Premier League So Far (Part 1): The Roundup  

By David Best

Well, we are 5 game-weeks into the 26/27 Premier League season, and it’s fair to say there have been some disappointments, but also some teams that are performing far above expectations. So, in this article I will be analysing two of the main surprises so far in this campaign, why the success stories are flying high and why the disappointments are failing their fans. 

Hull City have by far provided the most (positively) shocking performances as of yet. Flying out of the traps with what was a comfortable 2-0 victory over Manchester United to start their campaign. They then went on to beat Coventry 1-0 and now sit 8^th in the table with 2 wins, 2 draws and only a single loss. Hull were favourites for almost every pundit to finish rock-bottom of the league and rejoin the Championship next season, indeed I was one of these onlookers who did not fancy their chances for survival. The way they have accomplished this is by backing the manager in the transfer window with intelligent business being made, particularly the signing of their new starting keeper, Tzolakis from Olympiacos. Head coach Jakirovic has pulled off a tactical masterclass so far. They have predominantly played a flat back 5 system, sitting defensively in an immensely tight 5-4-1 shape, but with the ability to explode on the counter with wingbacks such as Ryan Giles flying down the wing to provide for focal point Ollie McBurnie. However, this has not been where the majority of their goals have come from. Instead, right sided winger Mohamed Belloumi has had an immense start to his campaign, with 2 assists and 2 goals already in just the 5 games. When you look at his statistics, it perfectly shows Jakirovic’s hard work system. Belloumi is in the 98^th percentile for defensive contribution as well as being in the 94^th for shot attempts¹. This demonstrates the confidence to take a pop at the keeper whilst also being more than happy to steam backwards and support the defense.

 

On the other side of the coin, we once again have Tottenham. Tottenham, it’s becoming genuinely baffling at this point. They have (despite my personal gripes about him) an elite coach in De Zerbi. They invested massively over the summer with huge signings such as Tonali, Fernandes, Savio, Marmoush – the list goes on. They spent wildly, with a total spend of around £320 million². Clearly the board has backed the head coach after he rescued the club from relegation. So, what is going on? Why are they still suffering so desperately despite having one of the most expensive squads in Europe, and a highly rated, experienced coach? Honestly, I don’t have an answer. I thought that Tottenham would come flying at the league this season and be challenging for champions league spots. However, it has been the worst possible start to the campaign for the Lilywhites. It took them 5 games to score their first goal of the season, and that was in a 3-2 loss at home to Aston Villa. Thus, they are winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in 5 games, as well as a goal difference of –6. A supercomputer prediction has given them a 29.8% chance of relegation³. This would be one of the most astonishing stories in England’s topflight history. Particularly when you consider the sheer amount of investment into the squad that the board has made. Watching the team, they look completely impotent going forward. They lack a true, lights-out number 9 who will consistently get double digit goals a season. Despite signing Marmoush and still having Solanke on the books, both have struggled to find form, with Richarlison looking straight at the exit door following his public comments around the team and leadership. Defensively, despite the additions of Andy Robertson, Senesi, Van Hecke and defensive midfielder Sandro Tonali, they get cut through like they’re butter playing against 11 hot knives every weekend. Tactically, they are falling into the De Zerbi trap. The pressing required by the coach is relatively complex in pattern and to pull off his system one must understand when to jump and when to drop off, this often results in confusion and the classic ‘point’ which was typical of his teams in Marseille and in Brighton. Where players would not know which man theirs was to mark and you would often see them all pointing at opponents telling someone else to mark their man for them.  

In conclusion, Hull have been very good so far, but I would be cautiously optimistic. It is early days yet and the season is very long. Tottenham on the other hand are in panic mode. They don’t show any signs of improvement from last season and only time will tell if they have the quality to turn things around.  

Sources: 

• https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/1231090/mohamed-belloumi 

• https://www.skysports.com/football/news/13578157/tottenham-roberto-de-zerbi-delighted-with-spurs-transfer-business-after-dramatic-premier-league-survival-last-season 

• https://www.fotmob.com/embed/news/01m3ymppyb68/supercomputer-predicts-epl-table-every-possible-man-city-points-deduction 
• https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsdArzpWX3kjYoXZcpwnJ6Ks0VJ6hk9wmFHl6fMG1IGw&s=10 (De Zerbi image)
• https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVu3uwlgoIKv-Mj6CG-FMokj8DkoeL_mr9KrlHsu-s9Q&s=10 (Jakirovic image)