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The second week of the Premier League saw Chelsea and Manchester City march on, while title rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United stumbled. Spurs are starting to express themselves, while the wheels are slowly coming off at QPR and amidst all the action and excitement there was still room for two nil-nil draws.Here are the major talking points from another exciting round of fixtures.
#1 Back three isnt for everyone
One of the reasons why the back-three formation was seldom used by many teams is the onus it puts on the defenders. To perfect the system, not only do you need highly mobile centre halves who can get around and turn into auxiliary full backs, but also wing backs who burst forward at every opportunity, making it a back three instead a of a back five. So it certainly was a surprise to see four teams- Manchester United, Southampton, West Brom and QPR join Hull in playing a three-man defence.
At least on the evidence of the weekend’s games, it is safe to say that the formation isn’t for everyone. When you play Rio Ferdinand and Richard Dunne, who are now highly immobile centre backs as two of the three central defenders, you certainly have a problem on your hands and that is precisely what happened as QPR were thumped 4-0 by Spurs.
For Manchester United, the problem wasn’t with the centre backs, rather with the wing backs. Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young rarely ventured forward and converted an offensive 3-4-1-2 into a defensive 5-3-2 and merely invited trouble. Aside from Hull, nobody seems to have perfected playing a three-man defence so don’t be surprised if it vanishes the way it came.
#2 Spurs signings starting to sparkle
With the sale of Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur got the biggest windfall of any club from a single transfer. The club proceeded to spend that on several new players including Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen, Paulinho, Erik Lamela and Roberto Soldado. Of all the players mentioned, only Eriksen managed to finish the season with his head held high, with the rest plagued by either injuries or bad form.
This summer, Spurs didn’t spend a lot on transfers, but they are already looking a much better side than last season. In Capoue, they have finally found a solid defensive midfielder who can take care of the defence and let the attackers get on with their job. With a brace against QPR, Chadli too is showing signs of improvement, but the biggest plus point for Spurs is the form of Erik Lamela.
The Argentine who was signed for big money from Roma last season is finally starting to show why Spurs splashed the cash on him. Against QPR, he was simply sublime and his assist for Chadli’s second goal was a thing of beauty. What their performance shows is that although it has taken a year, it looks as though, Spurs made the right choice after all.
#3 Is Di Maria the answer to United\'s woes?
The biggest story over the last couple of days hasn’t been the fact that Manchester United couldn’t manage to beat Sunderland away from home. It wasn’t even their injury crisis which has now left them with just one fit senior centre back. Nor was it the insipid display put forward by the trio of Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie who struggled against Sunderland. But it was the club’s attempt to complete the acquisition of Real Madrid’s Angel Di Maria for a club-record £60 million.
The Argentine winger who was instrumental in Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph last season and also a big part of Argentina’s run to the final in Brazil is on his way to Old Trafford. In most quarters the move has been praised and the fans are delighted with the signing as he would add pace, dynamism and goals to the attack.
Others feel that having signed just one centre back and central midfielder so far, the Argentine is an unnecessary luxury and the huge fee could have been spent on players in other positions. Although both sets of fans are right in their though, only time will tell whether he is the former or the latter.
#4 Newly-promoted sides struggling to find their feet
Coming up to the Premier League is a difficult task in itself. The Championship is one of the most fiercely competitive leagues in Europe and finding your way out of it and into the promised land of the Premier League is something that is just a dream for many clubs. To make matters worse, to survive in the Premier League is something that very few manage to do on the first attempt and it is easy to see why.
Burnley, Leicester and QPR came into the Premier League this season hoping to stay up for at least one season in the English top-flight. But, already that task looks like it might be beyond them. Of the three sides, only Leicester have even managed a point so far and although it is still early days, none of the three look like they have either the attack or the defence to stay in the League.
The trio are already in the bottom when it comes to goals conceded and QPR are one of only two sides to not have scored so far. On current evidence at least, it looks like it is going to be a long season for the trio and one that might just result in all three of them going straight down.
#5 Is it already a two-horse race for the title?
Before the start of the season, there were those claiming that this was going to be one of the most fascinating title-races in recent memory. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and even Manchester United were considered as clubs who could legitimately have a shot at the League. But barely two weeks in, that prediction couldn’t be more wrong.
Of the five clubs mentioned, Manchester United can’t seem to buy a win and will find it difficult to finish in the top four, let alone challenge for the title. Liverpool are still struggling to move on from Suarez and are yet to impress in attack or address the defense, which was a problem last season. Olivier Giroud’s ankle injury sustained during the 2-2 draw against Everton leaves Arsenal with a big hole up front and the club are yet to find a defensive midfielder and might fall short of defenders should injuries occur.
That leaves us with Chelsea and Manchester City, arguably the two sides with the best squads and the best opportunity of claiming the League. Both have won both games convincingly and unless the other three strengthen or go on a long winning run, it is difficult to see beyond City or Chelsea for the title.
