Sports
THE Premier League just wrapped up a brief early-season hiatus and is back on track, with teams now having played four matches each. It’s still very early in the campaign, and with only four teams left undefeated even at this stage, it’s looking like it will be a pretty competitive season in the world’s favorite football league.
From those who like to tune in to the English action, here are a few takeaways from these first four match weeks.
Manchester Is The Class Of The EPL
Again, things look fairly competitive in the early going, and that could mean that the title race itself is a little bit more frenzied than usual. But looking at the current standings, you’ll find both of the Manchester clubs atop the list. Manchester United and Manchester City are both 3-1-0 for 10 points each so far, and have generally looked the best in action. For Man City this isn’t particularly surprising; the club has been a European powerhouse for many seasons running. But Man Utd. May be in the midst of a true return to glory after a few seasons that, by their standards, were down.
Liverpool Needs A Boost
Few picked Liverpool to win the Premier League this season, but most expected Jurgen Klopp to at least have them in the mix at the top of the tables. Through four matches however Liverpool has looked decidedly average. There’s no doubt the team is capable of more, but it needs a boost following a 2-1-1 start that included a crushing 5-0 loss to Manchester City. We noted at the transfer deadline that Liverpool did at least acquire Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal, which could provide a little bit of a spark. But more than anything this team seems to just need to regroup.
Wenger May Finally Get The Sack
If you’ve followed the Premier League for long you know that Arsenal has, at least by its own supporters’ estimation, perennially underperformed. Manager Arsene Wenger has constantly been mentioned in sacking speculation as a result, and as one write-up noted, Arsenal’s finish beneath archrival Tottenham Hotspur may have been the last straw last year. He’s bound to be on a tight leash at this point, and his Gunners have gotten off to a very poor start, at 2-0-2 with a -1 goal differential. If Arsenal doesn’t turn it around quickly, Wenger could well be shown the door at last.
Leicester City Is Flirting With Disaster
It was only two seasons ago that Leicester City stunned the world and won the Premier League, in what was referred to by some as the biggest upset in the history of team sports. Such a short time later, the same club is flirting with relegation early on. At this moment, a 1-0-3 record has Leicester City one spot clear of the dreaded relegation zone. The club is probably better than it’s shown so far, but falling out of the EPL two seasons after its unexpected triumph would certainly be humiliating.
That about covers the major early storylines for the EPL. But in general it’s looking like a very fun season, with several top clubs in the mix, a few others struggling, and a degree of unpredictability remaining about a month into the action.
– Sept 15, 2017 @ 17:37 GMT |
Tags: Arsene Wenger Leicester City Liverpool Manchester Takeaways from First Four Premier league Matches Tottenham Hotspur
