West Brom - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Tony Pulis’ West Brom side will have been hoping to start the season with an upset against a Manchester City side improved by their £49million signing of Raheem Sterling. The atmosphere at the Hawthorns was dampened after 9 minutes, as Yaya Toure’s shot ricocheted in off David Silva’s legs, giving the Sky Blues an early lead. Toure got on the scoresheet later on in the game and Kompany rounded off the performance with a third, his second half header completing their domination of an underwhelming Albion side. A 3-0 loss would not have been how the Baggies wished to start their campaign, but it would have taken something special against a Man City side playing with this much quality.

Watford - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Watford will have wanted to start the season well in order to have a chance of staying up following their promotion to the Premier League on the back of an impressive performance in the Championship last campaign. They did just that, Miguel Layun’s half-volley opening their account after 13 minutes in what could have been a tricky away fixture against Everton. The toffees drew level late in the second half, Ross Barkley’s strike beating Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes after 78 minutes. Watford responded well, as Odion Ighalo put the Hornets ahead once more, only for his goal to be cancelled out by Arouna Kone’s composed finish late on in the game. The travelling fans will be happy with their side’s performance, a 2-2 draw probably the right result.

Tottenham - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Manager Mauricio Pochettino will have been hopeful that star man Harry Kane could reproduce his form from last season for Tottenham when his team visited a renovated Manchester United side at Old Trafford in the opening Premier League fixture for the season. Chances came at a premium for the striker and the first real chance of the game fell to midfielder Christian Eriksen – his dinked effort beat United goalkeeper Sergio Romero, but fell onto the roof of the Argentinian’s net. Shortly after, Red Devils’ striker Wayne Rooney found the ball caught under his feet in the Spurs area, only for Kyle Walker’s last ditch tackle to trickle into his own net. The game remained at 1-0, with the few chances Spurs had kept out by Romero.

Swansea - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

A strong performance from Garry Monk’s Swansea City side saw them come from behind twice in their opening fixture against reigning champions, Chelsea. A resolute attitude throughout the team meant Swansea’s perseverance and good decision making in attack brought them through the game, to leave Stamford Bridge with a point. A composed finish from new boy Andre Ayew brought Swansea level after 29 minutes, however the joy was short lived as a Fernandez own goal brought Chelsea level just 1 minute later. In the second half, Swansea continued to threaten Chelsea’s goal and striker Bafetimbi Gomis won a penalty early on as Chelsea’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saw red. Gomis dispatched the penalty to draw them level once more. Swansea couldn’t take advantage of the situation, but will be pleased to leave with a point.

Sunderland - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Questions rose about the solidity of Sunderland’s defence as they fell short in a 4-2 defeat away to Leicester City in their opening fixture of this Premier League season. Dick Advocaat’s men had little to shout about at half time, conceding three goals in the opening 30 minutes of the game. New signing Younes Kaboul seems to have struggled to settle in his new role leading the Black Cats back line, as John O’Shea’s omission from the starting line-up may have surprised some after a solid 2014/15 campaign. Advocaat will have been happier at full-time than half-time, despite the loss, following his side’s attempt to drag themselves back into the game with goals through strikers Jermain Defoe and Steven Fletcher.

Stoke - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Stoke fans have plenty to be optimistic about this season as Mark Hughes proved his side could compete with some of the top sides for the big names, signing Ibrahim Afellay from Barcelona – the winger starting the opening game against Liverpool. A late moment of brilliance from Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho took the draw away from the Potters in a well contested match at the Britannia Stadium. Hughes will look for his side to be more clinical moving forward, with only one shot on target in the match. Despite the loss, Stoke proved they have what it takes to go toe to toe with the big boys this season and could shock a few.

