According to WhoScored.com‘s August player analysis, certain clubs are looking very strong indeed. Lets’ review some of their findings and consider at an early stage where the title could end up.
The title for the best August strike force firmly belongs to Wayne Rooney and Edin Dzeko. While Sergio Aguero and Ivan Klasnic have brought in a good haul of 3 goals, nothing compares to these 2 so far. Wayne Rooney has scored 5 and Edin Dzeko an incredible 6. Considering there have been only 3 games so far this season, that famous 20 goal mark a striker aims for looks easy for them.
Dzeko’s 4 goal haul against Tottenham saw him score goals Roberto Mancini must have been expecting last season. He was always capable of doing it but took some time to settle in. Mancini has kept his faith in the big man despite having the most incredible striking selection dilemma a club has ever faced.
Rooney seems to be playing his best football in a while. He is clearly enjoying a strike partnership with Danny Welbeck and enjoying the service from Tom Cleverly and Ashley Young. This all looks good for the England national team too.
David Silva head’s WhoScored?’s dream midfield with 2 goals so far and a number of key passes. He has been his brilliant self yet again this season and he is rightfully seen as one of the best players in the league.
Hot on his tail are two Manchester United midfielders. Concerns were displayed all summer about a lack of creative talent in the Manchester United midfield, but Anderson has stepped up and played very well indeed. As good as Sneijder? No. But can certainly pass a ball. With the emergence of Cleverly, Utd don’t need Sneijder.
You build a side from the back (or so I am told) and the standouts here were Chelsea’s superb Jose Bosingwa, Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen, the physical presence of Wolves Roger Johnson and the almost inevitable Patrice Evra.
The non Manchester addition to the midfield was the somewhat isolated figure of Liverpool’s Charlie Adam.
So what can we draw from this? With the majority (6) of the August XI selected by WhoScored.com playing for a Manchester club, could we feasably suggest that, with the league still in its raw infancy, the title race is a two-horse race between the two sides of Manchester?
Well, statistics or not, most pre-season predictions suggested exactly this. Speaking to a number of people about their opinion on who will lift the Premier League trophy, not many saw past City and United. My feelings on ruling Chelsea out can be read here, but beyond the Manchester clubs and the Stamford Bridge side it is my opinion there are no other challengers this year.
It is evident that both Manchester clubs have hit the ground running. But who will continue this right until the bitter end? It’s the closest title race we’ve seen for years. What is your opinion? Is it a two-horse race already?
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I thoght Vermaelen played for Arsenal.
The stats say Lucas has made the most tackles this season…
Oh wait it also say Lucas made the most tackles last season… And you choose Adams? Makes great sense :/