EPL Talking Points- Week 2

I apologize for the belated arrival of this article. Personal commitments, along with a debilitating addiction to the late night Team USA basketball games hijacked my brain for much of this week. But this may prove to be a blessing in disguise. In addition to some observations on last weekend’s games in the Premiership, the past couple of days have seen the development of the two most important talking points outlined here- one on the field, the other in the owner’s suite.

The talking points from Week 2 (plus a few days) of the EPL:

David Dein cashes in his Arsenal stake, accepts position with buyer to accumulate more. This week, Red and White, a company jointly owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov and UK fund manager Farhard Moshiri, purchased former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein’s 14.58% stake in the for a reported £75 million (about $150 million). Dein, who left Arsenal in May, has been named chairman of Red and White and charged with the task of accumulating more of the club’s shares. Usmanov said that he’s been an Arsenal fan for eight years and called Arsene Wenger “the best manager in England”. The Russian steel and iron ore tycoon also stated that he sees Arsenal’s business as undervalued, and that the deal is an investment decision, not a political play. Ok… whatever. What part of London is this, again?

Nikolas Anelka extends his contract with Bolton Wanderers through 2011. This has to be the most puzzling four-year decision since the American electorate re-elected George W. Bush. With former manager Sam Alardyce now at Newcastle United, the club’s next best player, El-Hadji Diouf, expressing his desire to exit the club and Bolton looking like a very likely relegation candidate, there seems to be no logical explanation as to why Anelka, who one of the most talented strikers in England, if not all of Europe, would want to stay. He’d better have gotten A LOT of money and an out-clause if the event of relegation.

A very manageable schedule is likely to extend Liverpool’s early-season roll. Despite being robbed of two points at Anfield against Chelsea, the Reds are just two points behind Premiership leaders Manchester City, with a game in hand. Looking ahead at their next four league games (Derby at home, away to Portsmouth, Sunderland at home, away to Wigan), expect the club to reside atop the table by the end of September. With their depth and quality, it is not a stretch to call Liverpool the most impressive side of the young EPL season. A quick side note: Fernando Torres is REALLY good! His pace and skill may even be better than advertised. Unfortunately, he probably only capitalizes on one out of every three chances he gets- just as advertised.

Kasper Schmeichel looks like world football’s next superstar goalkeeper. The 20 year-old son of former Manchester United (and City) star goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, Kasper has looked fantastic in the first four games of 2007-08, conceding just one goal, a point-blank rocket from Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas. In the hard luck loss at the Emirates, Scheichel made a variety of saves against the Gunners, from the mundane to the spectacular, not to mention saving a penalty kick from Robin Van Persie in 67th minute. He even took a page out of his father’s book, coming up to join the attack for a late corner- he won the ball and put his header on target, nearly equalizing for City. It is definitely still very early in his career, but Kasper Schmeichel looks like the real deal.

Cesc Fabregas’ goal against City is worth more to Arsenal than just two points. The manner in which Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal’s 20 year-old playmaker (and the object of both Barcelona and Real Madrid’s desire), celebrated his clinching goal against Man City should be very comforting to Arsenal supporters. To see him stand before his fans and kiss the club crest on his shirt was compelling evidence of his commitment to Arsenal. Plus, if it’s ever a huge payday he’s after, nothing beats a Russian billionaire owner!

Chelsea secure two additional points against Portsmouth thanks to Ashley Cole’s brilliant goal-line header. Not a whole to say here. I’m particularly fond of Chelsea or of Ashley Cole, but I will give respect where it is due. Cole’s 87th minute save of Hermann Hreidarsson’s point-blank header was an absolutely brilliant display of awareness and reflexes.

EPL Talking Points- Week 1

We’re just over a week into the 2007-08 Premiership season, and have already seen the emergence of several intriguing storylines. Just ten days into the season, and we’ve already got quite a bit to talk about:

At this moment in time, Manchester City is the EPL’s top club. Granted, an away win at West Ham and home wins against Derby and a depleted Manchester United side aren’t enough to establish City as championship contenders, but you can only play whoever’s on your schedule- an so far Man City has looked impressive in securing full points, without surrendering a goal, from its first three matches. Their biggest test of the young season will come when City travels to London to take on Arsenal at the Emirates. To be clear, I am not predicting that City will continue its dominance, but it’s only fair that they receive their just due as the lone Premiership club with 9 points after three matches.

