It’s Matchday 2 and only three teams have a perfect record. Only four other teams are unbeaten. The old cliché rings true: there are no easy games in the Premier League. The old “Top Four” that battled it out, year upon year, for Champions League spots, grew to a Top Five, and then Six.
One may argue that these days it is probably a Top Eight – with Arsenal, City, Liverpool, United, Newcastle, Brighton, Chelsea and Spurs all competing for Europe’s Football – although to be fair, Tottenham, Chelsea and United look to be heading in the wrong direction, with their squads and/or clubs in disarray.
Chelsea, having ruined football with the arrival of Abramovich in the early noughties, look set to continuing that trend, with a “spend-all-the-money”, aimless, scattergun approach to transfers, and little to show for it on the pitch. Can Pochettino change that? Who knows? They’ve spent a billion pounds on unproven players, offering huge wages and eight-year contracts, but the results have been shocking. Todd Boehly would have been better off spending his investors’ money on online casino games.
Spurs have placed their post Harry-Kane faith in a little-known Australian manager… can Ange rescue them from their inherent Spursiness? Antonio Conté would tell you “no”… and he should know, having managed the club and dealt with the owners and Daniel Levy. (It is the history of the Tottenham!)
Manchester United were lucky to walk away with any points whatsoever in their opening game against Wolves, and their dismal display against Tottenham had United legend Roy Keane calling them “the new Spurs”… so it’s fair to say that their future looks shaky, with the Glazers steering them towards a grand implosion.
Liverpool have had a decent transfer window, despite the embarrassment of announcing a player who then changed their mind and went to – of course – Chelsea. Although LFC don’t have Champions League football, they still have the greater inconvenience of Europa League, along with the trips to strange faraway places with questionable pitches, and Thursday night football. So who knows if they will be able to drag themselves into the top four again.
Manchester City are every pundit’s favourite to win the league again, as they were last year: a note of caution: if Arsenal had beaten City just once, home or away, they would have won the league last year, having been top of the table for 248 days. Arsenal, of course, beat Manchester City for the season’s first silverware in the Community Shield – could this signal the end of Abu Dhabi’s domination over the North London outfit?
Arsenal have also had a massive transfer window: adding Rice, Havertz, Raya and Timber to bolster their squad for their domestic and European campaigns. Sure – the injury to Jurrien Timber is a major setback, however one might argue that the team that dominated last season has been improved on more than City’s. City lost two influential playmakers in Silva and Gundogan, and with KDB having been injured, are one albino moose away from having a dismal season.
Brighton are looking bright, despite seeking their best players. Wolves were unlucky not to walk away with three points from Old Trafford. Newcastle are looking strong. Brentford and Palace are always exciting, and West Ham seems to have kept its momentum going.
The Premier League newcomers always cause a few upsets – and so I predict a Premier League that is a bit of a rollercoaster ride this season. Strap yourselves in and hang on to your hats!
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