Premier League: Five things we learnt from gameweek 9 | OneFootball

After a week-long hiatus, FromTheSpot is back with five things we learnt from gameweek 9 in the Premier League. Wolves still winless, Liverpool’s leaky defending, and surprise results leading the discussion, there is plenty to digest before the next set of fixtures.

Wolves goalkeeper offers rare insight into struggle

Football fans aren’t the most patient in sport, and it doesn’t take long for their relationship with the players to take a hit when things go south.

Wolves will know that better than anyone at the moment.

Manager Vítor Pereira had to be held back by his players as he hit back at the furious home supporters starting to revolt, who have seen over £100m spent during the summer.

The scenes continued outside the ground, with José Sá in another confrontation with a fan. He said: “When I go home, I don’t speak to my wife because we lose, because I am sad.”

In fact, it’s a fairly rare insight into just how miserable runs like these are for players to separate from other the other domains of their life.

While due criticism can’t be ignored, there remains a line that fans should observe and it appears even that expectation is starting to be overlooked.

The home side were gelling worse than Burnley, who having trusted their Championship core to perform at the top level are starting to reap the rewards of a settled squad as Lyle Foster scored a late, late winner.

Still yet to win a game this Premier League season, things are starting to sour at Wolves.

Liverpool’s defence costs them again

Prior to the weekend, Arne Slot was surely thinking to himself ‘It can’t go on like this.’

It certainly can.

Liverpool’s defence committed several more costly errors and slumped to a fourth league defeat in a row at Brentford.

A long throw was enough to cause too much of a stir in their penalty area, with Milos Kerkez unable to shake Dango Ouattara at the back post.

The Hungarian clearly still hasn’t settled and is starting to wobble under the pressure.

But that wasn’t the end of their misery that night.

One through ball took out all but one of Liverpool’s defenders and leaving goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili with one-on-one that he was powerless to keep out.

The back line was inexplicably high, almost encroaching into the Brentford half, while offside wasn’t ever a concern with every player in red and white stripes back in their half.

With Mohamed Salah back to scoring ways, it’s becoming even more clear that Liverpool will be held back by their defending this season.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have scored the bulk of their goals from set pieces rather than open play, but in reality their brick wall defense, if anything, will bring them a first Premier League title since 2003.

The United Strand’s haircut could finally happen

For the unenlightened, a United fan by the name of Frank Ilett took it upon himself over a year ago to not cut his hair until his side won five games in a row.

Where did he get that idea from? It was a way to make light of fairly dire situation for one of English football’s most successful clubs, who like Villa are finally starting to find their footing.

Man United’s box-office 4-2 win against Brighton awarded Ruben Amorim with his first run of three straight victories in his career at Old Trafford, moving to fourth in the Premier League in the process.

His side played with energy and purpose and looked comfortable for the most of the evening, with Brighton rarely made any inroads in behind before their late fightback.

United’s rise up the table makes quite the contrast to the pictures of Amorim hurriedly shuffling around red and blue circles on a whiteboard at Grimsby.

If there’s any time in the season United will win five in a row, establishing a solid tone for the season going forward, it’s in their next two against strugglers Forest (watch out for the new manager bounce), and Tottenham Hotspur – who have picked up more points away than at home.

Another ‘buen día’ for Villa, but not for man in form

At the heart of Villa’s resurgence in the last few games is an Argentine on a comeback of his own. But it has taken him much longer.

Emiliano Buendía hadn’t been playing for long since signing from Norwich City for a record £30m sale in 2021 when he was struck with a lasting injury.

Recovering his match fitness, he found himself out of favour, out of minutes, and out of the goals as Villa pushed on with their objective of reaching the Champions League.

A promising loan move to Bayer Leverkusen later, Buendía is finally beginning to show what he is capable of with a fast start to the season, netting the winner at Spurs before setting up Matty Cash to defeat Manchester City at Villa Park for his fifth goal involvement this season.

But in a cruel twist of fate, the attacking midfielder hobbled off early before he was spotted walking with crutches after the match outside the ground.

It will be a nervous wait for the Villans until they learn whether he’ll be out or can continue his long-awaited spell of form.

Milner eyeing up appearances record

James Milner keeps playing as though he hasn’t aged at all.

Now with 645 Premier League appearances, Gareth Barry’s record of 653 is now firmly in his sights with just nine more appearances required to make history.

The 39-year-old looks likely to keep featuring in matches for Brighton, coming off the bench and providing the assist for their second goal in their late flourish against Man United.

In fact, the goalscorer Charalampos Kostoulas hadn’t been born until Milner had been playing in the Premier League for five years.

A true testimony to his longevity, Milner is the model that all Prem players should aspire to.