The Premier League is back, baby.
2024/25 is here, and out of the starting gates, it’s *checks notes* Brighton & Hove Albion who lead the pack. All hail our new seagull overlords.
In the spirit of crowning champions after gameweek one, we have 20 hot takes – one for each team – for you to digest. Come and get them while they’re piping.
Result: 2-0 win at home to Wolves
Hot take: Bukayo Saka will soon be the Premier League’s best player – if he isn’t already
A goal and an assist to open the new season, but to such little fanfare. Bukayo Saka has normalised his brilliance by the age of 22.
One whipped cross for Kai Havertz to thunder home, one drop of the shoulder before firing beyond Jose Sa. Job done.
It begs the question as to when, not if, we can crown Saka as the Premier League’s king.
Result: 2-1 win away to West Ham
Hot take: Jhon Duran should partner Ollie Watkins
After a move to West Ham fell through, it was obvious that wannabe Hammer Jhon Duran was going to score at London Stadium.
The Colombian came off the bench to grab the winner for Aston Villa, and boy does he look like he can back up his massive self-confidence.
So why can’t he and Ollie Watkins coexist? Why can’t Unai Emery play them together?
Result: 1-1 draw away at Nottingham Forest
Hot take: Who needs Dominic Solanke?
The £65m loss of Dominic Solanke should, in theory, harm Bournemouth and see them tumble down the table.
But if Saturday’s stalemate at the City Ground is anything to go by, they’ll be just fine. And they have a new star striker in Evanilson to welcome with open arms anyways. The future is bright for Andoni Iraola’s Cherries.
Result: 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace
Hot take: Cashing in on Ivan Toney will improve Brentford
Thomas Frank admitted after Brentford’s win against Crystal Palace that he will be relieved to not have to speak about Ivan Toney’s future for much longer.
The England striker was dropped from the Bees’ squad as he edges closer to an exit, and that allowed the streets-won’t-forget duo of Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo to strut their stuff.
Toney should be consigned to history and the focus should be on those who want to wear the shirt.
Result: 3-0 win away to Everton
Hot take: Yankuba Minteh is already one of the league’s best wingers
It’s a real shame that Yankuba Minteh’s Premier League debut ended after only 45 minutes, but by golly what a 45 minutes they were.
The 20-year-old tore Everton apart on Brighton’s way to an emphatic 3-0 victory, and the world should be hoping for a speedy recovery so we can all watch him some more.
The kid is special. The Seagulls have done it again.
Result: 2-0 loss at home to Man City
Hot take: Enzo Maresca’s plan isn’t doomed, despite the doubters
Look, we could sit here all day and have a one-sided argument about Chelsea’s project, but that’s been done to death already.
What’s more fun to discuss is Enzo Maresca’s prospects as head coach. It was widely expected that his Blues would be trounced by Manchester City, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Chelsea went toe-to-toe with the champions and at points were even better than them. They just lacked a clinical touch (thank you, Nicolas Jackson).
Result: 2-1 loss away at Brentford
Hot take: Just take the Marc Guehi money
Newcastle have had four bids, the latest worth a total of £65m, knocked back by Crystal Palace for Marc Guehi, but there’s a case to be made the Eagles should cash in.
Let’s face it, that’s a lot of money for a mid-table team to receive. Guehi is a fine player with top-level international experience now, but losing him and bringing in a replacement at a fraction of the price won’t massively swing Palace’s fortunes one way or the other.
Result: 3-0 loss at home to Brighton
Hot take: Another relegation dogfight awaits
Everton’s final year at Goodison Park began with a harrowing humbling at the hands of Brighton.
With the Seagulls boasting the youngest manager in Premier League history, you’d expect he’d have been taught a lesson by Sean Dyche.
But the Toffees crumbled and their experienced heads must take account, most notably 39-year-old Ashley Young for his daft red card.
It’s going to be another long season at the bottom.
Result: 1-0 loss away at Man Utd
Hot take: Emile Smith Rowe will cook once he finds his rhythm
It was a rather tepid beginning for Emile Smith Rowe as a Fulham player, but the signs of genius were there.
The little flicks, the quick thinking, the desire to get on the ball and drive forward. Smith Rowe has barely played in the last two years, he just needs to warm up a little.
