Premier League football is one of the most popular football leagues worldwide. With the season running from August to May, there is plenty of matches for fans to get their teeth into, whether your team is playing or not! The Premier League started early this year to accommodate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and is set to get back underway after a short break on the 26th of December – so now is a great time to reflect on what we’ve seen so far! At Midnite, you can take advantage of the best odds, and place your bets for the coming season. Here are some of the biggest shocks we’ve seen in the Premier League so far.
Liverpool’s loss to Nottingham Forest
On the 22nd of October this year, Nottingham Forest welcomed Liverpool to the City Ground. Last season, Liverpool were highflyers, and contenders for winning the Premier League, so it’s safe to say that teams coming up against them this season may have been worried about the onslaught such a skilled team could unleash – especially on a newly promoted Nottingham Forest. However, the 22/23 season didn’t get off to a great start for the Liverpudlian side. After winning 9-0 against Bournemouth in August, the team couldn’t seem to keep up the momentum, drawing with Brighton and losing to Arsenal in the weeks proceeding. Coming up against Nottingham, fans would not have been expecting a 1-0 win for Forest, after a 55th-minute goal from Awoniyi – especially with Nottingham only having 24% possession throughout the whole game!
Brentford’s victory over Manchester United
On the 13th of August, we saw Man Utd head to the Gtech Community Stadium to take on the Bees in one of the first Premier League matches of the season. But little did we know what an action-packed game it would turn out to be. Manchester were facing a tumultuous time before the end of the 21/22 season, but with a new manager getting stuck in, fans were keen to see if they could start off on the right foot. A ruthless attack from the Brentford side in the first half saw 4 Brentford goals in the back of the net, one from Dasilva in the 10th minute. Whilst the second half was less eventful, there was a shot for Eriksen to try and claw back a consolation goal for the side. Brentford managed to keep a clean sheet, sending Manchester United to the bottom of the table. A truly historic, and unforgettable day for both teams.
Liverpool’s late winner at St. James
Another Liverpool highlight making it into the list, this time as they faced Newcastle on the 31st of August. Again, if we’re basing opinions on last season, this match could be hard to predict, with Newcastle growing stronger. They had a new addition to the team in this particular match, Alexander Isak, signed from Real Sociedad, and fans were eager to see how the Swede would slot into the team as a striker. However, Liverpool still remain one of the strongest teams in the league, and there is no denying that.
Approaching the end of the first half, new signing Isak scored for Newcastle, sending them into the lead. But the joy was soon to be over, as a goal from Roberto Firmino took Liverpool level. But this is when it all got a bit controversial. Both teams were level on goals as 90 minutes approached, to which 5 extra minutes were added. Newcastle had further injuries throughout the added minutes which found the teams playing 3 minutes more – where Liverpool’s Carvalho slotted a goal into the net in the 98th minute. Newcastle fans felt understandably cheated by this, whilst Liverpool couldn’t quite believe their luck.
Thomas Tuchel Sacked from Chelsea
When it comes to shocks, this is one of the biggest, and not many of us can say we saw this one coming. After being appointed by Chelsea in 2021 and winning the Champions League with the team – the club parted ways with Thomas Tuchel in September 2022 after just a year at the club. Parting ways with the manager came approximately 24 hours after Chelsea were defeated by Croatian team Dinamo Zagreb. Fans and those of us that follow the premier league were left confused by the sacking. Chelsea had a bumpy start to the 2022/23 season with only a handful of wins. It has been said that Tuchel parted ways with the team as they didn’t share the same views, and the team needed a change with it came to collaboration. Chelsea then went on to poach Graham Potter from fellow PL side, Brighton.
Leeds’s victory over Chelsea
Another shock that we saw at the start of the season was a game between Northern side Leeds, and Londoners Chelsea, who travelled North to Elland Road on the 21st of August this year. The game was one of the most exciting we’ve seen in a while – as you’d be expecting Chelsea to take the win against Leeds, who have been anything but consistent in the past! Brenden Aaronson opened the scoring at 33 minutes for Leeds, closely followed by Rodrigo 5 minutes after. Giving Leeds a 2-0 advantage. The third goal from Jack Harrison at 69 minutes sealed the deal for Leeds, but it wasn’t over yet. In the 84th minute, Kalidou Koulibaly received a second yellow card for a foul, resulting in a red and getting him sent off! A 3-0 win for Leeds, and a game that Chelsea would rather forget.
