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Premier League Week 1: Five things we learned

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Roar Rookie
18th August, 2021
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It was the weekend Premier League fans had been waiting for, and it didn’t disappoint.

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut football down, English stadiums welcomed back fans at full capacity for the start of the Premier League’s 2021-22 campaign.

The opening round of fixtures more than matched expectations. All ten matches had a winner (seven wins for home teams). There were plenty of goals too, with 34 goals being just two short of the record of 36 goals set on 2003-04 opening weekend.

All in all, it was a fun start with lots of narratives and takeaways. So, buckle up because it’s shaping up to be an exciting season.

Here are five things we learned after the first round of matches!

Lukaku could be the missing piece for Chelsea’s title hopes

Thomas Tuchel has had a fantastic start to life at Chelsea. He took over in January with the team in ninth position and managed to finish fourth and secure Champions League football. He then ended the season by beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to the Champions League trophy.

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Chelsea’s new season already kicked off with a new trophy after they beat Villareal 6-5 on penalties in the European Super Cup.

Their Premier League campaign started with an easy 3-0 win over a disappointing Crystal Palace, who didn’t put up any fight and had only one shot on target in over 90 minutes. Chelsea looked solid and the players looked fired up. Marcos Alonso, Christian Pulisic and debutant Trevor Chalobah scored a goal each to give the Blues their first three points without any fuss.

Chelsea invested heavily last summer and have a deep squad that was underachieving under Frank Lampard. Tuchel took over, had a clear vision, and steadied the ship. He switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation that improved the team’s defensive solidity. Chelsea had 13 clean sheets in 18 games under Tuchel as opposed to 13 in 29 under Lampard.

Tuchel’s system provided defensive solidity but the team struggled to score goals last season. They could create chances but, more often than not, failed to convert them. All you need to know is that last season, central midfielder, Jorginho, was their top scorer in the league with seven goals, all of which came from the penalty spot.

All summer, Chelsea chased the hottest young striker in the world, Erling Halland, but were priced out of a £150 million move. They ended up sealing a deal to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the club from Inter Milan for a club-record fee of £97 million.

Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea during his unveiling as a Chelsea player

(Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

In Lukaku, Chelsea are getting a proven Premier League performer who, at 28 years of age, is at the peak of his career. Lukaku, who previously played for Chelsea, West Brom, Everton, and Manchester United, has 113 goals and 35 assists in 252 Premier League appearances. He hit higher levels at Inter Milan as he scored 64 goals in 95 appearances to help the Nerazzurri win their first Serie A title since 2010.

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Over the past two seasons, Lukaku has thrived in a 3-5-2 formation under Antonio Conte in Italy. Moreover, Belgium have been playing a similar formation since 2016. This means that he should fit in seamlessly in Tuchel’s system and immediately makes Chelsea a much stronger outfit.

Chelsea already had a squad that is capable of winning major trophies. They are the reigning European champions. With Lukaku, they arguably have the most complete squad in the league.

Expect them to be serious contenders this season.

Leeds’ success last season provided a blueprint for newly promoted teams

Leeds United’s return to the Premier League last season – after 16 years of absence – was a remarkable one. Led by one of the most meticulous coaches in the world, Marcelo Bielsa, they produced one of the best ever seasons by a newly promoted club.

They played brave football and were fun to watch. Bielsa likes to play a a high pressing game with fast transitions. It’s what earned them promotion, they stuck to their guns and it proved successful. They finished ninth, won more games than they lost (18-5-15), were among the highest scorers in the league with 62 goals, and had a +8 goal difference.

In the past, promoted teams usually adopted a conservative safety-first approach. Defending in low blocks and depending mainly on long balls as an attacking outlet. It worked for some teams to various degrees, but the majority of the time, it’s not a sustainable approach in the long term.

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For example, West Brom were also promoted last season alongside Leeds. But unlike Leeds, their football was unwatchable. They ended up going straight back to the championship with just five wins in 38 games (5-11-22), scoring 35 goals and suffering a -41 goal difference.

So, it was good to see this season’s promoted teams all following Leeds’ blueprint with two of them getting big wins.

Brentford celebrated their first game in the top-flight division in 74 years by beating London rivals, Arsenal, 2-0 at home. It was a memorable start to the season at a fully packed Brentford Community Stadium.

Christian Norgaard of Brentford celebrates with Bryan Mbeumo

(Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

What makes the win special is that it was a convincing one, not a fluke. Brentford played positive football similar to how they played last season in the championship and their bravery was rewarded. They were the better team, took their chances, and fully deserved the win.

