The good 😀 the bad 😕 the ugly 👹: West Ham's woes and a PL VARce | OneFootball

Another weekend of Premier League action has flashed past and the table is beginning to take shape.

Some teams have impressed, others haven’t and some look much better on paper than on a football pitch.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from matchday three.

The Good

Watford

I’m not naming names, but certain members of the Onefootball newsroom backed Javi Gracia to be the first managerial casualty of the season. (See here for those names.)

We all love a good underdog story!

After they edged past Crystal Palace at Vicarage Road, Watford have won their opening three games of a top-flight league campaign for the first time in their history.

Gracia deserves credit for instilling consistency into a side that have often fallen short in that respect, as well as the likes of Roberto Pereyra, Étienne Capoue, Abdoulaye Doucouré and Daryl Janmaat who have been superb.

Seri and Mitrović

We’ve seen glimpses of what Fulham can do but two defeats from their opening two games would have brought some doubt into minds. Jean-Michäel Seri and Aleksandar Mitrović saw fit to that.

Seri has been courted by some of Europe’s top clubs in the past and his opening goal against Burnley proved just why.

One touch to lose his marker, another to set himself and a third to rifle a shot past Joe Hart from 30 yards. A moment of quality from a player well worth his €27m price tag.

AS for Mitrović, since his debut for Fulham in February, no player has scored more goals in the top four tiers of English football than he has (15). Your defence is terrified.

The Bad

To VAR or not to VAR?

For some reason, Premier League clubs voted against the introduction of VAR despite every the other top 4 European leagues implementing the technology.

And it has taken just three weeks for our first major talking point.

Wolves were brilliant against Manchester City but their goal should not have stood.

Willy Boly used his arm to score past Ederson when attempting to meet João Moutinho’s cross and you could even argue that he was offside when the ball was played in. “I’m not the referee, never will be,” Guardiola replied when asked if VAR would have made a difference. Also known as, “give them some help”.

West Ham

Is it time to start worrying?

They spent €100m in the summer and there are few signs of improvement under Manuel Pellegrini.

They are rock bottom of the table with nine goals conceded, three defeats and zero points.

What must be frustrating for the fans is that they played quite well in parts against Arsenal – Felipe Anderson in particular – but individual errors continue to cost them.

Arthur Masuaku failed to track his runners, Jack Wilshere looked physically shot and Marko Arnautović can be wasteful in front of goal.

Their new additions will gel in time and it’s unlikely they will be battling relegation but for the moment, West Ham are not going in the right direction.

The Ugly

Richarlison

Oh Richarlison.

You’ve made such a brilliant start to your Everton career, proving people wrong, making kids cry tears of joy and signing casts on dislocated elbows, then you go and do that.

It may just have been a petty headbutt and Adam Smith was hardly innocent in the affair but rules are rules. You can’t do that.

Marco Silva labelled the act “naïve” which was an apt description because now he’ll miss three crucial games, including Arsenal away. Lessons need to be learnt because there’s no denying his ability.

And just think of all the fantasy football players you’ve let down.