It’s far too early to declare them dead in the water, but Manchester United’s season is teetering on the brink of disaster. Having earned just 2 points from three games, United has put itself in a very precarious position- they already trail Man City by 7 points, Chelsea by 5, and Liverpool and Arsenal (each with a game in hand) by 2 points. It’s still very early in the season and United does boast a very talented lineup, but with Wayne Rooney unlikely to return before October and Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo suspended for the club’s next two matches at Old Trafford against Tottenham and Sunderland, Man United must find a way to accumulate some points and not fall too far from the top of the table.

Of the Big Four English clubs, Liverpool has been by far the most impressive. Had Chelsea not been awarded an absolute joke of a penalty, Liverpool would have 6 points from its first two games. Despite only a relatively unimpressive win and a hard-luck draw to show for its two matches, Liverpool looks to be the most talented, focused and balanced side in the Premiership, and doesn’t look to face many serious challenges in the EPL until October (Next 5 matches: @ Sunderland, Derby, @Portsmouth, Birmingham, @ Wigan). Judging by their play thus far, once the Reds manage to integrate all of their new faces into the squad the Premiership title may be theirs for the taking. Fernando Torres looks to be having little trouble adjusting his game to the pace of the Premiership, and Ryan Babel has the look of a future star in attack.

Despite two wins and a draw in three matches, Chelsea has yet to put together more than few minutes of dominant play at once. Had it not been for some very suspect goalkeeping from Birmingham in its home opener at Stamford Bridge, about 5 minutes of brilliant play against Reading and a gift penalty at Anfield against Liverpool, Chelsea, not Man United, would the Premiership’s biggest disappointment.

In addition to first place Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Everton have been the most impressive non-Top Four clubs in the EPL. Blackburn has shown a solid combination of skill and strength in amassing one win and one draw from its two matches, dominating much of its second half draw against Arsenal. The coming weeks will tell us a lot about Blackburn, as they face away matches against Everton and Chelsea, with a home match against Man City sandwiched in between. Everton’s most challenging matches between now an October will home matches against Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United, so they have a good opportunity to accumulate some early points before facing the teeth of their schedule.

Apparently Sam Allardyce is quite a difference-maker. Although Newcastle still look a bit inconsistent and likely won’t be challenging for any silverware this season, Big Sam has the club playing solid football and should be eying a top-10 finish. Equally telling about Big Sam’s impact is the absolutely atrocious start his former club, Bolton Wanderers has gotten off to (3 matches, 0 points, 3 goals), as well as the recent announcement that one of the club’s top players, El-Hadj Diouf, wants out.

Barring a small miracle, Derby County and Bolton Wanderers are already as good as relegated. After an impressive Premiership debut, drawing 2-2 at home against Portsmouth, Derby has surrendered 5 goals, while scoring none, in its two most recent matches. Looking ahead, after this Saturday’s home match against Birmingham, Derby’s next three matches will be (in order): @Liverpool, home vs. Newcastle, @ Arsenal. They are not likely to right the ship during that stretch or, sadly, at any point during this season. As for Bolton, Big Sam is gone El-Hadj Diouf wants out (can Nicolas Anelka be far behind?), they’ve lost all three of their matches thus far this season and have failed to hold a single opponent to less than three goals.

Hard-luck Fulham has been impressive thus far, though you’d never know it by looking at their record. Fulham has deserved points from all three of it matches thus far. The Cottagers held Arsenal scoreless and led 1-0 until the 81st minute of their opening day match, before surrendering a penalty kick and the eventual winner to Alexander Hleb in the 90th minute. And on Saturday, Fulham was absolutely robbed of another point when the officials of the club’s match at home against Middlesbrough failed to spot the ball crossing the line on what would have been a late David Healy equalizer. These painful results, along with injuries to both Brian McBride and Hameur Bouazza could take much of the wind out of Fulham’s season. But it should be mentioned that the Cottagers have looked like a solid side in the season’s opening week.

Not only does Arsenal’s chronic inability to finish still seems to be plaguing the club, in the absence of Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, and Gilberto Silva (granted post-Copa America rest until the start of September), the Gunners seem to be lacking a certain on-field leadership and maturity that championship sides possess. This was particularly evident in Sunday’s match away to Blackburn Rovers, when Blackburn was able to use its physical tactics to frustrate Arsenal and disrupt the rhythm of their play. For all of the talent that Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Alexander Hleb and Theo Walcott bring to the pitch, none of them seem capable (yet) of stepping to the forefront and leading a team to victory in a tough match in a hostile environment- a problem that could be slightly magnified by recent injury to new captain William Gallas, who is expected to be out for up to three weeks. By the way, Jens Lehmann could destroy the Gunners’ season. Does he really plan to give away a goal with a new-and-exciting amateur mistake every week?