Watford, who bounced back quickly to the Premier League after one season in the championship, had arguably the surprise result of the weekend as they beat Aston Villa 3-2 at home. Villa are tipped by many to be the surprise package of the season. Although they lost their best player in Jack Grealish, they invested really well in the summer and look like they have the potential to be an exciting team.

They were heavy favourites, but Watford stormed to a 3-0 lead. Villa controlled 62 per cent of possession but the Hornets were more dangerous on the ball. They created loads of chances and had seven shots on target to Villa’s two. Other than conceding two late goals under constant pressure from Villa, they were in control and look well prepared for the new campaign.

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Like Watford, Norwich City are also back in the Premier League after one year of absence. In 2019, they were an attacking team but were defensively poor and naïve at times. They opened their season with a 0-3 loss to Liverpool at home. Despite the loss, the Canaries looked good at times. They just lacked the cutting edge and Liverpool ultimately proved too strong for them.

They too look like they will be better this time around than they were two years ago.

It was encouraging to see all these promoted teams play the way they did. It only makes for a more competitive league and increases the excitement for us as viewers.

Manchester United finally have a squad that can challenge for the title

Manchester United kicked off their Premier League season with a thumping 5-1 win over Leeds United. Fans couldn’t have dreamt of a better start to the season. A full house Old Trafford for the first time in almost 18 months, a Bruno Fernandes hat trick, and a dominant win against a despised rival.

To make the night even sweeter for the fans, Raphael Varane was finally unveiled officially. The £41 million defender walked out onto the pitch holding his new number 19 red jersey to the roars of the ecstatic 70,000 fans all around Old Trafford.

This time last season, United were struggling in the transfer market and lost the first league game at home to Crystal Palace. Fast forward one year, the mood could not be any different.

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United’s display against Leeds was impressive. They played some slick football, moved the ball with real intent, and weren’t fazed by Leeds’s trademark press. The chemistry and togetherness of this squad were clear to see. When Leeds scored early in the second half to make it 1-1, United responded brilliantly by scoring three goals in 11 minutes to put the game to bed.

Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United

(Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)

Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba both were in magnificent form. They combined time and again to open up Leeds’s defence. Fernandes ended up with a hat trick and Pogba grabbed four assists to become the first-ever United player to have a quadruple of assists in one match. Mason Greenwood and Fred chipped in with a goal each to cap up a magical night for the red devils.

Scott McTominay was very solid in midfield, he regularly won the ball back in dangerous areas and drove it forward purposefully. The backline was faultless, led by the captain, Harry Maguire, who quietly snuffed out any danger that came his way. It was an assured team showing with great performances all around the pitch.

What makes the win in that manner more impressive, is that United did it without Varane, fellow new signing Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani, and Marcus Rashford.

This squad depth and quality is precisely what United was missing over the past few seasons. Last season, they finished second and even flirted with the idea of challenging Manchester City for a short period, but by February their hopes were as good as dead.

This season, United have a much stronger squad. In Sancho and Varane, they added two players who will walk straight to the starting line-up. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done a fantastic job in assembling and building this squad. He now has at his disposal a starting 11 that can match the best in the League and quality options off the bench.

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The trick now is to sustain the kind of form needed to mount a proper title challenge. Reigning champions, Manchester City, will be as good as last season if not stronger, Chelsea and Liverpool are also looking good and will fancy their chances of winning the title.

United have gradually progressed each season under Ole and most players have improved under his tutelage. If they are to win the league, they must be close to perfect. It is now up to both Ole and the players to be consistent and produce results week in week out.

Van Djik is back, Salah’s still firing, but questions remain over Liverpool’s midfield

Liverpool welcomed back Virgil van Djik to their starting line-up and brushed aside Norwich City in an easy 3-0 win. Van Dijk looked a bit rusty but was as dependable as ever and you could tell that Liverpool have missed his leadership skills and his efficient long balls that he kept on spraying right, left, and center.

Man of the match, Mohamed Salah, was at his usual sparkling best. He was a constant threat on and off the ball and finished the game with a goal and two assists. The Egyptian’s goal was yet another record-breaker for him as he became the only Reds’ player in history to score on the opening fixture in five successive seasons.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates

(Photo by Str/Xinhua via Getty Images

Elsewhere, Trent Alexander Arnold looked good and ready to move on from a disappointing 2020-21 season. The marauding right-back was good defensively and offensively with his trademark crosses causing all sorts of problems for the Norwich defence.

