Jonathan Wilson's Blog, page 2

Spurs head past the Arctic Circle in search of added creativity

Thomas Frank says ‘the right signs are there’

Manager plays down role of Bodø/Glimt’s artificial pitch

No game is an island; every game is inevitably coloured by what has gone before. It is not quite five months since Tottenham last came north of the Arctic Circle and, for all that Thomas Frank insisted this is a “new situation”, that previous meeting with Bodø/Glimt in the semi-final of the Europa League can not but colour this one in the league phase of the Champions League.

There was an odd echo, too, in the buildup. Back then, the Glimt full-back Fredrik Sjøvold was dismissive of Tottenham’s pressing, which clearly riled Ange Postecoglou.

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It’s early, but every Premier League title contender already looks flawed | Jonathan Wilson

With late goals a major factor, the four major players for the trophy saw their narratives crystalize over the weekend

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There’s always a danger this early in the Premier League season of reading too much into a single set of games. Titles may be lost in September but they are very rarely won. This past weekend, though, did feel like one where many of the prevailing narratives crystalised as Arsenal dug deep to win the sort of game they’ve become used to losing, Liverpool’s defensive shortcomings were exposed as they lost for the first time this campaign, Manchester City swept aside lesser opposition in the manner of old and Chelsea fell apart again.

Liverpool have looked defensively shaky all season. Having been the team of control in the last campaign, making the unremarkable 2-0 win a trademark, they have become the side of the late winner, clinching games this season in the 88th, 94th, 100th, 83rd, 95th, 92nd and 85th minutes. That was never going to be sustainable, but the question was whether general performances would improve, or whether the late strikes would dry up.

This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll answer the best in a future edition.

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Arsenal stare down their demons and a VAR curiosity to make a title statement | Jonathan Wilson

Arsenal were rattled against Newcastle but overcame pressure and may yet prove they have edge of champions

No side, perhaps, are quite so aware of how much each point matters as Arsenal. It’s only September: to speak of key moments in the title race at this stage feels exaggerated, even anachronistic. But there’s no denying this was a huge win for Mikel Arteta’s side if only because, had they not won, it would have felt like a huge opportunity missed – and Arsenal in recent seasons have become a side who have not taken their chances.

That they began the weekend five points behind Liverpool was more to do with the fixture list than any great shortcoming on their part; losing away to the champions and drawing at home against Manchester City, even if there were reservations about the nature of the performances, are not in themselves terrible results. Nor could anybody have been too critical if they’d dropped points at Newcastle, particularly given their recent record at St James’ Park. But Liverpool’s defeat at Crystal Palace had given Arsenal the opportunity to move within two points at the top; not to have leapt on their slip up would have played into the narrative that Arsenal do not have the edge of champions.

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Isak debacle shows Newcastle remain stuck outside elite despite Saudi windfall | Jonathan Wilson

Bewilderment at letting a prolific forward join a Premier League rival has bolstered the sense of the club as a diminished entity

There is another world, not so very different from this one, in which Newcastle took the pragmatic decision early in the summer that Alexander Isak was leaving, there wasn’t much they could do about it, and they might as well make the best of it: selling players at a profit, after all, is just what clubs on the rise have to do.

That was always true to an extent, but has become especially so in a world governed by profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). They could have taken the £125m, bought players at their leisure, and the sense going into the season would probably have been one of quiet satisfaction at a decent summer.

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John McGinn kickstarts Aston Villa’s season with victory against Bologna

At last, a first win of the season for Aston Villa. They made harder work of it than they might have done against limited opponents, and there were rather more nervous moments than there probably should have been, but a win’s a win and, after the start to the season Villa have had, that’s the most important thing. But nobody should think Villa are back just yet.

They took an early lead, should have had the game wrapped up by the hour and Ollie Watkins missed a penalty to extend his goal drought but, in the end, it took a back-pedalling injury-time save from Marc Bizot to keep out a Remo Freuler header and preserve the victory. “We have won and this is the important thing,” said Unai Emery. “We have to recover more or less again the feeling of being strong and playing with confidence. We played well. If we had been more clinical with moments we had in the attacking third we could have got something, but over 90 minutes it was better than the last matches.”

