toonday's perspectives

The premature euphoria of the win over Chelsea had waned and Manchester United players faced their reality check. Ayew started the first chewing with a sublime goal. Brilliant James lived up to Giggs' encomiums by scoring a curler to save a point, yet the big lads couldn't step up games and Van Aanholt secured the winner for Crystal Palace. Zaha inhumanely dribbled Ashley Young like Ronaldo did Ashley Cole. Ashley must have it in them. They were not outplayed but outscored. The team seemed to have lost clinical finish. So much painful that Manchester could not be said to be red again. The "Devil" has lost, as the "blueness" of the "holy sky" is taking over.  The same game week that Manchester City condemned Bournmouth to 1-3 defeat--Sterling 1 Aguero 2 goals, while another wonderkid Wilson scored a beautiful freekick against Guardiola.  And an unconfirmed source reported: *Peter Drury* "You look at Marcus Rashford, he has ...

It was a punch for punch match between the confident underdog and winning-seeking Chelsea. It was no hold back encounter and strikers of both teams lived up to the expectations.  So early in the game, Tammy Abraham converted the first goal with a venom of a threatened snake: it's a territorial war between chelsea's strikers now. Crafty Pukki lived up to his past veteran exploits. Being given extra attention, he set up Cantwell for a tap in equaliser.  In the same first half, young Mount showed some stuff he inherited from his mentor Lampard. He cut in and flashed the second goal into the net. Chelsea's fans were hysterical; they haven't so seen goals flowing much this season.  But mighty Pukki won't have any of it. He sublimely converted a goal past Chelsea goalie. Teemu couldn't stop poaching. Lampard must have thought the world was crashing as stalemate could mean pundits slying him for the week again.  But Abraham,...

The difference between this Liverpool and Arsenal was simply that between a turgid and flaccid manhood, both blessed with the opportunities but where the former strikes the latter would always go limp with excuses.  The first forty minutes went by without a goal despite ample opportunities created. Liverpool soaked Arsenal with breathless pressure. At the 41st minute, it was magic Matip header that got the first goal. Leno couldn't flick it. Liverpool couldn't increase the tally in the first half. The second-half-seeking of a possible equaliser got Arsenal conceding more goals. A foul on Sallah by David Luiz set up the second goal penalty. It was the same David that left Sallah to skid past freely for the third goal. Sallah slotted past helpless Leno.  Everything crumbled for the gonners as confusion got them mishandling ordinary possession. Luis must be a Chelsea spy sent to crash the Emirates just as Man UTD Silvestre did for Arsenal against Drogba:...

Racism is cruelty. A kind of dehumanising thought process that can lead to murder. A mind that is capable to seeing another human as an animal is extremely unfeeling and needs a total exorcist redemption.  We won't dignify the anomaly with a definition but simply to note that it's a genealogical abuse and insult to a particular race. It has manifested more in football because the sport is a unifying factor that married many races together, within a team or league or competition. Racism cannot be forgiven nor be indifferently treated as an emotional gaffe. Because such mind only expresses its hidden thoughts at that emotional peak.   Even instances where a name could be confused with an insult, our thoughts shouldn't commit that atrocity. For example, where the line between Yoruba-name for "a gorilla" and Spaniard real name muddled --a player called "Inaki" Williams, we must make a clear distinction when making a reference to that sturdy handsome...

. The wolves would always fight back in packs, their ferocity could startle the reddest of the Devils. Despite a lukewarm start to the game, Martial martyr-ly scored through a martial strike. Rui Patricio couldn't parry what he couldn't see. United Devil failed to capitalize on the lead but were feeling comfy in passing around. Lingard lingered and was terribly poor with rueful misses. Rashford disturbingly silent. McTominay's blond hair couldn't make him a Scholes.  Thus, the Wolves fought back in packs. Neves bent one home to bring the Wanderers level. VAR god-eye almost destroyed the joy but the gods smiled on the Wolves and the Devil put to shame. Pogba got and missed a penalty kick. The rhapsody of 4-0 win over Chelsea had been condemned to a drab draw in Molineux moment. Red Devil with wayward passes devoid of focus, passion or needed creativity as they lost two points tonight.  Next week may be better but every point is worth it.  ...

