Premier League 2019/20: 8 Big Takeaways From Gameweek One
6. The New Managers
For the opening games of the 2019-20 season, there were three managers taking charge of their first competitive games with their respective new teams - Graham Potter at Brighton, Steve Bruce at Newcastle, and Frank Lampard at Chelsea.
Potter’s debut could not have gone any better, as his team scored three goals and took three points away at Watford. This is a dream start for the team that won just three away games all of last season. While the Seagulls were laughing however, Bruce’s Newcastle were beaten by Arsenal, and Lampard’s Chelsea were demolished by Man Utd.
As well as the new boys, there were also four managers beginning their first full seasons with their teams – Dean Smith at Aston Villa, Brendan Rodgers at Leicester, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Man United, and Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton.
These had mixed fortunes on opening day, with Ole picking up a huge win, Rodgers getting a draw against a good Wolves side, and Villa and Southampton losing against Spurs and Burnley respectively. While the Villains put in a decent performance against one of the big boys, Southampton struggled, and it they continue as they have started, Hasenhuttl may not survive to see out his first full season with the club…