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Pep Guardiola is leading a strangely defensive new approach to the Premier League

The possession that once defined the Spanish manager’s sides has evaporated, and it’s hard to see exactly why

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We really are now through the looking glass with Pep Guardiola. Eyebrows had been raised by the way Manchester City approached the second half of their commanding derby win last week, sitting off, allowing United the ball and picking them off on the break. But their performance in drawing at Arsenal on Sunday was on a different level entirely: just 33% possession, the lowest any Guardiola side has ever registered in a league game. By the end they had four central defenders, two holding midfielders and a full-back on the pitch.

But even that doesn’t get to the heart of how strange this was. In the previous five seasons there have only been 10 occasions when City did not have more possession than their opponents in a Premier League game. Only once before in the Premier League has City’s possession under Guardiola dipped below 40% – when they registered 37% in beating Arsenal 3-1 in February 2023, a decisive game in that season’s title race as it pulled City level on points with Arsenal at the top, although they had played a game more. That fixture, though, was an extreme version of the United game: City sitting deep, looking to strike on the break and, as it turned out, scoring twice in the final 20 minutes to seal their win.

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Arsenal v Manchester City buildup, reaction to Matt Beard’s death and more – as it happened

Our writers looked forward to another big day of football action and the sad death of a beloved women’s football pioneer

As noted earlier, there are three midday (BST) kick-offs in the WSL and you will be able to get updates on all the goals in this very blog with my esteemed colleague John Brewin, so don’t go anywhere. I will bring you team news from those as soon as it lands, hot and fresh off from the various inkjet printers across the country.

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Arsenal v Manchester City buildup, reaction to Matt Beard’s death and more – matchday live

⚽ Previews, team news and buildup to Sunday’s games
⚽ Mail matchday live or post your thoughts below

As noted earlier, there are three midday (BST) kick-offs in the WSL and you will be able to get updates on all the goals in this very blog with my esteemed colleague John Brewin, so don’t go anywhere. I will bring you team news from those as soon as it lands, hot and fresh off from the various inkjet printers across the country.

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Andoni Iraola is a model modern manager. Could he save Manchester United? | Jonathan Wilson

The smart and flexible coach is enjoying a remarkable start to the season with Bournemouth and big clubs are taking note

You have to be patient with new players. You have to give a manager time to work with fresh signings, let them learn his methods. Rome wasn’t built in a day – Brian Clough quipped he wasn’t on that particular job, but it took until the third season at Derby and Nottingham Forest to win promotion. It makes sense; you have to wait. Football takes time. Or you could just turn to Andoni Iraola.

Iraola lost three of his back four in the summer and his goalkeeper. (No detail perhaps so encapsulates the financial landscape of modern European football better than the highest fees paid in the latest transfer window by a Spanish club and a French one were for Bournemouth centre-backs.)

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Scoring goals and spreading terror, it’s safe to say Erling Haaland is back to his best | Jonathan Wilson

The ferocious Manchester City striker can undo the best laid plans and he left Napoli staring at an inevitable Champions League defeat once they were down to 10 men

Everybody has a plan until Erling Haaland charges at them. Familiarity, perhaps, has dulled in Premier League minds just what a terrifying prospect he is, nearly 90kg of Norwegian muscle capable of moving at ferocious speeds yet blessed as well with a deft touch and a range of finishes. Manchester United couldn’t stop him, and neither could Napoli. Even when Haaland isn’t scoring he is spreading terror.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo is an experienced defender. He is the Napoli captain. He has won half a century of caps for Italy. But when Phil Foden – the signs of rejuvenation he showed on Sunday happily maintained against Napoli – slipped an angled pass through the back four after 21 minutes, Di Lorenzo, presumably aware of the presence of Haaland and worried about the unstoppable force he represents when he gets going, stepped across his line.

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