RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Man United bounce back, Liverpool look flawed & Tottenham keep unravelling
The self-proclaimed ‘best league in the world’ lived up to its billing over an action-packed weekend.
Without further ado, here are some of the main talking points from Matchday 2 of the Premier League season.
United back on track despite defensive flaws
Manchester United bounced back from last week’s defeat at Hull City with an emphatic 5-2 home victory over Ipswich Town.
Bruno Fernandes was inevitably the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick to leave his Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers in clover.
Manager Michael Carrick remained calm after his team lost at Hull and he was rewarded with a performance full of attacking swagger.
However, Carrick may be inwardly concerned that the Red Devils have conceded four goals against two newly-promoted clubs this season.
United have invested heavily in their midfield this summer, after splashing the cash to revamp their attacking options last year.
The club may feel that Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro can eventually forge a secure partnership, but that is a risky strategy.
Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez are decent enough squad players, but United won’t win the title if they play regularly.
Liverpool have set Iraola up to fail
Liverpool went into the summer transfer window with the primary aim of replacing Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah.
They are close to securing the services of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, and he should prove to be an excellent acquisition.
However, while Barcola’s arrival will trigger plenty of excitement on the red half of Merseyside, he will not single-handedly resolve all their problems.
Liverpool still need quality options at right-back, right-wing and central midfield, and have less than two days to resolve those issues.
The need to improve in all three positions was evident as Liverpool salvaged a late 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest over the weekend.
Manager Andoni Iraola seemed confident after the game that more players would arrive at Anfield before the transfer window closes.
If the Reds fail to address the glaring holes in the squad, Iraola would have every reason to believe he has been set up to fail.
Tottenham are already unravelling under De Zerbi
Tottenham Hotspur were touted as potential title contenders in some quarters after splashing the cash on new players this summer.
After crashing 3-0 at Brentford on the opening weekend, Tottenham delivered another underwhelming performance at home to Newcastle on Saturday.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi criticised his squad’s mentality, which conveniently overlooked his role in Tottenham’s current situation.
De Zerbi has had a big say in which players have stayed or been brought into the club, so their current position is down to him.
None of his new signings has covered themselves in glory, which is a damning assessment of the club’s debatable summer transfer strategy.
Spurs are scheduled to face Nottingham Forest (A), Everton (H), Aston Villa (H) and Manchester United (A) in their next four league games.
Unless they buck up their ideas, they could be firmly entrenched in the relegation zone at the end of that run of fixtures.
Farke deserves a pat on the back
Leeds United’s 1-1 home draw with Brentford may seem like a disappointing result on paper, but nothing could be further from the truth.
The Bees were excellent in their season opener against Tottenham and followed up with a fine League Cup victory over Birmingham City.
They arrived at Elland Road in a confident mood and deservedly led at the break after a fine first-half performance.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke responded by switching to four at the back in the second half, and the move paid dividends as his team battled back to claim a point.
After finishing 14th in their first season back in the Premier League, the club have backed Farke during the transfer window.
Their display against Brentford highlighted a fighting spirit that should serve them well as the new campaign progresses.
Farke’s ability to recognise where things were going wrong and adapt accordingly could help Leeds mount a strong bid for European qualification .
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