This week highlighted a few questions that will exist for the entire Premier League season:
Will any team punish Manchester United’s defensive weaknesses? It seems like nearly every week there is a discussion about United’s defense, and after the poor showing in a 3-3 draw against Basel midweek, United again looked fragile in defense during their 2-0 win over Norwich. A clean sheet doesn’t really tell the story – there were numerous chances (not just half-chances) that Norwich had to score, with Anthony Pilkington particularly culpable. Norwich is not one of the better teams in the league, but Chelsea and Tottenham have also failed to punish United’s faults in the back. Is it just luck that United are not giving up as many goals, or is their defensive scene not as bad as it looks at times? It will be interesting to see if they continue to get the breaks or if they are finally punished for their weak defending.
Can Manchester City put aside its off-field issues to win any trophies this season? Carlos Tevez struck again this week, as did Edin Dzeko, and the City formula seemed to be unraveling again. But a thumping 4-0 win over Blackburn over the weekend seemed to put the issues to the side, despite an injury to Sergio Aguero. With the great investment City’s owners have made in the team comes the egos of overpaid players. If Roberto Mancini can continue to get results from his side, they have the talent and experience to challenge for the top in every competition. If the other issues consume the side, they will likely endure another trophy-less season.
Who will take fourth place in the league? A common question for the past few years – however, this season presents only two real candidates for fourth: Tottenham and Liverpool. It looks like a three-horse race for the title between United, City and Chelsea; I don’t think Newcastle is a legitimate contender despite their blazing form, and Arsenal is still a ways away from being in serious contention. Tottenham looks very strong, with a flurry of attacking options in Adebayor, Defoe, Modric, Bale, and Van der Vaart. Liverpool have not been as impressive of late, but also have strong attacking options with Carroll, Suarez, Adam, and Gerrard on his return. This race could involve more teams if something unexpected happens, but it looks like a two-team duel for fourth.
Which relegation contenders will stay consistent enough to stay up? This is shaping up to be one of the best relegation battles of recent years, as the promoted teams are all playing well so far. Many years the key to survival is consistency, and avoiding long stretches without taking three points from a game. Bolton are currently in a six-game slide, while Blackburn and Wolves have also endured stretches in the early season without gaining points. The biggest games for lower-table sides are the games in which they play each other, while points gained against the top sides are “bonuses.” Early losses against Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are of little concern to sides like Norwich and Swansea, but the final standings will likely be decided when they face off against each other.
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