Arsenal (0) 2 v 1 (0) Brentford
48 Smith Rowe, assist Lacazette 90+3 Norgaard, assist Ajer
79 Saka, assist Partey
Yellows: Gabriel Jansson
Referee: Jon Moss
Played Saturday 19 February 2022 at the Emirates Stadium, attendance 60,000.
Not only were the winners reversed in this fixture, the reverse of the opening day of the 2021-22 season, but also the fortunes of the Clubs. Arsenal began with 3 straight defeats and Brentford were riding high. Now it’s the Gunners turn to ascend the Premier League (PL) table, based very much on their young creative mid-field trio of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Emile Smith Rowe, of whom the English duo scored. The Bees late goal will hardly help to keep them in flight.
Crystal Palace (0) 0 v 1 (0) Chelsea
89 Ziyech
Yellows: Olise Sarr, Pulisic, Havertz
Ref.: Darren Coote
Played Saturday 19 February 2022 at Selhurst Park, attendance 25,109.
Chelsea duly made it 5 wins out of the last 6 away to Crystal Palace with a late goal by Hakim Ziyech one of their best performing players of late. The Blues were hardly physically fresh from their exploits in Abu Dhabi, winning the FIFA Club World Cup, and that may be why Romelu Lukaku, who scored 2 goals in that tournament, only touched the ball 7 times in 95 minutes in this match. Not fair to call him an expensive misfit yet, but what is expense to this all conquering Club?
Watford (1) 1 v 4 (2) Crystal Palace
15 Sissoko, assist Femenia 18 Mateta
42 Gallagher, assist Mitchell
85 Zaha, assist Ayew, and 90 Zaha
Yellows: Samir, Femenia Kouyate
Played Wednesday 23 February 2022 at Vicarage Road, attendance 20,012.
Watford suffered a further setback in their survival fight with a home defeat against Crystal Palace who quickly bounced back from their home Premier London derbies (PLDs) defeat 4 days earlier. Conor Gallagher was back in the team and scored, and Wilfried Zaha added a late brace with the match already won. Ex-Spur Moussa Sissoko netted the Hornets’ early equalizer. He may feel he has stepped “into the fire” at Watford, but he is well out of “the frying-pan” which is over-heating, currently at Tottenham Hotspur!
Please do look out for the Second PLDs Year Book for the Season 2020-21, just published, free on this website and “Keep Safe”, Andrew at PLDs.