Five Premier League talking points from opening weekend of 2024/2025 season

The Premier League is back, and although it’s early to predict the outcome of the 2024/2025 season, several clubs have already signaled their intentions.

Defending champions Manchester City kicked off their title defense with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, the standout fixture of the weekend.

The season officially began on Friday night when Manchester United edged out Fulham 1-0 at Old Trafford.

Liverpool were the first major team to play on Saturday, with a 12:30 pm kickoff against Ipswich Town.

At 3 pm, Arsenal made headlines with a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Also at that time, Brighton secured a 3-0 home win against Everton, placing them at the top of the table after the opening weekend.

Newcastle United narrowly defeated Southampton 1-0, while Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth played to a 1-1 draw.

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Aston Villa won 2-1 against West Ham United in the late Saturday evening fixture.

On Sunday, Brentford overcame Crystal Palace 2-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium before Manchester City’s clash with Chelsea.

Here are the key takeaways from the weekend’s games:

1. Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United Dilemma
   Manchester United initially struggled to break down Ipswich Town, but Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee, coming off the bench, scored the decisive goal. With injuries to Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw, and new arrivals in defense, it will be intriguing to see how ten Hag handles his selection decisions.
2. Arne Slot’s Impact at Liverpool
   Jurgen Klopp was known for disliking early Saturday kick-offs, but Liverpool’s new manager, Arne Slot, seemed unpassed by the 12:30 pm start against Ipswich Town. Slot’s fresh approach earned Liverpool a 2-0 win, with his style described by players as ‘elegant’ and ‘refreshing’.
3. Arteta’s Potential No-Striker Strategy
   Despite the belief that Arsenal need a world-class striker to challenge Manchester City, the form of Kai Havertz in the ‘false nine’ role might lead Mikel Arteta and Sporting Director Edu to forgo signing a new striker. The decision on whether this will be a wise choice remains to be seen.
4. Controversial Refereeing Decisions
   Weekend refereeing decisions were contentious. Eberechi Eze’s goal for Crystal Palace was disallowed in their 2-1 loss to Brentford. Wolves’ Masqueras avoided a red card for two bookable offenses against Arsenal, while Fabian Schar received a red card for what could be considered a yellow-card offense after a provocation by Southampton’s Berenton Diaz.
5. City’s Resilience Without Rodri
   Manchester City defeated Chelsea 2-0 without the influential Rodri, who was sidelined by injury. Mateo Kovacic filled in admirably, demonstrating City’s ability to cope without their star midfielder and Julian Alvarez, who has moved to Atletico Madrid.