Gameweek 5- A humiliation, a defensive masterclass and a happy Mesut Ozil

This week once again highlighted the depth of the English Premier League. United, Everton, Tottenham and Liverpool all lost to teams who are expected to finish in the lower half of the table. After last week’s euphoria, United got a reality check at the King Power Stadium, where as Liverpool continued to struggle against a superb West Ham side. Elsewhere, Mesut Ozil finally showed that he is still a force to reckon with, provided the plays through the centre. And at the Etihad, it was the stuff of legends, as Frank Lampard equalized late as 10 man City earned a well deserved draw.

The nightmare continues for Van Gaal

Van Gaal tactically exposed at Leicester

The 4-0 win against QPR was a false dawn. The humiliation that Nigel Pearson’s boys inflicted on the Reds will not be forgotten in a hurry. Goals from Van Perise, Herrera as well as another piece of magic by Angel Di Maria meant that United were 3-1 up after 60 minutes. Everything seemed hunky dory and with the attack in full flow, the fans were not wrong in expecting a few more goals. A horrible penalty given by Mark Clattenburg against Rafael changed the course of the match. The goal charged up Leicester, and with the crowd behind them, they simply butchered United. The defence fell apart, and Blind and Herrera could not give any protection to the defence and were overrun. Everytime a United player was caught in possession, United paid a heavy price. Van Gaal was made to look tactically naïve by Leicester. When you have such a porous back four, you simply cannot accommodate Rooney, Persie, Herrera, Di Maria and Falcao in the same side. With every match, Van Gaal does not seem to be the manager who has won multiple titles at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Instead he resembles the one under whom Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. It would be a massive understatement, but yes, Louis Van Gaal has a lot to do before facing West Ham this Saturday.

Defensive Masterclass at Etihad

Milner showed his class and versatility in a MOM performance

Sir Alex Ferguson once said, “Attack will win you games. But it is the defence that will win you titles”. And this performance by both the sides showed why it will take a miracle for any side other than Chelsea or Manchester City to win the league. Diego Costa just found out what it means when you face absolute top class defenders in Kompany and Mangala. Mangala making his debut was outstanding. With Kompany and Mangala playing as a partnership, it will take quite something to breach the City defence James Milner was also outstanding, and his versatility was key when City went down to 10 men. One of the most underrated players, at 28, Milner might just be reaching the peak of his powers this season. For Chelsea, Matic was again brilliant. He was a beast in the middle of the park and shielded the defence perfectly. As of today, teams like United and Arsenal will give almost anything to have someone like Matic in their team.  Mourinho, who is the master of the big away game, set up his team to defend and hit City on the counter. And with City down to 10 men, when  Schurrle scored from a textbook Chelsea counter attack, his plans were being executed to perfection. But, Lampard scored and City earned a well deserved draw. It was a typical Frank Lampard goal. Very few people have the ability to enter the box so late and score. This guy has scored 172 times in the premier league and most of them have come in that same manner. Of course, he did not celebrate. And the applause that he drew from both the City as well as Chelsea supporters at the end of the match told the entire story. Even at 36, he is capable of such moments. But the goal will go a long way in ensuring that City’s defence of the title does not fizz away easily. And on Sunday’s evidence, they look well equipped to run Chelsea close.

Ozil- happy and performing again

Ozil looks a different player when he plays through the centre

From my limited understanding of football, I can confidently say that Mesut Ozil is not at all comfortable to play in the wings. Yes, he may have won the World Cup for Germany playing in a wide position. But the German team had players like Lahm, Khedira and Schweinsteiger who could cover up defensively for him. The same does not hold true at Arsenal. When he plays on the wing, he simply does not do defensively enough to protect his full back. And when you play top teams, like Arsenal found out against Dortmund, you will be punished. Back in his favoured central position against Aston Villa, Ozil once again showed why Wenger paid  42 million pounds for him. And responding to the criticism, he also covered a lot of ground in the match. With Sanchez missing, Ozil and Welback stood up and led the Gunners to an easy but much needed victory.  The derby against Tottenham next week will provide a sterner test for Wenger and his boys.