This is what happens the Premier League gets monopoly money in its TV deals… crazy cash being thrown around. Sissoko for 30mil is just hilarious. Tottenham should have left well enough alone when Everton seemed to be suckered into paying that. Newcastle made out like bandits - 30mil for Sissoko, 25mil for Wijnaldum earlier in the transfer window. Wow.
I also think it’s been a good transfer window for Arsenal in the end.
Xhaka combines the defensive midfielder role with that of deep-lying playmaker and is able to deliver long balls directly to the forwards from deep, thus adding a new dimension to Arsenal’s attacking play.
Mustafi looks to be a good centreback and an upgrade on all the other Arsenal players in his position bar Koscielny, with whom he has the potential to form the best centreback partnership in the league.
Both Xhaka and Mustafi also appear to have good leadership, self-confidence and aggression attributes, which are things the Arsenal team have been accused of lacking, so I think they could both be really positive signings and take the team to another level.
The Spanish forward Lucas has been compared to Jamie Vardy, both in terms of style of play and in that he’s a late bloomer who has had to work his way to the top. Sensei Wenger spoke thusly:
Holding also looks like a promising young centreback and the young Japanese striker Asano, loaned out this season, has a signature "jaguar" goal celebration which could make him a fan favourite.
I think this year’s Arsenal team looks the strongest it has been for many years and has the potential to win the title, although competition this season will probably be fiercer than it has been for some time.
I also, unfortunately, think Woolwich had a great window. They were my pick for best team in the league last year and I’m not convinced that Pep or Jose being in Manchester is going to change my mind on that. I fear that this season is the Gooners to lose.
Spurs had an okay window, but I’m not sure any of their signings are better than the players they’ve already got. So it’s been more about increasing squad depth, with Champions League football added to their fixture list this season, rather than improving the first XI. So perhaps a little uninspiring.
Here’s a good summary of all the ins and outs and, taken from there, here are the net spendings this transfer window by the top EPL clubs:
Manchester City - £-162.48m
Manchester - United £-151.77m
Arsenal - £-89.04m
Chelsea - £-85.26m
Tottenham - £-34.34m
Leicester City - £-21.46m
Liverpool - £-510k
So the two Manchester clubs are in a league of their own. Although they’ve brought in a few players, it’s interesting that Liverpool’s net spend is pretty much zero.
I’ve no particular gripe with Arsenal (in fact, I respect Wenger tremendously), but saying that the title is theirs to lose when they’re relying almost entirely on Giroud, who went 17 games without scoring last season, and Perez, who has a single season’s worth of double-digit goals to his name in his entire career, is being just a little bit optimistic.
I absolutely adore the pickups of Mustafi and Xhaka, find Asano very promising, and think Lucas Perez was a fine deal, but I’d have been a lot more positive about Arsenal’s title chances had they, say, signed Batshuayi or Lacazette. I think for now the Manchester clubs and Chelsea are far more likely title candidates.
Here are the bookmakers’ odds for the championship:
Man City - 7/5
Man Utd - 11/4
Chelsea - 9/2
Arsenal - 10/1
Liverpool - 14/1
Tottenham - 20/1
Leicester - 66/1
Everton - 100/1
At 10/1, I think Arsenal have been been way underestimated and would be worth a punt.
Arsenal certainly seem to represent by far the best value out of that list. Possibly Leicester are worth a value bet as well, though I suspect their odds have been unfairly depressed by idiot punters trying to catch a bus that has already gone (i.e. their true odds are more like 100-1).
One thing I have Iearned from the first fifty minutes of the Manchester derby is what whiny, dirty, cheaty little biatches Man U are. Otherwise what an exciting match. Man City seem so composed holding onto their lead.
Oh…and how Awesome has de Bruyne been? He looks much more like the hundred million pound man than Pogba.
Wayne Rooney already leading the race to win the lead boot as the dirtiest player in the EPL. He’s been a ghost on the offensive end of the pitch.
SAF era extra time. Five minutes??
Mignolet is bleeding , sub him off!
Well, now. Chelski has just given up two goals in two minutes to Swansea to now trail. And dey screwed up my fantasy.
Another great game. Its wonderful to have you back footie.
Oh, lol at you Cahill. What a schoolboy mistake.
For Americans the Arsenal v Chelsea game is available on your local over the air Telemundo channel.
Arsenal is sending a message to the footie world that they are for real. OTOH, its not surprising that a David Luis lead defense surrenders 3 in a half.
I believe I may have made a prediction about Arsenal being amazingly good and pretty underrated earlier in the year and got laughed at. And I’m a Tottenham fan, so I didn’t make the prediction lightly. (I probably oversold a bit. I said it was the Gooner’s title to lose, but that was me speaking from a place of nothing good happening to my team ever, and Woolwich winning another title is the stuff of my sports nightmares.)
Chelsea looks very good, United look very good. Tottenham look very good. To me the clear top two teams are City and Arsenal. Liverpool may actually be #3, which also hurts a bit. At any rate it’s going to be an interesting top 6 to watch this year.
Tottenham, still undefeated. COYS!
I agree. The race for the league championship is wide open. I favor Man City to win it if de Bruyn stays healthy.
Chelsea were woeful. It was a real pleasure to observe Arsenal punish their complacency.
Not directly related to the Prem (though the Telegraph has said it’s investigation has identified other crooked managers in the league), but what a story they’ve broken on Sam Allardyce. Always been rumors he was crooked. I guess those have been borne out…