Football: Send the Trophy to Manchester Now?

Just five matches into the Premier League season and 18 teams are already playing catch-up with Manchester. City and United sit on top of the table with maximum points and 32 goals scored between them, including 10 last weekend. Both managers seem to have got things right in the summer, unlike their many of their rivals.

At the Etihad, Pep Guardiola hasn’t strengthened in huge numbers but has brought in quality. Most importantly, he has improved on what he had at his disposal last season.

Frustrating inconsistency between the sticks has been replaced by the reliability of the Brazilian ‘keeper Ederson. He has played all five League games despite nearly having his head kicked off by Liverpool’s Sadio Mane.

City’s new fullbacks have made arguably the biggest difference to the way they play. Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo provided 12 assists and created 83 clear chances for their respective teams last season.  The fullbacks they replaced delivered just three assists and 50 clear chances. Mendy in particular has been a revelation, rampaging forward at every opportunity.   In the centre of defence, the return from long-term injury of Vincent Kompany has brought stability and John Stones seems to have worked hard on cutting out the errors that were a feature of his play last season.

This investment has paid huge dividends further up the pitch, with Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva now free to work their creative magic. That in turn gives Sergio Agüero and Gabriel Jesus an almost limitless supply of chances to convert.  Agüero in particular is lapping it up, with five goals to his name already.

Across the city, José Mourinho also went for quality over quantity in the summer. He brought in just four players, with one of those (Zlatan Ibrahimovic) already a Manchester United player in all but name.

Despite spending more than £30m on Victor Lindelöf, Mourinho has not yet used him in the Premier League.The manager is confident the 22-year-old Swede will make his mark and has warned Eric Bailly and Phil Jones that their places will be in jeopardy if standards slip. This is classic José and shows that mind games apply not just to opposition managers but to his own players as well.

In midfield, United has an embarrassment of riches but has been massively boosted by the arrival of Nemanja Matic. Prizing him away from Chelsea must rate as one of the best bits of business this summer. The Serbian has slotted in seamlessly and with Paul Pogba and Juan Mata, not to mention the ever-reliable Marouane Fellaini, United’s midfield is frighteningly strong.

Pulling the strings between midfield and attack is Henrikh Mkhitaryan.  After a quiet season last year, the 22-year-old Armenian magician has been brilliant this term and his five assists tell you everything about his contribution. The main beneficiary has been Romelu Lukaku, who looks like he has been at Old Trafford for years. His five goals have set United on their way and that £75m transfer fee is beginning to look like a bargain. Marcus Rashford is also reaping the rewards and his interplay with Lukaku has been excellent so far.

This all paints a daunting picture for the rest of the Premier League.  Pep and Jose are two managers fighting for supremacy in the toughest league in the world. They have both spent big in the summer but importantly, they have each invested wisely.  Early signs are that their main rivals are already floundering and it is difficult to see who can stop them. The first Manchester derby is on December 9 and we cannot wait.

 

by Ian Hine

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