Premier League 2019/20: 8 Big Takeaways From Gameweek One
It's back.
After what seems like an eternity, the Premier League is finally back. Three long months after Man City lifted the title, following one of the closest title races in history, all 20 teams are rested, recovered, and ready for another season. While we had the Women's World Cup, the Copa America, and the African Cup of Nations to keep us going through the summer, there is nothing quite like the Premier League.
Coming into the 2019-20 season, there are tonnes of big questions that will be answered over the next nine months. Can Man City win the title for the third year straight? Will someone be able to finally crack the top six? Who will be the first manager to be sacked? And of course, who will be the three teams ultimately relegated from the greatest league in the world?
While we will get no solid answers on these questions for some time, the first weekend of football always offers some insight and hints as to what we can expect from the season ahead. Ten games were played from Friday to Sunday, the biggest being the clash between Man United and Chelsea at Old Trafford, with big talking points occurring across the entire league.
8. Is The Chelsea Task Too Big For Frank Lampard?
One of the biggest questions heading into the new Premier League season surrounded the latest man in the Chelsea hot seat, Frank Lampard. Over the summer, since Maurizio Sarri’s departure, the Blues made the Derby County manager their number one target. It is a massive step, to say the least, from Derby to Chelsea, particularly for someone with so little experience in the dugout.
This is not helped by the club’s transfer embargo, meaning the new boss has not been able to add any new names before the opening game against Man United, with the exception of Mateo Kovacic, whose transfer was agreed before the ban. Limited to a young, and somewhat inexperienced team in some areas, Lampard is able to lean on Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori, who he worked with at Derby, but this looks like it may not be enough.
The Blues faced stiff competition to make the top four last season, and losing Eden Hazard while the teams around them arguably got better puts a lot more pressure on the manager. After just one game, Chelsea have fallen behind, recording an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to United. With City, Liverpool, United, Tottenham, and Arsenal all picking up wins, the Blues need to find their form very soon, particularly with a boss as fond of sacking managers as Roman Abramovich. Does Lampard have what it takes to pick his players up before falling even further behind the pack?