Arsenal fans like a glutton's first encounter of a tasty meal couldn't stop mouthing Ceballos. The dude slayed with beautiful assists in his first EPL start. Lacazette was a live crocodile fighting dirty for that first goal; unbelievably off-balance yet he converted. Burnley retaliated and got a muddled equaliser. Luiz was decently solid and Ceballos, generous with passes.  Aubameyang got the winner to make it 2-1, a beautifully converted Henri-esque goal.  Southampton stood up and shook the champion, creating chances but the rejigged ( (re-Dijked) Liverpool Defense won't concede easy. Mane converted a beautiful curler. Firmino got the second with another Henri-esque one. Southampton won't die easy as they got on scoreline through Liverpool outcast Ings. CitySpurs was a battle of wit. Creativity versus doggedness. Guardiola's creative tactics met Spurs inexhaustible doggedness. Pochetino waited for the right time to po...

Unlike the expected bantering, Chelsea was almost the Mexican Ruiz that fell the much-touted champion Anthony Joshua but penalty shoot out and Offside call saved the Champion. Giroud got the first goal and substituted Firmino engineered a rough equaliser for Mane. The second for Liverpool came through the same ever-delivering Mane and Tammy Abraham got a penalty, stunningly converted by Jorginho. 2-2 in the extra time. Though they created many chances, hit bars again, had goals disallowed But Chelsea later lost in the penalty shoot out.  Kante was missed during Man UTD, his intermittent solo drives and his wall-like shielding of centre backs was felt. Pulisic's dribble was unlike Hazard but better with his sharp eyes for assists and goals. Mount is a becoming unstoppable player...combative and with Oscar-like shot. Tammy Abraham is intelligent. Tomori is promising. Pedro though losing possession has a wildling runs that nobody can ma...

Chelsea was at first lively and full of confident excitement like a rambunctious ram. But Manchester United like a calculated Muslim fully cognizant of the ram's compulsory death calmly dealt with the Chelsea's initial hoopla ( gragra) and Rashford fell against Zouma impatient tackle and converted the resulting penalty.  The game then changed to favour united. Lampard substitute killed their chase for equalizer as Giroud impact couldn't be felt. Martial and Rashford scored in quick succession to compound Chelsea's woes and James the speedster capped it on his EPL cap. Maguire is the solidity Man Utd needed. Bissaka is calmly intelligent. #OleOnTheWheel On another turf, Arsenal survived a scare as Newcastle refused to let points cheaply but Aubameyang converted coolly to put Arsenal ahead. Pepe came on and Ceballos also but nothing of their brilliance was seen. Next week be soon here.  --toonday

Norwich suffered the baptism of EPL fury with 4-1 punishment from the current European champion Liverpool. Still a Mane-less lineup but he later came in for Origi. Norwich scored an own goal, while Sallah's selfishness was still obvious. He got the second goal, Van Dijk the third and Origi headed one in. Norwich, proving themselves, did not go down whimpering but got on the score sheet through a clinical Temu Pukki's goal (ageless and a veteran). Cantwell a 19 year old lad looks a combo of Modric space-creating play and Kaka's first touch dribble. Guardiola as ever competitive also hammered West hammers 5-0 to prove a point in the First Gameweek of EPL as the Duopoly-race has started again. People kept muttering "This is Mahrez season". The dude was all over the pitch taunting and tormenting the Hammers. Sterling as the dictionary meaning of his name states, was sterling with a stellar performance securing a hat trick. Gabriel Jesus was on the scoresheet ...

Community Shield: Kyle Walker Saved the Cityzen from Losing to "Mane-less" Liverpool as Wijnaldum Missed in the Penalty Shoot Out. First trophy of the season as the brawl between Klopp and Guardiola fuelled with heated expectation, but the absence of Mane proved as a disadvantage for combative Liverpool.  Sallah played okay for a player who had been absent from the preparatory training. He missed a solid chance earlier in the game before Raheem Sterling did a tap-in past an unlucky Becker. Bravo doubled as a goal keeper cum centre-back with a mind to win Guardiola's heart. The first half was all City and injured Sane left the pitch for Gabriel Jesus.  Rodri was calm and capable of exploiting loose midfield: a definite good buy but never a Fernandinho.  The second half was Liverpool call. They pressed hard but lucky City though missing their injured Sane tried to smother the storm. But Matip got the equaliser for Liverpool with an assist from rock soli...