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!
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