We are already done with gameweek five of the 2016-17 edition of the Premier League. That was quick, wasn’t it?
This season is dubbed to be the toughest of all, a battle of the best managers – Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino to name a few is certainly getting hotter.
The Premier League hasn't disappointed yet again! gameweek five was a typical Premier League weekend. Big games, shock results, clinical performances, it had everything.
Here are 10 things worth discussing from this week’s exciting Premier League games.
1) Jordan Henderson has cemented his place in the starting 11
Liverpool has had a massive hole to fill in since Steven Gerrard’s departure and midfielder Jordan Henderson looks their best bet to fill in that hole. In no way are we saying Jordan Henderson is as good as Steven Gerrard.
However, since the departure of the Liverpool legend, Jordan Henderson has stepped into Gerrard’s shoes and done an impeccable job as the leader of the team. Replacing a player of the stature of Gerrard is in itself a herculean task.
Henderson’s composure and distribution in the midfield are second to none in the Liverpool team. Although the midfielder may not be as creative as Stevie G was in his prime, The current Liverpool captain has proven that he does have the ability to score fantastic goals from outside the box, and on the back of his Chelsea performance surely has cemented his place in Klopp’s XI.
2) Jose Mourinho has not solved the problems at Manchester United
After a disappointing season under Louis van Gaal, Manchester United stole the show in the summer. The arrival of Jose Mourinho marked the start of a new era of Manchester United. With the signings of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester United looked strong contenders for the Premier League. However, it only looks like the arrivals of the big names has temporarily shifted the focus from Manchester United’s weak midfield and defence.
Their 1-0 victory over Hull City was not convincing while the three losses that followed prove that there is a lot to do at Old Trafford. The midfield is a major area of concern as Wayne Rooney may get the axe while Paul Pogba needs to step up his game.
Probably the only positives look to be Marcus Rashford’s rise and Antonio Valencia’s performance so far but Mourinho really needs to fix things and fast.
3) Ronald Koeman could lead Everton into the Champions League
It's probably too early to make such a statement, however, Everton’s presence in the Champions League next year could be a possibility. Everton had a poor season under Roberto Martinez last year but the arrival of Ronald Koeman looks to have changed their fortunes in the Premier League.
Ashley Williams has fit in well at the back while Romelu Lukaku looks to have found his confidence in front of goal. Not only have Everton had a near perfect start, they have been clinical in all their wins. Could Koeman be another gem of a manager to come from the historic Barcelona team of the 90s? Only time will tell!
4) West Ham United are too dependent on a few players
Probably one of the biggest shocks of this season so far has been West Ham United’s start to the season. The pundits expected West Ham United to compete with the top dogs of the Premier League and challenge for a spot in Europe. However, West Ham is now in the bottom five. So what has gone wrong?
Firstly, West Ham look to be too dependent on Dimitri Payet. The injuries to new signings Sofiane Feghouli and Andre Ayew seems to have put a dent in their confidence. Is West Ham succumbing to the pressure of living up to other Premier League giants after moving into the London Olympic Stadium? Could be a factor behind their poor start.
5) Spurs could be the team to keep an eye on this season
While all the noise this season has been coming from the North of England in Manchester, and Arsenal along with Chelsea and West Ham being the prime focus in London, Tottenham Hotspur have silently been doing a decent job so far this season. In their five games, Tottenham has won three and drawn two to move to third on the table.
Their dramatic fall from second to third towards the end of last season was probably due to their experience of taking part in a title race. However, should Spurs step up their game this season and prove to be consistent, they could end up winning the title.
6) Crystal Palace looks stronger after the transfer window
The departure of Yannick Bolasie was seen as a major loss for the Crystal Palace side. However, Palace has been strong in the transfer window this year as they roped in four fantastic players in Christian Benteke, Steve Mandanda, James Tomkins and Andros Townsend.
Townsend has been one of the top performers this season while Tomkins and Mandanda have been great for Palace. Benteke looks confident with Palace and Wilfried Zaha is showing glimpses of the magic he possesses. With Loic Remy is sidelined with an injury, Palace can be even more dangerous when the French striker recovers.
7) Diego Costa looks good, David Luiz looks shabby
It has been two years since David Luiz left Chelsea and also two years since Diego Costa signed for the Blues. However, upon his return to London, Luiz has shown us that he still has many weak points in his game. The defender is very indecisive on the ball and lacks the maturity to lead the Chelsea backline. Kurt Zouma looks to be the best bet to replace John Terry in the backline.
On the other hand, striker Diego Costa has had a fantastic start to the season. Despite involving himself in plenty of duels with the opposition players, it is impossible to expect Costa to improve his discipline on the pitch overnight. However, should he focus solely on scoring goals, Costa could run away with the golden boot this season.
8) Fernandinho is Manchester City’s Sergio Busquets
Pep Guardiola has managed two world class teams in Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and Manchester City are definitely his biggest test yet. With five games down, it looks like Guardiola has made Manchester City into one of his own in a matter of just over two months. A player who has played the biggest role in this transition is Fernandinho.
The midfielder has slotted into the midfield in the Sergio Busquets position being the link between the defence and attack. The fact that Fernandinho is able to perform what Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso did at Barcelona and Bayern respectively is a matter of pride for the midfielder. He could grow from strength to strength under Pep into one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders.
9) Nacer Chadli’s resurrection has begun
The Belgian forward signed with Tottenham in 2013 but Chadli’s time with Spurs cannot be looked back as a success while it wasn’t a failure either. It was a story of the lack of consistency and a lack of chances as well.
After moving to West Brom, Chadli has quickly sealed his place as one of the best players in the team. He has already found the back of the net for West Brom in two consecutive games and it looks like his stint with West Brom could be a successful one for the Belgian.
10) Shay Given is well beyond his prime
Well, this one should be that much of a surprise. At the age of 40, Shay Given finds himself in the Premier League replacing Jack Butland in goal for Stoke City. During his prime, Given was a fine keeper for Manchester City and Newcastle United.
For Stoke City, however, Shay Given has conceded a huge number of goals. No, the blame is not completely on the goalkeeper. But is he good enough for the Premier League? Should Stoke look for a better backup? On the basis of Stoke’s defence, they need two goalkeepers playing at the same time.
