Mikel Arteta is under pressure to finally nab a 2nd piece of silverware this season, with the club hierarchy moving heaven and earth to acquire the service of top marksman Viktor Gyokeres.
Gunners survive huge scare at Old Trafford
They were far from their fluid best at an admittedly hostile Old Trafford, hanging on for dear life as they secured a cagey 1-0 win. Swedish phenom Gyokeres looked like Arsenal’s biggest threat yesterday and I was somewhat surprised that he was yanked off so early. But the side lacked fluidity, with the midfield trio of Rice, Odegaard and Zubimendi struggling against the veteran duo of Fernandes and Casemiro. Saka was a virtual non-entity, alienated by Arteta’s counterattacking approach . A win is a win and every Premier League champion will have some ugly 1-0 away victories to their name (just think of prime Jose). I just think that this Arsenal side- expensively assembled as it is- shouldn’t be going into their shell at 1-0 up away from home. Can you imagine Liverpool just hanging back and trying to hit United on the counter?
It was a frustrating afternoon from a Manchester United perspective. The ad-hoc attacking trio of Mount, Mbeumo and Cunha linked up surprisingly effectively, with the newly-signed no 10’s causing chaos in wide areas. Amorim has clearly been hard at work behind the scenes and the side looked far more comfortable playing his unorthodox 3-4-3 formation. But surely they should have addressed their goalkeeper situation. If it isn’t Onana making a howler, it’s Bayindir. He was awful on that cross, flapping at air while backing away from any physical contact. Donnarumma is essentially twerking for a move to England and is more needed at United than City. Honestly, I think they should stick Tom Heaton in goal until they can rectify this recurring issue. Still, United essentially played Arsenal off the park and it really felt like every player understood their roles (a far cry from last season, where players often looked like confused tourists).
Liverpool and City pick up more comfortable wins
Defending champs Liverpool started their season in typically chaotic fashion, winning 4-2 at home to Bournemouth after squandering a 2-0 lead. This Liverpool side play with a devil-may-care swagger that reminds me of Fergie’s swashbuckling sides of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. They love to play on the front-foot and leave themselves open to quick counterattacks (Kerkez may need to show a bit more positional awareness when he comes up against the big dogs). Still, it’s hard to be overly critical when you possess attacking depth such as theirs. Hugo Ekitite made an instant impact while the criminally underrated Cody Gakpo continues to produce. Frimpong settled in beautifully at right-back while Mo Salah got his customary goal with virtually the last kick of the match. Regardless of what happens with their pursuit of Isak, Liverpool are going to be right in the mix come the end of the season.
Man City go into this season as dangerous dark horses (which is a slightly weird term to use in relation to Guardiola). Lest we forget, this is a treble-winning side that became the first side in English football history to win four successive league titles. But they have undergone a significant overhaul over the course of the last year and the results have been inconsistent. But they were sensational this weekend, winning 4-0 at Molineux in a true statement win. Tijjani Reijnders was inspirational in the heart of the midfield, providing the type of lung-busting bursts that De Bruyne was famed for. Haaland looked sharp and hungry, scoring a brace in an ominous sign for opposition defences. Cherki and Alt-Nouri also enjoyed strong Premier League debuts. City may have not have made a headline-grabbing signing ala Wirtz or Gyokeres, but they have strengthened in necessary positions. I think it would foolish for anyone to call Guardiola’s side underdogs this campaign.
Barcelona win 3-0 at Mallorca in match marred by controversy
Barcelona- aiming to become the first side to defend their La Liga title since 2019- made a winning start to their campaign, triumphing 3-0 at Mallorca. But that doesn’t tell the full story. Referee Jose Manuel Munuera Montero made some highly controversial decisions that never sat well with the Mallorca management (or the talking heads in Madrid). The most controversial moment came in the 23rd minute, when Mallorca captain Antonio Raillo was left prone in the box after an apparent head injury. Time appeared to freeze as players anticipated a whistle, and Ferran Torres decided to lash the ball towards (almost in desultory fashion). The ball went in and the ref inexplicably allowed the goal to stand, causing Barcelona to sheepishly celebrate in surreal scenes. Mallorca didn’t recover, with two players sent off before half-time. The red cards took the sting out of the game and the 2nd half turned into little more than a glorified training session, with wunderkind Lamine Yamal adding a 3rd in extra time. It was an unconvincing, yet successful start to what is sure to be a fascinating La Liga season.
Bayern Munich claim Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup
This is going to be a pivotal season in Vincent Kompany’s managerial reign at Bayern. Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side upset the natural order of things two years ago, winning the Bundesliga title to break Bayern’s stranglehold of the competition. It put Kompany in a unique position last year, meaning that reclaiming the title would be enough to please the Bayern faithful (a deep Champions League run is sometimes necessary for managers to keep their jobs). He achieved the goal, holding off a late-Leverkusen charge to claim a maiden Bundesliga crown. This year he will be required to challenge on multiple fronts. He got things off to a positive start this weekend, edging VfB Stuttgart 2-1 to claim the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup. It was a testy meeting, with Bayern openly courting Stuttgart’s under-21 star Nick Woltemande. They were much the better team in the opening stages of the game and master marksman Harry Kane gave them a deserved 18th minute lead. The goal woke Stuttgart from their slumber and Neuer was forced into a series of great saves. Bayern did eventually get that all-important 2nd goal, with Luiz Diaz scoring his first competitive goal since his arrival from Liverpool. Stuttgart would score a late consolation but it was not enough to deny Bayern. It’s probably fitting that they won the competition in the year that it received its new moniker: the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup.
Player of the Week- Tijjani Reijnders
Tijjani Reijnders is the player that City have been desperately yearning for. De Bruyne was on the wane these past 18 months and they have been desperate for a midfielder who carried the ball with authority. Rodri’s return to action has been delayed and some City fans may have feared that they would be short in the heart of midfield. But Reijnders produced a scintillating display at Molineux, scoring once, assisting another and playing an integral role in a 3rd. He was a box-to-box machine, leading counterattacks while never shirking his defensive responsibilities. Can the Dutchman become Guardiola’s new midfield general and lead them to the type of success that De Bruyne brought? Time will tell.
