In the eyes of many onlookers, the battle at the top of the Premier League has already been established. Both Manchester clubs invested significantly over the summer and have added top class talent to their already-considerable squads. The results so far have backed this up; United and City have played some extraordinary football, sweeping aside opponents with an ease that has sent shivers through the rest of England’s top-flight. Scoring 33 goals between them in the first four gameweeks of the season and conceding a mere 6, the signs are ominous for the rest.
Chelsea have the experience and know-how and are slowly evolving under the guidance of Andre Villas-Boas; the additions of Juan Mata and Raul Meireles and the re-emergence of the likes of Jose Bosingwa and Daniel Sturridge have given the Blues reasons to be optimistic but a third place finish seems the likeliest of outcomes, with Villas-Boas lacking the necessary personnel to achieve his intended style of play right now.
The fight for fourth place looks an intriguing one; Arsenal and Tottenham have finished in the final Champions League slot in the last two seasons and with Liverpool heavily investing since the reintroduction of Kenny Dalglish as manager back in January, there promises to be a three-way battle for that all-important slot over the rest of the campaign.
As Dalglish prepares to take his side to White Hart Lane this Sunday, we look at both teams’ seasons so far:
Spurs- A Matter of Modric
Much of Spurs’ summer centred on the future of Luka Modric- would Chelsea spirit the little Croatian away to Stamford Bridge as Villas-Boas looked to rebuild? The answer, perhaps surprisingly, was no; according to Harry Redknapp, even £40m wasn’t enough to persuade the Tottenham board to part with their playmaker.
With their opening fixture cancelled due to civil unrest, Spurs began the season up against both Manchester clubs. No points, one goal scored and eight conceded over the two games and Redknapp moved to revitalise his squad; Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor arrived before the closure of the August transfer window and in last week’s 2-0 win at Wolves, the pair made an immediate difference on their debuts.
Parker’s work-rate is exactly what Spurs need alongside Modric in the central midfield area- Redknapp favours two wingers and with Modric in the centre, Spurs have a tendency to be overrun. A defensive-minded player who is willing to do the dirty work; Parker’s 4 tackles at Wolves is already the best average of the squad.
He also made 2 interceptions and his 2 key passes (1 leading to an assist) are the equal of Modric, Bale and Van der Vaart. Parker’s 91% pass accuracy –the best of any starting player for Spurs so far- again highlights what he’ll bring; an ability to keep the ball under pressure and cut out any unnecessary mistakes.
Alongside him, Modric dazzled- looking more like his usual self, he made 64 passes with a 91% accuracy, mixing up his distribution with 3 through balls and 10 long balls, he picked up the WhoScored man of the match award. Whether the club will resist Chelsea’s attempts to acquire Modric in January may be another matter altogether but for the time being, Redknapp needs to ensure he keeps his playmaker happy; already, it seems, Parker is bringing the best out of him.
Adebayor, out-of-favour at Man City, arrived on a season-long loan and Redknapp will be hoping he can answer a striking dilemma that plagued the club all last season. Roman Pavlyuchenko was the only Spurs front man to hit double figures in the league, with Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch major disappointments.
It took him just over an hour to find the net, opening the scoring on 67 minutes as the visitors ended Wolves’ unbeaten run with ease. Adebayor brought both goal threat (2 shots, 1 goal) and creativity (2 key passes) to the role and also, crucially, kept possession- an 87% pass accuracy is behind only Parker and Modric of Spurs’ starters so far this term.
Similar to the Parker effect on Modric, Adebayor brought out the best in Defoe; the little striker scored the second, though with Rafael Van der Vaart set to return from a hamstring problem this week, Redknapp has a selection dilemma ahead of the Liverpool game. Does he keep Gareth Bale on the right wing in a 4-4-1-1 and drop Defoe or move Bale left and bench Niko Krancjar? After the start they’ve had, it’s a problem Redknapp will be glad to have.
(Right) A look at Tottenham's potential line-up vs Liverpool
Liverpool- A Question of Carroll
The early summer spending spree showed they meant business; in came Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson as Kenny Dalglish rang the changes. Jose Enrique was acquired late on in the transfer window as the problem left-back slot was finally addressed and with no European football this season, many reckoned Liverpool, with the sublime Luis Suarez leading the line, would have a distinct advantage over the rest of the fourth-place challengers.
How have the new boys fared so far? Adam, with an average rating of 7.78, leads the way in the WhoScored rankings for his side- 1 goal and 2 assists in his opening four fixtures, with 2.3 shots per game, shows how well he’s settled. The graft of Lucas (7 tackles, 2.3 interceptions) alongside him allows Adam the time to create and so far, he hasn’t disappointed.
While many thought Henderson would vie with Dirk Kuyt for a starting role, the ex-Sunderland man has started every game so far this season. His 1.8 key passes is the most impressive of the midfield new boys and he’s also showed plenty of goal threat; 1.5 shots per game has brought 1 goal so far- the opener in the 3-1 win over Bolton.
The purchase of Downing was the key to getting the best out of Andy Carroll; Downing’s crossing was prolific last season but so far, he’s averaged just 1 successful cross per game. While he’s yet to score or assist, Downing’s tally of 2 shots and 1.5 key passes per game show plenty of promise and it can’t be long before he’s in amongst the goals.
Enrique has proven to be an excellent solution to the left-back slot so far. His tally of 2.5 successful dribbles per game is easily the best at the club and 1.5 successful crosses is second only to Adam (2). Creatively, he’s been as impressive as Suarez- both are top for key passes, with 2.3, as his forages forward prove a major part of Dalglish’s new-look side.
Liverpool’s main problem, however, has been Andy Carroll. As the season kicked off, Kenny Dalglish’s main forward concerns were centred on Luis Suarez; the Uruguayan had starred in the Copa America for much of the summer and Liverpool were looking to ease their main man back into action.
Suarez started the opener with Sunderland and scored the Reds goal in the 1-1 draw but it was Carroll who failed to fire- a total of 7 goal attempts, with just 1 on target and no goals suggested an out-of-sorts player. The next game saw Suarez as a sub, with Carroll the lone frontman at Arsenal, but it was only when he was subbed off and Suarez entered the fray that Liverpool started to play. Suarez scored again, as Carroll looked on from the bench.
Liverpool’s next game, a 3-1 win at home to Bolton, saw Carroll dropped as Dirk Kuyt teamed up with Suarez and the duo offered far more movement and dynamism up front than was seen in previous games. Carroll is a far less energetic presence and his more static approach is a far cry from Dalglish’s type of high-pressure gameplan. A comparison of the pair’s defensive work sums this up- Kuyt averages 2 tackles per game, Carroll a lowly 0.5- the Dutchman is far more likely to battle for the team’s cause.
(Right) A look at Liverpool's potential line-up vs Tottenham
Last week’s trip to Stoke was the type of game Carroll should thrive in- a bruising aerial battle against Tony Pulis’ hard-edged defence, surely Dalglish would bring him back into the first-team? The answer was no; coming on as a sub, his contribution was minimal.
While Carroll’s aerial ability remains exceptional (82% of duels won), he has failed to score, despite an average of 2.3 shots per game. Over a total of eleven games now, Carroll has scored in one appearance- a brace against Man City last April. The player that he was at Newcastle just hasn’t surfaced at all at his new club, and with his poor form showing no sign of abating; Dalglish has plenty to ponder.
The Liverpool boss may just decide that, despite the price tag, Carroll is a liability that lessens Liverpool’s overall ethos and turn to Kuyt as he looks to get the club’s season back in order, starting this weekend at White Hart Lane.
