Tottenham’s new leader and Newcastle’s new status
So, the English championship has started. A long-awaited tournament that symbolizes the return of the big club season for many fans of world soccer. In the first round 28 goals were scored, and even this dozen matches allows us to draw some conclusions about the main things that the start of the AFL gives us to realize and notice. Some predicted something, some were intrigued. Already from the first round some things have become clear, it’s interesting now the development. Let’s make some notes for ourselves based on the starting games.
Mitrovic is capable of scoring in the Premier League, and Liverpool should not be bogged down
Last season, Mitrovic became a record scorer, scoring an incredible 43 goals in the Championship for Fulham. However, he was seen by many as a second division star, unable to maintain his level in the top flight. In the APL, he had scored only 24 goals in 104 games before the match against Liverpool. However, the game against the Reds showed his determination.
Mitrovic opened the scoring before tying it with a penalty which he earned himself. The first-round double against Liverpool is a great signal to all doubters. But it is also a signal to the Reds fans who are hoping for the league title. Now it seems that losing two points at the start means nothing, but everyone remembers the tight finish of the two leaders last season. And draws against teams like Brentford and Brighton cost Liverpool the title.
MU’s problems are still very deep
Another change of coach and paradigm on the part of Manchester United doesn’t seem to have helped. At least at the start of the season. In the first round, MU under Eric ten Hague lost at home to Brighton. And the Dutchman’s problems do not end there. There is also a fan protest against the Glazers, fighting between fans in the stands, booing of players, trashing comments from former MJ stars.
The whole set of woes from the first round hit a seemingly new team that showed old problems in the game and in the approach to soccer. Add to that uncertainty about the future of Ronaldo, who himself has a big impact on everything around United, as well as a series of protracted transfer sagas. It’s a dubious backdrop to start the job, but ten Hague has nothing left to do – he has to buckle down and try to solve problems on the field.
Manchester City and Holland are fine
After City’s loss of the FA Super Cup and Holland’s missed chances in it, it might have looked like City made a mistake with their bet on the Norwegian. But the first round of the AFL has already shown that all is in order. They are the same Citizens with their inherent characteristics, but they are reinforced by a powerful goalscorer.
Holland showed his speed, maturity and pressure. He earned the penalty himself, converted it and then sealed his success with a double. “City did not allow West Ham, a semi-finalist in the last Europa League, to do anything. West Ham’s Declan Rice had the most assists of the game for the Hammers, but even that was less than City goalkeeper Ederson. All you need to know about the level of control.
Chelsea need to improve their pace
Chelsea also started the new championship with a win, but it looked less confident than City’s. “The Blues beat Everton sluggishly thanks to Jorginho’s only goal from the penalty spot. In general, the result is not bad if we take into account the fact that Chelsea has undergone a change of ownership, transfer perturbations and still has a certain sense of uncertainty. However, we should definitely admit that the team lacks pace and agility. Thomas Tuchel also talked about it after the game.
In the center of defense, he fielded Thiago Silva, Aspilicueta and Koulibaly, who together are 100 years old. At times it was felt when some Everton players almost ran towards the goal and were sharper and livelier than their opponents. “Chelsea need to shake things up, or there will be a lot of point losses in such sluggish games.
Kulusiewski becomes Tottenham’s leader
Spurs have some mind-boggling squad coming together. Heung-Min Son and Kane have already proved everything to everyone and are perceived as one of the Premier League’s main threats and stars. However, in a brilliant match against Southampton, where the Saints were dashingly defeated 4-1, the pair remained in the shadows. Dejan Kulusevski, on the other hand, shone through with a goal and an assist.
The Swede has been involved in 15 Tottenham goals in the 19 games he has played since joining the club in January of this year. Only Son, Kane and De Bruyne have been more involved since then in the Premier League. And yet Spurs also signed Rischarlison in attack for £60 million. How to distribute all that attacking wealth? A nice headache for Conte.
“Expensive” Aston Villa does not justify the investment
There is a type of club in England, which seems to be strong players come in, where a lot of money is spent, but they are still if not outsiders, then middling. For a long time Everton was like that. Now Aston Villa claims such an unpleasant status. The club’s bosses tried to support head coach Steven Gerrard on the transfer market by buying defender Diego Carlos from Sevilla for 26 million pounds and signing Filipe Coutinho for 17 million pounds.
And as a result, the Birmingham side, whose starting line-up and substitute players cost a combined £255 million, lost in the opening round to an uninspiringly modest Bournemouth. Gerrard had just two wins in 11 games at the end of last season. And this game showed a lack of progress. Mistakes, disjointedness, lack of understanding of what is happening on the field – all about the expensive Aston Villa.
Newcastle takes it to the next level
If we’re talking about big spending and the mediocrities, then how not to mention Newcastle, who got rich owners last season, but is still waiting for the money to rain down on them. So far the spending is measured, but still weighty. And the main acquisition, oddly enough, can be considered head coach Eddie Howe. Since his arrival to the club, the Magpies have won 14 out of 28 games in the Premier League and scored an average of 1.68 points per game. If you extrapolate that pace to the entire season, Newcastle could finish in sixth place. Pretty decent.
The game against Nottingham Forest turned out to be only for the time being tense. Until Schert struck a superb long-range shot. Wilson then got the better of the broken back in the AFL. A solid win for Newcastle, who are picking up the pace and gradually increasing the contribution to the game of the newly acquired players, even though Howe complains about the limitations imposed by the financial fair play.
Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, which has spent £85 million on 12 newcomers, still needs to fine-tune its game to establish itself in the Premier League, where it has returned after 23 years of waiting. It would be a shame to fly right back out.
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