One down, thirty-seven to go. We are already 2.63 per cent through the Premier League season, that’s right before you know it Christmas will be here, then Easter, and then the whole damn thing will be over for another year. Football, like life, flashes by. Blink and you’ll miss it so you better pay attention, right?
So what did we learn from the opening set of fixtures?
Can Naby Keita fill the Steven Gerrard shaped hole at Anfield?
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We saw that Liverpool and Manchester City are likely to be the two teams duking it out down the stretch come April. Their wins, 4-0 and 2-0 against West Ham and Arsenal respectively were the stand-out performances of the weekend. City continued where they left off last year, pressing, passing, intimidating with pace and precision. For Liverpool, Naby Keita made his debut wearing the number 8 shirt and looked every inch the Steven Gerrard replacement the team have struggled to find. He tackles, runs with the ball, has the vision to pick out a teammate, and will surely pop up with a few goals too. Along with new keeper Alisson and defender Virgil van Dyke Liverpool look a much better team than they did this time last year, both the Premier League and Europe had better beware.
Chelsea looked strong too. Jorginho complementing N'Golo Kanté in midfield, perhaps the Blues under Maurizio Sarri will be better than anticipated by some, well certainly by me. Tottenham normally start slowly but managed to eke out a win against a Newcastle side that can consider themselves a little unlucky. Manchester United ground out a win that did little to increase optimism for their season despite the heartwarming sight of Luke Shaw getting a first senior goal.
Further down the table, all three promoted clubs received early warnings of just how tough life in the Premier League is going to be. Cardiff City, already relegated in pretty much everyone’s opinion, were humbled at Bournemouth. Fulham were gubbed at home by Crystal Palace, a dispiriting result for a team who have invested heavily over the summer. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers were held to a draw by an Everton side that played over half the game with 10 men.
Danny Ings putting the academy back into Saints first eleven.
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For Southampton it was a case of same shit, different season. Plenty of chances created, very few on target, and just like the last two seasons, no goals. A draw against Burnley is not the worst start in the world but my gripe is over team selection. The only homegrown player to start was Jack Stephens. James Ward-Prowse the only one on the bench and he never made it on to the field. Quite what players like Josh Sims, are Nathan Redmond and new signing Mohamed Elyounoussi really that much better, Jake Hesketh and Harrison Reed have to do to get a game is beyond me. Mark Hughes (OUT) is a cautious appointment. He is not a man to take risks, to throw these youngsters into the thick of the action like Mauricio Pochettino has done at Spurs and at Southampton before. Saints will never win the league, we might never finish in the top six, all we ask is to watch players with an affinity for the club take to the field. Perhaps Danny Ings will prove to be the man fans can get behind but there are plenty waiting in the wings and Hughes must find a way to get them onto centre stage.