5 Things We Learned in the EPL this weekend
The Premier League is back! The shamelessly self-titled “worlds most exciting league” has returned to our TV screens. So what did we make of it all? Well gather around folks, because this is what we learned in the EPL this weekend
Closing the gap?
Perhaps it is too early in the piece to make such claims, but is the gap between the haves and have-nots closing, at least on the field? Take note- only the mega wealthy Chelsea and Manchester City won by a greater margin than one solitary goal, and those victories were only by 2 goals respectively. The Champions League chasing pack (Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham) all looked relatively patchy across the board. On the other hand, their less credentialed combatants (Southampton, Crystal Palace, Swansea, Leicester) produced performances defying their wage bill. Judgements are best made after 38 rounds of football, but a league without the stockpiled talents of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich does level out the competition.
Brazil has left its mark – literally!
In what was surely the topic of discussion across all of the water coolers on Monday morning – the foaming spray is now a permanent fixture of the English Premier League. Brazil 2014 gave us a 7-1 semi-final result, a Tim Cahill wonder goal and Luis Suarez … just being Luis Suarez. But the new weapon of choice for referees to ensure players remain in position during set pieces seems here to stay. Lets not ask Santi Cazorla for his opinion though.
False Dawn – False Prophet?
Louis Van Gaal’s reign as Manchester United manager has picked up where David Moyes’s left off…with a loss. A switch of systems to a 3-4-3 paid dividends during pre-season, seeing victories over the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid. However, the 2-1 home loss to Swansea is simply a return to normality: this Manchester United team is simply not good enough to compete for major trophies. Summer acquisitions of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera will prove beneficial, but any Premier League team fielding a back three of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Tyler Blackett will struggle. There are barely two weeks left until the transfer window closes. Keep close tabs on the Red Devils doing some serious shopping before Deadline Day.
Don’t wait until the last minute
Chelsea and Manchester City may be the richest of the bunch, but they are also the best organised. Both clubs have finished their transfer business before a competitive ball has been kicked. The results speak for themselves. Mourinho and Pellegrini, two managers who have clashed in the past (you can guess who is the main protagonist in this stoush), have had the time to work on the training ground with the players and they are in the best position to fight for the title. While others are clambering for the fax machine at 9.30 pm on deadline day, they have piece of mind. Crystal Palace can be excused in this instance; it is not every day your manager walks out on you 2 days before the season starts. Thanks a bunch Tony!
We love our Premier League
Lets be honest – we really do love it. No other competition provides as much weekly drama as the EPL. It feeds the appetite for football lovers: power, speed, technique, and physicality. It combines them all and every match is beamed into our homes in high definition. What is not to love? Other than the 3am kick offs, the EPL is the gift that keeps on giving.
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