FIVE TALKING POINTS FROM THE EPL
Red Devils need to reinforce their defence
Manchester United executive vicechairman Ed Woodward may be chasing Borussia Dortmund’s exciting winger Jadon Sancho in this transfer window, but it is their defence which desperately needs beefing up. A speedy leftback who can also help out the attack is necessary for United as Luke Shaw’s poor positioning and lack of speed stood out in their 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace. Shaw was guilty of not keeping pace with Andros Townsend as the winger ghosted in to score Palace’s opening goal.Manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer could also do with a more reliable centreback to partner Harry Maguire. Victor Lindelof had a nightmare outing and can be faulted for all three Palace goals. With the transfer window closing on Oct 5, Woodward needs to act fast.
Liverpool’s trident on top of their game
While the other big clubs chop and change their frontline, Juergen Klopp is sticking with his tried-and-tested trio for the third season running. Mohamad Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino proved against Chelsea that they have lost none of their instinct, understanding and finishing. Even if one of them was having an off-day, the other two will still be lethal. Following Salah’s hattrick against Leeds, it was Mane’s turn to grab the spotlight on Sunday with a brace against the Blues. All three combined beautifully to carve open the Blues’ defence for Mane’s 50th minute opener. It is still early days but Klopp’s decision not to pursue the signing of Timo Werner in order to not disrupt their established attacking order seems to be justified.
Wrong priorities in the transfer market
In defence of Frank Lampard, there was no shame in Chelsea losing 2-0 to Liverpool after playing an entire half with 10 men and being shorn of a handful of new signings. However, just like Manchester United, the manner of Chelsea’s defending and their priorities in the transfer market need to be questioned. The impending arrival of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga, who made another howler against Liverpool, should be a good start to steady the rearguard. But for all their eye-watering purchases of attacking talents and the 36-year-old Thiago Silva aside, Chelsea need to upgrade their backline to be seriously contending for major trophies. As proven against the champions, the likes of Marcos Alonso, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger are just not up to the mark for a club with big bucks and ambitions.
Spurs just fine without Bale
Just days after receiving an earful from Joe Mourinho for their meek capitulation to Everton, Tottenham brought back their former star Gareth Bale from Real Madrid. However, it was Harry Kane and Son Heung-min who rose to the occasion in the 5-2 win over Southampton. Kane set up four goals for his teammate and slotted in the fifth as Spurs shook off the hangover from their midweek travel to Bulgaria for the Europa League. With a tweak of the playing system and an off-form Dele Alli banished from the squad, Tottenham are back to their winning ways again. And with Bale yet to be unleashed, it all points to a return to happy days for Spurs fans.
Hammers miss glorious chance to earn a point
West Ham are yet to collect a single points after two matches. With their next five opponents being Wolves, Leicester, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool, the Hammers supporters can be forgiven for feeling that their team will not be leaving the bottom region of the standings for some time. But they can afford to have a glimmer of hope over their team’s performance in the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal. Following their abject 2-0 opening day loss to Newcastle, David Moyes’ side produced a much-improved display. At times, they were better with the ball than the Gunners, especially in the middle of the pitch. After getting the equaliser through Michail Antonio, they started the second half strongly and should have taken the lead. It was only their profligacy in front of goal which prevented them from coming away with at least a point.