So after the second weekend of the Premier League season, here’s what we learnt this weekend:
Firstly we’ve learnt that most neutrals are now back on QPR’s side after their surprising win over Everton. After their embarrassing opening-day defeat to Bolton at home, many pundits were getting their best knifes ready to cut into Neil Warnock’s side this weekend.
Yes they were slightly fortunate to beat David Moyes’ side, but take nothing away from Warnock who somehow masterminded a tremendous result for them up at Goodison, which traditionally has been a ground where the top teams hav struggled at in recent years.
With Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes now the majority shareholder at the club, things are looking up for Warnock and QPR, who will surely now be able to bring in good players to their squad. Who knows in the coming weeks they might even have a shirt sponsor? What are the odds that Fernandes’ budget-airline Air Asia logo will be appear on the shirt very soon?
We’ve learnt that (if people didn’t know it already) Arsenal’s season could very well be ‘over’ by the end of the month. It’s been a torrid summer for those at the Emirates already and matters were made worse at the weekend in their home defeat to Liverpool, who thoroughly deserved their first victory away to the Gunners in 11 years.
Arsene Wenger is now under more pressure to turn it around than ever before and after the loss of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona last week and the impending sale of Samir Nasri to Manchester City really does have his work cut out to bring the winning factor back to the club that he so loves.
Arsenal’s game away to Udinese in the Champions League play-off round will cut the men out from the boys. An early goal for either side will be the difference here and should it go to the Italian’s, you’d have to feel that it may be hard for Wenger to inspire a comeback not just in the game, but for their next league clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
We’ve learnt that Andre-Villas Boas clearly is looking to create his own team at Stamford Bridge. Whilst Chelsea had been linked with Romelu Lukaku over the last year, their pursuit of Valenica’s Juan Mata has been a surprise and the Spainard is exactly the kind of player that last year’s runners-up have been crying out to freshen up their side.
Mata who shone for Spain’s U21’s in the summer, had been linked heavily with Arsenal over the summer, so for Chelsea to pounce for the talented left-winger instead is a major bonus for them. The Real Madrid academy graduate is just as talented as his former club-team mate David Silva and has the potential to be a star in England.
We’ve learnt that if last season’s games at Carrow Road are anything to go by, it was not surprising that there was a goal in stoppage time in Norwich’s match against Stoke on Saturday. After all last season the Canaries scored 9 times in after 90 minutes last season on their way to promotion to the top-flight.
The only surprising aspect about the late goal at Carrow Road at the weekend was that Norwich didn’t benefit from it. Kenwyne Jones’ late header earned Stoke consigned both sides to their second draw of the season. Paul Lambert’s side had battled well though and if they keep up their spirit a first win in the top-flight since 2005 should come around sooner rather than later.
Lastly we’ve learnt that Emile Heskey can still score goals and is not totally past-it, that City’s ‘Poznan’ celebration is still one of the most annoying things in football, that West Brom’s Somen Tchoyi continues to look the most improved player from last season and that Ashley Cole’s habit of not getting booked for rash challenges sadly has continued into this season.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87