We have been spoiled.
We have been spoiled as soccer fans and more specifically, English Premier League fans. Think about it, we have seen just about everything happen in just the first two months of the season. We have seen the big teams underperforming and the little teams overachieving. We have seen some big upsets and great goals. We have seen multiple coaching changes and the defending champs struggle in the bottom half of the table. There is still seven months until the end of the season and we have already had a season worth of unpredictability.
Compare that to this weekend. There weren’t many shocking moments this weekend. The big teams all won and won big. The biggest upset was arguably Newcastle beating Norwich 6-2. So pretty much, the most unpredictable part of the weekend was the predictability. Is that going to be trend going forward in this EPL season?
History would show that things are eventually going to even out. While the rise of money has caused the midtable teams to spend more for players and put up a tougher fight, the big teams will eventually rise to the top. Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United are already up into the top three and Chelsea has to eventually get their “you know whats” together to mount a top four run. As bad as Chelsea has been, they are only six points out of the top four with over 75% of the season left. Still plenty of time for Chelsea to make up the points. Even teams on the outside looking in, like Liverpool and Tottenham are just outside the table and are within a point or two from being where they were projected to be, despite some struggles and roadblocks already taking place.
On the other end, the newly promoted teams and recently struggling teams have crept lower and lower on the table. The promoted teams are just above the relegation zone while teams like Newcastle, Aston Villa and Sunderland, who were just above the relegation zone last year, are in the relegation zone now.
After nine games, the table is looking a little more predictable and whether that’s good or bad, may be the trend over the next few months.
