This week Gary Lemke looks at Chelsea's wild spending, examines the Kevin de Bruyne-shaped hole in Manchester City's attack, offers some advice for the Premier League punter and more!
Chelsea’s Cash Cow
As a Chelsea fan, I also don’t have the answer. I simply don’t understand how Financial Fair Play works. Spending under new owner Todd Boehly is fast approaching £1 billion and their recruits include the two most expensive midfielders in British history, Enzo Fernandez and Moses Caidedo (a British record £115m signing last week).
Apparently, the way Chelsea have got round this is to offer extra-long contracts, seven-and-eight years and spread the spending over that period to comply with FFP rules. However, Uefa are reportedly closing that loophole to limit players’ contracts to five years. Either way, for the momentum, Chelsea’s outlay off the pitch isn’t resulting into dividends on it.
Remember too that Bohly acquired Chelsea for £4 billion. As an aside. Do you know how much one billion is? In rands terms (or dollars, euros, pounds etc), if you spent 100 000 every day, it would take 27 years to get through one billion.
FFP as Chelsea build a £300m midfield pic.twitter.com/cXzlM1Obbv
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) August 14, 2023
Show Me The Money
While we’re at it, does anyone know what the future holds when more and more players are being tempted to join the Saudi revolution? It started, against a backdrop of rolled eyes and giggles, when Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr for a reported 200-million Euros salary, up until 2025.
Since then, the likes of Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Allan Saint-Maximin and now Neymar are cashing in. Liverpool even lost their captain Jordan Henderson as well as Fabinho to Saudi Arabia. It’s impossible to not make comparisons with the defections to golf’s LIV series.
Lionel Messi meanwhile joined David Beckham in Miami, while Harry Kane turned his back on chasing Alan Shearer’s goal-scoring record in the Premier League to lead the line at Bayern Munich. And the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, has left Chelsea to join Real Madrid – on loan! Well, I suppose it’s called Planet Football for a reason.
Which team made best signings for this season in Saudi Pro League? 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/iwyW25NC47
— Ronald Morgan (@ronaldmorgan_) August 16, 2023
De Bruyne Leaves Big Hole
Premier League champions Manchester City opened up their title defence with a 3-0 thumping at promoted Burnley last weekend. This weekend there’s a completely different challenge, with Newcastle (themselves 5-1 winners over Aston Villa) arriving at The Etihad.
City might have an embarrassment of riches, along with Erling Haaland – we spoke about him last week before he delivered with a double – but they will be without Kevin De Bruyne for about three or four months after hamstring surgery.
How influential is De Bruyne? Since the 2016/17 season he has created 647 chances in EPL action. Next best is Pascal Groß (Brighton) with 411 chances created. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, 399), James Ward-Prowe (Southampton, 393) and Mo Salah (Liverpool, 377). Which begs the question. Who will be feeding Haaland in De Bruyne’s absence?
BREAKING 🚨: Kevin De Bruyne is out for up to four months due to injury pic.twitter.com/89rtjfsVas
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 15, 2023
Keeping It Clean
Manchester United’s David De Gea last season kept the most clean sheets in the EPL (17), but still came in for criticism. In total, he took his Premier League tally to 147, four behind Mark Schwarzer’s EPL record. However, he might have to wait a while.
United felt he was dispensable and signed 27-year-old Andre Onana from Inter Milan. The Cameroon international was fortunate to not concede a late penalty in the 1-0 win over Wolves, but the 27-year-old is seen as United’s custodian for the foreseeable future.
He became only the fifth African goalkeeper to appear in the EPL. The other four are Bruce Grobbelaar, Richard Kingston, Carl Ikeme and Edouard Mendy. Okana started off with a clean sheet. Another 16 and he’ll equal De Gea’s achievement of last year.
Nobody said anything when this wasn’t given as a penalty against the same Wolves last season, but because it’s Manchester United all rival fans want to cry about it now? #MUFC #MUFC_FAMILY #ManchesterUnited #ManchesterUnitedvsWolves #PremierLeague #GGMU #Onana #Penalty #Wolves pic.twitter.com/TMEXdRYYuJ
— Captain United 🛡️ (@CaptainUTD_) August 15, 2023
For The Punter
Last week I opened with 7 out of 10 correct match results on my Superbru, which included two correct exact scores. Basically, I have found that if one can average 55% correct match results and a 12% exact score ratio you’ll be in the top 1% of players.
Last season the most common scoreline was 1-0 (most players go for 2-0 or 2-1) and the opening weekend of the league saw three 1-0s, two 1-1s and one 2-1. Also, there were three away wins in 10 matches.
I work on an average per round of four aways. They are tougher to come by than one might think. The chances are that we will see the first 2-0 of the round this weekend, but the 1-0’s have continued where they left off from last season.
🏴 | Premier League Standing after Gameweek 1
— ExtraTime (@extraXTime) August 14, 2023
⚽️ | Scorers' ranking
🅰️ | Assist Ranking
🔢 | Round match results
⏭️ | Next game#premierleague #soccer #liverpool #manchesterunited #epl #chelsea #arsenal #pl #mufc #liverpoolfc #mancity #ucl #chelseafc #manutd #lfc #ynwa pic.twitter.com/oJPhgsQ0hE
