When I took a look at the Premier League table this morning, it had a familiar feel to it, and after five rounds, we may be looking at a table not a million miles from what we expect to be the case next May.
At this early stage there are some outliers; notably, Manchester United fans will hope the Red Devils don’t settle into their 11th place, though Chelsea suffered that kind of fate last term. But Manchester City and Arsenal are battling it out for an early advantage, with fellow Champions League contenders Liverpool and Aston Villa also in the top four, and Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Brighton and Hove Albion in pursuit.
Meanwhile, the likes of Everton and Leicester City have already migrated to the bottom end of the table, with newly promoted Southampton and Ipswich Town also yet to register a victory, and the Premier League 2024 betting odds will back at least two of those four to take a drop.
However, one team that most neutrals expected to be around the relegation mire, including us here at SBOTOP, has made a bright start. Nuno Espirito Santo has led Nottingham Forest to an opening sequence of two wins and three draws, and that unbeaten run places the Reds in eighth place, alongside Brighton. Forest won the Utilita Performance of the Week award for their stunning win over Liverpool last week as Callum Hudson-Odoi scored a sensational second half goal, and they fought back on Sunday to grab a point in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Brighton.
Forest narrowly escaped relegation last season, finishing one place above the drop zone, and they had the goals of New Zealand striker Chris Wood to help them in their survival bid. The 32-year-old former Burnley striker is an unfashionable figure, a powerful, awkward player with more than his fair share of guts and an insatiable hunger for goals. At 6ft 3 in, Wood is strong in the air, and he’s coolness personified in front of goal, scoring his third goal of this season with a penalty in the draw with the Seagulls.
Elsewhere, the departure of Ivan Toney from Brentford in a £40m deal that took the England striker to Al Ahli has left room for Bryan Mbeumo to take centre stage, and he has stepped up with an impressive four goals already. The 25-year-old Cameroon star is Brentford through and through, arriving at the club in 2019 after making his name at French side Troyes, and he has since made 189 appearances for the Bees, scoring 49 goals.
Another two London-based stars have caught the eye, each in their second season at their respective clubs. Striker Nicolas Jackson struggled at times in his first season at Chelsea, picking up as many cards as he scored goals in his early games, but he showed promise throughout in an often dysfunctional team. And this season Jackson is already delivering with four goals for the Blues, including an early brace against West Ham last weekend.
Dutch wingback Jurrien Timber had a nightmare first campaign at Arsenal, missing most of the season with an ACL injury. He returned in late spring, and this season, he has been one of the Gunners most impressive players, tenacious in the tackle and ever willing to launch attacks. This could be a big season for the 23-year-old.
False start for Lopetegui
When Julen Lopetegui was announced as West Ham manager in May, expectations were pretty high, but, while these are early days, the Hammers’ Premier League 2024 results
have done little to inspire the fans. The new man had a glossy CV to bring with him as a former Real Madrid and Spain manager and with Premier League experience at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but reputations count for nothing when the serious business starts. The 2023 Europa Conference League champions were hoping to challenge for Europe again and at least finish in the top half, but with just a solitary win away to Crystal Palace and three home defeats, West Ham find themselves in 14th place with just four points. And the 3-0 defeat at home to Chelsea on Saturday was particularly worrying as the Blues cut through the Hammers’ defence at will, giving the summer recruits Max Kilman, a £40m buy from Wolves, and Aaron Wan Bissaka a hard time. Lopetegui has also recruited Germany striker Niklas Fullkrug in a £27m deal from Borussia Dortmund and Spain midfielder Carlos Soler on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, as well as making a late swoop for Leeds striker Crycensio Summerville, and none of the three have yet got on the score sheet. Of course there is a long way to go, and the players, particularly those new to the Premier League, will take time to settle and gel, but I wonder if the club is starting to regret the loan of James Ward-Prowse to Forest.
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