Following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Premier League suspended all matches for the weekend, as a gesture of respect for The Crown, and the United Kingdom. Football fans around the world will have to wait some time to watch the most competitive league in the world. Only 6 match-days have been played, since the beginning of the competition in August.
This early break is very unusual at such premature stages of the competition, and since we can’t get enough football, we decided to do a very early recap about what we’ve seen so far, as well as some way to early predictions of what’s to come as soon as the league resumes.
As a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed.
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 9, 2022
Breathe and Regroup
A break at this stage of the competition will actually benefit some teams who have been plagued with injuries since Matchday 1. Teams such as Arsenal and Liverpool have been dealing with the absences of key players. Thomas Partey (ARS) is struggling to get past his fitness issues that plagued him all of last season, The Ghanaian midfielder is a very important piece in the squad managed by Mikel Arteta. Mohamed Elneny is also dealing with a thigh injury which leaves the “Gunners” CM position in a very difficult spot.
Liverpool, who has had a rough start of the season has also been dealing with injuries since the beginning of the season. Perhaps this early break can be taken as an advantage to regroup and heal up. Henderson (October), Thiago (Unknown), Keita (Unknown), leaves the “Reds” midfield in a very delicate position, as Jurgen Klopp’s squad lost in their UCL debut, and is sitting at 7th place in the Premier League.
Other notable injuries around the league include: Kante and Mendy (CHE), Pickford (EVE), Walker and Stones (MC), Martial (MANU), Lucas Moura (TOT), Jimenez (WOL).
Top Four: Early Round-up
As the league stands, Arsenal still holds onto the first spot of the league, even after a frustrating loss at Old Trafford. The “Gunners” are hoping to bounce back from this loss, and continue to build on the five victories they achieved on the start of the season. It’s crucial for the North London side to continue to take advantage of every match, so they can have a cushion towards the WC/Winter Break. Arsenal fans, as well as the board, will not accept anything but at least a top-four finish this year, and with the talent they have brought in this is a golden opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s squad to finally make the leap to UCL football.
Manchester City, sits at 2nd place trailing by just one point. Pep Guardiola’s squad looks unstoppable at the moment, after being held against Villa, and Newcastle, this team has been a goal scoring machine, in mayor part, thanks to hot new signing Erling Haaland, who has already scored an insane total of 10 goals in the league. The “Citizens” will continue to feed the Norwegian striker as much as they can, and with DeBruyne orchestrating the attack this team is just getting started. Beware of “City”.
Tottenham, comes in at 3rd place. Antonio Conte’s squad has been on the rise since last season, and new signings have started to adjust as well. With a very dangerous attack including Kane, Son, and new signing Richarlison, this team has the ability to make a big leap this season. Let’s see how far can they actually make it.
Brighton & Hove Albion have been the revelation of the beginning of the season, clinching on to 4th place after 6 match-days, but things may begin to change for the “Seagulls”, since their manager, Graham Potter, has accepted an offer to join Chelsea, after the shocking sacking of their former manager Thomas Tuchel. Albion may begin to crumble apart without their brilliant boss, but after all, this ferocious squad will continue to surprise more than one. Manchester United (5th), Chelsea (6th), and Liverpool (7th) are trailing the top four spots and will continue to make a push in the following weeks, since this squads are all expected to be among the English Elite.
Way to Early Predictions
As it stands, we are going to make some predictions for what is to come after the break, (There is also an international break scheduled for late September, so we might not see Premier League football until October).
Manchester City is our favorite to defend the title, the squad looks tremendously deep and has firepower to spare, so they will almost certainly bring the Premier League trophy home once again. Arsenal (1st place) is playing some of the best football in years, but this squad is very young, and has mayor depth issues. As it stands and without Partey, the “Gunners” don’t have a realistic chance to make a title run this year, but they will certainly try to gain vital experience, and their main goal is to secure a fourth-place finish.
A team that could, in paper, make a run for the title is Manchester United. They have made some very important signings and certainly have the squad depth to give their city rivals a fight. But this team has had a shaky start, and new manager Ten Hag has not fully convinced anyone. Their win against Arsenal had a bit of luck included, but it was certainly a step in the right direction if he can find momentum, and his players can quickly adapt to his system.
Liverpool and Chelsea are in a very awkward position, one they have not been found themselves in for several years. The “Reds” have had the worst start in Klopp’s time as boss, and the “Blues” just sacked their manager. So, both this teams have a big question mark as things stand, since falling back in the Premier League can be very difficult to manage heading forward.
This is going to be a very exiting season and has for sure all the elements to be a memorable year for the League, since we are having a lot of activity incoming, and the World Cup in November/December is also going to be a beautiful challenge for all teams and managers to adjust, adapt, and deliver.