Southampton - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

England striker Jay Rodriguez made his return in a 2-2 away draw against Newcastle, as Southampton sought to build on the good foundations they laid down in last season’s impressive 7^th place finish. An opening goal from striker Graziano Pelle after 24 minutes will have filled Saints fans with hope, but it was short lived as goals from Papiss Cisse and Georginio Wijnaldum gave the Magpies a lead early in the second half. Rodriguez’s replacement, Shane Long, grabbed a late equaliser for Southampton after 79 minutes which will give the travelling fans something to cling onto.

Norwich - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

The 2015/16 season began with a match that will leave Canary fans with a bitter taste lingering in their mouths. A few contentious decisions saw the game run away from them in a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace. Having gone 2-0 down, Norwich responded well as substitute Nathan Redmond pulled one back after 69 minutes. Striker Cameron Jerome then scored what would probably be the greatest goal of his career, expertly hooking the ball over his head, only for it to be taken away for a “high boot”. Although the foot was high, it seemed to have no impact on surrounding players, suggesting the goal should have stood. A potential turning point in the game got away from the Canaries and they went on to concede another, beginning their Premier League return with a defeat.

Newcastle United - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

In manager Steve McClaren’s return to the Premier League, Newcastle faced a tough opening day fixture against last year’s surprise package, Southampton. The match was hard fought, with the Magpies having plenty to shout about as they ploughed on through to a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park. One particular moment will stand out from the game as summer signing Georginio Wijnaldum buried his header to take the game to 2-1. An astute acquisition from McClaren, one which has slipped a little under the radar. The Newcastle boss may be disappointed to see his side fail to hold on to the win, however has many positives to take from the match.

Manchester United - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

After Louis van Gaal’s clear out over the summer it was important for the Red Devils to get off to a quick start this campaign. It wasn’t quite that easy though as they stumbled through their opening fixture against Tottenham Hotspur. A first half Kyle Walker own goal was all United fans could shout about after the game with a less than convincing performance in their 1-0 victory. With an abundance of new signings it may take a short while for the squad to pull together fully, but despite a poor performance, van Gaal will be pleased to escape with 3 points. New signing Sergio Romero started in goal amidst uncertainty over last year’s star man David de Gea’s future, and was instrumental in keeping Spurs out all game, including a late Christian Eriksen effort.

Manchester City - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

As Raheem Sterling made his debut following a £49million move to Manchester City, the Sky Blues romped home to a 3-0 win against West Brom at the Hawthorns. Yaya Toure inspired the City side throughout, grabbing the second goal of the game, sandwiched between talisman David Silva’s opener and Captain Vincent Kompany’s second half header. Manuel Pellegrini’s men impressed throughout the game and looked at ease as they tore apart the Baggies. After a particularly effective first half, man of the match Toure may have worried some City fans as he left the field of play with a groin injury in the second half. Star striker Sergio Aguero made an appearance from the bench late on but had little impact following his return from the Copa America.

Leicester - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Having survived against the odds last season, Leicester will be looking to get a fast start to this campaign, doing just that in a 4-2 opening day victory against Sunderland. New manager Claudio Ranieri seems to have injected some new found belief into the Foxes with Algerian Riyad Mahrez impressing, scoring a brace in the first half of the game. An early head from striker Jamie Vardy, alongside the Mahrez goals, saw Leicester enter the break with a convincing 3-0 lead. Sunderland worked hard in the second half trying to drag the game back in their favour, however Marc Albrighton’s strike after 66 minutes put the game out of reach and the Foxes took their first 3 points of the season.

Liverpool - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Having spent heavily in the transfer window, Brendan Rogers will have been looking for his Liverpool side to gel quickly this campaign. Stoke City away will not have been the fixture Reds fans wanted to start with after an embarrassing 6-1 defeat in Gerrard’s departing match at the end of last season, despite Rogers’ claims. Christian Benteke made his Liverpool debut as they seek to find an answer to their attacking problem following Luis Suarez’s exit in 2014. However it was Philippe Coutinho who secured the 1-0 victory as his thunderbolt on 86 minutes rifled into the back of Jack Butland’s net. With so many debuts across the Liverpool team, they will be happy to have left the Brittania Stadium with 3 points.

