The Rocky World

What an interesting start to the season. The three ( out of this seasons big four) that have played so far, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, all managed to claw out wins after tougher than expected opening weekend matches. I think only two home teams have won this weekend and Manchester City was the only team to win by a two goal margin. 

This is a season where a few pundits have talked about the big seven and the rest of the league. I am more in favour of a hierarchical classification schema consisting of the the big four, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City; the top 7 with the addition of Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham; and the rest of the teams, who seem to be competing in a mini-league of their own for the title of the best of the rest . If any of the teams outside my big four makes a serious and sustained title challenge I will be surprised. 

The contest was closer and keener in the 4+ matches that I watched than what the above mentioned classification would suggest. Credit must go to some of the managers of the not so big spending teams. In all the four matches the less favoured team was willing to play at a fast tempo and attack relentlessly in hope of catching out the higher ranked clubs, who are still nursing their world cup exhausted super stars back to 90 minute fitness. For Swansea this approach paid good dividend and in all the matches made for highly entertaining football. Maybe later in the season, when every point will matter, we will see the more conventional smash and grab approach being employed by the weaker clubs but till then it is fun to see Liverpool and Manchester City engaging in "desperate defending" and hanging on to the 3 points by the skin of their teeth.

I am looking forward to Chelsea playing this evening. After that I come back with brief comments on individual matches this weekend.