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The question – that won’t be answered against this Norwich side – remains in the midfield.

Geroginio Wijnaldum, who appeared in all 38 league games last season, left to Paris Saint-Germain and hasn’t been replaced. Jurgen Klopp started a midfield of James Milner (35 years old), Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain (who missed games through injury more than he played for Liverpool), and Naby Keita (who has never really justified his big-money move in three seasons at the club).

On paper, that’s not a trio that wins you the league and it was telling that the Reds had only 50 per cent possession.

Van Dijk’s return means that Fabinho – who played mostly at center back last season – can slot back into midfield upon his return. Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson (both in their 30s) are the other remaining options that are at Klopp’s disposal.

Both players have had injury problems of their own and it’s unclear whether they can be relied on over the course of a long, condensed season.

Since the sale of Philippe Coutinho in 2018, Liverpool have never replaced him with a similarly creative midfielder. Klopp’s system relies heavily on the two fullbacks Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson providing assists. In their 2019-20 title-winning season, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson had 13 and 12 assists, respectively. When these numbers dropped to seven assists each last season, the team struggled for goals at times.

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Last season, when teams overloaded the wings and forced Liverpool to play narrower, the team looked short on ideas and missed that creative spark in midfield. All of their midfielders had a combined return of just four goals last season. This is a very poor return when you compare it to the teams around them in the table.

With the transfer window still open for another two weeks and all the other big sides improving their squads considerably, Liverpool might need another signing or two to refresh their squad. Klopp has a strong starting 11 but his bench looks average. If his ambition is to win the title, then the board needs to back Klopp up with signings that allow the team to remain competitive throughout the season.

Tottenham vs Manchester City showed why both teams really need Kane

All the talk before the match started was about Spurs’ captain, Harry Kane. The England striker was not in the matchday squad. He missed a couple of training sessions as he reportedly made his desire to leave the club and join Manchester City clear. He was allegedly present at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but nobody, as far as we know, caught him on camera.

Once things got underway, it wasn’t about Kane as much as it was about a familiar script that we’ve seen in this fixture before: City having a lot of possession but doing nothing much with it, Spurs defending resolutely and looking to hit on the counter. It ended with a 1-0 Spurs victory in what was Pep Guardiola’s fourth straight away defeat at Tottenham.

Both teams were missing important players and it’s hard to read too much into this result because the odds are that both teams will look very different in a month or so. That being said, there are some clear points to make of this game.

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City broke the English transfer record by signing Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in a £100 million deal. He started the game in the midfield as a number 8 as opposed to the left-wing or number 10 roles he’s excelled at in the past.

Jack Grealish of Manchester City during the Premier League

(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

He looked lost in this position and Spurs regularly found spaces to exploit behind City’s midfield. He didn’t play well until he was moved to the left-wing later in the second half.

There’s no doubt Grealish is an extremely gifted player, however, you can argue that, for the transfer fee he cost, he wasn’t really what City needed. The Citizens have players such as Kevin de Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva who can all offer similar things.

For me, it made more sense to prioritise Kane’s signing first. With club legend Sergio Aguero leaving for Barcelona, City have only Gabriel Jesus as a senior striker. Grealish doesn’t improve this squad massively, Kane does.

On the other hand, Tottenham displayed everything you can expect from a Nuno Espirito Santo side, whose teams are usually solid and very well-drilled. Dele Alli is back in the side and could add value this season. Son Heung-Min proved once again what a difference-maker he is in terms of finishing and work rate as he scored the winning goal and was running tirelessly all night.

There were good performances all around the pitch and the team looked much happier than they were under Mourinho.

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Still, Tottenham will face more defensive teams in the coming weeks and these will be the matches where they need Kane (or a replacement). On more than one occasion during the City game, Spurs found themselves in good wide attacking positions but often had to go back to midfield because there was no commanding presence in the box to be at the end of crosses.

Son is prolific but, over a long season, he will need someone else with him to share the goalscoring burden.

The Kane saga looks set to go on until the final hours of the transfer window. With Kane’s contract up in 2024, Tottenham’s CEO, Daniel Levy, holds all the cards. He doesn’t mind letting Kane go, but only if his valuation of the player is met.

City already had a £100 million offer rejected and are reportedly preparing a new offer closer to the £150 million that Levy is asking for. The deal will most likely get over the line.

The sooner it happens, the better it is for all parties involved.

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