Everton - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

In their season opener at Goodison Park, Everton took a while to feel their way into the game against a resolute Watford side. Striker Romelu Lukaku only had 14 touches of the ball in the first half and it took until 76 minutes into the game for Ross Barkley to break to seal for Everton, equalising after Miguel Layun’s opener after 13 minutes. Late goals from Watford’s Odion Ighalo and Everton’s Arouna Kone ended the game at 2-2, probably a fair result at the end of a good contest between the two sides. Roberto Martinez will be looking for an improvement however after disappointing campaign last season as they finished 11^th. A lot of pressure will be resting on 21-year-old Ross Barkley’s shoulders as he looks to translate expectation into reality, so he will be happy to have opened his account against the Hornets.

Crystal Palace - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Eagles boss Alan Pardew will be happy with the way his side have started this season, with an opening day 3-1 away victory against Norwich City. The Canaries threatened the Palace goal on various occasions, however as a result of strong defending a little bit of luck Palace withstood what was thrown at them. Pardew’s astute acquisition of Yohan Cabaye from Paris Saint Germain is considered by many to be the best Premier League signing of this transfer window and the manager will be pleased to see his star man on the score sheet as he secured the victory with a late goal. Goals from Wilfried Zaha and Damien Delaney will provide Palace fans with a lot of hope or the coming few fixtures.

Chelsea - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Reigning champions Chelsea faced a Swansea side who have hit the ground running this season and battled through for a 2-2 draw. Last year’s “best defence in the league” struggled massively throughout this match, with weaknesses exposed in right-back Branislav Ivanovic and Captain John Terry. Having lead twice, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will be disappointed his side let the 3 points get away from them. He’ll be left further frustrated by Thibaut Courtois’ sending off as he brought down Bafetimbi Gomis, giving away the penalty which allowed Swansea to score their second equaliser of the game. Despite their appeal, the Belgian’s ban stood as the FA saw no reason to overrule the red card. Mourinho managed to shift the blame for the defeat onto his medical staff who ran onto the pitch as Eden Hazard went down late in the game, reducing Chelsea to 9 players for a period of time. Overall it was a strong Swansea performance and leaky Chelsea defence that brought about the draw and the Blues were lucky to get away with a point.

Aston Villa - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Rudy Gestede looks to be a fantastic signing for Aston Villa, his strength in the air highlighted as he grabbed Villa’s winning goal in their season opener against Premier League new boys Bournemouth. The Cherries’ attacking mentality has been expected to test defences this season and the Villa defence, now lead by ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards, managed to withstand all that was thrown at them. The 1-0 away victory will please manager Tim Sherwood, who is looking for an improvement this season despite the losses of former captain Fabian Delph to Manchester City and star striker Christian Benteke to Liverpool. With over half of their starting line-up making their Villa debuts it was important for the team to gel quickly and they appear to have done just that, securing an important 3 points.

Arsenal - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

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.

England’s Predicted World Cup Squad

Props: Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, David Wilson & Kieran Brookes

Joe Marler, Dan Cole and David Wilson have been sure selections for a while now given their form over the last year, so they are an obvious inclusion. Mako Vunipola has had a great season for Saracens and on Saturday proved he doesn’t just have to play the impact role for England. The selection of Kieran Brookes over Alex Corbisiero has been made simply due to the late back injury that Corbisiero has suffered. Brookes has been great off the bench for England in the past, and his ability to cover both loose and tighthead prop gets him in the squad.

Hookers: Tom Youngs, Rob Webber & Jamie George

Since Dylan Hartley’s dismissal from the World Cup training squad, the position of hooker has been England’s greatest concern. The obvious choice to start now must be Youngs, even with questions over his ability at the lineout on the international stage. Webber has been in and out of the England squad for a while now, and although he isn't in great form,  the lack of depth in this position should be enough to get him in. Jamie George could be England’s answer to their problems in this position; he has been fantastic in the loose and in the set piece all year. In addition to this, he is set to make his debut this weekend, so hopefully he can impress. Unfortunately for Luke Cowan-Dickie this world cup has come too soon, proved by last weekend when he really struggled in the set piece.

