For all of you still recovering from your World Cup hangover, good news is here: The English Premier League is in full swing. As with any hangover, the best medicine is just to delve right back into it. You better hurry because these first few weeks of the Premiership have been action packed.
One team that hasn’t lost a step is the reigning Premier League Champions, Chelsea. The Blues return the bulk of a squad that held off Manchester United and Arsenal in route to the Premier League crown, and they seem to have picked up right where they left off.
Aided by a lackluster performance in the World Cup by most of their players, Chelsea is much more rested than perhaps teams like Arsenal that feature several players with a deep World Cup run. Nonetheless, Chelsea is running through the beginning of this year’s campaign with flabbergasting results. The Blues have gone undefeated to start, posting a record of 4-0, while scoring 17 goals and conceding a lone one.
Not much has changed with the champs. The majority of the scoring still comes from world-class striker Didier Drogba, and for the second straight year, Frenchman Florent Malouda is delivering early on, matching Drogba for the league lead in goals at four. Chelsea let the aging German midfielder Michael Ballack go, as well as the crafty English flanker Joe Cole. To add depth to that midfield, the Blues added the young and talented Brazilian Ramires and Israeli captain Yossi Benayoun.
The biggest challenge for Chelsea once again comes at the hands of mighty Manchester United. Man U has stumbled out of the gate though, recording draws in their last two matches to inferior opponents. The latter of the ties was especially deflating as Everton recovered from a two-goal deficit in stoppage time to secure one point.
The Red Devils also have some controversy hanging over their heads, as star striker Wayne Rooney is facing claims of adultery in British tabloids; similar to that of Tiger Woods having his dirty laundry aired out for all of us to see.
The Arsenal Gunners once again have the talent and philosophy to challenge any team in the world, yet can’t catch a break. The majority of Arsenal’s attack is spending more time in the rehabilitation facility than on the pitch, with Dutchman Robin Van Persie, speedy Englishman Theo Walcott and Denmark’s striker Nicklas Bendtner all sidelined with injuries until October.
The last team with the capabilities to puncture the dominant sail that is Chelsea is the free-spending Manchester City. Since the Abu Dhabi Prince commonly known as The Sheikh bought Manchester City, over $445 million has been spent on acquiring and signing players, with an additional $250 million used to upgrade facilities.
This year Manchester City looks like an all-star team, with world-class talent at each position. The problem that coach Roberto Mancini and is going to have is balancing all these players that deserve a great amount of playing time. Personalities are going to combust, costing this talented crew the chance at capturing some silverware.
It’s far too early to tell who will end up on top, especially with the January transfer window still months away. However, it will take a major move by a contender or an untimely injury to knock the dominant Chelsea off the top of the soccer world.