Analysis EPL 14/15: Week 1

The EPL is finally back and The Writer offers his brief analysis on all those 10 matches played. Some pre-match predictions went wrong which shows how unpredictable this competitive league can be…

Manchester United vs Swansea City

The most shocking result of Week 1. No one expected Louis van Gaal and his new team to fail so early. Wayne Rooney started brightly as the new United’s captain by scoring an overhead kick but cannot bail out United for a win. Swansea needed no time to rebuild on this evidence as they played with a purpose. Gylfi Sigurdsson was back home again and was the star man with a goal and an assist. United needs to spend big and faster. This loss shows how good Sir Alex was in organizing United’s average team. That’s why he was called ‘The Godfather’ of EPL.

Leicester City vs Everton

Early predictions were to see Ross Barkley scored, but unfortunately he didn’t even start the match and was ruled out for more than 2 months. Aiden Mcgeady and Steven Naismith proved to be the unsung players for Everton in Barkley’s absence by scoring. Leicester on the other hand didn’t want to lose either. Especially at home. Expect them to be a tough nut to crack this season.

QPR vs Hull City

Hull City continued their fine form from pre-season and managed to nick a goal to win this match. QPR was just unfortunate but the 3-5-2 formation may be a weakness against bigger teams. Loic Remy was the surprised starter for QPR when it looked like he was very nearly going to leave for Liverpool. But it is indeed a bless in disguise as QPR can rely on him to score goals this season.

Stoke City vs Aston Villa

In the end, Bojan Krkic failed to score. But his performance was decent. The whole Stoke team surprisingly switched off during the game. Aston Villa deserved their win as an underdog. Paul Lambert and Roy Keane passed their first test and Villa maybe safe if both of them managed to instill winning mentality to Villa players throughout the season.

West Brom vs Sunderland

Yeah, The Writer got this almost right. A draw. Saido Berahino to star for West Brom. What else? But in a nutshell, West Brom showed that they can stay in this league with a confidence performance. Sunderland still the same passionate team like last season but still need better players to join them. If not, a relegation battle once more.

West Ham vs Tottenham Hotspur

Two red cards, without the match being violent. Draw is the almost outcome until centre back, Eric Dier scored on his debut in the stoppage times. The goal was a striker’s goal, such was the beauty and Dier’s level of composure. Mauricio Pochettino’s joyous celebration was an indicator of how Spurs really need to win this one. Mark Noble of West Ham was to blame for being so noble to Spurs by missing his penalty kick.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace showed that they are still an organized team and that Tony Pullis left them in a good hand. They showed character by scoring first through Brade Hangeland’s header. However, they couldn’t maintain their focus throughout 90 minutes where they let Arsenal made a comeback and outscored them. Palace needs added quality and Tony Pullis was right to leave before the possibility of being sacked comes in if Palace still doesn’t get any better players.

Liverpool vs Southampton

No Adam Lallana? No problem. Southampton has got Dusan Tadic. He was the star of the show against Liverpool. The Writer was left wondering of how Southampton decided to withdraw him on the 70^th minutes when they had the chance to maybe win it at 1-1. Liverpool was relieved by that decision and in fact they came out as the winner on the 79^th minutes by Daniel Sturridge’s weak flick. They were lucky too, to win. As Liverpool looked out of sort where Coutinho had seen lost since the game’s kick-off.

Newcastle United vs Manchester City

For all the Newcastle’s hardwork and determination during the Sunday’s match, they still lack the world-class quality of ManCity. The Writer has focused again and again on the importance of world-class quality before this. These kinds of players can win you games when it looks like almost impossible and going to be a draw. David Silva’s goal oozed class and shocked Newcastle. Then the late Sergio Aguero’s goal showed how it’s done. Something Emmanuel Riviere has to learn and hope that he can do the same on many occasions this season for Newcastle.

Burnley vs Chelsea

Cesc Fabregas was the man of the match. He is unlucky and under appreciated at Barcelona but in truth, his performance and ability never going down. His passing is still sharp, still tricky, and still manages to change the game’s outcome. He was involved in all those 3 goals Chelsea scored. Meanwhile for Burnley, a decent job that they have done. Next game against weaker teams than Chelsea will show their true capability.