Premier League winners and losers: Lethal Liverpool, Hammers get hammered

The Premier League table is beginning to take shape, and surprises are happening less often. Here’s the winners and losers of the third week.

Week three of the Premier League was a bit more familiar than the first few. Manchester United continued their impressive start and still have not conceded a goal. West Ham sleep-walked through yet another match. Crystal Palace still haven’t scored a goal. Huddersfield kept another clean sheet and still are unbeaten.

Here are the winners and losers of the third week of the Premier League.

Winner: Charlie Daniels

Apparently, this is the year of the stunning goal from left-backs. Stephen Ward scored a screamer against Chelsea on opening weekend, Marcos Alonso’s free-kick against Tottenham last week was a curled beauty and Charlie Daniels hit a half volley so hard I wouldn’t be surprised if the net was still shaking today.

You won’t see a better goal this week. You may not see a better goal all year. Daniels’ goal to open up the scoring for Bournemouth was an absolute thunderbolt.

After Vincent Kompany cleared Dan Gosling’s cross, Daniels decided to try an audacious shot at goal. The left-back strode confidently towards the bouncing ball and took it on the half volley. He couldn’t possibly have hit it any cleaner or with more ferocity than he did. The ball clanked off the underside of the bar as it flew past the diving Ederson, who could not do a thing about it.

In the end, the goal did not end up helping Bournemouth take any points away from Manchester City. Raheem Sterling scored the game winner on a deflected shot in the 97th minute to keep the Cherries without a point in the new season. That won’t take away how great the goal ended up being. If Ederson hypothetically got a glove to the shot, he may have broken a finger or two.

It’s unfortunate that Daniels’ wonder-goal didn’t help Bournemouth gain their first points because a strike like that deserves to be more meaningful than it was. Still, he can hold his head high. We’ll see that goal on the end of the year lists.