Life is Like a Box of Super Sundays
Super Sunday: the new (timeless?) metaphor for the ups and downs that life throws at you. Last weekend, we had the joys of Cardiff City entertaining Burnely, a game of football in which the ball was in play for a meagre 42 minutes. This weekend, we had the delectable delights of Arsenal vs Fulham, Southampton vs Chelsea and the show-stopping headline act: Liverpool vs Man City. What a treat. We’ve moved from a couple of cheap pints in Wetherspoons to drinking champagne at the Savoy Hotel bar.
Our first treat was over at Craven Cottage. The treat within the treat was Aaron Ramsey’s 67th minute strike - a series of flicks and perfectly weighted passes leading to a goal reminiscent of ‘that one’ against Norwich. Before the second half whitewash, though, it had been an intriguing battle on the banks of the Thames as Fulham made a real game of it.
While many will delight in newly promoted Cardiff being terrible, there seems to an exasperated encouragement for Fulham. Encouragement for their commitment to playing exciting and attacking football, exasperation at the fact that they just don’t seem to be clicking.
Manager Slavisa Jokanovic has named a different back line every game, which appears to be contributing to their leaky defence. While they boast great attacking talents in Schürrle, Mitrovic and Seri, there is a lack of cohesion at the back; nobody seems to know exactly where to be. Sure enough, the Gunners found their stride and managed to easily surpass a Fulham defence that resembled a set of Western saloon doors after a shootout.
Emery’s Arsenal seem to be starting to click, so now over to some Sarri-ball at Saint Mary’s! Well, for the first ten minutes, attack vs defence as Chelsea, in their luridly plain shirts accompanied by bright orange socks, dominated the opening exchanges.
Somewhat inevitably, the Blues ran out 3-0 winners. It was, however, not a match completely devoid of scares for the visitors. Prior to Eden Hazard’s opener, Southampton front man Danny Ings’ had managed to blast a volley over with the goal gaping. Indeed, Ryan Bertrand would chip in with another similar miss before the heroics of Blues’ keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga late on.
Chelsea were the better side but got a few slices of luck against Moaning Mark’s Southampton. A quick mention to Ross Barkley who - after seeming like a pointless signing under Antonio Conte - has been thrown a life line by Maurizio Sarri. He was excellent today.
Now, finally, to the monster headline act. The most Super of the Super Sunday games. Except, it wasn’t really. Calling it a damp squib would be going too far, but it wasn’t quite the furiously attention grabbing encounters we’ve seen over the past year. While it was hardly a wild rollercoaster ride, it was strangely engrossing.
Liverpool weren’t quite at their ‘heavy metal’ best and City weren’t 100% either. The two teams cancelled each other out in a bitty game that featured some solid defending, but lacked in the finesse department. The midfield was scrappy and neither team was able to scythe through the other in the ways that they both have done before.
The Citizens probably edged the game, and blew their chance to win it courtesy of Riyad Mahrez. Well, more courtesy of whoever decided to let the Algerian take the penalty. Or of whoever didn’t really bother trying to stop him. Mahrez had missed three of his last five penalties. Surely someone in the extensive - as outlined in the All or Nothing documentary - City staff should have picked up on this? Unfortunately not for the Manchester side, and the game finished a tight 0-0, akin to a good old Mourinho vs Benítez clash. What was the score from their game last night, by the way?
(Photo: Irfanistan)