Matchday one of the Premier League season is in the books, and like the dramatic theater it is, we already have plenty of storylines to keep us busy for the next nine months. Some clubs covered themselves in glory while others would have liked to have been swallowed up by the pitch. There were winners and losers on and off the pitch in the Premier League’s opening weekend, let’s take a look at some of them.
Manchester United – Winners
If you’re going to spend well over $100 million in the summer you expect some results on the pitch. Manchester United, a team not afraid to get out the check book made a big splash this summer and followed it up with a big performance in their first match against Bournemouth. A 3-1 victory gave Jose Mourinho his first win as United manager and the first goal of the season from Zlatan Ibrahimovic had plenty of United fans gleefully rubbing their hands together. United want to be the biggest club in the world again and they know that means more than just spending money like a big club, it means winning trophies. Their win on Sunday was a warning shot to the rest of the Leauge that the Red Devils were here to play. It may just be one game, and a long season follows, but United look like a contender. Oh, and we haven’t even mentioned, Paul Pogba hasn’t yet taken the field yet in a United shirt, so they could stand to get better. They still have some question marks, specifically in defense, but if first impressions are anything to go by, this was a good one.
Arsene Wenger – Loser
There might not be a manager who’s under more pressure this season than Arsene Wenger and on Sunday, Liverpool gegenpressed his side right out of Emirates Stadium. Sure Arsenal made a game of it at the end, but their disastrous defensive display shortly after half-time has to be cause for concern. Arsenal was the stronger side in the first half and should have put Liverpool away early. Their second half collapse was blamed by Wenger on a lack of physical fitness. At the start of the season you could understand, but not when the opposing team who’s also at the start of their season were clearly more fit. Wenger is the longest tenured manager in England and many of his own fans are starting to wonder if he’s overstayed his welcome. His side hasn’t received too many reinforcements in the summer, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it isn’t good when you’re closest rivals are breaking the bank. Wenger needed to show that he could still get it done, and the Liverpool watch was a good chance to lay down a marker, unfortunately for the Gunners, that plan fell apart.
New managers – Winners
Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, David Moyes and Ronald Koeman all made their debuts with their new clubs this weekend and they all got off to relatively strong starts. Guardiola, Mourinho, and Conte started off on the right foot winning their three matches. United gave Mourinho the most resounding win of the three, while Guardiola and Conte had to work a little harder for their victories. Nonetheless the three managers will feel progress is being made particularly since each club had underperformed the previous season.
'Pep' Guardiola has now won the opening league game of the season as a manager in each of his past 7 seasons. #UCL pic.twitter.com/RgBLsJPj9X
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 14, 2016
Moyes and Koeman were not winners, in fact, Moyes lost to Guardiola’s City, but each boss had their team’s looking much better than their previous versions. Moyes had a team that barely survived the drop holding their own against one of this year’s title favorites. If not for a penalty and unfortunate own goal, things good have been much different. Koeman kept a talented Tottenham team from doing much and had his Everton side controlling much of the game. Koeman will wish Everton was more clinical in front of net, but all the same, the effort was there.
Leicester City – Losers
Losing to Hull City isn’t an advisable start to anyone’s title defense, especially for a team that many are just itching to label Leicester City’s title march last season a fluke. It’s possible that missing N’Golo Kanté who left for Chelsea this summer, Leicester looked fairly toothless, especially in defense. They had trouble keeping up the same intensity that brought them so much glory last year. It could be just an anomaly, and they’re still drinking in last years success a little too much. But as far as title defenses go this isn’t that great, especially when you consider no defending Premier League champion has ever lost their opening match.
Sadio Mane – Winner
Sadio Mane's game by numbers vs Arsenal:
93% pass accuracy
4 tackles won
4 take-ons
1 goalSome performance, that. pic.twitter.com/e70NCk1a1o
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 14, 2016
On a day when Philippe Coutinho scored twice, once with a spectacular free kick, to stand out in many people’s eyes as the man of the match, you’d have to do something pretty special. New signing Sadio Mane made an immediate impact for Liverpool. His pace and elusiveness made him a tricky player to defend against. Jürgen Klopp might be seeing a little bit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in his new forward. Sane’s quick, elusive and he showed off impressive finishing skills against Arsenal. He could turn out to be quite the signing.
Joe Hart – Loser
Since the start of last season, Joe Hart has made 58 appearances for club and country. However, in City’s opening match against Sunderland Pep Guardiola opted for Argentine Willy Caballero. Hart didn’t have the best performance at the European Championship, but he’s mostly considered to be England’s best keeper, while Caballero is in his mid-30s and has only featured five times previous for City in two years. Hart’s biggest problem isn’t his shot stopping but rather his passing, he completed just over 50% of his passes last season while Manuel Neuer completed nearly 80%. It’s unfair to Hart to bench him because he’s not Neuer, but given Guardiola’s penchant for quality passing Hart might find himself missing out on first team football whether he likes it or not.
