Gameweek 1
The eagerly-awaited resumption of the British Premier League lived up to its billing. From the season opener at Selhurst Park to Haaland City at the London Stadium, there were a number of talking points that arose from this last weekend’s fixtures. I will touch on a few of these points whilst also providing an updated league table for the end of the season (don’t judge me I’ll do better this time).
Working our way chronologically through the games, I was deeply impressed with Arsenal’s first half performance against Crystal Palace, particularly the first 30 minutes of play where the hosts struggled to match the intensity of the visitors. Jesus looked menacing, Zinchenko demonstrated his poise on the ball, and Saliba was physically imperious with his many crucial interventions. The second half was similarly impressive, albeit from a defensive perspective where they were on the back foot for most of the period. This has the makings of a very good session for the Gunners, however they need to ensure that Odegaard shows greater willingness to shoot and be decisive. Perhaps there is a clause in his contract where he receives a bonus for the number of ‘pass before the pass’ assists he gets this season hence his reluctance to shoot at goal. The only other issue may be their squad depth so they would need fitness to go in their favour across the duration of the season. A quick point of Palace too; Vieira is building a young, skillful squad which could spell the end of the Zaha era as the golden boy- given their disjointed preseason preparations it may take them a few games to get into the swing of things.
Across the city on Saturday for the day’s early kickoff saw newly promoted Fulham face Liverpool in what I thought would be a resounding battering by the visitors. My pessimism was proven unjustified, as Fulham were well deserving of the draw. It was a sluggish start to the season for Liverpool, yet as Klopp and many others around the club have reiterated this is no time for panic, especially given the performance of Darwin Nunez. Already he appears to be a guaranteed nuisance and FPL points merchant- time to snap him up in your teams people.
As for the late afternoon kickoff at Goodison Park, I didn’t get to watch the game and from the sounds of it I didn’t miss much. Chelsea may be in trouble, yet they’re never too far from a marquee signing or two. There may be a few additions to the squad before the summer transfer window closes, which, given their preseason performances as well as their showing in this fixture, indicates an urgent need for a striker. This is a precarious time for Chelsea so keep a close eye on how things progress to see if things go awry whether Thomas Tuchel will lose the dressing room as many previous managers have. Everton are in a fight of their own so this performance may encourage them to some degree.
Now to United. I came in with high hopes as I watched some of the preseason games where I saw a defined playing style for the first time in a while. After the initial 10-15 minutes where we dominated possession and Fernandes missed a gilt-edged chance, I called my cousin saying that we would regret not taking advantage of our dominance. Typically I don’t shout or scream at the TV but I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated as the game progressed. Last season, time and time again would United start with high intensity yet not capitalize on their ascendancy. Teams would settle into the game and our defensive frailties would come to the fore. The same story repeated itself on Sunday where Brighton, who were initially rattled by our fast start, weathered the early pressure and began to initiate attacks of their own. Soon enough United were 1-0 down in all-too-familiar fashion. What frustrated me the most was the reversion back to the disorganized style of play that was seen under Ole’s reign. I understand that the change would be a gradual process but I didn’t expect the team to completely deviate away from the style that was used before the season started. It also didn’t help that Ronaldo was brought on after 50 minutes to save us when he retains no desire to remain at the club. He was not our saviour, at this stage of his career he is not fit to be a saviour, and we are a better club without him.
The Arnautovic links were laughable, Rabiot’s deal raised eyebrows (given he is the backup to a player named Paul Pogba- the name ring a bell?). Overall, my hope still remains, United we stand, though feeling more distant than ever.
To the final two teams I’d like to mention: Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. Spurs look good. None of their summer signings started the game, yet it made no difference to their performance. Goals and chances galore, they will certainly fare better than they did last season where they relied on their sturdy defence to make the top four. I expect them to be a more expansive side with a greater emphasis on proactive attacking rather than counterattack led football. Regarding City, it’s business as usual plus the addition of Haaland. As is obvious with a player of his calibre, the acclimation process can be somewhat eased given his ability to fit into most systems, but there’s still much room for growth as he settles into the team’s style of play. It is early days but already we can see how devastating the champions can be.
As promised, please see the revised final table:
1. Manchester City
2. Liverpool
3. Tottenham
4. Chelsea
5. Arsenal
6. Manchester United
7. West Ham
8. Leicester
9. Aston Villa
10. Wolves
11. Newcastle
12. Southampton
13. Brighton
14. Brentford
15. Crystal Palace
16. Everton
17. Leeds
18. Fulham
19. Bournemouth
20. Nottingham Forest
I’m sticking with Chelsea to marginally pip past Arsenal into the top four as I’m sure by the end of the season their squad will look vastly different.
Until next time; tsl.