Arsenal really seem to have found a great formula to be competitive finally. Last year, I compared them to the Chelsea team of 2019-2020 that featured a ton of youngsters who quickly became arguably world class players. Like the Chelsea team that won the Champions League the following season (which Arsenal won’t, too many other teams in the way), they built on that youth, shed older players and now actually have the depth that the best teams in the world strive for. Eddie Nketiah doesn’t start for this team despite his hot end to last season because Gabriel Jesus finally looks comfortable in a system. He always looked slightly out of place at Man City so my anticipation was muted; he’s so far loudly screamed in my face. These first two weeks, this team looks serious to get a Champions League spot this year. I mean Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney don’t have to start for this team with the formation they’re using that moves Ben White up as a fullback (where he looks much more comfortable) along with Oleksandr Zinchenko. Zinchenko looks to be a really underrated signing, as he was never going to find consistent time at Man City. Such a good value signing. He probably was the worst first team player on one of world’s best teams so I mean he’s still fucking awesome.
Martin Odegaard may have market corrected Emile Smith Rowe though I’m joking; they worked really well together last season. Odegaard has balled out these first two games, creating chance after chance and along with older Bukayo Saka, Jesus and a weirdly surging Granit Xhaka, look terrifying in maybe 14 months.
On the other side of Arsenal’s first game, Crystal Palace looked well coached for the first time since I started following this league. They seem to actually be trying and are clearly loaded with talent. That team seemed to just give up under old managers. Patrick Viera has them playing really aggressively and deliberately. I swear every time I saw them score a goal in years past, it looked like an accident. There’s a flow with a lot of younger players in the team and as pissed as Wilfried Zaha looks all the time I’ve ever seen him, he honestly seems happy. I’m here for his happiness.
I’m so glad Jamal Musiala broke into the starting lineup. That kid is fucking awesome. Mane fits in real well, like we all knew he would. God. Death. Taxes. Bayern.
As a Chelsea fan, I’m finally afraid of Manchester City. They easily dispatched a good West Ham team through Erling Haaland’s brilliance. My main concern with him in the Premier League, which I think is the best league right now (gotta let go La Liga people), was speed and whether his turbo boosters in the final third would work in England. They still do. He flows and fits with this offense and Pep finally found his center forward. Wish Chelsea would have been fucking patient, instead of shooting our wad on Lukaku. Ughf.
Oh yeah and Kevin De Bruyne scored maybe the best fucking goal I’ve ever seen against Bournemouth. Outside of his foot; looked like child’s play. With Haaland in tow, De Bruyne looks possessed in the first two games of the season, definitely on a Ballon d’Or run this year.
I haven’t said it yet and if you’re reading this (which I doubt) a big team with big dreams had a doozy last weekend. Of course I mean Brentford. Maybe they’re just fucking awesome. I know they started last year hot, but they made that other team they played look sad as professionals. Still waiting on that Chris Geere I mean Donnie Van De Beek resurgence. Look them both up and tell me they’re not the same person.
Barcelona played real weird last weekend. They’re seemingly remaking their team every half transfer window (remember Adama Traore?). Lewandowski is still amazing, but everyone else needs to catch up. He’s two steps ahead of everyone else on the team save maybe Gavi, Pedri and Busquets. What I think will happen if Ousmane Dembele is here for it, will be the same for Leroy Sane. Sane arrived at Bayern a couple years ago from Man City and looked just as off putting as he always had at Man City. I don’t know what it is, he and Jesus don’t quite get Pep. At Bayern under Lewandowski, he really developed into a better decision maker, his biggest roadblock to being a world class player. I know it’s the Bayern way with players, however I really believe Lewandowski, along with Thomas Muller with their vision, anticipation and decision making helped players like Sane, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman become the best of themselves after disappointing stints at other big clubs. Lewy found all the right places to be last weekend, his teammates just weren’t in sync with him. Dembele is his next project and Raphinha could use some knowledge as well. I see Dembele and Sane as two sides of the same coin, brilliant skills, blazing athleticism, just lacking that final decision making process to truly take the step to glory as my middle school lacrosse coach told me. I forgot, add Ansu Fati to that list of players on the same page; he was incredible, the sky’s the limit for that kid.
Two matches, two draws for Liverpool, who as one of the best teams in the world only got better with Darwin Nunez added to the lineup in place of Sadio Mane and the deliciously delightful Harvey Elliot to go along with the stalwarts of precision who’ve all found their best lives at Liverpool. Seriously this team has Diogo Jota somewhere and Bobby Firmino as a bit substitute. Despite that, a Fulham team that finally looks interested in playing defense and remaining in the Premier League and the aforementioned Crystal Palace team, matched their intensity and managed to draw against these red giants. I do respect Luis Diaz’ unrelenting commitment to excellence and he attempted to single handedly beat Crystal Palace, almost succeeding. Man City are yet again scary so these results suck for Liverpool’s title hopes though I believe they say more about their opponents improvements than Liverpool’s faults. It could be a little bit of Super Bowl hangover going on, losing to Real Madrid again where both teams played like absolute shit. They’ll be fine.
I generally don’t enjoy watching Juventus. They’re more overrated than that team that lost to Brentford last week. I rescind that statement after last week’s thrashing of a decent Sassuolo team on the back of Dusan Vlahovic’s “look at me, not just Haaland” campaign for best young striker under 25. With their acquisitions, they have depth to spell their aging, though still dynamic grizzled vets. They still need more center back help, though Bremer fits right in. The midfield contains every skill set you could want, especially in Serie A where midfield play lacks in intensity at times. Between Locatelli, McKennie, Pogba and Zakaria, they can do anything they want, run any formation and attack teams in so many different ways. Having ageless wonders contributing dramatically like Cuadrado and Di Maria doesn’t hurt either as they’re young forwards develop. Also after I made notes on this game, I remembered something. They still have Federico Chiesa. He’s still hurt so we all forgot about him. I can’t believe he’s on this team.
Honestly, I don’t care for Real Madrid and honestly it’s because they beat my team Chelsea so painfully last year so it’s not a good reason. With that said, how you liking La Liga Rudi? My man struggled a bit and Real needed a stupid goal from David Alaba to beat newly promoted Almeria. Carlo gave the kids a ride in the mustang and it looked…fine. Toni Kroos shepherded them, covering on defense for the kids who held their own, though Aurélien Tchouaméni looked the more comfortable of the young duo of himself and Eduardo Camavinga.
A few other thoughts. Atalanta needs to sell half their team. Malinovskyi, Muriel and Zapata all need to go at this point to get some value. They’re older, big clubs want them and they need a mini-rebuild. They have a great academy, promising young talent and a good eye for older mid to late 20s players who can play Gasperini’s style. Just do it. Sell Ilicic too.
I’m really disappointed in Dominik Szoboszlai. He showed so much promise coming in last summer and I thought he could be a big mover this season. He waned after a promising start, despite consistent play time and last week after an uninspiring performance against Koln, got a dumb red card. Dude has so much talent and while Tedesco is playing him too deep, he needs to step up and find that creative streak he so brightly showed at the beginning of last season.
Oh yeah, Chelsea, my team. I don’t feel strongly about the first two performances of the season. The new signings look fine. Koulibaly just earned himself a red card today, following Thiago Silva’s first few Chelsea appearances by looking competent and also out of place. Cucurella is great, just like I thought he would be. His Barecelona is showing. I never dreamed we’d get him so getting that depth was wonderful. Kai still disappears. Sterling is fun. I’m excited for the Conor Gallagher era; he looks like a young Mateo Kovacic. Other than that, all I have to say is free Reece James.
Bo's Gamut 