These are a few of the biggest talking points to emerge from the first nine days of the Premiership season. Stay tuned as there will undoubtedly be more to come!

Opening Day Thriller Between Arsenal and Fulham

I want to start by mentioning that Arsenal's season opening win against Fulham at the Emirates is one of the most entertaining games I've seen in some time- and up and down tempo, plenty of chances and a thrilling, comeback finish. A real pleasure to watch!

Some observations on Arsenal-Fulham:

The departure of Thierry Henry will not be a crippling blow to Arsenal, but Arsenal's incredible ability to create chances and their chronic inability to capitalize on them could prove costly as the season goes on. The Gunners were held scoreless for the first 82 minutes of this match, although they could have at least two or three goals on the board. Despite creating several excellent goal-scoring chances, Arsenal had great difficulty finishing off their chances. On the bright side, however, several of Arsenal's attackers seemed much more willing to shoot the ball.

Tony Warner, Fulham's back-up keeper who called upon to start just 10 minutes before kick-off, turned in an absolutely sparkling goalkeeping performance. For over 80 minutes, Warner stodd tall in the Fulham net, making a host of outstanding saves. His performance was worthy of far more than a hard luck defeat.

The play of Nicklas Bendtner, Arsenal 19 year-old Danish striker, may be exactly the kind of change-of-pace this club needs. A departure from Arsenal's fluid passing and beautiful build-up style of play, Bendtner is a physical, pragmatic striker who seems more concerned with putting the ball in the net than most members of the Arsenal team.

Theo Walcott still has a long way to go. For all of his skill and his blinding pace, the teenage sensation does not yet seem to have a knack for making the correct decisions in the flow of the game. He's breathtaking to watch and still has a lot of time to develop, but if he doesn't make strides soon, it could be slightly worrisome- remember, even in his teens, Cesc Fabregas was a natural creator and brilliant decision-maker.

All in all, this was a fantastic game to watch, with few lulls in the action and plenty of skill on display. It will be very interesting to see how Arsenal perform next Sunday against stiffer competition, when they travel to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rover. As for Fulham, they played a very competitive game and probably deserved to come away with a point. They will next take the field on Wednesday against Bolton Wanderers.

2007-08 EPL Preview

We’re less than two days from the kick-off of the 2007-08 English Premier League season, when Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur will face off at the Stadium of Light. From Liverpool’s spending spree, to Big Sam Allardyce’s immediate impact at Newcastle, to the Carlos Tevez transfer saga, it’s been an intriguing off-season whose results are about to play out on the pitch.

Let’s take a look what the latest season in the Premiership may have in store for us. Some thoughts on how the season will play out:

• Who will represent the Premiership in the Champions League? Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur (In order). Once again, the Premiership is Manchester United’s to win. With additions of Owen Hargreaves (finally!), Nani, Anderson and Carlos Tevez (probably) to last season’s league championship side, United boast the best all-around side on the EPL. Even if Gabriel Heinze moves to Liverpool, and despite some depth issues at the striker position, a healthy ManU is the class of the Premiership. Coming off of a busy transfer season, new-look Liverpool, who bolstered their attack with the additions of Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel, will have just enough to edge out Chelsea, their only true competition for second place. Sadly, this may be Jose Mourinho’s last dance at Stamford Bridge, with his team competing against a retooled and highly motivated Liverpool squad, and still not having the quality top to bottom to overcome ManU. After a relatively subdued transfer season, midfielders Arjen Robben and Michael Ballack have both been rumored to be out the way out, and Chelsea could make a splash by signing Brazilian fullback Daniel Alves, who may be a difference-maker, from Sevilla. However, there’s just too much uncertainty here to predict a top-two finish. Rounding out the top four is Martin Jol’s Tottenham Hotspur side. A potentially down year for Arsenal coupled with an active transfer season with, among others, Darren Bent and Gareth Bale joining a talented side that already features Robbie Keane, Jermaine Jenas and the ultra talented Dimitar Berbatov, will be enough to put Spurs in the top four.

• Which Premiership clubs will be fighting for the UEFA Cup? Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Reading. Let’s be clear. A “down” year for Arsenal is still a more than acceptable season for virtually any other club. Despite the departure of Thierry Henry, Arsenal’s core of Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott have the quality to beat anyone on any given day. They will likely need time to adjust to their new roles, but they’ll be competitive all season. With an attack led by Benni McCarthy, David Bentley and Morten Gamst Pederson, as well as Robbie Savage in midfield, Blackburn Rovers are a very talented side that played well last season and could turn heads in the EPL this year. The final Premiership side to get into Europe this season will be Reading. Despite the loss of Steve Sidwell Chelsea, Reading will get quality play in 2007-08 from the like Kevin Doyle, Leroy Lita and Dave Kitson in attack, as well as Nicky Shorey in defense.

