Paul Higham
Credit Jose Mourinho for merely turning and storming down the tunnel when Callum Wilson dispatched a 97th-minute penalty to give Newcastle that undeserved point at Tottenham. We should get used to all this action going on well beyond the 90 minutes I suppose but it still wrangles somewhat with traditionalists.
Not as much as this new handball rule wrangles though – Jamie Carragher says it’s ruining football and it’s hard to disagree. Look, we know that the lawmakers are trying to make it easier for refs by trying to make it a black or white decision, but handball just can’t and shouldn’t be judged that way.
Here’s the thing, you have to work so hard to score a goal in the Premier League, just ask Sheffield United, and there’s no better chance than a penalty, so why should a team get such an opportunity to score for a ball hitting the arm of a player not even looking the right way.
Eric Dier was in mid-air, going for a header, there’s no way that should ever result in a penalty. The replays on the pitch-side monitors don’t really help either, as slow motion only exaggerates arm placement and movement making it look far more like a handball than at full speed.
Roy Hodgson was raging on Saturday, Mourinho on Sunday, who knows what’ll happen next? This rule needs changing, and changing fast. It’ll soon ruin a big game, a cup tie or Champions League contest.
Paul Higham
This ridiculous new handball rule does, however, give us some route towards profits as it’s now raining penalties with a combination of this law, VAR, and the general lack of decent defending seeing spot kicks being awarded all over the place.
The three Man City conceded against Leicester bolster the numbers, but it’s still 20 spot-kicks after just 28 Premier League games so far and they’re heading for a record number over the season if this continues – and it won’t even be close.
So going forward it will pay to have a dabble in the penalty markets, paying special attention for any wrinkles or trends for certain matches.
Everton v Brighton next Saturday for instances, with both sides having penalty incidents recently and plenty of players who like to get into the box and run with the ball. Yet 21/10 on some early shows for there to be a penalty in the match.
Man City just gave Leicester three penalties, Leeds gave Liverpool two and yet for their game next week there’s 6/4 around for a penalty there – with so much attacking intent on show that looks a decent bet in this new age of penalties.
Paul Higham
If you don’t fancy a Leeds shock, probably makes the most appeal at this early stage, although the way Man City defended on Sunday it’s hard to argue against
Tom Carnduff
VAR took centre stage once again as Manchester United secured a 3-2 victory against Brighton in Saturday's early kick-off. An overturned penalty decision, combined with the hosts hitting the woodwork five times, means Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side can consider themselves lucky to have secured all three points.
Early in the second half, Aaron Connolly went down under a challenge from Paul Pogba. Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot and showed the Frenchman a yellow card. It looked a soft decision but ultimately one that is often given.
That's the key point to this; it was soft. However, does that make wrong? Not at all. After consultation with the VAR, Kavanagh overturned his decision and Brighton's chance to re-take the lead had gone.
VAR was a problem last season but there's a belief it's starting to get better. Some even described that moment as the 'perfect' example of how the technology should be used. The real issue is that when it starts to officiate games, rather than highlight clear and obvious errors, it's not being utilised correctly.
So while the penalty decision could be viewed as 'soft', Connolly wasn't deliberately tripped rather his cleverness forced a foul, VAR should be in place to highlight where those clear errors have been made; in this case it wasn't and Kavanagh allowed the VAR to do his job for him.
It's getting beyond frustrating. It may have been problematic at times last season, but we now seem to be allowing it to make decisions as opposed to supporting them. It's unfortunately impacted how referees officiate the game, which is having an overall negative effect.
Based on early showings, the odds-against prices available on VAR overturning a decision in the specials section of each match is worth consideration. It seems a shift in mentality, alongside the use of the pitchside monitor, is altering how it works.
Oh, and don't get me started on giving a decision after the full-time whistle.
Tom Carnduff
If there wasn't enough drama in the first game we had to wait just 40 minutes for another bizarre incident when Everton were awarded a penalty in their clash with Crystal Palace.
Palace defender Joel Ward survived one lengthy VAR check after the ball struck the sleeve of his arm, which was down by his side. He wasn't afforded a second let-off for another block, this time for a header from Lucas Digne.
Now this isn't necessarily a VAR point, or even to do with the referee Kevin Friend, they are simply applying the laws of the game as they have been told to. In this case though, it's baffling as to what the defender is meant to do.
Ward's arm is barely out beside his body and crucially facing downwards. His momentum from trying to get across towards the ball will always leave a trailing arm or leg. If the ball strikes his arm, during a natural movement of shuffling across, the decision will always be given against him.
It's becoming a consistent trait in this season's Premier League; see Leeds defender Robin Koch at Anfield and Spurs' Matt Doherty against Southampton for just two further examples. It's going to be another frustrating theme as the season progresses. With a desire for more penalties combined with the new rules, a defender just can't win.
Of course, entertainment always comes with goals but that shouldn't mean that we sacrifice options available to the defenders to achieve that. These incidents aren't deliberate; we don't need to debate what is or isn't the 'body line'.
We're quickly learning that when a referee heads towards the pitchside monitor we are going to see a significant decision whatever happens, it almost feels like a pressure to give something, but this law needs amending for the good of the game.
Joe Townsend
Everton fans were understandably excited by the arrival of James Rodriguez just prior to the start of the season, excitement that has so far proven to be justified. The attacking midfielder has turned in noteworthy displays in all three of the Toffees’ Premier League games, with Sporting Life followers rewarded by his 10/1 strike from distance against West Brom.
But while the collective £70m that was spent on Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure was billed as the injection of quality Carlo Ancelotti’s side needed to take them to the next level, it’s a man they signed for just £1.5m from Sheffield United in 2016 who has perhaps been most crucial to them winning their opening five fixtures for the first time since 1938.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s early goal at Crystal Palace was his fifth in the top flight already this term, adding to his opening-day header against Tottenham and hat-trick in the 5-2 demolition of West Brom.
Since Ancelotti’s first game in charge of Everton, no player has scored more than Calvert-Lewin’s 13 Premier League goals. His Boxing Day strike against Burnley triggered a run of form which saw the Toffees striker net eight times in 10 matches.
After the three-month hiatus, the Everton team that returned from lockdown was a far cry from the one we had seen in the initial three months of Ancelotti’s tenure. As their season pitifully petered out, Calvert-Lewin failed to score in nine Project Restart fixtures.
In a Toffees team that’s functioning, he is the perfect nine: strong in the air, mobile and with the pace to run in behind. He can adapt to any game situation, but most importantly it is he who is adapting to his Italian manager's style by focusing more energy on the width of the 18-yard box.
It might sound like I’m reaching to write-off Calvert-Lewin's post-lockdown barren run, but I genuinely feel it's worth ignoring. Without those dead-rubber fixtures, his return under a ‘real’ Ancelotti Everton is 13 goals from 14 games.
He is 13/1 to finish as the Premier League’s top scorer this season, which can be backed each-way with Betfair and Paddy Power at ¼ odds to place in the top four.
In the short-term, Everton’s next league match sees them host Brighton. Albion were superb in a cruel defeat against Manchester United, but there is no escaping the fact that they struggle to defend at set-pieces.
It was the case against Chelsea on the opening weekend too, so when the market opens to it’s worth consideration.
From an Everton perspective, their start to the season is worth getting excited about.
It's no surprise to see their price for a top-four finish cut to 6/1 across the board after winning their first three league games for the first time since 1993 - ante-post their price peaked at 20/1.
Joe Townsend
and a huge . With an international break following that fixture, a bad result could mean the end for Lampard.
This could be the moment to take him in the sack race betting.
Odds correct at 1900 BST (26/09/20)
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