While the Bundesliga and the La Liga giants have gone about their business in usual fashion, the premier league has exploded into life with just 4 games into the season.
With reputations not being taken into account and stadiums not being feared, one is inclined to wonder if the big clubs are floundering or have the others found their voice? The likes of Swansea, Leicester and Crystal Palace have had a stellar start to the campaign, with Crystal palace’s defeat of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge being the pick of the results so far.
It has been positively chaotic, to say the least. With the clubs making light of the pre match odds and keeping the punters on their toes, the Premier league, yet again, lives up to its billing as the most entertaining league in the world.
It is fascinating to find out that there have been only nine home wins since the beginning of the season – the lowest in premier league history. Apart from Man city, who seem to have put their nightmare last campaign behind, inspired by a classy David Silva and a rejuvenated Yaya Toure, the other big clubs have simply failed to get out of first gear.
It is a fascinating prospect for everyone involved. While the so called ‘smaller clubs’ now believe that they can compete toe-to-toe with some of their esteemed rivals – which would give them an added incentive to perform even better and bridge the gap between them and the elite, the bigger clubs, on the other hand, would relish the competition as it would keep them on their toes which might prove beneficial to them in their continental exploits.
It is hard to make a Judgment with just four games into the season; it is just near impossible to draw a pattern as none of the big clubs, apart from Man city, have found their rhythm.
Maybe, it is case of the big clubs just having a slow start to the campaign or who knows? Maybe it is a sign of things to come.
If the financial power play rule was introduced to provide a level-playing field for all the clubs by reining in on spending, the new Premier league television deal-which comes to effect in 2017, has, to an extent, managed to provide the answer by making the clubs more exuberant in the transfer market. It is evident from the fact that the likes of Newcastle and West ham have made a lot of acquisitions this season, with West Ham United being the busiest club in England on deadline day.
Nonetheless, the premier league, as always it has been promising to be as intriguing as it gets and its potential for the season and beyond is frightening. The international break couldn’t have been timed more inappropriately, but the premier league returns to action this weekend with Manchester United taking on Liverpool in a late Saturday kick-off and a win for either club would be a perfect way to kick-start their season.