Almanac Soccer: English Premier League – Match Week 7 Highlights

Premier League Match Week 7 Highlights

The Premier League saw yet another ten entertaining games filled with drama and excitement ahead of the next international break. Here are my three standout matches.

 

Brentford v Wolves

The 3rd game of match week 7 was yet again staged in London with Thomas Frank’s Brentford hosting Gary O’Neil’s Wolverhampton at the Gtech. Brentford after just 65 seconds, coming so close to making it 4 games in a row in which they had opened the scoring inside a minute. Mikkel Damsgaard crossed the ball in from the right wing where ex Wolf, Nathan Collins, headed the ball past Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone to score against his old employers. Wolves then went on to even the score in equally quick time, with this match already looking like another Premier League classic. Nelson Semedo received the ball in the right side of the penalty area where he cut it back to Wolves’ talisman, Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian’s strike wasn’t clean but it was enough to find its way past Mark Flekken and into the back of the Brentford net. After already scoring for Brentford, centre back Collins then gave his side a huge chance to restore their lead after he was pulled down inside the penalty area by Wolves skipper, Mario Lemina. Brentford’s main man, Bryan Mbuemo, stepped up to take the penalty and dispatched it perfectly, casually slotting the ball into the bottom right corner. Once again, Wolves refused to be beaten as they struck level in the 26th minute. Rayan Ait-Nouri crossed the ball in from the left wing where Jorgen Strand Larsen used his striker instincts to wrestle goal side of Ethan Pinnock before poking the ball by Flekken. Two minutes later, the Bees had found yet another goal to put them ahead for the 3rd time in the afternoon. The goal came from some appalling Wolves defending, not for the first time this season, resulting in Vitaly Janelt playing a first time pass into Christian Norgaard inside the penalty area. The Dane’s first touch set himself up perfectly as he drilled the ball into the far left corner with his second. In 1st half stoppage time, Brentford doubled their lead for the first time in the fixture, coming from a corner this time. Damsgaard’s delivery was met by a towering header from Pinnock, who managed to guide the ball into the far corner from almost 12 yards out. At half time, the score was 4-2 with the Bees threatening to embarrass O’Neil’s side even further. 

After a much less exhilarating second 45 minutes, Brentford wrapped up all 3 points in the 90th minute. Keane Lewis-Potter played the ball across the penalty area in what looked like an easy claim for Johnstone in goal. Unaware of Fabio Carvahlo who was making his way into the 6-yard area, Johnstone palmed the ball away from goal but unintentionally into the right boot of Carvahlo, who finally found his first Premier League goal in his new colours. Wolves did go on to score a consolation in injury time through Ait-Nouri with the full time score finishing 5-3. Thomas Frank’s side continued their stellar start to the new season as, despite all their injuries and departures, they comfortably sit 11th on the table. O’Neil’s time at Wolves may just be up, with even his own fans singing to him, “You don’t know what you’re doing, you’re getting sacked in the morning”. Wolves sit rock bottom of the table on 1 point with a whopping 21 goals conceded, letting in an average of 3 goals each game. 

 

Manchester City v Fulham

The following game of matchweek 7 then saw Champions Manchester City host Marco Silva’s Fulham at the Etihad Stadium. This game always looked like it could go either way with City recently losing Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne to injuries and Fulham finding some great form this season. After a promising start for the Cottagers, they found a priceless advantage in the 26th minute. Alex Iwobi chipped the ball into the penalty area to Raul Jimenez whose first touch wasn’t great, leaving him with his back to goal. Despite a poor first touch, the Mexcian’s 2nd required a great amount of audacity and skill. Jimenez managed to backheel the ball over both City centre backs where an unmarked Andreas Pereira lunged in to poke the ball past keeper Ederson. Just moments after Adama Traore missed an absolute sitter down the other end for Fulham, City were level. Filling in due to Rodri’s absence, Mateo Kovacic slotted into the team brilliantly and marked the occasion with a goal too. As the ball was cleared from a corner, the Croatian drilled the ball back at goal, watching as it caught a huge deflection before finding its way by Fulham shot stopper, Bernd Leno. At half time the score was 1-1 with Marco Silva left distraught that his side couldn’t convert more of their earlier chances.

