Pep Guardiola is many things to the world of football but a day before Manchester City took on Tottenham on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season he predicted that his team 'were not ready', and he was correct. The champions were beaten 1-0 in London which continued Nuno Espirito Santo's great record over Guardiola.
Of course the shadow of the Harry Kane transfer hung over the stadium like the scaffolding had done for the past 24 months and Santo was correct in not including him in the team selection, there were rumours that the England international was struggling with fitness but in truth everyone knew that Kane playing against a team he might be playing with in two weeks just made no footballing sense. Plus could you imagine the backlash Kane would have got from his own fans in a packed stadium? It wasn't worth the circus. In the end Tottenham didn't need Kane, but City did. The champions created and had the bulk of possession but looked sluggish especially in midfield. The £100m man Jack Grealish had an opportunity in the second half and made some darting runs but was otherwise poor. Heung-Min Son the excellent forward for Tottenham got the winner and if truth be told Son might just be happy if Kane does move on, it has always seemed like he would flourish even more at Tottenham if he was seen as the main striker. It could have well gone all wrong for Tottenham and Kane wanting away to City could have felt justified but Tottenham may have given reason for Kane to think again and Santo has included Kane in Tottenham's first ever UEFA Conference League match to be played this week against Pacos Ferreria in a two legged play-off tie.
Harry Kane next club after summer transfer: Manchester City 1.57, To stay at Tottenham 2.10, Chelsea 16.00, Manchester United 26.00, PSG 26.00
The opening EPL weekend with fans back was truly special and there is nothing like the sound of fans when a goal goes in, how we have missed it and we witnessed many goals, 34 of them to be exact. Chelsea who finished last season so strongly scored 3 goals against Crystal Palace and that was without the services of the newly acquired Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan. Patrick Vieira the new manager of the Eagles has plenty of work to do as he witnessed his team have just 1 shot on target.
Manchester United could be the team to look out for and they have steadily been looking better over the past 18 months. They started the season with a bang crushing Leeds 5-1 at Old Trafford. Bruno Fernandes arguably their best signing in a decade scored a hat-trick and Paul Pogba in midfield was playing like he had a French national shirt on, for now the good times are with the Red Devils. Make no mistake Liverpool will still be scarred by last season but they looked solid and strong as they brushed aside Norwich 3-0. The game marked Virgil van Dijk's return so was an emotional moment for the Reds.
Can you hear the buzz? Because Mikel Arteta and Arsenal got badly stung last Friday as Bees a.k.a Brentford beat the Gunners 2-0. It felt like a new low for Arsenal although in fairness they were missing strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette both to illness. But Arsenal who had a lot of possession looked fatigued and tired and with no ideas and Brentford just looked electric. It was Brentford's first game in the top flight since 1947, incidentally in that game they won 2-0 also.
Everton went a goal down at home to Southampton and with the clubs home form so poor last season alarm bells started to ring. However the Toffees went on to win 3-1 after manager Rafa Benitez made some tactical switches and Richarlison scored also, no mean feat given that the Brazilian played 15 international matches this summer. West Ham also went a goal behind to Newcastle but showed all of their qualities from last season to comeback and scored 4 goals to boot to collect all three points.
The fans have much to say after one game, Southampton look good to go down, Manchester City won't win back to back league titles, Liverpool are back, Jack Grealish is over rated, Benitez and Everton will work out and Arsenal are doomed. This is football, where one week you are hailed the next deemed to have failed. We love it, we wouldn't have it any other way. The icing on the cake is having the fans back, roll on next weekend.
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