• Which clubs should not be getting too comfortable in the Premiership? Derby County, Wigan Athletic, Fulham. Despite each spending some money on new talent in the transfer period, neither Wigan nor Fulham, both of whom narrowly avoided relegation last season, appear to have the quality to survive another year in the top-flight. Joining them in their Spring 2008 trip to the Championship will be one-and-done Derby County.

• Who will be the top player in the Premiership at season’s end? Cristiano Ronaldo. Maybe not the most creative prediction, but it’s the most likely to be correct. Ronaldo is coming off a season that saw him take his already spectacular game to new heights and become the EPL’s best player and one of its top goal-scoring threats. Much like last season, United will need goals from all over the pitch again this season, with or without Carlos Tevez. This could lead to an even larger role in attack for Ronaldo.

• Which player will take his game to another level in 2007-08? Robin Van Persie. Van Persie is one of the most skilled attackers in world football, and he’s now got the opportunity to show it. The only problem in his first three seasons with the club was that as long as Thierry Henry was at Arsenal, there would always be a limit to just how much Van Persie would be showcased. To draw a comparison from the NBA, think of Van Persie as Andre Iguodala to Thierry Henry’s Allen Iverson. As the new centerpiece of the Arsenal attack, look for him to have a fantastic season.

• Which new acquisition will make the biggest positive impact for his club? Yossi Benayoun. Will have a great impact on the Reds’ attack this season. Benayoun will thrive in an attacking midfield role at Liverpool. The combination of Benayoun and fellow-newcomers Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel, along with holdovers Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch, should make Liverpool the most improved offensive side in the EPL.

• Which new acquisition is most likely to disappoint his new club? Joey Barton. Aside from being a disappointment to humanity as whole, a broken foot suffered in his Newcastle debut will sideline Joey Barton until September at the earliest. Ignoring his inability to steer clear of trouble, this injury makes it unlikely that Big Sam’s £5.8 million man will be able to make a significant contribution to the club any time soon, given the fact that the schedules of Premiership teams do not provide many opportunities for extended rest.

• Whose departure will be the most damaging to his former club? Alan Smith. This has less to do with Alan Smith than it does the lack of depth in Manchester United’s attacking corps. The delay in Carlos Tevez’s arrival, coupled with the departure of Giuseppe Rossi and Smith will have Sir Alex holding his breath every time Wayne Rooney goes to the ground.

• Who could exceed expectations and be a pleasant surprise? Blackburn Rovers. Aside from the Big 4 and Spurs, Blackburn is the most talent team in the Premiership. Their attack features Bentley, McCarthy, Matt Derbyshire and one of the truly talented and underrated wingers in the EPL, Morten Gamst Pederson. The Blackburn midfield is also very capable, with talents like Tugay and Robbie Savage. The team could be slightly hindered by its defense, which is somewhat suspect, having surrendered 54 goals in 2006-07. However, this looks like a side loaded with talented young attackers that can compete within anyone and belongs in the top half of the Premiership table.

• Who will be the EPL’s biggest disappointment? West Ham United. Activity does not necessarily signal accomplishment. While they probably won’t have to fight for their Premiership lives until the season’s closing day again, the Hammers are not likely to find themselves near the top half of the table in 2007-08. The aggregate sum of West Ham’s numerous arrivals and departures this summer is, frankly, a loss. Trading Carlos Tevez, Marlon Harewood, Yossi Benayoun and Nigel Reo-Coker for Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy, Freddie Ljungberg and Julien Faubert, which is effectively what West Ham has done, does not set the stage for significant improvement.

Alves Would Have a Huge Impact on Chelsea

In what may be the most significant transfer of this season, Chelsea appear poised to secure the services of Sevilla fullback and Brazilian international Daniel Alves. Despite being under contract to Sevilla until 2012, the multi-talented Alves, 24, recently stated publicly that he would like to explore the options available to him with larger, more prominent clubs, namely Chelsea. On Wednesday, in Spanish newspaper Marca, Alves said of a possible move to Chelsea: “I wan to try. Out of respect to me they have to do it. I have behaved well for four and a half years and I ask Sevilla to also behave well and evaluate an offer.” Any deal for Alves is likely to exceed £20 million ($40 million).

