Manchester City have mental edge
Payet during his West Ham’s 2-0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates in 2015. File photo
Liverpool 3 Bournemouth 1
Brendan Rodgers was mighty delighted with Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Stoke City as the game was a turgid affair with no creative spark whatsoever. Improvement is expected when newcomers Bournemouth make the trip north. The sooner Christian Benteke starts receiving crosses the better as the 18-time champions’ delicate build up game is not suited to his qualities.
Man City 1 Chelsea 1
The league’s two best sides had contrasting fortunes last week. Chelsea were lethargic at home to Swansea while City exuded class in dismantling West Brom. This gives the 2012 and 2014 league winners the mental edge. Central defensive partnerships are to be seriously examined. Terry-Cahill versus Mangala-Kompany - whichever partnership copes better will deliver points to their team.
Southampton 1 Everton 1
Neither of these sides satisfied me on Day One. Southampton fared slightly better than Roberto Martinez’s side, with the Toffees evidently troubled by Watford’s physical approach. Everton’s defenders need to be on the look out for high crosses into the box as Graziano Pelle and Shane Long will be looking to thrive on them once again.
Cry. Palace 1 Arsenal 2
Against the background of last weekend’s home ambush at the hands of West Ham, Arsene Wenger has called for a reaction. Changes are needed if the Gunners are to thrive at Selhurst Park. Hector Bellerin has better output than Mathieu Debuchy while Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott ought to start to add pace and unpredictability to the Gunners attack.
Swansea 3 Newcastle 1
Gary Monk continues to deliver above expectations. The opening day draw at champions Chelsea was an unerring performances. Bafetimbi Gomis had Chelsea’s much vaunted Terry-Cahill partnership in a heap of grass while new boy Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew was one of several African born strikers to thrive. Newcastle have improved but not enough to trouble the flying Swans.
Tottenham 2 Stoke City 1
It is hard to tell which Spurs team will show up. One week they are brilliant, the next lethargic. Last season, no team across Europe won more games 2-1. Stoke City are certain to cause problems for a Spurs defense that leaked goals like relegation candidates as they wobbled to fifth. Budding goal machine Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen are primed to cut open the Potters back four.
Watford 1 West Brom 1
I was enormously disappointed by West Brom’s output in their 0-3 capitulation to Man City. Passed off the park, they didn’t muster a single shot on target in the opening half. Tony Pulis does not entertain sissies, so I think the Brummies will come out fighting at Watford. Quinque Sanchez Flores’ newcomers showed high energy at Goodison Park. I am calling a draw.
West Ham 3 Leicester 1
Dimitri Payet was the outstanding player in what was a brilliant team effort as Slaven Bilic’s Hammers outwitted Arsenal 2-0. Expect more of the same as the Frenchman shows why he created more chances than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues last season. Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester are an honest, hard working outfit but I can’t see them taking any points.
Aston Villa 0 Man United 1
The sooner Manchester United sign an out and out striker, the better. One shot on target in ninety plus minutes against Spurs underlined the pitfalls of playing Wayne Rooney in that role. How Louis van Gaal replaces the goals lost with the departures of Javier Hernandez, Robin van Persie and Falcao is critical to their title aspirations. Fortunately for the Red Devils, this is a fixture they win in their sleep.
Sunderland 1 Norwich 0
Dick Advocaat could be wondering what he got himself into when, against his wife’s advise, he accepted to extend his Stadium of Light tenure. The Black Cats were clueless as Leicester tore them apart last weekend. A narrow victory at home to newly promoted Norwich would represent a good result for a team that struggles to score.