Locks: Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Geoff Parling & Dave Attwood

Lawes has been one of England’s stand out performers over the last year and is another player who has a place nailed down. Although Joe Launchbury has been out of the game for a long time due to a neck injury, having had a few games for Wasps at the end of the season the young lock looked like he hadn’t been away, and having been given a starting spot this weekend it is likely he will make the final cut.  Some may feel George Kruis is unlucky to miss out, and they wouldn’t be wrong but with England’s strength in depth in this department his exclusion is understandable. Having been on a winning tour with the Lions, Parling is a man with a wealth of experience, and could be a vital member of England’s squad. Much like the other locks selected, Attwood has a great work rate around the pitch, and large physical presence.

Back Row: Chris Robshaw, James Haskell, Tom Wood, Billy Vunipola & Ben Morgan

The England Captain Robshaw is a certain pick, as is Vunipola, who was exceptional throughout the 6 nations, and all year for Saracens. Haskell is probably the next likely to make the squad with his ability to cover all back row positions, as well as being the most experienced pack member. Hopefully he has learnt to avoid posts since February. Tom Wood has been involved in this England squad for a number of years now, and having been made Captain last weekend its clear Lancaster has a lot of belief in him. Ben Morgan is probably the most unlikely, but if he can find the form he had prior to injury he would walk into the squad.

Scrum Half: Ben Youngs, Danny Care & Richard Wigglesworth

There is little debate over Ben Youngs being England’s first choice scrum half after a stellar 6 nations. Similarly Danny Care’s experience and Wigglesworth’s superb tactical game gives them an easy selection. If it were not for an end of season injury this position could have had more competition coming from a flying Joe Simpson, but unfortunately for himself and England this was not meant to be.

Fly Half: George Ford & Owen Farrell

Much like at scrum half, the 10s for this world cup are pretty certain. Ford has been one of the best players in Europe over the last year, and is England’s first choice 10, while Farrell has plenty of experience at the top and seems to be rediscovering his form at the right time. Some may think Cipriani will be unlucky to miss out, which is true to a point. However, he would not make it over these two as an out and out 10 and although he can play fullback, there are other players that cover multiple positions (Goode and Slade).

Centre: Jonathan Joseph, Sam Burgess, Henry Slade & Brad Barritt

England have struggled to find a lasting centre partnership for a while due to many factors. However, the latest dilemma is a positive one, with many quality players putting their hands up for selection. After being one of the 6 nations top performers this year it seems Joseph pretty much has the 13 shirt nailed down. So the question is who will play 12 along side him? Until recently, it was thought to be Barritt, with the South African born 12 having a wealth of experience and being known as a rock in defense. However, after last week Burgess has shown that, despite what many people thought, he can handle Union at the top level. Not only this, but he showed he does not only provide the brick wall Barritt does, but he also offers more going forward with ball in hand. Of course there will be doubt over his experience and reading of the game, but I think his leadership and persona on the field outweighs this, along with playing inside his Bath counterparts. The final centre to make the cut is Henry Slade, edging out Burrell and Twelvetrees, who both have not been showing the form they have in the past. Although inexperienced, Slade’s looked very comfortable at the weekend, impressing many. Additionally to this he can genuinely compete for the 10,12 and 13 shirt, showing the range of his skills.

Back Three: Jonny May, Jack Nowell, Anthony Watson, Mike Brown & Alex Goode

The remaining players were quite easy to select given the players already cut from Lancaster’s training squad. Nowell having had a good 6 nations has another chance to impress this weekend. Watson was sensational last weekend, and May, having been proclaimed as England’s best trainer in Denver, makes him likely to be selected. At fullback, Goode looked much more comfortable at the weekend than he did during the 6 Nations, and hopefully Brown has made a full recovery since his head injury, as we have seen how important he can be for England.

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.