THE PREMIER LEAGUES WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

In Kenya following the premier league is a culture most of us pick up from a very young age, and grow up evolving within it to the point we currently have increasing number of deaths resulting from premier league match reasons. These could be either a fight at the bar (where bottles are usually thrown), loosing bets ( I mean how could Burnley draw with Liverpool at home) etc. The reasons vary vastly depending on who you are (social status),, education levels or even just mentioning certain teams. Kenyans are obsessed with the premier  league and am no different. Thus I have picked up key teams whose performance last weekend could signify where they end up this season.

Liverpool
I will begin with my beloved team Liverpool. After the disappointment of the champions league draw at Anfield last week Wednesday, I expected a better performance than what transpired on Saturday. Thus I comfortably logged on to my Sportpesa account and staked a four figure amount on a Liverpool win expecting a handsome return back. I mean it was Saturday and with all the pressure sponsors are putting on us these days one can always do with some extra cash.
The game ended in a draw and as you could probably guess I lost my money plus a lot of time in the process. However I learnt that Liverpool has not yet matured, whoever watched the game can attest to this. As always Liverpool had numerous opportunities to add to the score and perhaps win the game but none of the players could step up. They either took many extra touches shot into the stands or couldn't finish. The game emphasized the importance of mane as the side lacked creativity and composure in midfield with Henderson missing too.
As I sat there watching Emre Can struggle to impose himself  on the midfield I wondered why Liverpool kept him beyond the summer.  He should have been replaced last summer. My verdict on Liverpool this season is they will struggle to make it into the top six.


Crystal Palace
As much as Roy Hodgson lost his first game in charge I did see some positives from their all round play. They looked better organized and  seemed like they had  a plan rather than the aimless passing De Boer was trying to impose on them. My verdict on them is they should comfortably finish mid table if they stick to their new managers principles.

Arsenal
As much as arsenal were criticized before the international break for the drabbing they got from Liverpool. Yesterdays match produced a much improved performance not just defensively, but mentally too. Arsenal performed better than I expected and had chances to win the game. The performance should now definitely kick start their season. However I don't expect a title surge from Arsenal just the usual top four push and another contract extension for their beloved manager Arsene Wenger.

Newcastle
Newcastle has started the season well and Rafael Benitez has developed a good working culture at the club. There performance on the weekend was efficient and a good indication that they will not be pushovers this season. However I believe the manager will need to add more fire up top to ensure a better goal ratio. He also needs different midfield options than Jonjo Shelvey when he returns to the team. my verdict is a strong top ten finish.

Manchester United
These are one of my top three candidates for snatching the title from Chelsea, simply because Jose Mourinho has a built a powerful team. Everyone knows their roles and is currently performing to maximum capacity. The performance on the weekend was superb and what I like to call a total performance, where they dominated Everton from start to finish.  Defensively the team is rarely caught out of position with Matic in the middle and in attack Lukaku has adjusted fully and is enjoying his time in Manchester scoring goals for fun. My verdict is this will likely be a Mourinho season where he wins the title for Manchester United then leaves for Bayern Munich.

Manchester City
Whoever said old is Gold was someone very wise. In this case Sergio Aguero is an absolute asset for Manchester city and Gabriel Jesus still has a lot of catching up to do.  His goals were simply superb and a sign of a player who is out to show critics that he is still extremely valuable for the team. However despite Aguero being the most stand out performer, the whole team performed fantastic, ball passing was of a high level and the team is clearly adjusting to Peps way of playing.
My verdict is city was the team of the weekend. however as much as they continue to perform well in the league I have a sneaky feeling that Guardiola has sights set on the champions league more than the premier league. Then again I had Liverpool slotted to win last weekend and they ended up drawing so don't take me too serious!
Fell free to contact me with your views and who you have your money on next weekend!