For those unfamiliar with Daniel Alves, he is one of the most multi-dimensional defenders in world football, not only able to play his natural fullback position, but also capable of stepping into the role of an attacking winger as well as sliding forward into a central midfield role. Alves has been more than just an individual standout- he’s been a vital member of some successful teams. With Alves playing a key role, Sevilla has won the 2006 and 2007 UEFA Cup championships (Alves was the UEFA Cup MVP in 2006) and the 2007 Copa del Rey in Spain. In addition to his club successes, Daniel Alves has won at the international level as well.

On July 15, in Brazil title-clinching 3-0 victory over Argentina in the 2007 Copa America final, his versatility was on full display. In just his ninth international appearance for his country, Alves not only assisted on one of Brazil’s first half goals, he put the game out of reach in the second half with a powerful strike to the far post after making a beautiful run down right side of the pitch.

Given his versatility and style of play, Alves is an excellent fit at Stamford Bridge for two reasons. First, teaming Alves with defenders John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Ashley Cole, as well as Michael Essien and Claude Makélélé, Chelsea’s talented, defensive-minded midfielder, should give Chelsea the most talented defensive unit in the Premiership. Second, Alves’ affinity for attacking football will help Chelsea play a much aesthetically pleasing brand of football than in recent seasons, bringing a smile to the extremely wealthy face of Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s billionaire owner, who craves not only victory, but beautiful football.

Deco To Chelsea? What About Lamps?

Apparently Deco would like to play for Chelsea. At least that's what he told The Sun... Over, and over, and over again. In the same interview, the 29 year-old Barcelona midfielder provided all of the following statements. More accurately, he produced the following different versions of a single statement:

• "The Premier League is absolutely on par with La Liga- and playing there absolutely appeals to me."
• "The English league is a possibility and it would definitely be somewhere I'd like to play."
• "There's no doubt that you can compare Manchester United and Chelsea to Barcelona."
• "They are both huge clubs and playing for clubs like that would always be an attractive proposition."
• "The idea of working with Jose again appeals to me." (Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was Deco's manager on the 2003-04 Champions League winning Porto side)

That's not an interview! That's a contrived, articulate tantrum. In Deco's defense, however, I can kind of see why he felt the need to do this- this may he best opportunity to dictate the next chapter of his career. It has been widely rumored that Deco could be on his way out of the Nou Camp in the summer transfer window, with Newcastle United of the Premiership being mentioned as a possible destination. Staying at Barcelona could be the worst-case scenario for Deco, as his diminishing role at the club, along with club management's desire to overhaul the 2006-07 side that collapsed in the final weeks of the La Liga season and failed to win any hardware, hardly combine to create an idea situation.

With that said, a Deco-to-Chelsea deal would create a whole new series of questions:

• With Deco's arrival at Stamford Bridge, what is the status of Frank Lampard (whose fiancée just happens to be of Catalan decent), who is still awaiting a new long-term deal the like of which was given to team captain John Terry?
• Other than Deco, Andres Iniesta is Barcelona's one true midfield playmaker. Unless Ronaldinho is asked to play further back than he currently does in his attacking midfielder role, who will fill that gap on the squad?
• Would Deco be brought in to serve as a replacement for Michael Ballack, who has been a disappointment at Chelsea is may be a target for another Spanish giant, Real Madrid?
• Despite repeatedly expressing his desire to stay at Arsenal, could Deco's departure free up both money and a place in the team for Cesc, Fabregas, Arsenal's all-world playmaker?

I've enjoyed watching Deco play for the side and feel that he's one of the most gifted midfielders in the world. However, if he's not happy at Barcelona, both the club as well as his performance on the pitch are likely to suffer. As a Barcelona fan, any time there is talk of prominent midfielders moving around, I can't help but get excited at the prospect of Cesc Fabregas joining his former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry at the Nou Camp. While hope spring eternal for such a move, a simple swap of midfielders between Chelsea and Barcelona could benefit each club significantly.

Given their similarities in age and quality on the pitch, Deco's and Frank Lampard's values on the open market are likely comparable, making a potential Deco-for-Lampard swap plausible for both teams without either having to strain too much financially. Also, with Deco expressing such a strong interest in playing at Stamford Bridge creates the perfect resolution to Chelsea's problem of what to do with Lampard, who is pursuing a new, big-money deal.

Finally, we get to Mr. Lampard's personal life. Frank Lampard's fiancée, and the mother of his two daughters, Elen Rives, was recently rumored to have broken of the couple's engagement. In this instance, he's not a millionaire footballer, he's a guy who presumably doesn't want to de dumped by a woman he loves and already has a family with. What better enticement could he give her to reconcile than making the move to her homeland?

This may all be just idle speculation that culminates with nothing happening between the two clubs and me looking like I may need to institutionalized. Who knows? But you must admit that this makes at least a little sense all the way around.