The opening weekend of the 2021-22 Premier League season is over, so naturally, it’s time to overreact about the state of each team. Below, theScore tips some sides for glory and others to rival last term’s Sheffield United for ineptitude.
Arsenal
Arsenal’s new £50-million signing Ben White could end up costing manager Mikel Arteta his job. Arsenal were missing a pair of superstar attackers against Brentford, but that doesn’t excuse White’s uninspiring display in his debut against a team that had zero Premier League experience heading into Friday’s game.
Aston Villa
Life after Jack Grealish was already going to be difficult, but now it’s looking grim after Aston Villa’s atrocious display against newly promoted Watford. Even the infusion of talent brought in to help offset Grealish’s departure failed to offer a spark for an Aston Villa side that could be involved in an intense fight to avoid relegation.
Brentford
Brentford’s win over Arsenal could be the start of something special. The club’s first top-flight victory in 74 years was proof that Thomas Frank’s team has the quality to not only stay up but also make life difficult for Premier League opponents. They can start to dream about an odds-defying run to the title after they get a season of Premier League football under their belt.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Graham Potter is on course to become the most sought-after manager in English football. He showed his tactical prowess by introducing Jakub Moder and Alexis Mac Allister when his side was 1-0 down at Burnley on Saturday; the former quickly assisted Neal Maupay while the latter notched a 78th-minute winner.
Burnley
The recent workload of Burnley’s most reliable striker, Chris Wood, seems to be a real problem this season. The Kiwi frontman’s ball retention and movement were below par against Brighton as his play appeared labored following his Olympic commitments with New Zealand. Jay Rodriguez, Ashley Barnes, and Matej Vydra must step up.
Chelsea
Plan the parade, Chelsea fans. The Blues put on a show for the Stamford Bridge faithful, welcoming fans back with a dominant performance that reinforced belief over Chelsea’s title aspirations. Just imagine how much more dangerous Thomas Tuchel’s side will be when Romelu Lukaku links up with the attack.
Crystal Palace
Patrick Vieira is the wrong man for the job at Crystal Palace. Optimism over Vieira’s reign was short-lived, as the Eagles were badly outplayed by city rivals Chelsea. The Frenchman has ambitious plans to rebuild the club, but the task could prove to be too overwhelming for a manager with no experience in engineering such a drastic overhaul.
Everton
Everton’s strikers are set for a fruitful term. Dominic Calvert-Lewin feasted on crosses from new boys Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend while Richarlison expertly stretched the Southampton rearguard from a new central role. This attacking setup and Rafa Benitez’s trademark defensive organization could combine for the most balanced Everton side we’ve seen in years.
Leeds United
Expectations were rightfully high for Leeds United coming off an impressive season in which they defied expectations to finish ninth. But, 90 minutes into the new campaign, it’s obvious Leeds have regressed – Marcelo Bielsa’s men kicked off the 2021-22 campaign with a devastating 5-1 drubbing to rivals Manchester United.
Leicester City
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy is going to be in contention to win another Premier League Golden Boot award. He may be 34, but Vardy proved against Wolverhampton Wanderers that he can still be entrusted with leading Leicester’s attack. With quality distribution from Youri Tielemans and James Maddison, Vardy could potentially bag 20 goals this season.
Liverpool
Liverpool are back to being a defensive juggernaut now that Virgil van Dijk is back in the fold. Sure, it was just a routine victory over a vastly inferior Norwich City side, but the fact the imposing Dutch defender made it through 90 minutes while helping keep a clean sheet should put the Reds back in contention for the Premier League title.
Manchester City
Asteroids could pummel the earth, pulverizing humankind as we know it, but still, somehow, Benjamin Mendy would be dressed in his training kit, preparing for another season with Manchester City. Why does Pep Guardiola accept that his best player at left-back is an attacking midfielder in Oleksandr Zinchenko? It’s a peculiar situation for a club of seemingly infinite resources.
Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba have emerged as the most lethal combination in football. The Manchester United star is an obvious shoo-in for the PFA Player of the Year award after recording a hat-trick against Leeds. Meanwhile, the liberated Frenchman’s four assists Saturday will help his bid to smash the Premier League’s assists record (20).
Newcastle United
As Allan Saint-Maximin faded – understandably, given his recent illnesses – so did his team. It’s imperative that Newcastle carefully return Saint-Maximin to match fitness soon, otherwise they’ll be staggering toward the Championship. Callum Wilson’s finishing and Matt Ritchie’s deliveries are important, but no one can produce something from nothing like ASM.
Norwich City
They won’t be the only team to get thumped by Liverpool this season, but Norwich have obvious vulnerable areas that need to be addressed. Oliver Skipp is back at Tottenham Hotspur after an excellent season on loan with Norwich, and his presence in defensive midfield was missed. Left-back Dimitrios Giannoulis also looked to be way below Premier League quality.
Southampton
The Saints are producing one of the worst transfer windows in Premier League history. Adam Armstrong confidently picked out the top corner on his debut, but it’s asking a lot of him to cover the goals lost by Danny Ings’ departure to Aston Villa. Also, allowing Jannik Vestergaard to leave has further unsettled a scatterbrained defense. Southampton are in serious danger of relegation.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham fans can believe. The Harry Kane hubbub has distracted everybody from Spurs’ wealth of young talent. Japhet Tanganga was colossal as he kept Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish quiet, Oliver Skipp continued his magnificent form from last season’s loan at Norwich City, and there were nine other starters or substitutes aged 25 or under. The future’s bright.
Watford
Watford pulled off one of the signings of the season with the arrival of Emmanuel Dennis. The attacker has been dubbed an immature and difficult character during his career and was dropped from a poor FC Koln side last season, but his knack of drifting across the frontline complemented the work of Ismaila Sarr. The Nigerian scored and assisted in Saturday’s win over Villa.
West Ham United
This is Said Benrahma’s year. After struggling with his end product in his first campaign at West Ham, the Algerian playmaker followed an excellent preseason with a goal and an assist against Newcastle. His inventiveness is renowned and his work rate is underrated. Together, those attributes make him a constant threat in a new No. 10 role.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
A change in approach had Wolves looking lost in the first official game of the post-Nuno Espirito Santo era. After years of trying to understand and implement the Portuguese manager’s reserved tactics, Wolves showed there’s going to be a steep learning curve under the attack-minded Bruno Lage.
