GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI
Finally, some drama. It was, admittedly, a little hard to get jazzed up about matchweek one of European football. Nothing really shocked or surprised. Arsenal were bad but won (boring). Man City looked like title contenders again (snooze). Mohamed Salah scored (predictable).
And now, we have something tuning in for, the jeopardy we all wanted. First, Man City lost to their bogey team, Tottenham delivering the usual fireworks against City with a composed 2-0 win. Then Milan endured an historic loss. And finally, Vinicius Jr. got benched, and then might have said something slightly mean to his manager after showing him exactly why he shouldn't have been benched.
GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.
Getty1Brennan Johnson at the far post
Brennan Johnson has this quite remarkable quality to be immensely effective without being very good. He pulled a disappearing act for 34 minutes of Spurs' fixture against Man City, all loose touches and wrong decisions.
And then, in the 35th, he decided to, well, be good at football. Johnson ghosted in at the far post to score the first of two nicely crafted Spurs goals to beat Man City at the Etihad. Everyone's got their bogey team, and for Pep it's the laughing stock of North London. Puzzling.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport2Jurrien Timber, Golden Boot contender
Just how we all predicted, right? Seriously, there is not a single person on planet Earth who could have forecast that Jurrien Timber would score twice against Leeds (and if anyone tells you otherwise, they are lying through their teeth).
Still, the Dutch leftback/centerback/Cristiano Ronaldo incarnate did it all the same, bagging two of the Gunners' five against Leeds. Sure, the newly promoted Lilywhites are bad, but bad? Perhaps it's time to just accept what we all knew: Timber is the striker Arsenal have needed all along.
Getty Images Sport3Bukayo Saka's hamstrings are cooked
Let's conduct a science experiment. Say you have a talented teenager who, during a stint in a big club's academy, has proved to those watching that he is ready for first team minutes. What happens when you just throw him to the wolves, and watch him steadily become a top talent?
Do you bench him anyway, if only to protect his legs? Or do you have him play every minute, and watch from afar while his hamstrings crumble? Arsenal have experimented with the latter, and, just two weeks into the season, Saka is injured again. Word is, he might not be out for too long, but his legs are in trouble and he's not yet in his mid-20s.
Getty Images Sport4New digs, new Everton?
Let's establish something: it would be no fun to see Everton get relegated. They are a historic club, a fundamental part of the fabric of the Premier League. Even if they have struggled in recent years, they still feel like a vital entity here. Manager David Moyes said before the season that he needed 10 news signings. Instead, he got a shiny new stadium and a Jack Grealish (on loan).
It might not be what he signed up for, but it worked wonders against Brighton on Sunday. Grealish was at his maverick, mercurial best – calves bulging, head on a swivel. He set up both goals and looked worth some of the controversy he will undoubtedly cause. If Everton are to kick on this year, it will be based on their ability to win at home, and the willingness of Grealish to make it happen. So far, so good.
