With pivotal clashes like Manchester City vs. Tottenham and Newcastle vs. Liverpool, the early-season title race is already getting intense.
The weekend also saw Chelsea claim a decisive victory over West Ham in a London derby.
The spotlight on Saturday is on the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City will host Tottenham. City is coming off a commanding 4-0 win against Wolves and looks to continue its quest to reclaim the Premier League title.
heir potent attack, which was in full force during Matchday 1, will pose a significant challenge to the Tottenham defense.
Read: Tottenham Eye Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson Amid Attacking Crisis
Meanwhile, Spurs also got off to a strong start, securing a 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Burnley in Thomas Frank’s debut as manager. The addition of players like João Palhinha, who analyst Marc Strydom believes will “add a lot of balance” and help the backline, has infused the team with a new energy.
Speaking on Hit the Target, powered by Hollywoodbets, Strydom said, “I think he’s going to be an important player for Spurs this season, he’s going to add a lot of balance. He’s going to help the backline as well because before he left for Bayern Munich, I think he was right up there for duels won for Fulham.”
Tottenham will be looking to carry this momentum into one of the toughest away fixtures of the season. That being said, fellow pundit Nigel Naicker believes it won’t be a straightforward win for City. Naicker said on the episode, “I think it’s going to be a difficult one to call, in terms of sharpness and cohesion, just yet.
It’s just Matchday 2 but [Thomas] Frank has shown that he can frustrate teams, with the performance against PSG and even the game against Arsenal in the pre-season.”
Matchday 2 concludes with a highly anticipated showdown at St. James’ Park as Newcastle United hosts Liverpool on Monday night. This fixture is already a big one, as both teams finished in the top five last season and are vying for a spot in the Champions League.
Adding to the tension is the recent transfer saga surrounding Newcastle’s star striker, Alexander Isak, which has created a notable layer of animosity between the two clubs.
Tune into the latest episode for the full preview!