It’s a belter of a Saturday night in the Premier League, with Man Utd going to Spurs before we get to gauge just how wrong we might have been about Newcastle. On Friday, it’s huge for Leeds and Harry Kane, then Sunday should see Britain’s most expensive player make his debut…
Game to watch – Tottenham v Manchester United
The new Tottenham against the new-ish Manchester United tops the bill on a summer Saturday evening to draw the curtains, get cosy in front of the TV and ignore your family.
Spurs will open their home campaign with a new coach, a new captain, a new goalkeeper and a host of other new players since the last time they walked out on their home turf in the Premier League. They welcomed United in their third-last league game amid their zombie state last season when only four players started who were also named in Ange Postecoglou’s first XI last Sunday. Four was also the number of debutants on show – the highest number for Spurs in any one game in almost two decades.
We have an idea what to expect from Postecoglou’s Spurs – a more attacking, possession-based approach – and there were plenty of encouraging early signs in the draw at Brentford. Not only will Postecoglou have been encouraged by what he saw from his own team on the opening weekend, he will be relishing the next test after witnessing United’s stuttering start at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils beat Wolves but the victory prompted many more questions than answers. Like: Why do they look so unfit? Isn’t someone going to give Casemiro a hand? How bad were those wingers? Where is Mason Mount? How do United expect to thrive by signing only one centre-forward, and an injured rookie at that?
United were so fortunate to emerge with victory rather than defeat against Wolves and even without Harry Kane, you would back Spurs to make Ten Hag’s men pay if they offer up the same openings and opportunities.
Team to watch – Newcastle
Manchester City kick off at the Etihad with a top-of-the-table clash. But it’s not them sat at the summit.
Newcastle are setting the earliest possible pace after recording the biggest margin of victory on the opening weekend. The 5-1 win over Aston Villa in what was expected to be one of the tightest battles of matchday one has got balls tingling again on Tyneside after a thrilling start to a season in which few expect the Magpies to match last year’s achievement.
Thrashing Villa was a reminder that we shouldn’t automatically discount Newcastle on the basis that most of the other big hitters have strengthened more significantly. But Newcastle are undeniably stronger too – and there is a familiarity and unity about the Toon that their rivals can’t hope to harness in just a few weeks around intense recruitment.
The only asterisk on Newcastle’s flying start was how bad Villa were. Much is expected of Unai Emery’s men this season but whatever the Villans boss tried at St James’ Park, it didn’t work. More on that in a bit.
Impressive though they were in forcing the Villans to surrender, facing a City side fresh from picking up their latest pot will tell us much more about just how wrong we might have got Newcastle.
Manager to watch – Unai Emery
It has been a nightmare start for Emery. Not only were his Villa side tonked by Toon, the manager also lost two key players – Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia – to knee injuries that look likely to keep them sidelined for most of the season.
Mings’ injury seemed to take the wind out of everyone at St James’ Park and only Newcastle recovered any tempo. Emery tried to change the personnel and shape of his side but nothing did the trick.
Emery dabbled with a back three in pre-season and against Everton on Sunday, he could opt for that formation from the off. Villa’s squad is not deep enough yet for a raft of changes, but Pau Torres will get his first start. Further forward, it is hard to envisage Leon Bailey keeping his place on the right, and while Moussa Diaby was busy, it seemed he and his new team-mates have yet to find the same wavelength.
If Youri Tielemans comes in for Bailey, Villa ought to have a better balance. Newcastle’s midfield ran through Villa’s exposed double pivot last week and Emery knows he needs a firmer core.
It is obviously far too soon to be greatly concerned about Villa, but not too early that a swift and decisive response be demanded.
Player to watch – Moises Caicedo
It is hard to believe that Chelsea will suddenly discover some restraint and opt to gradually bed in their British transfer record signing. Mauricio Pochettino will want Caicedo in from the start against West Ham on Sunday.
We all do, unless you’ve any leaning towards the Irons. We hammered Chelsea when it looked like they were set to miss out on Caicedo and fail to properly equip Pochettino with the tools he needs. Now he’s got the biggest and priciest, to play alongside the British transfer record holder, the Blues have quickly become an attractive proposition.
The draw with Liverpool was tantalising enough, with Enzo Fernandez offering a mouth-watering glimpse of the control he could offer Pochettino this season even without the perfect foil alongside him.
Chelsea won’t be the only side at the London Stadium with a remodelled engine room. West Ham took their sweet time and squabbled among themselves while doing so but eventually David Moyes has a new midfield pairing, with James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez set to make their debuts in opposition to Caicedo.
EFL game to watch – Leeds v West Brom
Some Leeds fans chose to look upon relegation as a blessing, the opportunity to reset and rebuild after a miserable season and a half post-Marcelo Bielsa. But it still seems the Yorkshiremen remain cursed as they prepare to welcome West Brom to West Yorkshire on Friday night.
The Whites are still looking for their first win after two dramatic games to start the season that both absolutely reeked of Leeds. They went 2-0 down to Cardiff in their opener before fighting back and claiming a last-gasp point, prior to going to Birmingham and blowing a point at the death with the concession of an added-time penalty.
Amid the actual football, Daniel Farke has had a summer-long sh*tshow to deal with, with many of the players who do want to be there going down with injuries, while those who remain against their wishes do their best to weasel their way out.
West Brom have also had a rocky start, losing their first game at Stoke before making their first win over Swansea much more tense than it needed to be. But compared to Farke, Carlos Corberan – one of the contenders for Farke’s job – has a much more serene outlook from The Hawthorns.
European game to watch – Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich
Harry Kane had his first run-out for Bayern last Saturday in the Super Cup final, the Bavarians’ record signing getting the last half-hour while his new side were getting picked off by RB Leipzig.
Since Thomas Tuchel had no qualms about using his new striker despite his signing being confirmed just a few hours before kick-off, it is safe to assume Kane will be in from the start in the Bundesliga opener in Bremen.
Tuchel has every reason to tinker with his selection. Bayern were dreadful against Leipzig. “I’m just sorry for Harry Kane,” Tuchel said afterwards. “He probably thinks we haven’t trained for four weeks. Our performance today had nothing to do with what we set out to achieve. It was a very bitter evening.”
The coach hasn’t backed down in the build-up to Friday night so Kane is far from the only Bayern player with it all to prove again.
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