This week was the double-edged sword of excitement and disappointment in the world of players and managers. Jeremy Doku of Manchester City shone with dazzling playmaking ability, and the struggles continued for Florian Wirtz at Liverpool. Doku has registered three assists in his past three Premier League games, more than he managed in his first 17 appearances put together. Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner’s tactical acumen led Crystal Palace to an impressive victory against Liverpool, equaling a record with an 18-game unbeaten run.
As great as this week’s matches were for showcasing individual performances, they seemed to underscore the changing tides at clubs. Brighton achieved consecutive victories over Chelsea for only the second time in history, while Leeds faced challenges in depth and execution against Bournemouth. As temperatures get hotter for some of these football managers, the landscape of the Premier League will keep changing.
Doku’s Remarkable Ascent
Doku has already established himself as one of Manchester City’s most dangerous attackers, especially with Kyle Walker unavailable in recent weeks. It’s his ability to conjure up goal-scoring chances that has turned heads. He was especially unique in his final three Premier League outings, notching three assists. This performance is awe inspiring! That’s more than his combined total of assists in his previous 17 outings in the tournament.
Doku’s impact on the pitch is starting to show more and more. His vision and passing accuracy have made him a key player in starting City attacks. The young winger’s development is certainly a bright spot for the club as they hope to build upon their early success this season.
“When you play the champions, you always know you can slide back and they score late goals.” – Oliver Glasner
Manchester City are still counting on Doku’s inventiveness to undo the defensive puzzles being thrown at them by opposition teams. Teams are still learning to adjust under his unusual style of play. Now, it’s going to be interesting to see how he maintains this consistently high standard moving forward.
Wirtz’s Ongoing Struggles
On the other end of the Premier League scale, things are not going to plan for Florian Wirtz at Liverpool. He came to Fish Springs with big aspirations, but he’s found it tough to leave his mark. As per Transfermarkt, in his eight appearances for the club, he has not recorded a single goal or assist. This apparent failure to contribute has led many to question how he’s adapting to the stepped up demands of the Premier League.
Wirtz’s struggles are indicative of the challenges newcomers to a new league often face. Especially when you consider the intensity and pace of English football, it’s all very overwhelming. Even more so than Szoboszlai, Wirtz is still trying to find his feet within Liverpool’s tactical framework. As the heat continues to increase on him to produce or else, we have no idea how he’ll react.
“You can’t continue to make mistakes. They are game-changing mistakes.” – Enzo Maresca
As for Wirtz, fans couldn’t be more optimistic. As with Liverpool a bit up and down world of performance, they need him to be that guy and really help change games.
Tactical Triumphs and Challenges
The managerial merry-go-round was equally eventful this week, most significantly with Oliver Glasner’s departure from Crystal Palace. His tactical know-how won an important home victory against Liverpool. His ability to adapt, incredibly, even after losing Michael Olise and Ebere Eze in more recent seasons.
Glasner has discovered methods to get the most from the squad and they are riding a record-equalling unbeaten run of 18 matches. This resilience is all the more impressive when you consider that they’ve been put through the ringer in terms of squad depth. His tactical choices have been very right on target in tough matchups with heavyweights.
“I think it was the best half since I arrived.” – Oliver Glasner
The trajectory Chelsea have been on recently adds to questions about the direction they’ll go in down the line under manager Enzo Maresca. It is now only one win in their last five games in all competitions for the team. This disappointing run of results is increasing the heat on Maresca. It’s the old bugaboo of not being able to finish opportunities.
“The message that we just said inside has been quite clear: against any team in the Premier League you cannot continue to give away presents.” – Enzo Maresca
Leeds United’s recent fixture with Bournemouth showcased their plight in the department of squad depth. Manager Andoni Iraola heavily rotated, with Ryan Christie, Justin Kluivert and Amine Adli all getting starts. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough and Bournemouth punished their failure to convert their extra personnel late in the match.
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