Two minutes into the second period and Manchester City found themselves leading the game for the first time. A heavy cross from Phil Foden down the left wing was chested down neatly by Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese then laid it off to Kovacic whose first touch was sublime, taking it around Sander Berge before curling the ball into the far left with ease. After continuing to put the Cottagers under immense pressure, City finally sealed all 3 points in the 82nd minute. Rico Lewis made one of his signature driving runs through the middle of the park before spreading the ball wide to Jermey Doku. The Belgian ran at full back Timothy Castagne before chopping the ball onto his right boot and unleashing a strike. Doku’s hit was so powerful and it moved all over the place, making it impossible for Leno to prevent it from finding the back of the net. The travelling side did give the Citizens something to think about in the 88th minute when Rodrigo Muniz opened his account for the season. Arsenal loanee, Reiss Nelson, found him isolated in the penalty area with a pass from the right wing where Muniz flicked the ball up before smashing it past Ederson on the spin. In the end, Fulham left it too late as the full time score finished 3-2. Fulham fans won’t be too bothered though as they sit 8th on the table. Manchester got the job done in the end, albeit unconvincingly, and Pep’s side sit 2nd on the table.

 

Brighton v Tottenham Hotspur

The curtain draw for matchweek 7 saw Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton host Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur. After Timo Werner had previously had a goal disallowed for Spurs due to Pedro Porro being offside in the build up, Ange’s side finally found the lead just moments later. James Maddison won the ball in the middle of the park before looking to play no.9 Dominic Solanke straight away. Once Solanke received the ball, he played a perfect ball between the 2 Brighton centre halves for Brennan Johnson to slot into the bottom left corner with his first touch. Johnson now becomes the first Spurs player in 6 years to score in 6 consecutive games across all competitions since Harry Kane in the 18/19 season. Fourteen minutes later, Spurs found themselves with a 2 goal cushion just ahead of the interval. Solanke picked up the ball on the halfway line before playing a brilliant pass down the left wing and into the path of Timo Werner. The German winger held the ball up well before spitting it back out centrally to James Maddison who was on top of the penalty area. Maddison then shaped to shoot before slotting the ball into the bottom right corner. Seagulls keeper, Bart Verbruggen, will not want to watch the replay back as he could’ve easily got a stronger palm to Maddison’s effort. At half time, the score was standing at 0-2 with Tottenham threatening to run away with the tie.

Despite all of Spurs’ 1st half domination, Brighton halved the deficit just 3 minutes into the second period when Yankuba Minteh opened his account for the season. Kaoru Mitoma’s cross should’ve been easily dealt with by Destiny Udogie but the Italian full back failed to clear the ball convincingly. Ready to pounce was Minteh who drilled the ball into the bottom right corner on the volley. The Seagulls completed the comeback just 10 minutes later when substitute Pervis Estupinan found Mitoma outside the Spurs penalty area. The Japanese international played the ball perfectly into the path of new signing Georginio Rutter who took a series of touches before smashing the ball past Guglielmo Vicario in the Tottenham goal. Brighton then flipped the game on its head when Danny Welbeck scored his 4th goal of the season, continuing his most prolific start to a season ever. Rutter was once again involved showing great strength and skill to dribble through the Tottenham defender and get to the goal line. The Frenchman slid in to chip the ball over Danny Welbeck who jumped up to head the ball into an empty net. After creating chances continuously in the first 45 minutes, Spurs offered up nothing in the closing minutes as they threw away 3 points with the result finishing 3-2. This result is what many fans would call “Spursy,” as they become the first side in Premier League history to lose a total of 10 league games with a 2-0 advantage at one point.. Ange’s side sit 9th on the table. Brighton picked up a much needed and, in the end, deserved 3 points as they sit 6th on the table.

 

Written by Ollie Wade – Read the rest of Matchweek 7 at Premier League Matchweek 7 24/25 – Kickoff chronicles

 

 

Ollie Wade is a Grade 11 student who dabbles in sports writing, He plays for the Barossa United Senior Men’s Team.

 

 

 

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