Premier League Roundup - Matchday 1

• Spurs, Arsenal and Fulham Impress
• New Season, Same Old Devils

The Premier League restarted this on Friday with so much enthusiasm from fans all around the world. Arsenal were the first big team up this new season. A trip to Selhurst park was chance to start the season with a bang.

Premier League Opening Weekend Talking Points

Arsenal:

Arsenal’s bane last season was the inability to manage games effectively even after playing well.

The Gunners visited Crystal Palace on Friday evening hoping to start the season well, and they did with a 2-0 victory. Gabriel Jesus and French defender William Saliba looked comfortable, the Frenchman was voted man of the match.
Arsenal didn’t overly dominate the game, but they showed grit, and dug deep to keep a very physical Palace side at bay.

Spurs:

Perhaps the most impressive team on Matchday 1. The North London side face Chelsea next, but they would go into that match with their confidence high after coming from behind to beat Southampton 4-1.

Spurs dominated, and they never looked uncomfortable even when they were a goal down.

Southampton made the job easier with lax defending, but Spurs looked super solid even without Harry Kane or Heung Min Son scoring.

Fulham vs Liverpool:

Liverpool were very slow out of the box against Fulham this weekend. The Merseyside club started the season with a 2-2 draw in London. An exceptional performance form Fulham, who have continued to rely on Alexander Mitrovic. Fulham knew exactly how to rattle Liverpool and it worked perfectly well for the cottagers.

A couple of goals for Mitrovic plus a fantastic cameo from Darwin Nunez served up the much needed Saturday entertainment.

Liverpool will need more from Mohamed Salah this season, even with the addition of Darwin Nunez. Luis Diaz looked ineffective against the newly promoted Fulham, and that will worry some Liverpool fans.

Manchester City

Erling Haaland’s brace gave Manchester City a comfortable victory against West Ham. City look more direct with the Norwegian. Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland will be key to Manchester City’s season, and that was evident against West Ham. It is unsure if Guardiola will sign an extra option in midfield, or perhaps a winger.

The Citizens looked a little short on the bench especially after the sale of Jesus and Sterling. West Ham didn’t get much of the ball against Manchester City. It is still early to judge David Moyes side especially after their transfer business this summer.

Chelsea

Koulibaly and Sterling played well for The Blues, but the problem for Thomas Tuchel’s side persists. Chance creation and scoring goals.

Everton’s formation made it difficult for Chelsea to create space, and even as Sterling was there to help, Havertz and Mount weren’t up for it. Sterling will be key for Chelsea this year, but much more quality is needed for the Blues if they are to challenge for anything this season.

Newcastle look solid under Eddie Howe. They could challenge for a place in the top 7. The Magpies looked comfortable against newsboys Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Leeds and Bournemouth also secured home victories.

New Season, Same Old Devil

In what looked like a match from 2021/22 season, Brighton defeated Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils looked average on the day as defensive errors hunted them once again. There were signs of what Ten Hag wanted from his team, but Brighton showed the Dutch manager just how fast and savage the Premier League can be.

There is still work to be done for Ten Hag, but for the Manchester United players, it’s a new season with the same old story.