Premier League Match-week 2: The Victories, Upsets and Surprises

EPL Match-week 2

The second match-week of the Premier League season is over, and we already have a few talking points.

It is still too early to make serious predictions, but some teams have started well, while others are already giving their supporters reasons to worry.

Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea all picked up wins, Manchester United bounced back from their opening-day defeat, while Tottenham suffered another loss without scoring.

Here are the biggest talking points from Matchweek 2:

Manchester City Continue Their Strong Start

Manchester City followed up their opening-day victory with a comfortable 4-1 win over Crystal Palace. Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland both scored twice as City continued to look dangerous in attack.

It is still early in the season, but two wins from two games and eight goals already scored is a very good start.

The goal-hungry Haaland has also scored four goals in his first two matches, which is bad news for the rest of the league. Manchester City already looks settled, and that could be a problem for their rivals.

Chelsea Win A Seven-Goal Thriller

Chelsea and Brighton produced one of the most entertaining games of the weekend, with Chelsea eventually winning 4-3.

Chelsea raced into a 3-0 lead and looked to be heading towards a comfortable victory. Brighton, however, had other ideas. They fought their way back into the game and made Chelsea work hard for the three points.

Chelsea eventually scored a fourth goal, but Brighton found the net again late in the match, making the final minutes uncomfortable for the home side.

Chelsea may still have some defensive issues to solve, but six points from their opening two games is still a positive start.

Manchester United Bounce back

Manchester United needed a response after losing their opening game to newly promoted Hull City. They got exactly that with a 5-2 victory over Ipswich.

Bruno Fernandes was the star of the match, scoring a hat-trick and helping United put their first defeat behind them. The result will give the team some confidence, especially after the criticism that followed the Hull City loss.

However, conceding two goals at home shows that there are still problems to solve defensively.

For now, though, supporters of the Red Devils will be happy with the reaction.

Liverpool Drop More Points

Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest at home in Anfield.

The hosts took the lead, Forest responded, and Liverpool had to come from behind to earn a point, leaving Liverpool without a win after their opening two matches. This does not necessarily connote a crisis, especially this early in the season.

However, a club with Liverpool’s ambitions will not be happy with just two points from two games. Liverpool still have time to find their rhythm, but they will need to improve quickly.

The Premier League waits for no one.

Newcastle Defeat Tottenham Again

Tottenham suffered another disappointing result after losing 2-0 to Newcastle.

The defeat itself is worrying, but the bigger concern is that Spurs have now lost both of their opening matches without scoring a goal. That is a terrible start for a team expected to compete near the top of the table.

Newcastle looked organised and dangerous, with Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa scoring the goals.

They already appear to have confidence, while Tottenham are still searching for answers.

Nobody expects a new manager to solve every problem immediately, but Tottenham cannot continue for long without finding the back of the net.

Arsenal Keep Things Simple

Arsenal left Villa Park with a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa.

It was not the most exciting match, but Arsenal will not be too concerned about that. They have won both of their opening games and have kept two clean sheets. Sometimes, the most important thing is simply getting the result.

Arsenal have done that so far, and they have also avoided conceding a goal. There will be more difficult tests ahead, but this is the kind of start they would have wanted.

Hull City Continue To Surprise

Hull City have won both of their opening matches since returning to the Premier League.

After beating Manchester United on the opening day, they went on to defeat Coventry 1-0 in Match week 2. Two wins and two clean sheets are an excellent start for a newly promoted side.

Nobody is suggesting that Hull City will finish in the Champions League places, but they deserve credit for the way they have started. They have shown that they are not in the Premier League just to make up the numbers.

The real challenge will be maintaining this form throughout the season.

Sunderland Earn Their First Win

Sunderland picked up their first Premier League victory with a 1-0 win over Fulham.

It was not a spectacular performance, but newly promoted teams will not complain when they collect three points.

Sunderland defended well and prevented Fulham from creating enough chances in the final third.

Matches like this tend to gain importance when the relegation battle begins to take shape.

Bournemouth And Everton Share The Points

Bournemouth and Everton played out a 1-1 draw.

Neither team will be completely satisfied with the result, but both sides will at least have another point on the board. For teams usually outside the title race, these matches can be important.

If victory is impossible, avoiding defeat is the next best thing. Over a 38-game season, collecting points consistently can make a big difference.

Leeds And Brentford Draw

Leeds and Brentford also finished 1-1.

Leeds will probably be pleased with the way they have started life back in the Premier League, while Brentford may feel they could have taken more from the match.

It is still early, but Leeds have shown enough in their first two games to suggest they are ready for the challenge.

What did Match-week 2 tell us?

• It is too early to draw major conclusions, but a few patterns are beginning to appear.
• Manchester City already looks dangerous.
• Chelsea are scoring plenty of goals but still need to improve defensively.
• Manchester United responded well after their opening day defeat.
• Liverpool are still searching for consistency.
• Arsenal have started quietly but efficiently.
• Newcastle looks confident and organised.
• Tottenham have serious problems in attack.
• Hull City and Sunderland have also shown that the newly promoted teams will not be easy opponents.

There is still a long way to go, and final predictions should not be made after just two match-weeks, which is part of what makes the beginning of a Premier League season so interesting. 

Every team still has hope, and nobody knows exactly how the campaign will develop.

Match week 3 is here, and if the opening two weeks are anything to go by, there should be plenty more to discuss.

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