EPL 2017/18 - Game Week 2

What a season opener! It is hard to deny the Premier League is the most competitive in the world. Just look at the results, analyse each of the opening matches and you will have a good sense of what is to come. Maybe not, no one knows what holds tomorrow. Only the bravest dare to predict EPL matches for fools rush in when angels fear to tread. 

Manchester United have sent their title warning with a thumping 4-0 win. Champions Chelsea crashed 2-3 at home to Burnley. Arsenal won 4-3 by the skin. Tottenham typically won 2-0 away and Liverpool tripped out with only a point to show and gave away two away from home. Huddersfield, everyone's favourite to drop back to the Championship landed in second position with an impressive away 3-0 win and this was the greatest result of the weekend!

A flurry of goals, a few surprising results, big teams with title ambition struggling against smaller teams. My team of the week must surely be Huddersfield Town. Even the name is humble. Something like Toa Payoh Town. You may not know that two great players of the time in the 70s when I was just into soccer that came from Huddersfield. Trevor Cherry who went on to play for the great Leeds United team and and maverick Frank Worthington whom I remembered his time at Leicester City and was my favourite Leicester player then. There were few players like him with such flamboyant skills. He looks like one of the Three Musketeers and also like Spanish golfer Jimenez. Frank was a maverick player and a great character. Real talent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4t7vpM7XtM (Frank Worthington)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCatdh_I5B4 (Trevor Cherry)

Well, let's take a look after a few weeks and we will know who are the real contenders.

Swansea City v Manchester United - The Swans did enough when they visited St. Mary's and held Southampton 0-0 and now facing a resurgent Red Devils who recorded an emphatic win that was full of power and pace. Getting an away point against Southampton was not a bad thing but to host a marauding United team is another matter unless Swansea up the ante but life is never fair as Swansea has just lost their best player in Gylfi Sigursson in a 45m pound transfer to Everton. But then West Ham were bad which makes United looked good. If the Red Devils bring their ace game then of course they will get a very good result but Swansea actually plays good football and are host at the Liberty Stadium. United could win by 1-0 or 2-1 but Swansea could surprise with a draw at 1-1. But I shall pick United to win this time. They do looked good the other day. 1-2.

Bournemouth v Watford - The Cherries laboured but lost to an odd goal when they visited the Hawthorns. Home advantage is only good if you bring on a solid performance. Watford showed they could fight score and score as demonstrated against Liverpool but that was a Liverpool defence. Bournemouth will defend better and playing away is different. Eddie Howe's good work over the years should not be wasted and the host certainly have the goods to win here but need to watch out as Watford played well last week. He did a good job at Hull and now at Watford.  2-2.

Burnley v WBA - Burnley stormed into a commanding 3-0 lead at Stamford Bridge and held out for a 3-2 away win over Chelsea. Wow! That was certainly a great scalp! Manager Sean Dyche has the second lowest budget in the premier league. Great respect for the man who sold two important assets in his team without replacement and still do this. Salute! If they could do that away from home to the Champions, surely the Baggies can't stop them? WBA has McAuley out last week and yet hold their own. What if Tony Pulis is managing Liverpool? Typically, a draw in such an encounter is a likely outcome but Burnley have a slight edge even if WBA is often hard to beat. 2-1.

Leicester City v Brighton - The good news is the Foxes will not carry the burden of defending their crown and Jamie Vardy was immediately among the goals with two. He seemed bent on going to Russia. Manchester City could not find a way past Brighton last week till later while the Foxes put three past the Gunners. Newcomers Brighton held out for 70 minutes against Manchester City before going down 0-2. Leicester should seal their first win for the season. 2-0. 

Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Same old Liverpool. Going down by a goal from the same weakness in defending set pieces when the defence stood still leaving Okaka with time to actually rub his hands in glee and popping in with a header. Then after scoring an excellent Mane goal of the highest quality, they quickly allowed Doucoure to score three minutes later as the defence panicked! Further goals from Firmino and Salah looked good enough for a win but they have to concede after 90 minute into injury time as if they wanted to deny themselves but credit to Marcos Silva and Watford for a good game. You can't do the same thing over and over again and expect or hope for a different result. The Kops should be unhappy! Zero improvement and why field Moreno again? Lovren and Matip are not leaders. Liverpool need a very good defensive coach to plug such obvious leaks. It has to be done now before it got flooded! Firmino scored but was in dreamland when Watford scored. Should it not be another defender's job rather than Firmino. Klopp is forgiving but not if it were Mourinho. He would have torn you apart and feed you to the dogs. Every goal conceded so poorly should be treated as a personal affront. Liverpool had such a long time to correct it but nothing has changed. Liverpool's amazing and sumptuous attack will be negated and done in eventually by their shambolic defence. If the players could not defend and cannot be taught why are they still here? Moreno included so why was new boy Andrew Robertson not in the team? It is inconceivable that it has come to this and allowed to continue. Progress is impossible without change.   

