All three newly promoted teams to be in a relegation battle
It's been a tough start to the season for the newly promoted clubs who are all in the relegation zone with just a single point after 6 games. There is still a lot of time for all of them to improve but based on what I've seen so far this season, I think all of them are going to be in a relegation battle.
The last time all three newly promoted sides were in the relegation battle was the 2014/15 season where the three promoted sides in Leicester, Burnley and QPR were all down there battling it out. All three of them were set to head straight back down as we approached the latter stages of that season, but Leicester managed to pull of a great escape and stay up with two or three games to spare.
I thought Burnley would be ok at the start of the season because I thought that they could some surprises with the way they play. But after a tough start to the season I think they'll struggle as tough starts can be difficult to recover from. They have played some good football at times but they have had some moments where they've been naïve.
Sheffield United have been in most of their games this season but haven't had the quality to help them get results. They got hammered 8-0 by Newcastle on Sunday and a result like that can be tough to recover from. Especially if you're a newly promoted side who are yet to win a game.
Luton have put in some spirited performances recently and got their first point of the season against Wolves on Saturday. But despite their encouraging displays, they haven't been able to match their performances with the results. They're finding out how ruthless the Premier League can be.
Out of the three, Burnley are quite possibly the best equipped to stay up as they're the more likely to win games due to the way they play. They might take some battering's along the way but with a manager in Vincent Kompany who knows how ruthless this league is, the Clarets are arguably the best equipped to survive.
Luton and Sheffield United on the other hand don't have the quality to compete at this level. Both squad lack Premier League quality and with not a lot of goals in either side, I can see both of them really struggling.
Do Arsenal need a no.9?
Arsenal have missed a number of big chances this season and their failure to take them continued on Sunday against Spurs. They had chances to see the game out whilst they were ahead and the main one they missed was through Gabriel Jesus when he fired his shot over the bar after dispossessing James Maddison on the edge of the Spurs penalty area.
These missed chances could cost them more points as the season progresses and most importantly, it could cost them the title. If this is the case, do they need a no.9?
Most teams who go on to win the title usually have a a striker who goes on to score 20+ goals a season. Arsenal had that player in the past in Thierry Henry and so did Man United and Chelsea in the years they were successful.
When I look at the strikers that Arsenal have in Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, neither of them are that kind of player. Jesus does work hard off the ball, but he doesn't always take his chances in front of goal. Nketiah could be that player in a few years time as he's still young. But he's not the answer for the time being.
The Arsenal attack does have a lot of goals in it. But if their strikers continue to miss big chances in front of goal, they might need to bring in a more clinical no.9.
Are Liverpool title contenders?
It's been a strong start to the season for Liverpool who have won 5 of their opening 6 league games and currently sit 2nd in the league.
The majority of people will have had them down for at least a top four finish at the start of the season but with the strong start they've made, could they be title contenders?
They're very much looking like a team who have been revitalised after a difficult campaign last season. The midfield has been refreshed as a result of their new signings who have given them the energy and legs they lacked in there last season. Their attack is also looking back to it's best and it's arguably the strongest in the league with the options they have up there.
But they do have question marks hanging over their defence which isn't as watertight as it was a few seasons ago. They conceded a lot of goals in pre-season and have kept just one clean sheet so far this season.
I don't see them as title challengers for the time being as Arsenal are looking like City's closest challengers. But if the reds can keep up their strong start and get some good results against the big teams, they could put themselves up there.
Can Sheffield United thrashing kick Newcastle's season into life?
It's been a stuttering start to the season for Newcastle who had won only two of their opening five games of the season. But after thrashing Sheffield United 8-0 on Sunday, could their season finally kick itself into life.
They were outstanding throughout against the Blades as they put in a clinical and ruthless performance which was hands down their best of the season so far. Sheffield United might not have turned up on the day but the Magpies still had to turn up on the day and deliver a performance capable of winning the match.
Both the result and performance will give them a lot of confidence heading into their next few games which are all winnable. They had some tough fixtures to begin the season with but with some more favourable ones coming up, they'll believe that they can kickstart their season.
The only thing stopping them though is being in Europe as they're unfamiliar with the European schedule and some teams do struggle when they're in European competition for the first time.
But if they can get used that and get some more wins under their belt over the next few weeks, they could rediscover the form they were in for the majority of last season.
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