Did you stay up? 11pm kick offs on a Sunday are not ideal for us in Australia, but those that burned the midnight oil were rewarded with the best game of the year so far, the 2-2 between Arsenal and Spurs that further cemented the Ange Postcoglou revolution.
It was his toughest task yet in the Premier League, and though his side didn’t take all three points, it was another match that burnished his reputation.
Ange is always the biggest story as far as we’re concerned, but beyond him, this was another weekend that didn’t disappoint in England.
It was one for the rarities. Newcastle won 8-0 away from home and had eight different scorers. Rodri, the fouler-in-chief, finally copped some karma and was sent off. Everton – Everton – won a game of association football.
It wasn’t all surprises. There’s death, taxes and Chelsea losing at home without scoring, which they did to Aston Villa. Brighton won again, and are now third, which should be a shock but absolutely isn’t.
All the promoted teams failed to win, and despite 16 games collectively this season, they have just three points. Lucky for Luton and Burnley, they get to play each other next week and, hopefully, at least one of them will win.
That’s all to come. Here’s what happened last weekend – starting, of course, at The Emirates.
Ange is not a man renowned for changing his mind. Indeed, he’s famed for stating that his Plan B is to do Plan A better.
This is the guy who moulded Brisbane to his will and turned them into an unstoppable A-League beast. It’s the guy that entered a World Cup group with Spain, the Netherlands and Chile and tried to play them off the park.
Even last year, his Celtic played Real Madrid twice in the Champions League and opted to go toe-to-toe rather than sit in. Park the bus? Not with Ange at the wheel.
Tottenham’s North London Derby draw with Arsenal was still seen in some circles – English, of course – as a moment for pragmatism, a game where their opponents would dominate the ball and dictate the play.
Anyone who has been following the big man’s career would know that this would not be allowed to happen without a fight.
Spurs duly had the bulk of possession and created the better chances. They’ll certainly take 2-2, but might have hoped for more given the run of the game.
There might have been an element of pragmatism, though it came in unusual form as Tottenham clearly had a plan to tactically foul Arsenal.
For a match that lasted well over 100 minutes, only half was with the ball in play and the central players, Yves Bissouma, Destiny Odogie (inverting from left back) and Pape Sarr were incredibly effective in stopping any rhythm that the Gunners might have built.
Still, great work if you can get away with it, and Arsenal pioneered the art in the glory days under Arsene Wenger, so can hardly complain too hard.
With each week that passes, Postecoglou continues to surprise. Well, unless you’re Australian, in which case very little that he does could be considered remotely surprising.
Ange is nothing if not predictable, especially in how his sides attempt to play. If they’d have lost 6-0, they’d go into next week wanting to play the same way.
In the end, a draw likely suits all parties. Though Brighton skipped above the North London clubs, and they dropped further behind Liverpool and Manchester City, avoiding defeat does a lot to keep the vibes train rolling.
Spurs welcome Jürgen Klopp’s men next week, which stands to be another cracker, and Arsenal get City in two weeks’ time and Chelsea – if that still counts as a tough task – the week afterwards.
It’s hard for Liverpool to fly under the radar, what with being one of the most famous football clubs in the world, but they have done so pretty well thus far.
Sunday saw another regulation 3-1 win, another goal for Mo Salah and another for Darwin Nunez, who is suddenly looking exactly as good as people thought he was when he arrived from Benfica.
The Reds haven’t lost in a long, long time – 17 games to be precise – which would usually be front and centre in the news cycle, but for a wide range of reasons, it isn’t.
Firstly and most obviously, the fact it splits over two seasons doesn’t help, and the first portion of it came at a time when they had next to nothing to play for.
Secondly, it’s been a banner season so far for drama elsewhere. Manchester United and Chelsea have lurched around in the crisis category, while Arsenal and City have been at the other end, plus the aforementioned Spurs revolution. Even in their own city, Everton’s disastrous start has taken the bulk of the narrative.
It’s a strange position for Liverpool. Quiet achievers doesn’t really suit a club of their size, but they have had plenty of them.
Dominik Szoboszlai already looks like he’s played a million games in that midfield and Alexis Mac Allister is settling in, too. Nunez has kicked on and the defence now has Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip back together.
Nobody really knows what to expect from Liverpool, because City have been the benchmark and Arsenal have usurped them as the best of the rest. Klopp will appreciate being able to get on with his work in peace.
The fixture list has been kind thus far, with only a trip to Newcastle – remember that miracle win? – as a tough ask, so perhaps the reason they have been able to build quietly has been through lack of opposition.
With the trip to Tottenham, then to Brighton, then the derby with Everton – all split up with pesky Carabao Cup and Europa League fixtures, too – it will be interesting to see where they fall.
Joe Lolley was outstanding for the Sky Blues, scoring a brace as Sydney FC equaled their biggest ever victory.
Eight trophies is nothing to be sneered at, but can Klopp’s name can be mentioned among the best managers in the Premier League era?
The Matilda scored the first two of her team's goals in the 4-0 win.
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