The Premier League is back, but who has impressed at this early stage and who looks like they will struggle?
Sports journalist and Man City fan Bill Borrows sizes up Week 02 of the EPL...
GAME OF THE WEEK...
Newcastle vs Liverpool (Mon, Aug. 25)
Two legendary games between Newcastle and Liverpool in consecutive seasons at Anfield - 1995/96 and 1996/97 – delivered 14 goals, two devastating last minute winners and won this fixture a place in Premier League folklore. Unfairly perhaps, we expect to see the action. Drama and jeopardy repeated every time they play each other but that has always been asking too much. Until now. The pre-season long tug-of-war surrounding Alexander Isak (see below) has created an anger, tension and passion that these two free-playing sides could well turn into goals.
Prediction: Newcastle 2 Liverpool 3
GAME CHANGER (But keep your eye on this one)...
Man City vs Tottenham (Sat, Aug 23)
On paper, the current PL leaders should stroll to victory here. They turned in an ominous display to win 4-0 away at Wolves and while Spurs also had a comfortable victory at home to Burnley, their fanbase has been in meltdown all week after being gazumped by Arsenal over the signing of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace – a player they were over confident was coming to Tottenham. However. Spurs have been a bogey team for City for years and even when the sky blues were sweeping all before them could be relied upon to steal a result (Son scoring at least one from a breakaway usually). There’s no love lost here and, now that the South Korean nemesis has departed, City should be able to capitalize on Spurs’ lack of focus.
Prediction: Man City 2 Tottenham 1
THE PLAYER TO WATCH...
Alexander Isak (Newcastle - at the time of writing)
Who knows if the Swedish international will turn-up? Certainly not Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. How will the Newcastle fans react if he does? Like a man waiting up for his wife who has been out all night with her phone turned off. If he’s not playing will he be watching from the stands? That might not be advisable. What happens if he plays and scores? Probably not run up to the Liverpool fans with his hand cupped behind his ear.
Week 02 PREDICTIONS...
Week 02 - GOING UP, GOING DOWN, NOT MOVING...
Here are this weeks results before the games have even taken place. Just call me Nostradamus...
HOME | AWAY | RESULT |
WEST HAM | CHELSEA | 0-3 |
MAN CITY | TOTTENHAM | 2-1 |
BOURNEMOUTH | WOLVES | 0-0 |
BURNLEY | SUNDERLAND | 1-2 |
BRENTFORD | ASTON VILLA | 0-1 |
ARSENAL | LEEDS UTD | 2-0 |
CRYSTAL PALACE | NOTTINGHAM FOREST | 0-0 |
EVERTON | BRIGHTON | 2-1 |
FULHAM | MAN UNITED | 1-1 |
NEWCASTLE | LIVERPOOL | 2-3 |
Premier League trivia question
EXTRA TIME...
EXTRA TIME... Everybody hates the ‘international break’, why don’t we get rid of it?
The season is not even into Week 02 and already the dreaded ‘International break’ is on the horizon, stalking our relaxation hours like the “BACK TO SCHOOL” signs you used to see in shop windows from early August that used to mean the summer holidays were almost over – when they actually weren’t – but might as well be anyway now that you’ve ruined the whole thing with your stupid sign. And so it is with the ‘international break.’ Literally 1% of real football fans follow the national team with a passion like the rest of us follow our club side so why do we have to suffer the withdrawal symptoms when we’ve just got back into the swing of things. The PL should continue with the bigger clubs all missing star players and that way it would also be a great leveler for the little clubs without so many star names like Brentford, Burnley and Manchester United.
ALL WEEK 02 FIXTURES...
How to Watch: Premier League fixtures 25/26 (Week 02)
Friday, August 22
3 p.m. — West Ham vs Chelsea (USA Network)
Saturday, August 23
7.30 a.m. — Man City vs Tottenham (USA Network)
10 a.m. — Brentford vs Aston Villa (USA Network)
10 a.m. — Burnley vs Sunderland (Peacock)
10 a.m. — Bournemouth vs Wolves (Peacock)
12:30 p.m. — Arsenal vs Leeds (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, August 24
9 a.m. — Everton vs Brighton (USA Network)
9 a.m. — Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest (Peacock)
11:30 a.m. — Fulham vs Man Utd (USA Network)
Monday, August 25
3 p.m. — Newcastle vs Liverpool (USA Network)
(All times ET)
More from Tom's Guide
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
