RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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For a Premier League season that boasted a reputation for unpredictability before a ball was kicked, the opening round of fixtures marked a fitting way to begin the new campaign.
While a few results went exactly as expected, the weekend's games offered example after example of teams in transition and limited proof of concept along the way. It does not come as all that much of a surprise – nine teams entered the season with new coaches while others began a first full campaign in charge after joining their teams midseason, while squad overhaul and the jump from the Championship to the Premier League mean settling into things is easier said than done. Some of the teams with new looks will likely be fine in the long run but they will first have to navigate the uncertainties that come with fresh starts, making most of the teams in the league a genuine work in progress at this very early juncture of the campaign.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the teams for whom consistency is a defining feature impressed – the unpredictability surrounding the most notable clubs actually means there's an opportunity for the rest to climb up the ranks. The first weekend, though, serves as a fascinating benchmark for all and makes for the first benchmark for just about every team on the table. Those who punched above their weight will be tasked with keeping it up as the season progresses, while those with room for improvement still have plenty of time to actually make the necessary changes to get where they want to be.
Here's the first batch of many power rankings this season in the Premier League.
There is nothing particularly noteworthy about beating a newly promoted team 3-0 but in Arsenal's case, no news is good news. This is a team that is fully comfortable and confident in their identity, unsurprisingly living up to the billing as the team to beat for the title.
The storyline of the weekend are the midtable teams whose consistency is their strength, Brighton and Hove Albion leading the pack. It is one thing to get the better of Aston Villa post-mass exodus but Brighton drove the point home with a 4-0 drubbing, scoring all of their goals by the 31st minute and going into cruise control from there.
Brighton's win over Villa was tonally similar to Brentford's 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur , a game of two teams with very contrasting looks. The Bees played with a clear identity and no problem executing their game plan, Igor Thiago's missed penalty the only low point in an otherwise perfect display.
Chelsea may have been a bit more leaky at the back than they would have liked in their 3-2 win over Fulham but the underlying statistics show a much more commanding win than the scoreline reflects. It's early days but Cole Palmer 's goal and assist offer some reassurance that his uptick in form will align with his team's.
Sure, Manchester City spent much of the game down a goal to Bournemouth but they had solidly outplayed the Cherries over the course of 90 minutes and their eventual 2-1 win was a natural reflection of things. They lacked some urgency in the first half but their ability to grow into the game is a source of optimism as Enzo Maresca settles into his new role on the touchline.
It will take more than one game for new coach Andoni Iraola to solve Liverpool's tactical imbalance – their talented attack is still being canceled out by a vulnerable defense, which is why they had to settle for a point at Newcastle United . The makings of a decent defensive shape are there and the attack might be enough to push them over the line when needed, though they might be resigned to inconsistency without some notable roster changes.
Crystal Palace may have lost 2-0 to Everton but they dictated the tempo of the game and outdid the Toffees in expected goals by a margin of 1.96 to 1.12 despite taking five fewer shots. There's an argument to be made that Palace will put all the pieces together sooner rather than later, their first performance under new coach Pierre Sage more encouraging than not.
There's always a certain value in midtable teams picking up wins against the opponents that, like them, are destined to sit somewhere in the middle of the pack by season's end. A weird weekend, though, means the Toffees get to enjoy a decent spot in the power rankings despite the argument that Crystal Palace may have outplayed them in their 2-0 win.
Newcastle United are not the team that they were two years ago – high-profile names like Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon are elsewhere, and a coaching change midway through preseason means expectations can only be so high for them. The Magpies, though, deserve credit for taking advantage of Liverpool's vulnerabilities and nearly sneaking out a win from their 2-2 draw this weekend.
For the most part, the newly promoted teams enjoyed a pleasant return to the Premier League, with Ipswich Town easily the most impressive. The one thing every relegation-challenged team needs to do is take points off of the teams they will likely be battling to stay out of the bottom three and Ipswich very much outplayed Sunderland to start the season on a high.
Fulham may not have done enough just yet to assuage fears that they will be locked in a relegation battle this season but in a weekend defined by average-to-genuinely-bad showings from a batch of teams, the Cottagers did just enough to land in the middle of the pack.
Bournemouth will feel hard done by after their loss at City, conceding two late goals to see a 1-0 lead slip away. They played with a bit of naivete down the stretch that some might find concerning, but it's a fixable problem as they begin to settle into life with new coach Marco Rose, so there's no need to panic right now.
Hull City's luck has not run out just yet. They were not exactly the better team against Manchester United but were resourceful on set pieces and benefitted from an opponent that lacked spark in attack despite their efforts. Plus, th...
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