The Bookie of Eli

A quick review of the opening weekend to keep you up to date on the English Premier League!

Liverpool 4 – Bournemouth 2

Liverpool Continue Dominance

New season same result for Liverpool who once again showed why they are the reigning champions of the English Premier League. A thrilling win by Liverpool over AFC Bournemouth at Anfield featured plenty of goals. New signing Hugo Ekitike came out sharp as he opened the scoring for Liverpool and bagged a brace early in the second half. To their credit Bournemouth fought back in the second half with 2 goals from Antoine Semenyo. Liverpool’s depth and quality would not be contained as Chiesa got a massive goal for his side and confidence returning from injury. The inevitable Mo Salah finished the match off for Arne Slot’s side as they opened their Premier League campaign with a bang.

Aston Villa 0 – Newcastle 0

Newcastle Fail to Capitalize

In the first half Newcastle struggled to finish, but created the majority of the chances. That was followed by a second half which saw a straight red from Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa. The Villa defender pulled down Anthony Gordon on a break away, denying a goal scoring opportunity. For the final 24 minutes plus stoppage Villa defended with 10 men and held out for the draw at home. Newcastle will certainly see this match as a disappointment even with the absence of star forward Alexander Isak who is hoping to force a move to Liverpool.

Tottenham 3 – Burnley 0

Tottenham Run Rampant

Thomas Frank began his managerial career with a convincing shutout win over newly promoted Burnley. New signing Mohammed Kudus was the provider and forward Richarlison was the finisher. A stunning bicycle kick capped a fantastic performance by the Brazilian on Saturday. This new pairing will be vital for the Spurs as James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski recover from major injuries. Burnley put together a few good chances, but in the end they were completely outclassed by a superior side. Last season the 3 newly promoted squads were all relegated. Although early Burnley will certainly be on relegation watch this year.

Fulham 1 – Brighton 1

Muniz Rescues Fulham

A new Premier League season and already a last second goal led to a dramatic finish. Rodrigo Muniz scored from close range off of Harry Wilson’s corner and Fulham captured a vital away point against Brighton. Since the start of last season Muniz has more goals (7) as a substitute than any other Premier League player. Fulham will host Manchester United in their next game and will use this last second goal to gain momentum. For Brighton, they will feel as though they lost 2 points in this game after being ahead for so long. However, winger Yankubah Minteh looked lively and will be needed to replace striker Joao Pedro who left for Chelsea over the summer.

Sunderland 3 – West Ham 0

Sunderland Dominate in Debut

Can Sunderland be the team to buck the trend of newly promoted squads being relegated? A pair of goals shortly after the hour mark sent the Stadium of Light into a frenzy. Their first top flight win in 8 years was guaranteed when Wilson Ilsidor put his side 3 goals ahead in stoppage time. This was also the club’s first win in the opening month of the Premier League in 15 years. A favorable schedule over their opening matches should lead to an even hotter start for the Black Cats. West Ham will need to improve in all areas as they host Chelsea in their next game. Manager Graham Potter will be on the hot seat if his side can’t generate better results soon.

Manchester City 4 – Wolverhampton 0

City Thrash Wolves

After last season’s uncharacteristic finish Pep Guardiola’s side made a statement against the Wanderers in their opening away match. Erling Haaland continues to be an unstoppable force and new signing Tijjanin Reijnders looks to be a terrific investment already. Even young signing Rayan Cherki came off the bench late to score a beautiful goal for City. If this Manchester City team plays at this level, then they will be contenders for the Premier League title. Wolverhampton have now lost 10 of their last 11 meetings against Manchester City. They will face Bournemouth in their next fixture and Vito’s Pereira’s men must do better to avoid a poor season. Manchester City will host Tottenham next Saturday in what will be an exciting early season affair.

Chelsea 0 – Crystal Palace 0

Chelsea Flat and Palace Solid

Enzo Maresca and his new look Chelsea squad struggled to break down Crystal Palace’s defense at Stamford Bridge. Despite controlling possession (over 70%) Chelsea actually recorded less shots on target (3) than Crystal Palace (4). In fact it was Palace’s Eberechi Eze that had the highlight of the game with a thunderous free kick that was only ruled off due to an off ball foul. For Chelsea, who won the Club World Cup over the summer, this draw will be disappointing. With the purchases of Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Estevao, and Liam Delap Chelsea’s new signings must adapt quickly. A point away at Stamford Bridge on opening weekend is a great start for Crystal Palace. The biggest challenge for them will be retaining Eze who is currently in talks with Tottenham.

Nottingham Forest 3 – Brentford 1

Wood Still on Fire

Forest striker Chris Wood scored twice in the first half and new signing Dan Ndoye added a goal before halftime. With 2 goals already, Wood aims to surpass his previous season’s total of 20 goals in the Premier League. A consolation penalty from Ibrahim Sangare in the 78th minute was Brentford’s lone goal of their opening game. Brentford must replace players Bryan Mbeumo, Mark Flekken, Christian Norgaard, as well as manager Thomas Frank who left for Tottenham. New manager Keith Andrews will hope their next match up against Aston Villa provides an easier opportunity for points. A top 4 finish is certainly attainable for this Nottingham Forest side if Wood can produce at this rate. Nottingham Forest’s next game away at Crystal Palace will be a sterner test of their capabilities.

Arsenal 1 – Manchester United 0

Goalkeeping Woes Continue

Last season’s catastrophe from Manchester United is still ongoing as another goalkeeping error leads to a loss. The same problems remain even with starting goalkeeper Andre Onana out with injury. Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori finished off a corner which United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir missed for the lone score of the match. While United manager Ruben Amorim will point out that his side was much more competitive, in the end, the results were the same. This game marks Arsenal’s 5th win in their last 6 Premier League games against Manchester United. Manchester United actually had over 60% possession and twice the shots on target as Arsenal in this game, but failed to capitalize. Moving forward Ruben Amorim will need to provide better results if he hopes to stay in Manchester.

Leeds 1 – Everton 0

Perfect Start for Leeds

Like Sunderland, another newly promoted squad won all 3 points in their opening fixture. Leeds returned to the Premier League, after a two year break from the top flight, with a win on Monday over Everton. A late penalty following a handball by Everton’s James Tarkowski would be finished off by Lukas Nmecha. New loan signing Jack Grealish made his Everton debut with a 20 minute substitute appearance for the visitors. The exhilarating atmosphere at Elland Road will prove to be a tough test for any opponent all season. Daniel Farke’s side will face Arsenal at the Emirates in their next match while David Moyes and Everton host Brighton.