Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
Well it’s certainly been an interesting start to the Premier League this season, as we’ve seen several shocks already this season with Manchester United’s 8-2 win over Arsenal last Sunday being arguably the biggest of them all.
That was one certainly something that nobody (not even a drunk football fan) could have predicted to happen. Anyway for the coming season, I will be making my ‘jokey’ predictions for what will happen for every month, here’s what I think (as the kid says) will ‘go down’ in September in the world’s best football league.
Firstly both Arsenal and Spurs will pick up their first wins of the season next Saturday against Swansea and Wolves respectably. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Arsene Wenger’s side inflict a hammering of their own on Brendan Rodgers’ side. Don’t worry Swans fans you won’t be conceding eight like the Gunners did at Old Trafford, but you will at least concede four goals to Arsenal, who will no doubt be looking to send their fans home happy, for the first time in God knows how long!
Harry Redknapp’s side’s game at Wolves will not be an easy one, but it’s about time their star players (cough, cough!) stepped up to the plate as despite starting games well against the two Manchester sides, they have slipped to defeats in both of those games. The likes of Aaron ‘I can’t cross the ball’ Lennon and Gareth ‘I never look up to pass to a teammate when he’s open’ Bale need to have ‘big’ seasons if Spurs are to have any chance of finishing fourth this season.
‘Arry could do with both of them producing at Molieneux as if they do then there’s a good chance Emanuel Adebayor who is in line to make his debut for Spurs after joining on-loan from Manchester City could have a very enjoyable afternoon to say the least.
It shall be interesting to see the reaction Joey Barton will get when he makes his debut for QPR against his previous side Newcastle United this coming Monday. Barton is appearing to be an outspoken ‘voice of reason’ these days and you just know he will mark his first game under Neil Warnock by either getting booked, scoring a goal or being voted the man of the match by Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football viewers. Either way Barton’s certainly the man to watch this month.
It shall be interesting to see how Javier Hernandez gets on this month, as the man who was the ‘find of last season’ will probably come back into United’s starting XI this month. He might not get a goal away to Bolton, but I can see him scoring at home to Chelsea. Chicharito has already scored a goal twice in 2-1 wins against the Blues at Old Trafford, so it would be foolish not to fancy him to do the same in two Sunday’s time.
There’s a good chance that Fernando Torres will score his first goal of the season this month and although it wouldn’t surprise me given his past scoring record against United, if he were to score at Old Trafford this month, I can see him bagging one (if not two) against Swansea at Stamford Bridge
As for the noisy neighbours, well I can see them dropping their first points away to Martin Jol’s Fulham at Craven Cottages as they will suffer a hangover of sorts after facing Napoli in the Champions League the Wednesday before the game. Speaking of sides who will drop points on the 18th September, I can see Liverpool drawing at Spurs. No doubt if ‘Arry’s men win the game, he will start talking up their chances of getting fourth much to the delight of their fans and the laughter of everyone else!
Lastly with 7 out of 11 penalties being missed so far this season, I expect there to being another 2-3 spot-kicks missed this month. Maybe it’s something different with this season’s Nike ball, something different with the pitches this year or maybe nerves really are getting to players this season from the spot. Whatever it is, there will be more penalties missed this month to the delight of top-flight goalies up and down the country.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
