Premier League Matchweek 9 Highlights
The 9th week of the 24/25 Premier League season saw another edition packed with late goals, drama and non-stop entertainment.
Brentford v Ipswich Town
The 3rd game of matchweek 9 was hosted in the capital with Brentford hosting Ipswich at the Gtech Stadium. Twenty-eight minutes into the tie, Ipswich shocked the Gtech when Sam Szmodics opened the scoring for the Tractor Boys. George Hirst played a brilliant ball into the path of the Irishman who was just outside the penalty area. Szmodics slid in and perfectly curled the ball into the far right corner, scoring his 2nd of the season. After making the 1st goal, Hirst then scored the 2nd for Ipswich, giving them a priceless 2 goal cushion just 3 minutes later. Conor Chaplin played a brilliant ball into the path of the young man who was left 1-on-1 with Bees keeper Mark Flekken. Hirst dinked the ball over the outcoming Flekken, watching it bobble over the line. One minute before the interval, Brentford found a much needed goal via the returning Yoanne Wissa. Vitaly Janelt played a smart ball through to Wissa where all he needed to do was pass the ball past Arijanet Muric between the sticks for Ipswich. After scoring Brentford’s 1st, Wissa could certainly take all the acclaim for Brentford’s all important 2nd in the first half stoppage time. Mikkel Damsgaard played a perfect ball through to Wissa where he was left 1-on-1 with Muric. His initial shot was halted by Muric but the unfortunate Harry Clarke could not stop himself from sliding in as his outstretched arm pushed the ball over the line. At half time the score stood at 2-2 with the hosts completing the comeback.
The Bees completed the turnaround in the 51st minute when they were awarded a penalty after Clarke wrestled down Keane Lewis-Potter inside the 18-yard box. Bryan Mbuemo stepped up and converted the penalty with confidence, smashing it into the top right and becoming the equal 2nd top scorer so far this season. Things then went from bad to worse for Clarke who had already scored an own goal, conceded a penalty and was now sent off for receiving a 2nd yellow card for another reckless challenge on Lewis-Potter. With just 4 minutes left to play, Ipswich striker Liam Delap thought he’d rescued a point for the Tractor Boys after tapping the ball in from close range from a Leif Davies cross. It was a brilliant finish as Delap scored his 5th of his first Premier League campaign. With just minutes to play in the game, Mbuemo scored to complete his brace. An attempted cross from the Cameroonian was not dealt with by keeper Muric or any Ipswich defenders. Muric left it too late to react as the ball bounced under him and into the back of the net. Delap almost capped off what would have been the game of the season when his sumptuous strike from outside the penalty area, with just seconds to play, rattled against the woodwork in what could have been the goal of the season. It was an end to end exciting game, exactly what the Premier League is all about. Brentford came out victorious 4-3 which took them into 9th on the table. Ipswich dropped all their possible points and sit inside the relegation zone, still without a win.
Brighton v Wolves
The following game of the weekend saw Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton host Gary O’Neil’s Wolves at the Amex Stadium. Brighton got off to an electric start and they would have found an early lead on a couple of occasions if not for some brilliant saves by Jose Sa in the Wolves goal. Sa was the unfortunate reason for the 1st goal of the game after his goal kick was intercepted by Ferdi Kagioglu inside Wolves’ half. The Turk played the ball into the path of Georginio Rutter who was then able to spot Danny Welbeck in the penalty area. Welbeck took the ball in his stride before finding the bottom left corner to give the Seagulls the lead before the interval.
After a goalless first 40 minutes in the second period, Brighton thought they had sealed the 3 points, thanks to a stellar run by Tariq Lamptey. Lamptey took the ball all the way down the right wing before playing the ball into the path of fellow substitute, Evan Ferguson. The Irishman took a couple of touches to compose himself before drilling the ball into the far corner to make it 2-0. Wolves made sure it was an uncomfortable finish for the hosts when Rayan Ait-Nouri scored in the 88th minute to half the deficit for Wolves. It all got a little too scrapy in the Brighton 6-yard box after a Pablo Sarabia corner before Ait-Nouri inevitably volleyed the ball into the back of Bart Verbruggen’s net. In the 3rd minute of stoppage time there was a huge change of events. Brighton won the ball back inside the Wolves’ half, leaving them with a 4v1 counter attack. Tommy Doyle, the last man back for Wolves, defended brilliantly, intercepting the pass from Mats Wieffer, which surely would have resulted in a goal for the hosts, before playing a perfect long ball across to Matheus Cunha. No one came to shut down Cunha and the Brazilian ate up the turf before firing a shot at the Seagull’s goal. His effort took a huge deflection off the ankle of Jan Paul van Hecke before smashing the upright and finding its way over the line. The score finished 2-2 after Cunha’s potentially season defining goal for the travelling side. O’Neil’s side still sit in the relegation zone on 2 points, but with the spirit his team showed against Brighton surely means they will start to pick up some more points. Hurzeler will be furious his side dropped 2 points from such a convincing position as Brighton sit 6th in the table.
Arsenal v Liverpool
The finale game of matchweek 9 was definitely the most anticipated fixture of the week, with Arne Slot’s league leaders Liverpool travelling up to the Emirates Stadium to play Mikel Arteta’s title contending Arsenal. There were doubts about Arsenal’s star man, Bukayo Saka, starting the game, given a recent injury, and Arsenal fans would have been delighted seeing his name on the team sheet. After just 9 minutes, it was Arsenal who scored the opener through their starboy Saka. Ben White played a brilliant lobbed pass down the right wing for Saka to run onto. When inside the penalty area, the Englishman cut the bouncing back back through Liverpool defender Andy Robertson’s legs before thrashing the ball past travelling keeper Caoimhin Kelleher. It was a brilliant start to the game for an Arsenal side full of important players injured but less than 10 minutes later, Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk scored to level the game. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner delivery was on the money, with Luis Diaz flicking the ball over to the back post for Van Dijk to head past David Raya in the Arsenal net. Just minutes before halftime and Arsenal managed to restore their lead through yet another set piece. Declan Rice whipped in a free kick from the right wing where new signing Mikel Merino headed the ball past Kelleher with a bullet of a goal. At half time the score stood at 2-1 with Arsenal hoping to hold out for a huge win.
After dominating the 2nd half and even hitting the post through Diaz, it was fair to say the Reds deserved their 2nd goal in the 81st minute. Trent released Darwin Nunez into the right side of the Gunners penalty area with a perfect lobbed ball from inside his own half. The Uruguayan no.9 controlled it before squaring the ball to Mohamed Salah on the penalty spot. Salah made no mistake with his finish, rolling the ball down the side netting and making it 8 seasons in a row in which he had found the back of the net against the Gunners. Arsenal did find the back of the net in the 90th minute after Kai Havertz hit the post but Gabriel Jesus managed to tap in the rebound. Unfortunately for the hosts, the goal was chalked off as referee Anthony Taylor had blown his whistle way before the ball went over the line for a weak foul in the build up. The full time result finished 2-2 with Liverpool dropping to 2nd in the league, failing to beat a weakened Arsenal side. The Gunners will be satisfied with a point, given their star players such as Martin Odegaard and William Saliba were missing due to injury and suspension. It only gets worse for Arsenal though as their other centre half, Gabriel, was subbed off at half time due to injury and looks unlikely to start vs Newcastle next week, meaning they will be missing their defensive pairing of Saliba and Gabriel. Arsenal sit 3rd on the table.
Written by Ollie Wade – Read the rest of Matchweek 9 at Premier League Matchweek 9 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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