Ten questions for the Premier League’s opening weekend.
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The 2014/15 Premier League season is set to kick off this afternoon, with all 20 sides set to be in action over the course of what should be a thrilling weekend.
For most fans, this will be the first opportunity to see their team in competitive action this season, with a number of questions that have arisen from pre-season and clubs’ business in the transfer market set to be answered, such as these:
Which goalkeeper will Jose Mourinho go for?
One of the biggest questions that faces Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is which goalkeeper to give the club’s first choice position to – something that will be answered when the teams are in for the Blues’ trip to Burnley on Monday evening. There have been plenty of suggestions that whichever one out of Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois misses out will look to leave the club – although the younger Belgian looks likely to be given the nod.
Can Pochettino get Tottenham’s flops firing?
One of the main tasks for new Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino seems to be getting some of the club’s expensive flops from twelve months ago, including Erik Lamela, Roberto Soldado and Paulinho, to perform at a level more in keeping with their huge price tags. The first chance to see what he has done over the summer will be when Spurs host local rivals West Ham United, with big things expected of winger Lamela, in particular.
What is left of Southampton?
The summer’s mass exodus out of Southampton has been well documented, with manager Mauricio Pochettino being followed out of the club by Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren and Calum Chambers. New manager Ronald Koeman has had a real rebuilding job on his hands, and is likely to give debuts to Graziano Pelle, Dusan Tadic and Fraser Forster. Sunday’s afternoon’s trip to Anfield will be the first chance for Saints fans to see whether Koeman has stayed true to last season’s entertaining style, and whether he has adequately replaced the departures.
How will Alexis Sanchez change the way that Arsenal play?
The signing of Alexis Sanchez has been made to take Arenal’s attacking play onto a new level, something that Arsene Wenger will hope to see when the Gunners face managerless Crystal Palace on Saturday evening. Sanchez is expected to add pace and directness to the side and is likely to start on the right flank, although Wenger will probably give the Chilean the license to roam around and look to cause Palace problems by popping up across the attacking line.
Will Bojan show his potential for Stoke City?
Young Spanish striker Bojan Krkic has been in fine form for Stoke City during pre-season – but will the former Barcelona wonderkid be able to take his form into competitive fixtures for the Potters? Bojan is likely to start as Stoke face Aston Villa, a side with a defence that is poor enough to give Bojan a real chance to make an early mark in the Potteries.
Will Louis van Gaal’s 3-4-1-2 work?
It seems certain that new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will start his first competitive match as the boss of the Red Devils using the 3-4-1-2 system that he deployed to great effect with the Netherlands at the World Cup, but will it work for United? With Antonio Valencia likely to start on the right and a real lack of central defenders, it seems as though van Gaal may have to squeeze square pegs into round holes against Swansea City.
What kind of mood will Yaya Toure be in?
Manchester City central midfielder Yaya Toure hasn’t played a Premier League game since reports broke suggesting that he was unhappy at Eastlands, so it will be fascinating to see the body language of possibly the most decisive player in last season’s title race. City face Newcastle United on Sunday and will need their talisman in the centre of the park to be at the top of his game.
Will Loic Remy play for Queens Park Rangers?
French striker Loic Remy saw a move to Liverpool collapse earlier this summer – and remains on the books of Queens Park Rangers, although he hasn’t turned out for the Loftus Road side since they were relegated from the Premier League. Manager Harry Redknapp has suggested that he sees Remy as part of his side in West London, but will the Frenchman start as QPR return to the Premier League with a home game against Hull City?
Will West Ham United be exciting?
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has reportedly been tasked with overhauling the club’s style of play for the upcoming season, but will the Hammers thrill when they face rivals Tottenham Hotspur? Allardyce has signed new strikers Mauro Zarate, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia this summer, but will they be fit to face Mauricio Pochettino’s side? There are many questions to answer for West Ham.
Will Liverpool be able to defend?
New Liverpool centre back Dejan Lovren looks all set to start against his former club, Southampton, at Anfield on Sunday, but will the Croatian international be able to shore up a defence that was shaky throughout the entirety of last season? It will also be interesting to see whether manager Brendan Rodgers chooses to partner Lovren with Mamadou Sakho or Martin Skrtel.
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