The World Game Wrap-Up
High drama as Moyes’ Noble decision backfires
West Ham United squandered an opportunity to earn a point against Manchester United when Mark Noble failed to score with his first touch of the match – a stoppage-time penalty.
Noble had been a spectator throughout an entertaining game in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored in his third successive outing for the Red Devils to level Said Benrahma’s deflected opener.
Jesse Lingard, who spent much of last season delighting West Ham fans on loan from Manchester United, this time left the Hammers supporters heart-broken when he fired in an 89th-minute goal.
But none of that drama could match the final moments when Luke Shaw handled in the box and Hammers’ manager David Moyes replaced Jarrod Bowen with Noble, who was tasked with taking the penalty.
Whatever glory Noble had in mind did not eventuate. Instead, Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, who is not known for his penalty-saving heroics, guessed right to make a save that preserved United’s 2-1 advantage.
Chelsea warm up for City clash
Chelsea breezed to the top of the English Premier League table with a 3-0 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur that would have reverberated all the way to Manchester.
The Blues share top spot with Liverpool, who have an identical record in amassing 13 points from five games.
Thomas Tuchel’s side blew away a lacklustre Tottenham with second-half goals from Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger in a game that will serve as a warm-up for Saturday’s home clash against defending champions Manchester City.
A goalless draw against Southampton is hardly the best preparation for Pep Guardiola’s City, who also have injury clouds over John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko ahead of the game.
The clash between Chelsea and City kicks off at 7.30pm (WA time) on Saturday, September 25.
The new rules of the Premier League
The start of the new English Premier League season came with news that referees had been advised to ignore the kind of incidental fouls that tend to interrupt the natural flow of a game.
It meant the appeals of players who fall to the ground under minimal contact, expecting a free-kick or even a penalty, could be ignored. For many fans, it was a common-sense approach and provided hope that there would be less frustration around important decisions.
For now, though, confusion reigns.
Take Manchester City defender Kyle Walker’s foul (or not) on Southampton striker Adam Armstrong. After initially sending off Walker and awarding a penalty to Saints, referee Jon Moss was called by the Video Assistant Referee to the pitch-side monitor, where he took a closer look and reversed the decision. In hindsight, and with the benefit of replays, Moss decided it wasn’t even a foul. Others scratched their heads.
There were other decisions, too, that drew attention, among them Joe Willock’s challenge on Dan James in the 1-1 draw between Newcastle and Leeds, and Konstantinos Tsimikas’ cleverly disguised foul on Christian Benteke in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.
But the pick of the bunch has to be the penalty awarded to Brighton in their 2-1 win over Leicester City for a handball by Jannik Vestergaard. The ball definitely hit Vestergaard’s left arm to divert Shane Duffy’s header wide but only because Brighton’s Neal Maupay was fouling the Danish defender by hanging onto his right arm.
Leicester were furious but referee Stuart Atwell was unmoved and, to rub salt into the wound, Maupay scored from the penalty spot.
The directive has changed this season but an end to controversy will not be achieved any time soon.
By any means necessary
Polish international Robert Lewandowski extended his incredible goalscoring streak for Bayern Munich to 19 successive games with a simple tap-in against Bochum in Germany’s Bundesliga on Saturday.
Given the match ended in a 7-0 thrashing, the only real surprise was that he hadn’t scored more. Lewandowski is a goalscoring machine and not just in the Bundesliga.
In the UEFA Champions League against Barcelona last week, the 33-year-old was in a hungry mood, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory.
And the first of his goals highlighted the ruthlessness of an expert marksman, who hit a record 41 league goals for Bayern last season.
After Jamal Musiala’s thumping strike rattle a post, Lewandowski reacted quickest and sensing he had no time to take a touch, he used the sole of his boot to expertly steer the ball home.
Lewandowski’s next task is to show newly promoted Greuther Furth just how tough Germany’s top division can be. Bayern travel north to take on Furth on Saturday (September 25).
