EPL Review: Casemiro is cooked, Salah continues to evolve

Following each weekend of Premier League motion, theScore examines an important developments and largest speaking factors to emerge from the slate of matches. Beneath, we dissect Matchweek 3 of the 2024-25 season.

Casemiro’s very unhealthy day 😬

Manuel Ugarte cannot step into Manchester United’s midfield quickly sufficient.

Casemiro, the person Ugarte will possible change in Erik ten Hag’s beginning lineup after the upcoming worldwide break, delivered an all-time stinker in Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool at Outdated Trafford. The Brazilian gave the ball away with a weak cross that created Liverpool’s first objective, and he misplaced possession in his personal half to present the Reds their second tally seven minutes later. The house crowd audibly groaned at any time when he had the ball, particularly as he turned it over or put it out of play aimlessly nearly each time he touched it. Mercifully, he was substituted at halftime. Casemiro was so unhealthy, actually, that Ten Hag felt Toby Collyer, a 20-year-old with out a Premier League minute to his title, gave his staff a greater probability popping out of the break.

Casemiro might as effectively have been enjoying for Liverpool on Sunday.

Questions on whether or not it was smart to spend upward of £60 million on an getting older midfielder have been justified when Manchester United signed Casemiro two years in the past. That charge and contract have been at all times going to age poorly. However even the largest skeptic could not have envisioned the five-time Champions League winner with Actual Madrid falling off a cliff like this. At solely 32, he appears incapable of even transferring across the pitch.

A drop in his performances was inevitable. Age, sure, however he was additionally leaving a fine-tuned Madrid midfield the place he, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos had an intrinsic understanding of their respective roles, constructed over a number of years. There’s none of that cohesion at Outdated Trafford, the place Manchester United are an objectively worse staff. Nonetheless, his speedy decline has been robust to observe.

Ugarte will not repair all the pieces by himself – United’s points are structural and deep-rooted, and Ten Hag, regardless of ample time, has confirmed incapable of truly fixing them – however on the very least, he cannot be this unhealthy.

Fast free-kicks 📝

Rice caught red-handed: Essentially the most controversial second of the weekend noticed Declan Rice despatched off for his position in a weird sequence when he intentionally poked the ball away from Brighton’s Joel Veltman, who was attempting to take a fast free-kick in Saturday’s 1-1 draw. The ball gone, Veltman as an alternative kicked Rice, who ended up on the bottom writhing in ache. It obtained worse seconds later when he was proven a second yellow for delaying play, one thing officers have been instructed to implement extra severely this season. Mikel Arteta’s anger was comprehensible, as have been his requires consistency with choices, however, finally, the decision to ship Rice off was right, even when the style during which it occurred was uncommon. The influential midfielder will now be suspended for the north London derby after the worldwide break. With new signing Mikel Merino injured, Arteta already has a headache to cope with.

Imperious Man Metropolis: Seeing the four-time reigning champions atop the Premier League desk with an ideal report after three matches is not any shock. Removed from it. However, it is greater than a bit disheartening if you happen to’re an Arsenal or Liverpool supporter and had real hopes of this lastly being the season Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut took its foot off the pedal. Metropolis, recognized to begin considerably slowly earlier than flipping a change within the second half of the season and burying the competitors, already look unbeatable. Erling Haaland has back-to-back hat-tricks, PFA Participant of the 12 months Phil Foden has solely performed 45 minutes, and Rodri, arguably one of the best midfielder alive, hasn’t been on the pitch for a single second but. How, precisely, do you cease this staff?

Everton’s collapse: We wrote on this area final week that Everton’s first two matches of the season could not have gone a lot worse. Yeah, about that. Issues can at all times worsen. Cruising at 2-0 up within the 87th minute, Sean Dyche’s staff capitulated in humiliating vogue towards Bournemouth, conceding three targets, together with a 96th-minute winner, to remain pointless. Dyche ripped into his staff, lambasting his gamers for “not doing the laborious yards and the fundamentals” wanted to see out the win. Issues are bleak for the Toffees proper now. How does Dyche flip this sinking ship round? There are not any apparent solutions.

Star performer 🌟

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

This might very simply have gone to Haaland as soon as once more – that can possible be a typical theme this season as he continues to seek out the online with horrifying regularity – however Salah’s good begin to the marketing campaign warrants reward.

The Egyptian helped Liverpool choose Manchester United aside Sunday, starring at one in all his favourite venues and persevering with to feast on the Purple Devils. Salah, who scored as soon as and assisted on each of Luis Diaz’s targets, now has 10 tallies in 9 appearances for Liverpool at Outdated Trafford in all competitions. He is been immediately concerned in 18 targets towards Manchester United within the Premier League, greater than some other participant.

Watching him tee up Diaz twice – first by standing up an inviting cross on the again publish, after which by choosing him out shortly and exactly contained in the penalty space – was an vital reminder of his aptitude as a inventive drive, one thing that may, at occasions, be missed due to his scoring skill. For somebody who has confronted (inaccurate) criticism previously for being too egocentric on the ball, Salah morphing into extra of a creator within the latter phases of his profession could be an intriguing growth. Like so lots of the greatest gamers within the recreation, he continues to evolve.

Finest XI 😎

(Courtesy: FotMob)

Spotlight of the weekend 🎥

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde uncorked a depraved strike for Wolves this weekend, and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze curled an effort into the nook with aplomb towards Chelsea, however we’re going with Liam Delap’s ferocious objective in Ipswich City’s eventual 1-1 draw with Fulham. Come for the solo run and end, keep for the eruption of the Portman Street crowd. Beautiful.

(Out there to view in U.S. solely)

(Out there to view in Canada solely)

Stat of the weekend 🔢

Sorry, Everton.

Social media second 📱

We’re dipping into the Championship this week, the place Leeds United knew precisely what they have been doing with this announcement of Wilfried Gnonto’s contract extension.

The place we stand 👀

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