Spurs 3 Fulham 1

Some thoughts on Spurs win over Fulham at Wembley.

1. It was great to see Toby Alderweireld back in the Spurs first eleven. In the interest of Spurs, it was best for Alderweireld and Mauricio Pochettino to bury the hatchet. For neutrals, we want to see the best players and best partnerships. Defensively, it doesn’t get much better than Vertonghen and Alderweireld, whether they play as a duo or as part of a back three.

2. Fulham may have lost both their games back in the Premier League, but as this team gets more confident, I get the feeling they are going to be a joy to watch. Their ability to pass the ball in tight areas is something rarely seen in upper mid-table teams, let alone that for a newly promoted side. There is no reeason for them to lose faith in their style, and as the new signings get finetuned, Fulham have the look of a team that will pulverize a few sides in the league.

3. That being said, Fabri is the sort of goalkeeper who can undermine a lot of good team performances. Unlike last weekend, Fabri wasn’t directly responsible for any of the goals Fulham conceded, but he made more than enough mistakes that could have easily been punished. Sergio Rico has to start sooner rather than later, while Marcus Bettinelli must wonder why he has been demoted after having kept so well during Fulham’s promotion campaign.

4. Great to see Lucas Moura on the scoresheet in what was an impressive performance from the Brazilian. The narrative around Lucas has been similar to that of Alexis Sanchez at United. Lucas was a January signing expected to make his impact only at the beginning of this season. If this was a portent of things to come, he brings a much needed added dimesnion to Spurs attack.

5. Negativity around not signing anyone was understandable. Negativity about the new stadium delay is understandable. Despite all of that, Spurs have 6 points from 6 on the pitch. In a league where early accumulation of points is becoming ever more important, Spurs fans have little to complain, and if anything, the fact is that Spurs are on maximum points despite not being fully up to speed. It is a sign of growing confidence and maturity that bodes well for the remainder of the season.

Lazio vs Napoli

Last season’s matches between the top 6 in Serie A were some of the best I had seen in a long time. I am expecting the trend to continue this season, with this corker on opening day.

For a team that heartbreakingly missed out on Champions League qualification in the dying minutes of last season, Lazio shouldn’t be too disheartened at the start of this season. Simone Inzaghi proved himself an astute manager last year and is poised to continue his growth this time around. Many forecasted a summer of departures after missing out on the Champions League, but while Stefan de Vrij’s leadership at the back is a loss, several key components of Lazio’s exhilirating attack remain. Ciro Immobile, Luis Alberto and Sergej Milinković-Savić can terrify most defences and the additions of Joaquin Correa, Valon Berisha and Riza Durmisi fit the profile of Lazio while adding quality and much-needed depth to the squad.

In a similar vein to the hosts, Napoli were also expecting the departure of key personnel. Was there anything that could offset the loss of a visionary manager like Maurizio Sarri? Turns out, the answer is yes. The appointment of three time Champions League winning manager, Carlo Ancelotti. After leading the likes of Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Bayern and Real to domestic and continental glory, Ancelotti’s arrival at Napoli feels like a statement of intent. While Sarri was almost dogmatic to a fault, it will be interesting to see Ancelotti’s approach with a team that was so fine-tuned to play a certain way under Sarri. I am expecting better use of the squad this season and in particular am intrigued to see what dimensions the likes of Simone Verdi and Amin Younes can bring to this potentially exciting side. The key riddle for Ancelotti is establishing who is going to orchestrate the rhythm from the middle, now that Jorginho has gone to Chelsea. The young Fabian Ruiz who delighted at Real Betis last season has big shoes to fill.

Games between these two have always featured goals and I am expecting it to be no different this time around.

Villarreal vs Real Sociedad

There are a few reasons, I am quite interested to see this match.

1. Santi Cazorla. Magic unveilings aside, who wouldn’t want the Spaniard to do well after his 2-year injury nightmare at Arsenal. It is easily forgotten that at his best, Cazorla was a supreme midfield orchestrator. Pre-season indications are that he is playing at a good level, and if he manages his fitness, Villarreal fans along with plenty of neutrals are in for a treat.

2. Gerard Moreno and Karl Toko Ekambi. Villarreal have established themselves as a top 6 La Liga side on the basis of playing fluent football and keeping a compact shape. The one thing they always seem to lack is consistent goalscoring options. Coud this strike partnership make the Yellow Submarines genuine challengers for the fourth Champions League spot?

