10 Things We Learned From The English Premier League Football Weekend (23-25 Sept 2017)

8. You In Reverse

Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League Leroy Sane
Peter Byrne/PA Wire

In the previous round of fixtures, Bournemouth, outclassed for long periods, eventually overcame a plucky and pesky Brighton side to secure their first points of the season.

Everton, meanwhile, appeared to accommodate Wayne Rooney's fondness for the geriatric by surrounding him with slower players - and were ultimately thrashed by a pacy and powerful Manchester United outfit.

Not much changed in a drab opening half over the weekend, and to maintain the theme, Josh King broke the deadlock after striding through the static Everton back line. Never in their modern history have they done as much to earn their "Toffees" nickname - until the introduction of Oumar Niasse altered the complexion of the game. His positional play - and crucially, his running - made optimal use of his team's extensive passing range to convert a slick build-up sequence. His second was nowhere near as beautiful - but was forced into the opposition net through sheer force of will and renewed confidence.

The match, bar the late surge, was another uninspiring fixture in a weekend defined by them - and had the added audacity to ruin countless accumulators.

 
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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!