The 2018-19 Premier League season got underway this past weekend and there weren’t too many unexpected results. All the five clubs barring Arsenal from the top-six of last season registered victories and the season looks well poised to be a good contest this time around.
None of the three promoted clubs could add three points to their tally, with Wolverhampton Wanderers being the only one to avoid defeat.
Here are some of the talking points from the first game week of the Premier League.
#3 Tough road ahead for the promoted clubs
Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers were pretty active in the transfer market, recruiting talented players in abundance. However, none of them were able to make a positive start, though, Wolves played out an exciting draw against Marco Silva’s Everton.
It would be safe to say that Wolves are arguably the best amongst the three new clubs in the league, as Fulham and Cardiff City disappointed with their displays. Fulham succumbed to Crystal Palace, while Cardiff were seen out by Eddie Howe’s AFC Bournemouth.
Both these teams were beaten by 2-0 margins. The primary issue for any promoted club is their inability to deal with the change in quality.
Fulham do boast a good roster of players and a tactician like Slavasia Jokanovic should adapt quickly to the rigours of the league. However, Cardiff City might have to buckle up to face challenges head-on if they are to extend their stay in the Premier League.
#2 Mid-table clubs and their contrasting fortunes
Burnley are up for an interesting campaign this time around as they will have to manage their Premier League season with European matches. They played out a goalless stalemate with Southampton, and though they displayed their defensive solidity again, the lack of a genuine goal-scoring threat was visible from both the sides.
Burnley’s defensive discipline drew many plaudits last season, but it requires a certain high level of intensity and concentration. With mid-week matches to play this season, Burnley will be more leggy than last season and might have to adopt a more positive route in some games against the lesser-fancied opponents.
Southampton meekly avoided relegation last season around and their start this time hasn’t been promising either. The Saints would have to gear up and collect points in the early point of the season if they were to avoid a late relegation battle this time too.
Everton, have gotten off to a bright start, and Marco Silva’s tactical nous might enable Richarlison to perform at his best. Meanwhile, Leicester City’s overdependence on Jamie Vardy on the goal-scoring front was quite clear, as the Foxes did not open the scoring until the Englishman came on the pitch as the substitute late in the second half. With the departure of Riyad Mahrez, the team might lack a creative outlet, and Claude Puel will have figure out the dynamics of the team.
Similarly, the likes of Newcastle United, Brighton and Huddersfield Town look set to struggle this time around.
#1 Who’s the favourite?
As stated earlier, except Arsenal every other team from the top six initiated their campaign with a victory. Manchester United scored twice before conceding a late goal to Leicester, whilst the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City registered clean sheets after having scored four and two goals respectively.
Tottenham might have had it difficult, but they managed to scrape through a victory and three points are what matter at the end of the day. Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea have shown glimpses of what to expect in the coming weeks, and with the addition of Mateo Kovacic and Eden Hazard in the playing XI, they will only get stronger.
Manchester City are well-equipped to defend their title, and Liverpool along with Chelsea and United would be upbeat about the upcoming season in some or the other aspect. Arsenal, still need some furnishing and Unai Emery’s decision to bench Lucas Torreira against City displays that the new manager would require some time to adapt to the new team and league.
As of now, one needs to get a better overview in order to perceive the potential title favourites for the current season.
