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The Premier League 2023/24 season has now been going for nearly three months, which means that every team has now efficiently dusted off their wardrobe. There are no more “shaky start” excuses – the narratives have been set, and some of them have proved to be quite a shock.
Throughout Premier League history, there have always been twists and turns, but this year feels a little different. No one can claim that they saw these narratives coming, and it opens up the rest of the season beautifully for the neutrals who are just looking for some good footy.
With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of what we think are the biggest shocks so far this season, and why they took us all by surprise.
Arsenal Get Back On The Horse
One of the biggest – and most pleasant, if we may say so ourselves – shocks of the Premier League 2023/24 is the unbeaten run from Arsenal. After the end of last season, many were forgiven in thinking Arsenal had shown their hand, and they would struggle to make the impact they did at the beginning of 2022. But Arsenal are yet to be beaten in this year’s EPL, having drawn against the Spurs and won all of their other games. Go on lads!
Postecoglou Proves Doubters Wrong
Speaking of the Spurs, this is one of the most impressive stories of this season. When Postecoglou was announced as the new Spurs coach, it would be fair to say there was a lot of doubt. Having only coached Australia, Japan, and Scotland, many wondered whether he had the pedigree to lift Spurs up after Harry Kane’s exit. But the Spurs are now top of the table, and they don’t look to be slowing down any time soon.
Man City Fail To Impress
Meanwhile, Man City have been down in the doldrums. Arsenal have condemned them to consecutive EPL defeats – the first time since 2018 – and they have lost 6 of their last 16 matches whenever Rodri hasn’t been available. Everyone knows that you cannot rely on one player to see you through a whole tournament, and right now, it seems Man City are finding that out the hard way.
Newcastle Run Riot
We love a team that comes out of the blocks with fire and fury. Having had a good season last year – coming 4th behind Man United, Arsenal and Man City – they were expected to play their first few weeks with a bit of extra belief, and boy did we get that. With a 5-1 annihilation of Aston Villa, Newcastle proved that, this time, they were looking for more than just 4th place – they were looking for the silverware.
Nottingham Forest Put The Pressure On
Lastly, we would have to point to Man Utd’s lacklustre start as another one of the biggest shocks. While they didn’t manage to reach the likes of Arsenal and Man City last season, they still came third in the table, and many were expecting a new energy when this season kicked off. Not to be.
Man Utd have so far looked disjointed and lacking in confidence, and this was proved further when Nottingham Forest piled the pressure on in the first half of their fixture, going 2-0 into the break. Brentford and Wolves could also be argued as the better sides during their games, and it shows that, if Man Utd want success, they will have to step their game up to a level that we know they can achieve.
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