If I Were Always Right... - Premier League Table After Round 3

Premier League - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Arsenal

With Alexis Sanchez absent from the starting line-up for the season opener against West Ham, Arsenal seemed to struggle to find their feet despite a promising pre-season. Fans would have been filled with hope after their Community Shield victory against Chelsea, but may have been left unsure after the opening game as the Gunners disappointed in a 2-0 opening day loss. Olivier Giroud struggled throughout the game and Wenger could well go back into the transfer market to look for a new striker to lead the attack. Talk of Karim Benzema arriving has simmered down to mere whispers which may upset the Arsenal faithful. Petr Cech’s competitive debut was less than convincing, however I’m sure it was simply a blip in form and he will prove his worth in the upcoming fixtures. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was possibly the Gunners’ only bright spark during the game, however Sanchez’s return following his rest after the Copa America saw him return to the bench for the match against Crystal Palace.

Bournemouth - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Bournemouth started their opening game as many may have predicted with a fast-flowing, attacking brand of football. They threatened the Aston Villa goal on various occasions in the early stages of the match and more clinical finishing could have seen a far different result. Eddie Howe was full of praise for the performance of his side despite the 1-0 loss at the small Vitality Stadium. Howe made some smart signings over the summer, perhaps most notably the permanent signing of goalkeeper Artur Boruc, who played a huge part in Bournemouth’s promotion to the Premier League following a particularly successful loan spell last year. Another stand-out signing would be that of Max Gradel, the Ivorian winger looking to impress upon his return to England after 4 seasons in France with Saint-Etienne. He had limited time to make an impact, used as a substitute in the Villa match, however expect to see him play a bigger role in other fixtures.

2015/2016 Preview - Bournemouth

Newly promoted Bournemouth have made some smart signings, guys like Mings, Atsu and most importantly Distin could just give them the quality stay up, although the battle at the bottom of the table will be tightly contested. The Football League Manager of the decade Eddie Howe will use this new platform to impress further, and do what he always has done with Bournemouth, and keep shocking people. 17th place is where I think Howe will make his mark in the first year of Bournemouth's Premiership career, and the defence will need to be very tight, although new signing Artur Boruc can protect the goal pretty well. The pace up top could see Bournemouth snatch a few surprise points and this season every point will count.