Gameweek 1 of the Premier League came and went, and it was an entertaining display. However, the Big Six clubs had mixed results.
Arsenal
Premier League Champions Arsenal kicked off the season in style, beating newly promoted Coventry 3-0 at home; the goals were scored by Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Ødegaard. They were comfortable throughout the 90 minutes, with new signing Tzolis impressing on his debut. The way things have started for the Gunners — beating Manchester City in the Community Shield and then beating Coventry in the first game of the Premier League season —makes it look increasingly likely that they might retain the title.
Manchester United
A positive outlook on the new season carried over from a smooth recovery in the middle of last season, with the appointment of Michael Carrick, first as interim manager and then as permanent manager after consistent, impressive results. They came up against newly promoted Hull City. The Tigers were ready to pounce, and Man United were not, as they lost 0-2 to Hull, with goals from Ajayi and Mendy. It is only the first game of the season, but it is certainly not how they were hoping or expecting to start.
Tottenham Hotspur
More bad results as Tottenham lose 0-3 to London rivals Brentford. Well underway in rebuilding their team with the signings of Centre-backs Senesi and Van Hecke, followed by big-money signings Mateus Fernandes and Tonali, the club is coached by Roberto De Zerbi, who was brought in near the end of last season to help save the club from relegation. Context is important indeed, with more than 5 first-team players missing due to injury. However, the starting 11 Tottenham put out was more than good enough to get a result. Brentford showed more fight, intensity and intent to create chances, and they were the rightful victors.
Manchester City
After the departure of the legendary manager Pep Guardiola, Former Leicester City and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca took over. He has been in and around the Man City setup as an assistant coach and the coach of the under-23s, so there was already a bit of familiarity. That does not mean they won’t struggle, as we saw against Arsenal in the Community Shield. However, they did triumph over Bournemouth, scoring a last-minute winner to make it 1-2, almost solely because of the game-changing quality of Rayan Cherki, who was subbed on and provided assists for both goals.
Liverpool
The atmosphere was going to be vibrant, to say the least, with Liverpool travelling to St. James’s Park to face Newcastle United. Former Newcastle man Alexander Isak was the subject of intense booing as Liverpool put up a disappointing performance, but played enough to salvage a 2-2 draw in the last minute. Despite losing most of their best players in one window, Newcastle showed fight, intensity, and positive attacking displays.
Chelsea
With new manager Xabi Alonso at the helm and big-money signings in the team, they squared off against Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa. The interesting narrative here is that he and Alonso are good friends and have known each other for many years, having played together at Liverpool and Real Madrid. Secondly, Alonso was appointed Real Madrid Manager last season, and a few months in, he was replaced by? Arbeloa. He didn’t do too well either and left at the end of the season. Both ended up as managers in the Premier League. It was a thrilling game that went to Chelsea, who won 2-3 on the road.
The common theme across these results is that, no matter how much pressure and expectation each club faces, especially given the changes these clubs have undergone and are still undergoing, they will need time. Now, how much time do they need? That will vary from club to club, but at the very least, I’ll wait till gameweek 5 or 6 before I start forming full opinions on each team.