers held on and secured their first win of the season, leaving Villa to be booed off by their own fans at the final whistle. The pressure is mounting as Villa have now lost nine of their previous fifteen Premier League matches stretching back into last season. Its terrible form, especially for a club which has backed their manager and invested heavily in the transfer windows. Moyes meanwhile will be pondering how to produce the best from his new signings while pushing for a strong campaign in Europe.

 

Predicted: Wolves 1-3 Newcastle

Result: Wolves 1-1 Newcastle

Neves - Saint-Maximin

A late leveller for Newcastle added to the action packed drama of this one, as their record signing Isak watched on from the stands having not been registered in time for this match. Newcastle started strong, looking to continue their unbeaten start to the season but lacked a cutting edge without the injured duo of Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes. Wood was denied early on by Sa in the Wolves goal, while Willock fired wide from eight yards out. Newcastle wanted a penalty when Nunes appeared to foul Longstaff, but were denied and Wolves grew back into the game. Nunes headed wide from a Jimenez cross while Jimenez sent an effort straight at Pope. Neves scored the opener with another long range effort from outside the box, this being his 16th for the club. Newcastle continued to have the better of the possession and territory while Wolves remained a threat on the counter. The home side believed they had sealed the victory with nine minutes left to play as Jimenez converted a Neto cross, but VAR pulled it back for a foul committed by Neto on Fraser in the build-up. Newcastle pushed on and managed to get Saint-Maximin into the game, who had been kept quiet for the majority of it, met a clearance from Wolves player Hwang and unleashed a devastating right-footed strike from 20 yards to give Sa no chance. There was a price to pay though, as the Frenchman soon went down with an apparent hamstring injury to compound Newcastle's woes, but the away side did manage to hit the bar via Anderson in the seven minutes of injury time and will be disappointed not to have stolen the victory.

 

Predicted: Nottingham Forest 1-4 Tottenham

Result: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Tottenham

Kane x2

Harry Kane managed to score his 200th league goal here when he opened the scoring against Forest in the first half of this match. Forest took the game to Spurs from the off but it took just five minutes for Spurs to quiet down the empathic Forest crowd, as Kulusevski made a run through the middle and found Kane with a delightful ball. The defenders back off and Kane finishes with a low shot from 20 yards out. Son and Kane then both saw shots go off target as Forest dominated territory and possession for much of the first half. Forest battled on again after the break and while they tried to test Lloris in the Spurs goal, most of their efforts were wide of the mark. Spurs were awarded a penalty when Cook wildly swung his arm at a cross, but Kane saw his effort saved by Henderson as he dived to his right. Forest continued to believe and tried to compete with Spurs but they didn't manage a single shot on target in the second half. With nine minutes to play it was Kane once again who pounced, this time getting on the end of a clever cross from Richarlison to double the lead and in the process Kane moved level with Andy Cole on 187 Premier League goals, now only behind Shearer and Rooney in the record books. Forest meanwhile have been brought back down to earth after getting 4 points in their previous two games, and will begin to understand just how tough this level of football can be.

 

 

Table After Match Day 4

A look at the top half of the table and after the fourth round of matches, Arsenal lead the way followed by Man City, Brighton and Spurs.  Chelsea, United and Liverpool have also all pushed themselves into the top half of the table after positive results, with Liverpool boosting their Goal Difference massively after their 9-0 win.

As for the bottom half, Leicester, Wolves, and Everton sit in the relegation zone currently. All three sides will need to kick start their campaigns, with Wolves the most likely to push on after their recent signings. Rodgers will be worried at Leicester with their lack of spending and Chelsea sniffing around Fofana, while Lampard will have the same issue to contend with at Everton in regards to Gordon.

 

 

Top Goal scorers After Match Day 4

1 - E. Haaland - Manchester City - 6 Goals
2 - A. Mitrovic - Fulham - 4 Goals
3 - Rodrigo - Leeds United - 4 Goals
4 - H. Kane - Tottenham - 4 Goals
5 - L. Diaz - Liverpool - 3 Goals   
6 - M. Ødegaard - Arsenal - 3 Goals
7 - P. Groß - Brighton - 3 Goals
8 - W. Zaha - Crystal Palace - 3 Goals

 

Check out my 2022/23 Season Preview and Predictions here: Premier League 2022/23 Prediction

Also check out my review of the group draw and prediction of the Champions League for this season here: Champions League 2022/23 Prediction

 

I hope you enjoyed this round of games over the weekend. We will be back again during the week for this first midweek round round of fixtures this season. Have a great day.

Peace. CryptoGod-1.

 

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