Premier League winners and losers: Water is wet, Arsenal lose at Stoke
By Ty Finch
While not as exciting and breathtaking as the opening week of the season, there still were moments to savor in week two. Here’s the winners and losers of the Premier League.
It would be hard to top what the Premier League gave us last week. Suffice to say that week two did not live up to the madness of opening weekend. However, there were still a few big moments, feel-good story lines and a some obvious inevitabilities. Huddersfield are still in a Champions League spot as well.
Here are the winners and losers of the second week of the season.
Winner: Manchester United
United fans have every reason to be excited about this squad. Two matches into the 2017-18 season, they are top of the league with a plus-8 goal differential. United thrashed Swansea on Saturday morning 4-0, including three goals in a torrid four-minute stretch in the second half, and never looked threatened on the defensive side.
Considering United have spent the second most money on transfers over the past five seasons, (the last time they won the league) it’s at least somewhat fitting to have a squad that looks this good. They have two of the top four most expensive signings in Premier League history. The addition of a more mobile striker in Romelu Lukaku adds a different dimension to their attack, and the Nemanja Matic signing has opened up Paul Pogba to play a more expansive role while simultaneously shielding the defense.
Last season, Jose Mourinho and United were heavily criticized for their negative, defensive style. Through two matches this season, however, they are playing the most free-flowing, balanced soccer they have since Alex Ferguson left the club.
It’s early, no doubt. Last season, Chelsea certainly didn’t look like league winners until they made the switch to a back three in late September. Clubs starting out the season sizzling and eventually cooling off as the fixture list congests is not an anomaly. It could happen to United. They haven’t played any top-level teams yet, either. Their next three contests against Leicester, Stoke and Everton will be a tougher task. For now, it definitely looks like they could mount a serious title challenge.