Five Premier League rounds have passed and he have a first glimpse of what the season could look like. Manchester United and Manchester City are top of the league equal on number of points and the goal difference.
Chelsea are in third place after a shaky start of the season, while Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal have already lost many points. Newcastle might not have to fear the relegation battle as they are in fourth and Everton need to start winning points and get themselves out of the bottom three spots.
However, this is only beginning. Every team could collect further 99 points in the remaining 33 rounds. What we can see from the small sample of 50 Premier League matches is Manchester clubs will be some of the title contenders.
Steeliness And Flair About The Manchester Clubs
Not that we did not know that before the season started. Yet, now we have stronger cases of putting them right in the mix. Both Manchester United and Manchester City have won 13 points and have a goal difference of 16-2. City are sitting first due to alphabetical ‘advantage’.
Manchester United could be described as a steely side that scores much more goals than last. Jose Mourinho’s team scored 30 percent of last season’s goals in these five matches. However, the team looks better settled defensively. David De Gea is doing wonders in goal and Mourinho has more options at centre-back with Victor Lindelof’s arrival. However, Nemanja Matic is the one giving the most to the stability of this side.
Manchester City are more of a team with South American flair about them. That is thanks to their strikers, Argentine Sergio Aguero and Brazilian Gabriel Jesus. It is not just them, City have brought in many players this summer, but the South American duo really shows what this team is about – loads of goals. They scored 15 goals in a week (against Liverpool, Feyenoord and Watford), though their defensive wobbliness has not been entirely cut off.
The Spine Looks Solid
Manchester United could be described as a team with a solid spine. They have a world-class goalkeeper, good centre-back pairing, amazing defensive midfielder and a goal-scoring striker.
That always helps teams chasing titles and it could prove decisive. Man City are still prone to lapses in their defensive game, while United seem sturdier. Not everything is this perfect for the Reds. They have showed certain weaknesses against both Stoke and Everton. However, Manchester United seem like the best balanced United team since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Chelsea And Other Contenders
This is not a two-horse race. Manchester United and Manchester City will not be the only teams chasing the title, especially this early on. Chelsea still look very solid. There could be a case made they are weaker than last season in some important positions. Still, they are very organized and strong team and Antonio Conte knows what he is doing. The trio of Manchester clubs and Chelsea should be the strongest candidates for the title.
Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal were always hoping to win the title, but have not really showed why they should be put in the highest echelon of the league. They are great teams with big qualities. However, they do not seem capable of winning matches constantly. Tottenham will probably wake up soon, but their strongest attribute last season is gone – White Hart Lane. They have not lost there last season and this season they did not win a single Premier League match in three Wembley outings.
Arsenal and Liverpool look like having many defensive troubles. The Merseyside team can score many goals, though not very often they do so against weaker sides. Arsenal seemed chaotic early into this season, and should be fighting for a spot in the Champions League next season.
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