Conclusions That Can Be Drawn From the Start of the Premier League Season
The Premier League has been off to a cracking start and it has been nothing short of sensational. Some matches have been attacking and fast-flowing, some boring and defensive. Many lived up to expectations (Arsenal vs Chelsea and Chelsea vs Liverpool for instance), while some just flattered to deceive (The Manchester derby).
Tempers have flared and tackles have been flying around with even the Premier League's "Nice Boys,"Arsenal. Certain teams have established their dominance while some fight usual battle for survival and a chance to play in Europe.
While the title certainly cannot be won in the first few games, it very well can be lost in the opening encounters. To put it simply, the beginning makes or breaks your season. Enjoy!
Chelsea's Away Form May Prove to Be Their Undoing
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Three tricky away games and Chelsea emerged with two losses, a draw and no goals scored. With losses to Manchester City and Liverpool and a draw at Villa Park, Chelsea has looked shaky away from home.
With games away to Man Utd. and Arsenal yet to come Chelsea's away form is giving Ancelotti a headache. Chelsea did manage a win at Ewood Park, but largely thanks to some poor finishing at the hands of Blackburn.
If Chelsea wants to defend their Premier League crown they will have to improve their away form, especially since their nearest contenders, Man Utd. and Arsenal, have not looked too bad away from home. Chelsea possesses the squad and quality to put this behind them and to bounce back.
Talk of Manchester United's Fall Has Been Highly Exaggerated
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Following three consecutive draws against Bolton, West Brom and Sunderland and the Wayne Rooney fiasco, many were quick to predict the downfall of Man Utd. and their illustrious coach Sir Alex Ferguson.
But how wrong could they be. They bounced back with wins against Tottenham, Wolverhampton and away over Stoke City. Coupled with the fact that they are the only Premier League to remain unbeaten just highlights the fact that Man Utd. are very much a strong title contender.With Berbatov in sublime form and Javier Hernandez proving to be one of the signings of the season, Man Utd. won’t be missing Rooney either.
Arsenal Has the Quality to Mount a Sutained Title Challenge
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With wins away to Blackburn and Manchester City, and after grinding out wins against West Ham and Birmingham, Arsenal has shown that they have the steel and depth to mount a sustained title challenge.
The win over Wolves just highlighted Arsenal’s new-found resiliency. It was a win that was hard-fought and similar to what title wining sides of Chelea and Man Utd. have shown throughout the last six years.Despite suffering two home defeats to West Brom and Newcastle, Arsenal’s squad seems to be coming back to full fitness.
With Fabianski performing admirably in goal, Arsenal finally seems to have found a solution to their goal-keeping crisis. Another feature of this Arsenal squad not seen in previous years is the depth in the squad. The signing of Chamakh has provided Arsenal with a plan B and in Koscielny and Squillaci, Arsenal have reliable centre backs.
The Newly Promoted Teams Play the Most Attacking Football
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Prior to the start of the season, Blackpool and West Brom were obvious contenders to go back into the Championship after just one season in the top flight. But all three of the newly promoted teams are occupying top half and mid-table positions and none of them are as of now in the relegation battle.
This is mainly because of the attacking style of play of all three teams. West Brom beat Arsenal and managed draws against Tottenham and Man Utd. Newcastle, currently occupying the fifth position in the table, plundered six and five goals past Aston Villa and Sunderland respectively, who employed defensive tactics.
But special mention must go to Ian Holloway’s Blackpool, who started the season by scoring four past Wigan and beat Liverpool at Anfield. These teams are testimony to the fact that free-flowing attacking football can reap rich dividends.
Roy Hodgson May Be Just the Right Man to Guide Liverpool Forward
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Following Liverpool’s disastrous start that involved a spell in the relegation zone and with the first eight games yielding just six points, there were wide-spread calls to bring Roy Hodgson’s reign to an end. But Roy Hodgson seems to have silenced his critics for the time being.
Liverpool is currently ninth in the table after winning their last three games. The last one of these was a resounding 2-0 win over defending champions Chelsea. Not only are the results improving, but the the players seem to be coming back to their best.
Gerrard is returning to form and Torres is back to scoring wonderful goals. Despite the draw against Wigan Athletic, there is no doubt that a newly found optimism is resounding around Anfield. Roy finally seems to be doing the job he was expected to do—reach the Champions League.
Tottenham's European Dream Will Be Short Lived
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If the start of the season is anything to go by, Tottenham will have to settle for a spot in next season’s Europa League. They have already shown an over-reliance on two players, Van Der Vaart and Bale. Although these two are in scintillating form, the rest of the team has failed to inspire confidence.
Harry Redknapp’s tactics have been questionable as he has often chosen to rest players in anticipation of a Champions League clash. Tottenham has struggled to win matches when they follow Champions League clashes. Disappointing performances against Sunderland, Bolton, Wigan, and Man Utd. have them sitting at 7th, five points adrift of 4th place Man City.
But what has been most disappointing is the performance of players which seem to be uninspired. Harry needs to bring about some drastic changes if they are to qualify for the UCL, which based on current form, looks a distant possibility.
West Ham Is Destined For Championship Football Under Avram Grant
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After just surviving relegation last year and appointing Avram Grant as their new manager, many expected an improved performance from the Hammers. But one thing that has characterised Grant’s reign is negative football and a defensive-minded approach.
With the squad West Ham possesses, they should be a top-half or at least a mid-table team. But right now they are languishing at the bottom of the table. The best example of West Ham’s negative approach was their 2-2 draw against Birmingham.
After taking a two goal lead, West Ham chose to sit back and defend, only to concede two goals and draw 2-2. If they continue their unimpressive, negative style of football, they will be heading into the Championship just like Grant’s former team, Portsmouth.
Manchester City Lacks the Consitency Required to Win the League
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Unpredictable—that's the right word to describe Manchester City’s start to the season. A resounding win against Chelsea and a great run saw them sitting pretty at second in the league. That was followed by a defeat against Arsenal and a truly pathetic display against struggling Wolves. A great display against West Brom and a draw against cross-city rivals have resurrected City’s season just when it looked that a crisis was approaching.
But what continues to worry is Mancini's extremely negative squads choosing very often to play De Jong, Barry and Yaya Toure on the same team when he possesses a squad of extremely talented attacking players. Manchester City has shown only flashes of brilliance. Losses against Sunderland and a draw against Blackburn just highlight Man city’s inconsistency. Man City may have to settle for a place in the Europa League.
Everton Would Be Playing in Europe if They Started the Season Properly
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Last season Everton narrowly missed out on European football thanks to their disastrous start. This year has been no different.
Everton got off to the worst possible start picking up a mere two points from their first five matches. Then they went on to pick up 13 points from the next seven games by going unbeaten in that stretch. One gets the feeling that if they start their season properly they could be challenging the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City for the Champions League spots considering the vast pool of talent the team has. But as long as they get off to such disastrous starts every season will end up with the same feeling of what could have been.
The Future Of English Football Is Bright
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Following the poor show at the 2010 World Cup, England was in desperate need for some fresh blood, and the Premier League this season has seen a lot young English talent perform admirably.
Adam Johnson, Leighton Baines, Joe Hart, Andy Carrol and Mark Albrighton are just a few of the young Englishmen making a name for themselves in the Premier League. Even Arsenal, who has been widely criticised for the lack of Englishmen in their first team, have the likes of Jack Wilshere,Theo Walcott and Kirean Gibbs fighting for first team spots.
Although Capello is yet to give many of these players a proper role in the first team, if they keep performing with such flair Capello will be left with a selection headache, which is a good thing for the future of English football.
