Rivals Manchester City and Arsenal look set for another marathon title battle, while the German Bundesliga got off with a bang.
Man City and Arsenal look destined for marathon title race
Pep Guardiola always finds a way to subtly reinvent his Man City side and the acquisition of Savinho looks like another transfer masterclass. Foden and Bernardo were City’s chief right-wing options last season (with De Bruyne occasionally drifting into that area).
They are all exceptionally versatile players, but they lack the directness that made Mahrez such a bogeyman for full-backs. Savinho is exactly what they needed.
He gave Leif Davies a mild existential crisis on Saturday afternoon, rampaging down that right-hand side as City ran out 4-1 winners at home to Ipswich Town. City went behind early doors, with Sammi Szmodics timing his run perfectly to catch the city back-four sleeping in the 7th minute.
But City came back in inevitable fashion, monopolising the ball and preventing Ipswich from having another shot in the match. Haaland benefitted from Savinho’s incessant work rate and netted yet another hat-trick (his 10th in a City shirt).
De Bruyne looks reinvigorated, scoring a goal and creating another. And to think, Rodri still has to be reintroduced into this side. Oh, and did I mention that returning midfielder Ilkay Gundogan managed to get some game time? This City side looks ominous in these early stages.
Speaking of ominous, Arsenal broke their Villa hoodoo with a crucial 2-0 win at Villa Park. Emery’s men beat the Gunners twice last season, effectively ending their Premier League title hopes.
And Arsenal were really made to work this weekend. Villa missed a handful of gilt-edged chances, with David Raya performing some absolute heroics in the Arsenal goal.
But you always had the feeling that Arsenal would get the job done. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have become a side that doesn’t have to be at their best to easily win Premier League matches. Bukayo Saka was instrumental throughout, setting up Arsenal’s 2nd with a neat cut-back to Thomas Partey.
This is a match that would have flummoxed Arsenal in years past but there is a steely resolve in this current setup that will keep City on their toes all season.
German Bundesliga starts with a bang
Are you not entertained? I think that German football is on the cusp of a real renaissance. When was the last time that they had this level of depth? Bayer Leverkusen picked up exactly where they left off from last season, giving their fans heart palpitations with another last-gasp comeback.
They took the lead away at Monchengladbach, with Granit Xhaka scoring an absolute rocket from over 30 yards out. But Monchengladbach proved stubborn adversaries, twice coming back in the match to leave the score dangling precariously at 2-2 deep into added time.
There was a healthy period of added time after home supporters let off some flares. But Ko Itakura clipped Amine Adil’s heel in the 100th minute, giving Florian Wirtz the chance to score the winner from the spot. His effort was saved but Wirtz dramatically hammered in the rebound, securing his brace to give Leverkusen a trademark late victory.
Bayern Munich know that they can’t afford to surrender early ground to Xabi Alonso’s relentless Leverkusen. And they produced some heroics of their own this weekend, coming back from behind to win 3-2 at Wolfsburg (curiously matching Leverkusen’s exploits at Monchengladbach).
Vincent Kompany’s first game in charge isn’t going to convert the doubters. His emphasis on patiently playing out from the back just doesn’t work with the likes of Kim Min-Jae and Upamecano in their defensive lineup.
Bayern luckily had the individual brilliance going forward to make up for those deficiencies. But I think they are going to be hard-pressed to catch Alonso’s exuberant Leverkusen side. Also, Harry Kane looked very much the beleaguered striker who led the line for England at the Euros. It’s quite fascinating that Kane’s arrival has coincided with Bayern’s domestic nosedive.
Spanish giants reign supreme
FC Barcelona and their galaxy of young stars showed some admirable grit this weekend, seeing off a feisty Athletic Club 2-1 at the Nou Camp. Hansi Flick is still trying to figure out what his best combinations are (and he obviously won’t have the silky skills of Gundogan to call upon).
But he has to be impressed with how some of these young players are owning their roles. Bernal and Pedri bossed the midfield area while Lamine Yamal opened the scoring with an absolute screamer. Flick seems to have plenty of trust in Raphinha (Xavi seemed more split on the Brazilian winger).
Flick seems keen for him to raid more centrally, connecting with veteran marksman Robert Lewandowski. Speaking of the team’s elder statesman, Lewandowski was the man who ultimately sealed the deal for Barca, scoring the winner in the 75th minute. Lewandowski was excellent throughout, linking together play in much the same way as Harry Kane at Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid emphatically, easily seeing off Real Valladolid 3-0 at the Bernabeu. The Bernabeu was absolutely rocking for the first game of the season, desperate to witness Kylian’s long-awaited home debut. The Frenchman never quite lived up to the hype, missing a few glorious chances to silence some of his harsher critics.
But Ancelotti didn’t need to worry as the attacking depth he has at his disposal is simply mind-boggling. Midfield general Fede Valverde opened the scoring, but it was left to two substitutes to seal the three points, with Brahim Diaz and Endrick coming on to add some gloss to proceedings. Mbappe will probably feel a bit deflated that he was upstaged by 18-year-old sensation Endrick.
The Brazilian was like a little Tasmanian devil when he came on, bouncing from tackle to tackle in a stunning little cameo. His stocky frame reminds me of a young Hulk (of Brazilian football fame, not the big green guy).
Milan sides enjoy contrasting fortunes
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan were in absolute cruise control this weekend, seeing off Lecce 2-0 without getting out of first gear. They were without the injured Lautaro Martinez and they definitely lacked a bit of bite going forward.
Their opener came from the most unexpected source, with versatile full-back Matteo Darmian superbly slotting the ball past Wladimiro Falcone. Calhanglou added a 2nd from the penalty spot as the Nerrazurri picked up their first win of the new campaign. Paolo Fonesca has endured a rather torrid opening to his Milan managerial stint.
His side were abysmal this weekend and were probably fortunate to go down 2-1 at Parma. Parma cut through them with alarming regularity and Reuben Loftus-Cheek had little to no impact on the game. Christian Pulisic did get them back into the game with his opportunistic equaliser. But the side just lacked incision and didn’t deserve anything from the game.
Rafael Leao looks less convincing every time I watch him and Swiss international Okafor was dreadful, missing a slew of opportunities throughout the match. This is a side in desperate need of a spark and I anticipate a long season ahead.
Player of the Week- Noni Madueke
This looked set to be yet another Erling Haaland lovefest. The Norwegian’s latest hat-trick put him level with Wayne Rooney with seven Premier League hat-tricks (the Englishman played 16 years in English top-flight football). But Noni Madueke’s exceptional hat-trick at Molineaux just pipped him to the post.
This one has a whole narrative arc. Madueke had publicly criticized the Wolves in an Instagram post, essentially disparaging the West Midlands area. For him to withstand all that abuse and calmly slot home a hat-trick is pretty iconic. This season promises to be a wild ride for Chelsea fans.
