Over The Top - EPL

Over the Top returns after our midseason vacation, and some catch-up is in order. We take a look at where things stand after halfway through the season by looking at the table, touching upon some feel good stories and discussing the most disappointing performers thus far. 

Chelsea and Man City play out a Premier League classic at Stamford Bridge as Pochettino's young team up their level to draw 4-4; the result shows Chelsea trending up but inconsistencies remain; an injury-riddled Newcastle are dominated by lowly Bournemouth, who climb out of the relegation zone with their second goal of the season; Wolves stun injury-hit Spurs twice in extra time to claim last-minute 2-1 win; Man United continue their uninspired form but earn win against Luton; Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa all earn win to narrow the gap at the top; we look at the table with nearly a third of the season gone. 

Chelsea and Spurs produce a bizarre and heated match that involved constant VAR stoppages, two red cards for Spurs and a batch of late goals for the Blues; although it's hard to take much away for Spurs or Chelsea given the circumstances, the Van de Ven and Maddison injuries are a major concern for Postecoglu; Newcastle narrowly edge Arsenal in another game riddled with VAR controversy that sparked a furious Arteta and Arsenal statement post-match despite lacking conclusive evidence that Newcastle's lone goal should've been chalked off; an uninspired Manchester United scrape by Fulham with Bruno's late strike; other highlights include a lights out Jeremy Doku performance and a Mohammed Kudus bike. 

Chelsea and Arsenal played out a draw at Stamford Bridge after the Blues edged the contest for 70 minutes, only for a Robert Sanchez mistake to kickstart Arsenal's comeback in the game; Man City beat Brighton in a close game where Brighton did themselves proud, but some questions remain about Man City's early season form; Liverpool took advantage of Ashley Young's red card but should've seen red themselves in a dull 2-0 win in the Merseyside Derby; a deep dive into the struggling sides after 9 matches.

Arsenal and Man City's dull but high stakes clash could be a symbolic win for Mikel Arteta over his mentor; Man City's last two sub-par performances are good for the league but not unusual for Pep's dominant side; exciting draws between Brighton and Liverpool as well as West Ham and Newcastle; Scott McTominay goes full Fergie Time after scoring two goals in extra time in Man United smash-and-grab; Spurs are top of the table going into the international break. 

Errors by VAR referees and controversial red cards overshadowed Tottenham's 2-1 win over an incredibly unlucky Liverpool; the PGMOL releases audio of the VAR review for Luis Diaz's wrongly disallowed goal; the City of Manchester has a rough weekend as Wolves upset a half-baked Man City 2-1 and United's terrible form continues with 1-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace; Villa smash Brighton and Luton pick up their first win. 

The North London Derby finishes 2-2 in an even and entertaining match; both North London sides benefitted from mistakes and dominated stretches of the game; Liverpool impress in 3-1 win against a stubborn West Ham with a nice Darwin Nunez goal; Chelsea lose yet again, this time to Aston Villa; Newcastle embarrass Sheffield United with 8-0 scoreline; Haaland takes his tally to 8 goals and Rodri sees red in win over Forest; Everton pull off massive 3-1 win at Brentford; incredible Bruno volley edges Manchester United past Burnley.

Brighton, who fielded a starting lineup purchased for ~17M GBP, dominate a hapless Manchester United who look disjointed in the early stages of the season; United's issues are on and off the field with Sancho and Antony situations; Man City overcome stubborn West Ham with class from newer recruits like Jeremy Doku and Julian Alvarez; Spurs go from a disappointing loss to the latest comeback in Premier League history with goals in the 98th and 100th minute; Arsenal grind out another close win as a highly-anticipated North London Derby approaches; and rounding out with transfers we missed at the end of the window and post-transfer window table predictions. 

Liverpool hit Newcastle late at St James Park despite early Van Dijk red and Alexander-Arnold mistake; Darwin Nuñez double could spell good news for the Reds; West Ham perfectly execute game plan to win at Brighton; Chelsea and Spurs cruise to comfortable wins; Manchester United overcome the worst start possible in 3-2 win against Nottingham Forest; experimental Arsenal slip up in Fulham draw; Everton's struggles continue. 

Spurs make an early season statement in a surprising 2-0 win against an underperforming Man United side; Chelsea's teething problems show in a mixed but promising performance despite conceding on the counter in loss to West Ham; questions remain about who will score the goals for Chelsea with only a week left in the transfer window; Man City handily beat Newcastle in sleepy match; Arsenal comfortably see out Crystal Palace 1-0; big scorelines include Aston Villa's 4-0 win over an abysmal Everton and Brighton spanking Wolves 4-1; early season overreactions continue.