When I go on a summer holiday, I want the weather to be as terrible as environmentally possible the week before I leave. Why? So when I step off that plane, that golden sun beaming down on me feels even more bliss.
This is similar to the situation that we found ourselves in this weekend, but in reverse. Nobody likes an international break more than the Premier League, so we could only hope that the Premier League week before an international break is boring and mundane to make its two-week absence a little more bearable.
Unfortunately, this was probably the best weekend of the campaign so far. So brace yourselves, this international break may be a long and tough grind.
Our rundown of all the action for game week 4
Young forwards headbutting defenders – Do we have an epidemic on our hands?
Marcus Rashford was given a straight red card for a headbutt on Phil Bardsley
Once can be dismissed as an anomaly. Twice a coincidence. But three times? That must be something serious… An epidemic perhaps.
Okay, admittedly we have only seen this happen twice this season, so it is probably just a coincidence and not an epidemic, but how else were we meant to make a headline from this?
So yes, Marcus Rashford got his first ever career red card at the weekend when he headbutted (and again we use the term ‘headbutt’ very lightly – since Zizi v Materazzi headbutts aren’t what they used to be) Phil Bardsley on Sunday. The Englishman has seen an inevitable fall from grace after such an impressive start to his Manchester United and England career, as he struggled last season to hit those initial heights.
He’ll be back though, and this can be seen as an important learning curve.
Watford undefeatable?
Pep’s Man City Vs Wenger’s Invincibles Vs Mourinho’s Chelsea. Which side is the best? It is a question debated emphatically over the years, but all that is now irrelevant as Watford are going to blow all those out the water – we really are going for the ‘humour derived from over-exaggeration’ angle today aren’t we?
Yes it is early on, but Javi Gracia’s team has been decent so far. They were up against it on Sunday after an uninspiring performance in the first-half against Spurs. When Abdoulaye Doucoure scored an unfortunate own-goal, and Jan Vertonghen’s header came off the post of his own goal, it looked like it just wasn’t going to be Watford’s day.
Then Troy Deeney engaged beast mode and scored a lovely header, before Daryl Janmaat thundered home another header shortly after.
It leaves Watford one of three teams (Liverpool and Chelsea) with maximum points from their opening four matches. But with Manchester United next, can their impressive start continue?
Karius returns to Liverpool
Loris Karius returns to Liverpool
Despite a move away from Anfield to Besiktas this summer, Loris Karius has already been back playing in a Liverpool shirt. Or at least, it looked that way.
Alisson Becker, after his flamboyant chip last week, went from hero to zero and paid tribute to his goalkeeping predecessor. With Kelechi Iheanacho bearing down on him, the Brazilian tried the old cruyff turn in his own box and got dispossessed. Leicester then scored but ultimately lost 2-1 so Alisson’s error wasn’t too costly. So maybe it is good that he has this wake-up call now as opposed to, say, in the Champions League final…
Football boot of the week – Nike Mercurial Superfly VI
Kyle Walker wears Nike Mercurial Superflys football boots
If you think we are not going to award the Mercurial Superflys the boot of week for Kyle Walker’s screamer at the weekend then you are sadly mistaken. Has Walker ever struck a ball so sweet? With that much venom, power and finesse? No. But getting laced up with Mercurial Superflys can turn a defender with a shot like a broken water pistol into a striker who has the shooting power of Thomas Hitzlsperger’s left foot.
