The 2020/21 Premier League season has lasted four weeks. The international break follows after the transfer market closes. A natural thing we encounter every season even though the months are different. The Premier League this season has many differences.
One of the biggest things, seen from the standings as the main highlight of the league competition. The top four so far were not filled by the top four last season. The top two teams even really stole the show.
Everton successfully wiped out the initial four games with a win. The last time they did that was in the 1969/70 season, they came out as champions at the end of the season. Didn’t mean to fit the logic, but definitely exceeded expectations.
The Toffees’ good start has even started since the transfer market. The recruitment of James Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan added ammunition to Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. The three of them immediately became the backbone of Everton in gaining 12 points so far. Ancelotti has successfully concocted the roles of certain players in certain positions well. Different types of players are the main strength of Everton.
Ancelotti’s high profile is beyond doubt. The performance of the players also exceeded expectations. Dominic-Calvert Lewin scored six goals in just 340 minutes played. It is too early to say Everton as a potential champion considering they have not met a big club so far. The Merseyside derby awaits in the fifth week. Even so, four convincing victories remain Everton’s valuable capital to navigate this busy season.
Another team that has won all of the matches so far is Aston Villa, with a record that Dean Smith’s team has only played three times. Even the first two matches of The Villans were successful in registering zero goals against Sheffield United and Fulham, something we have rarely encountered this season.
The highlight of course came on Aston Villa’s third match. They successfully shaved the defending champion with a score of 7-2. Last season’s Championship player of the year, Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick. Jack Grealish and Chelsea midfielder on loan Ross Barkley also impressed. Aston Villa’s defense is also impressive, the two goals conceded by Aston Villa have been the best defensive record so far.
Speaking of defending champions, Liverpool did not start the season well. Jurgen Klopp’s men have indeed won three matches, but their defense is very fragile. So far Liverpool have conceded 11 goals in just four games. Last season, it took 13 matches to break the Liverpool goal.
Klopp will have to think again if he wants to stick to the high defensive line Bayern used to beat Europe last season. Bayern was even slowly able to be exposed to these tactics.
Being conceded due to a high defensive line exposed is not just the defender’s fault. But there is bound to be a contribution of error from a midfielder or attacker who is less aggressive in applying pressure so that opponents have the space and time to send through. The absence of Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Thiago is certainly one of the causes for Liverpool’s unusual pressure.
Teams with other high pressing styles are also limping. Manchester City are stumbling in 14th place with four points from three games. Pep Guardiola’s men were crushed by Leicester 2-5 at the Etihad Stadium in the second match before a 1-1 draw against Leeds United.
Pep complained that Leicester had “no intention” of playing with low block tactics. The match will not be the first time and will not be the last where Man City’s opponents employ a tight, low block defense. Reactive play does not violate any rules (except for the demands of fans who uphold attacking football) so Pep must find a solution as soon as possible. In addition, the injury to their two strikers, namely Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, cannot be denied as another reason for Man City’s lame.
Leicester and Arsenal started the season quite well. But consistency was a problem for Leicester last season and a classic Arsenal problem from the past decade. Tottenham and Chelsea have so far not shown massive progress compared to last season. Meanwhile, Man United have problems like tangled threads that cannot be resolved only by purchasing players.
These various situations remind us a little of the 2015/16 season. When big teams have various problems, a dark horse that can be consistent for a full season appears, namely Leicester. It is interesting to see how this season will work, especially in conditions of a pandemic that are not ideal at all.
Anomalies are also found in one of the most important and most awaited things in a football match, namely goals. Reporting from Opta, 38 Premier League matches have so far produced 144 goals or an average of 3.79 goals per game. Highest record since 1930/31.
Lack of pre-season is one of the main reasons for this to happen. Carelessness in defense were the culprit. World class players like Virgil Van Dijk and Thiago Silva alone made fatal blunders. The players seem to forget to execute basic defensive techniques which are often a factor in the occurrence of penalties. Man City made a faux pas which resulted in three penalties in the match against Leicester.
So far, 25 penalties have been awarded by the referee and VAR. The increase is quite high compared to last season, only nine penalties in the same period. Penalties are not only due to recklessness which are more frequent, but changing handball rules is also very influential.
From a club perspective, these anomalies are certainly not positive. Many things need to be improved especially by big clubs with high expectations. Different things when seen from the perspective of football connoisseurs. The limping big club, the rain of goals, and the penalty drama are certainly the main attraction. Although these things don’t necessarily happen throughout the season, this season’s Premier League is too exciting to pass up.
ASL
