Premier League 2022/23 Matchday 1 Recap: Heroes & Zeros
The English Premier League returned to our screens this past weekend, and everything is now right with the world. We're highlighting some heroes and zeros from the most notable and lacklustre fixtures.
From key playmakers to embarrassing performances, here are our heroes and zeros from Matchday 1 of the 2022/23 English Premier League season.
Hero: Erling Haaland & Manchester City
It's crazy to believe that Erling Haaland is still evolving his already-established elite-level skillset, but he proved his worth on the Premier League stage on Saturday afternoon.
Many speculated if Haalands' world-class talent would translate into the most demanding football division on earth. Still, a debut duo of goals from the new arrival sent a warning to rival title challengers as the Norwegian led Manchester City to a 2-0 success at West Ham.
The intelligence of Haaland, on and off the ball, in unison with a lightning-fast pace from the 22-year-old, was a delight to watch.
Next Up: Vs. Bournemouth (August 13th)
Questions following Haaland's Community Shield performances have been put to bed, and next weekend the Citizens and their star man will be faced with a newly promoted Bournemouth squad.
Bournemouth fans shouldn't hold their breath, and I don't expect a similar success they accomplished versus Aston Villa on Matchday 1. Equally, I wouldn't be surprised if Haaland's name is on the scoresheet.
Zero: Trent Alexander-Arnold & Liverpool
From the EPL champions to the team who faltered to steal the 2021/22 title by a mere one point, the contrasting performances of Manchester City and Liverpool were incomparable. Is this a sign of things to come from Jurgen Klopp and company?
It's too soon to make bold predictions on Liverpool's upcoming season, but if a 90-minute performance from Trent Alexander-Arnold is anything to go by, the Reds won't replicate last term's efforts.
Fulham returned to the Premier League, and Aleksandar Mitrovic effortlessly ran rings around Alexander-Arnold, as the Serbian towered above the defender to open the scoring and put Fulham ahead.
Fingers were pointed at the right-back, and the 23-year-old was blamed for Liverpool's lack of defensive solidity. Losing the ball on multiple occasions behind some poor passing wasn't a title-challenging performance from Alexander-Arnold, to say the least.
Next Up: Vs. Brentford (August 13th)
Liverpool betting odds at UK betting sites were highly lopsided, and we should expect a similar price when the Reds face Brentford on Matchday 2.
If we use the current betting odds as a baseline, bookmakers give Liverpool an implied probability of 75.57%. However, I wouldn't rush to the window and place this bet until Liverpool can prove they own the fighting spirit of previous seasons.
Hero: Dejan Kulusevki & Tottenham Hotspur
Tipped as one of the underlying title challengers for the new season, Antonio Conte and his Tottenham squad lived up to the hype with a 4-1 dismantling of Southampton on Matchday 1.
Following a 1-0 deficit to the visiting Saints squad, Spurs responded by completely dominating the remainder of the first 45 minutes to take a 2-1 lead at the half.
From assisting goals to scoring them, Man of the Match Dejan Kulusevki found his footing early and didn't stop delivering an elite level of football throughout the rest of the game. He's one of the most potent wingers in the EPL, and we should only expect him to continue adding to the six goals and nine assists he's earned since joining Spurs from Juventus in January.
Next Up: Vs. Chelsea (August 14th)
If Matchday 1 outings are a teaser, Chelsea could be in for a rude awakening. If they allow Spurs to chase the ball as they did with Everton, the likes of Dejan will have a field day. This Spurs squad could compromise a defensive-minded approach from Thomas Tuchel, and an away win for Tottenham would undoubtedly send a message to the rest of the division.
Zero: Steven Gerrard & Aston Villa
Bournemouth joined Fulham as a newly promoted side that walked away with a point from the EPL Matchday 1 schedule, a position you don't want to be in as the opposing team who allowed this to happen.
However, Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa were that team on Saturday, as they endured a nightmare start to the season that mirrored the poor performances they ended the last term with.
Gerard opted to keep last season's top goalscorer, Ollie Watkins, on the bench. As Villa became the second-best squad versus Bournemouth, decisions like this could have been to the West Midlands club's detriment.
Next Up: Vs. Everton (August 13th)
Two of the worst performing teams from last season will meet on Matchday 2, but Everton's weekend efforts were notably more significant than their upcoming opponents.
The arrival of Phillippe Coutinho to Villa provided nothing but an underwhelming 90 minutes against Bournemouth. Can Gerard demand more from him and the squad to squash his critics? I'm not so sure.