Yet again a series of Premier League 2025 highlights were spoiled by VAR this weekend.
Certainly, Fulham fans were right to feel aggrieved at the manner of their west London derby defeat to Chelsea.
The promise of talented youngster Joshua King was illustrated on these SBOTOP pages a few short weeks ago and he, I, and thousands of other fans thought he had his first ever top flight goal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime.
Quite frankly, it was another decision against the spirit of the game after the video assistant referee (who has since been stood down – too little, too late) adjudged that King’s team-mate Rodrigo Muniz had stepped on home defender Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up to the goal.
When the pitchside monitor was viewed – there appeared to be minimal contact in what also looked a natural action by striker Muniz – and the decision to chalk off what would have been the opening goal was confirmed, it was the latest ruling (I call it a VAR howler) that makes you question the system.
The 18 year-old and his side would have deserved the lead at that point and their deflation was natural.
As if to rub salt in the wound, Chelsea took the lead in the ninth minute of first half stoppage time (only eight had been allocated) before sealing the points with a penalty 11 minutes after the restart with a penalty after Ryan Sessegnon handled the ball in the penalty area.
With Cottagers’ boss Marco Silva understandably incandescent with anger, his counterpart Enzo Maresca smiled.
After all, a Premier League win is a win, even if Chelsea don’t convince me.
The positive news for them, aside from the obvious, is the record of Joao Pedro who now has two goals and two assists in his first three league games.
Since cutting short his holiday on the beaches of his native Brazil to join Chelsea during the Club World Cup last month, the £55 million recruit from Brighton has made an instant impression and already had three goals in as many starts in the States before continuing that vein of form in the Premier League.
The downside was the loss of another summer attacking signing Liam Delap, who went off early with a hamstring injury which Maresca fears could rule him out for up to eight weeks.
It was the second Premier League home game in a row that Chelsea have benefited from a VAR intervention after Eberechi Eze’s free-kick in a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace was disallowed on the opening weekend because captain Marc Guehi was deemed to have interfered with the wall.
Guehi was a star again over the weekend and this time his goal did count with the pick of the Eagles three at Villa Park on Sunday night as Palace earned their first league win of the campaign.
Back to VAR controversy and it continued to be played out across Saturday with Burnley harshly seeing a goal ruled out in their last gasp 3-2 defeat at Man Utd, a result which possibly puts off the inevitable after an inexcusable midweek showing in the League Cup.
Meanwhile, who’d have thought newly promoted Sunderland would have two home victories from two home games?
Certainly not me, but a late show saw off a team I tipped to struggle, Brentford, as Wilson Isidor headed a stoppage time winner to seal a 2-1 success against the Bees.
It is only the second time the Black Cats have won their first two home games in the Premier League, with the other occasion being in 2001-02 under Peter Reid.
Unlike last season, when it took until October 19 for any promoted side to win their second game, it will also boost optimism on Wearside that Sunderland can avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
If Bournemouth deserve the accolade of result of the day after a hard fought win at Spurs, Jack Grealish took star player billing as the Toffees won 3-2 at Wolves who remain without a point after their opening three fixtures.
The loan signing from Manchester City registered another two assists – he now has four in his past two top-flight games – to ensure David Moyes’ side head into the international break on the back of three consecutive league and cup wins. He is fast becoming a fans’ favourite in the blue half of Merseyside.
The picture is not so rosy for struggling Wolves, who lost again despite scoring their first Premier League goals of the season.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sealed in the points in the 55th minute with a shot which went in off the woodwork after another Grealish assist, the midfielder’s first goal since joining from Chelsea for £28 million last month.
The Premier League 2025 betting odds make Liverpool and Arsenal title favourites and rightly so.
It took a brilliant freekick from Dominik Szoboszlai to separate the sides in favour of the hosts seven minutes from time.
Arsenal, already without Bukayo Saka and captain Martin Odegaard (who was fit enough to be named on the bench), suffered an early setback when key defender William Saliba went off injured after five minutes.
It was later revealed he had twisted his ankle during the warm-up.
After key injuries put an early end to their title tilt last term, the Gunners cannot afford a repeat.
Last week I begged the question: is Pep Guardiola able to undertake the first rebuild of his career. After going down to a late defeat at spirited Brighton, his Manchester City side have made their worst start to a Premier League campaign since 2004-05, further prompting the question.
It is of course, early days and the answer to that can be debated another time but they certainly seem to have long lost the aura of champions they once possessed. Now for the first international break of the maiden season.
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