Crystal Palace were worse. They look lost and forlorn. Maybe adjusting to Sam Allardyce's and their usual methods to Frank de Boer's methods got them confused. Allardyce's team will battle the Liverpool defence to pulp. In their attacking element, few teams could cope with Liverpool. It is how well their defence hold up. It is tikam tikam. No problem, after Liverpool survived away to Hoffenheim with a 2-1 win. Lovren was the culprit who tripped up and gave away a penalty which was saved by Mignolet more because it was poorly taken but the free-kick goal by Trent Alexandre Arnold was such a gem from one as young as 18 signalling the arrival of a new home grown hero. It is easy to score against Liverpool but Palace was inept when I last saw them plus Frank de Boer has bravely chosen to play a young team this season so home win. If Alberto Moreno do not play...2-0. 

Southampton v West Ham - The Saints are still sound defensively even without Virgil van Dijk but is is upfront where they have a problem of finding the net. The Hammers were disappointing at both ends. Chicharito did not have a chance. Both sides seemed to need more time to sort themselves out. I pick a draw. Manchester United were too good for the Hammers but Slaven Bilic must be a worried man as West Ham were really quite poor. They are no longer the team that was two seasons ago and we are not sure if this one is better than last year. I expected more from them. 1-1

Stoke City v Arsenal - Stoke City did not play badly in their opener. It was just that Everton were quite good. With the promising Jack Butland finally back at goal they will have a more stable defence. Only an inspired Rooney's looping header had them beaten. Though Arsenal won, they were again not that convincing. Stoke's physical power may throw the Gunners off track but in Lacazette, they have true goal poacher in their hands plus what can you say about Alan Giroud. If Alexis Sanchez do not leave this season, it could be next so Arsenal must make full use of his talent and ability to turn a game if he plays. 1-2.

Huddersfield v Newcastle - Huddersfield made a fantastic dream come true start with life in the Premier League trouncing Crystal Palace 3-0 on their opponents own turf. EPL Fans should go buy their jerseys. The Magpies made their own life upon their return to Premier League more difficult. Jonjo Selvey is a good player and as skipper he should know better than to be red carded for his silly act of stepping onto Dele Alli. It made it an awful start to the campaign when Dummett and Lejeune were both injured and taken off. The Magpie's wings are clipped so what can Benitez do? Will Huddersfield repeat that solid performance. Last season in the lower division Championship, Huddersfiled won 2-1 at St. James Park but crashed 1-3 at home to Newcastle. I think they may cancel each other out in this one, meeting so soon after promotion. 1-1.

Tottenham v Chelsea - Tottenham played patiently and eventually was paid off with a 2-0 opening away win for a good start to their campaign. The usual dynamism was not there but that's how champions are. Dele Alli has matured. Despite several provocation, he merely walked away. Tottenham lost Kyle Walker who was sold to Manchester City but in walked another namesake - Kyle Walker-Peters. He was playing only because Kieran Trippier was injured and what a game he gave. Salute to Pochettino for it! The way Spurs have been doing it has been nothing but admirable. They could have Johnnie Walker to fill in too! 

Chelsea suffered a great nightmare going down 3-2 to Burnley and it was 3-0 for sometime before Alvaro Morata repaid with his first installment. There are unsettled issues plaguing Stamford Bridge. Some unhappiness and unresolved problems. Only happy teams play well and win matches. How will Conte suprise us like last season? Or can he? Or will Pochettino put him and Chelsea in the pocket? Even as Tottenham did not add new players and laboured patiently against Newcastle away, the Spurs could start flying this season especially at White Hart Lane. Can you imagine a second straight defeat for the champions? Seems like there is a curse that after winning the title you will flounder the next season. Tottenham have gone one better each season and you must know that the air gets thinner at the top. 2-1.

Manchester City v Everton - City have been made favourites. They have overcome Brighton. This time their visitors have been quite greatly refreshed and both Ronald Koeman and Wayne Rooney have picked themselves. It was a shrewd piece of business. Most people are thinking City are going to win this one 2-0 or 3-1, etc. but the Toffees are a very good side and Koeman is an excellent manager. Head to head they have both won 68 matches each and drew 46. Just in January Everton inflicted 4-0 heavy defeat on City at Goodison Park. They drew 1-1 when City hosted last October at the Etihad. City should dominate but it has been proven time again that the team with more possession may not win. This is a good test for both sides - for City, their title credentials and for Everton whether after the spending they will be challenging for honours this term. City may win this 2-1 but Everton with a bit of belief could surprise with a draw. 1-1.