Result: 2-0 loss at home to Liverpool
Hot take: Only one factor will condemn Ipswich to relegation
For 50 or so minutes of their Premier League return, Ipswich looked no worse than the great Liverpool.
And then they ran out of steam. But against a Reds team so used to pressing for the full 90, that’s no shame.
If Ipswich can make up that physical shortfall against the rest of the top flight, they should survive.
Result: 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham
Hot take: Jamie Vardy needs to be studied like an alien autopsy
There’s no reason why Jamie Vardy should still be scoring Premier League goals against the likes of Tottenham at the age of 37.
Definitely not after downing a can of Red Bull at half-time.
Definitely not after only declaring himself fit two days before the season opener.
#MNF analysis of Arne Slot’s build up from the back with a narrow back four!! #Liverpool
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) August 19, 2024
Result: 2-0 win away at Ipswich
Hot take: Arne Slot is a genius, we just don’t know why yet
As was analysed on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Arne Slot deployed some rather unusual tactics during his first competitive game in charge of Liverpool.
They strangely built up with a narrow defensive base which involved their full-backs running infield rather than down the line or into midfield.
Slot’s up to something.
Result: 2-0 win away at Chelsea
Hot take: Mateo Kovacic will be this season’s breakout star
Alright, it’s not particularly fair to say that a 30-year-old who has played for Inter, Real Madrid and Chelsea should be considered as a ‘breakout star’.
But in context, he very well could be. Manchester City have a history of signing players and letting them marinate for a year before they truly come of age and lead them to a Premier League title.
Now is Mateo Kovacic’s time.
Result: 1-0 win at home to Fulham
Hot take: Joshua Zirkzee will be the signing of the season
It was quite notable that while Erik ten Hag praised Joshua Zirkzee after scoring the winner against Fulham, he was a little reserved and insisted the best is yet to come.
“Scoring for a striker is important and he should be where he was, but he has more qualities and he has to get the right balance – he has to be arriving in the box to get the finishes, but we also want him to link up. We have some great midfielders around him to make up combinations,” Ten Hag said.
If Manchester United have a striker who can assist and make the players around him better as well as score himself, then they’re onto a winner.
Result: 1-0 win at home to Southampton
Hot take: Newcastle will make the top four
Are people outside of Tyneside sleeping on Newcastle? Definitely.
With no Europe to clog their schedule, the Magpies should be right back in that Champions League mix again.
Saturday’s gritty, backs-to-the-walls victory against Southampton with only ten men is testament to the team’s quality and Eddie Howe’s leadership.
Result: 1-1 draw at home to Bournemouth
Hot take: Chris Wood will be the FPL king again
When Chris Wood plays, he scores goals.
It’s a simple formula. Don’t miss out, FPL players.
That feeling when you’re back at St Mary’s on Saturday 😁 pic.twitter.com/uawtYo4hDU
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) August 19, 2024
Result: 1-0 loss away at Newcastle
Hot take: Ben Brereton Diaz will become a cult figure all over again
The world already loved Ben Brereton Diaz once over for his surprise Chilean heritage. Now they can love him some more for being a proper wind-up merchant.
Result: 1-1 draw away at Leicester
Hot take: Clinical finishing isn’t Tottenham’s problem
Should Tottenham have killed the game before Leicester pulled back a goal out of nowhere? Oh, absolutely.
But that isn’t an issue exclusive to Spurs. In comparison to their peers, their woeful record of giving up huge chances to lesser teams is.
The goals will come for Son Heung-min and co, but they’ll achieve nothing under Ange Postecoglou unless they fix their glaring defensive flaws.
Result: 2-1 loss at home to Aston Villa
Hot take: The Jhon Duran saga will haunt West Ham for the next decade
In a year or two, West Ham will probably have to fork out £40m+ on a replacement for summer signing Niclas Fullkrug.
Duran sent a timely reminder of what they could have won if they had stumped up a few more million this window.
Result: 2-0 loss away at Arsenal
Hot take: Gary O’Neil is the league’s most underrated manager
Another summer of turmoil, another set of key players out the door without great replacements, and yet here Wolves were fighting for their lives away at one of the world’s best teams.
Gary O’Neil’s sides will always be competitive regardless of circumstance. The Old Gold should cherish him while he’s still around.