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The 2014/15 EnglishPremier League season is finally underway. All the title contenders won but it was only Chelsea who ran out comfortable winners. Manchester City were pushed to the very edge by Newcastle, Liverpool had to rely on a late Sturridge goal, while Arsenal had to rely on an even later goal from Aaron Ramsey to secure all three points.While Van Gaal succumbed to defeat in his first competitive match in charge, Spurs beat West Ham late on and gave their new manager a winning start, while there were suprise away wins for both Aston Villa and Hull.Here are the five major talking points from the weekends action.
#1 Manchester City and Chelsea show just why they are title contenders
So far this season, Man City have only added two main players to the squad in Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando. But both of them look to be just the signings that they needed. In Mangala, City finally have a imposing defender to complement Kompany. And while he didn’t start, the other new signing Fernando did and showed just why he might be a perfect fit for the Premier League. With a rock-solid defence, a plethora of options in midfield and four world-class strikers in attack, it would be a surprise if City don’t win the League this season.
Their main competition looks set to come from a team, who are finally starting to resemble a squad that is of Jose Mourinho’s liking. Against Burnley, Chelsea kicked their season off in style as their two big-money summer signings, Fabregas and Diego Costa both enjoyed a fabulous start to their Chelsea careers. Fabregas in particular looks like the perfect replacement for Lampard and has already elevated the standard of the Blues’ midfield. When Luis is fully fit, Chelsea will have arguably the best defence in the League and that has always been what successful Mourinho sides have been built on.
#2 Arsenal show plenty of resolve
For the first time in nearly a decade, Arsenal started the season with a piece of silverware to show for their efforts. The acquisition of Alexis Sanchez early in the summer has certainly raised the level of expectations from Arsenal this season. So has the Community Shield victory over Manchester City. The game against Crystal Palace was all set up to be a romp. After all, they were playing against a side whose manager resigned a couple of days prior to the game.
While many expected the game to be a comfortable one, the Eagles weren’t too keen on letting that happen as they proved to be a tough nut to crack. And it took an injury-time winner from Aaron Ramsey to seal all three points for the Gunners. While it was hard work for the home side, they were never flustered. By the time the Gunners scored, it was a question of when, and not if they will score. If they keep this never-say-die spirit going they might well pack a surprise challenge for the title, which many believe is a straight race between Chelsea and Manchester City.
#3 Louis van Gaal needs players and needs them fast
It was a new style, a new formation, a new manager, but it was the same old disappointing football that Manchester United served up against Swansea in their opener. For all the talk of a three-man defence, exciting young prospects and getting the best out of players at hand, one thing the loss to Swansea has shown is that the current squad isn’t good enough.
The loss of experienced defenders has left a gaping hole in central defence, one that needs to be fixed quickly. In midfield, the side still need an enforcer and/or a defensive shield who is going to ensure that the defence isn’t exposed as much. So far, all the talk has been about how Van Gaal is going to transform United, and for that to happen, the Red Devils need to sign some world class players before the window slams shut in two weeks time.
#4 Refereeing blunders ahoy
While the weekend’s action was certainly enjoyable and entertaining, it didn’t take long for the referees to be the centre of attention yet again. On Saturday it was the curious case of two penalties that dominated all the headlines. At Upton Park, West Ham were given a penalty against Tottenham after Kyle Naughton handled a goal-bound shot. While there was no doubt that it was a penalty, whether it deserved a red card is still up for debate. By the letter of the law, the referee can only send someone off for hand-ball if he is deemed to have stopped a ball that was going in. Kevin Nolan’s shot was going over the bar and the decision seemed unfair.
So was the penalty given to West Brom in the game against Sunderland, a decision which even the Baggies manager Alan Irvine admitted was “soft”. A slight tap on Anichebe’s shoulder from Roberge sent the striker tumbling down, forcing the referee to give a penalty. Also, last night, Diego Costa was booked last night was a dive which appeared to be a foul. So it was one penalty, for which the offense didn’t deserve a red card and one non-penalty that changed two games and a suspect booking, and we are only just getting started.
#5 Liverpool still look suspect defensively
It says an awful lot about the quality of the Reds’ defending, when a side who have a major chunk of their attacking talent sold were still able to score a goal and were unlucky not to score another. The Reds lost the battle in midfield and were cut open with frightening regularity. It was only thanks to a wonderful save from Simon Mignolet late on and a poacher’s goal from Sturridge that they were able to come out of the game with all three points.
Before the game, Rodgers was clamouring about the need for another striker, but that isn’t where the problems lie for the Reds. New signing Manquillo still needs time to settle into the right back role and until Alberto Moreno is fit enough, they will have to make do with Johnson and hope that the centre backs quickly settle into a partnership that is hard to breach.