3. Real Sociedad scored 66 goals in La Liga last season. The only teams to score more? Barcelona and Real Madrid. La Real played one of the most cavalier styles of football a midtable team could possibly play, but for all of that they finished the season 12th. Out went Eusebio Sacristan and in came Asier Garitano, rewarded for two seasons of outstanding overachievement with Leganes. In what is a tricky away tie, Garitano’s famed defensive nous should give us some clues on whether Sociedad are going to be a less adventurous but more resolute side this season.

4. Theo Hernandez. It is easy to forget that after sealing a move to Real Madrid last season, Theo was expected to be the big star in the family. An injury-riddled year as understudy to Marcelo, followed by Lucas Hernandez’s significant role as left back in France’s World Cup winning team, means the younger brother has some catching up to do. Hopefully a year away from the Bernabeu will help rejuvenate the talented left back and I for one am looking forward to seeing the Theo Hernandez we saw at Alaves during the 2016/17 season.

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Arsenal don’t tend to do well at Stamford Bridge and despite new figures in the dugout this season, it’s hard to see the trend changing. The newest entrants to the top 6 managerial cabal had differing starts to their English tenures, but I for one can’t read too much into Chelsea’s stroll at Huddersfield, regardless of how smooth and proactive Maurizio Sarri’s Blues already look in contrast to last season.

While Unai Emery was slightly chastened in last weekend’s opener, we can’t lose sight of the fact that it was against City — the champions now in year three of the Pep Guardiola era. The loss does present an opportunity to Emery however. He can show us immediately that he is different from Arsene Wenger. Will he tweak at least a few things to prove that Arsenal are indeed heading into a new era of tactical flexibility and greater accountability?

There are also some questions on the pitch. As impressive as Chelsea were last weekend, can David Luiz be exposed by the pace of Aubameyang and Lacazette? On the flip side, how will Sokratis and a makeshift left back handle the threat of Hazard and Willian?

Chievo vs Juventus

The hype for this game takes care of itself. It’s only Cristiano Ronaldo’s Serie A debut after all. All eyes will be on the Bentegodi as Chievo welcome the perennial champions with their new superstar. While Ronaldo will be the focus of attention, this scribe is interested to see the team dynamic of Juve. I have no doubts that Ronaldo and Dybala will combine, but exactly what roles does Allegri have in mind for them? And how exactly do the likes of Bernadeschi, Costa, Mandzukic and Cuadrado fit into Allegri’s new tactical schemes. Could this be the most attack-minded Juve we have seen in a while?

There is also a lot at stake for Leonardo Bonucci, returning to the Old Lady after just one year in Milan, with tail firmly between legs. While that is understably the big story in defence, Juve’s most significant improvement at the back could well be Portuguese right back Joao Cancelo. After an excellent last season at Inter, Cancelo’s intelligent passing and use of space will add yet another dimension to Juve, making the champions even more well-rounded.

Guingamp vs PSG

Now really, this should be no contest. That these two operate in different stratospheres is no surprise. However, since PSG became the club they now are, no French club has been as pesky against them as Guingamp. The champions have won only twice in their last six visits to the Roudourou. In fact Guingamp even had the temerity to take a point at the Parc de Princes last season, having led the champions by two goals for most of the game. Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc and Unai Emery all had problems in Brittany, so this could be an early season test to see new manager Thomas Tuchel’s mettle. Antoine Koumbaré — the first manager of PSG when QSI took over, always looks to prove a point against his former employers.

Should also be Kylian Mbappe’s first game since he played a starring role in the World Cup final. It’s going to be interesting to see if Tuchel continues to play most of the youngsters he fielded in the opening weekend win against Caen, or if this is where most of the regulars begin their season.

Spurs vs Fulham

This has the potential to be quite a close game. Yes, Fulham didn’t start their campaign in the way many people expected, but they still played quite well and have the game to trouble big teams. Looking forward to Dembele against Seri in midfield, while Sessegnon vs Aurier has the makings of a non-stop battle on the flanks. I am also intrigued to see if there is any psychological effect of the new stadium delay for Spurs. Not that I buy into the “Wembley Curse” nonsense. But originally this was supposed to Spurs only home game at Wembley, now it’s going to be possibly be the first of, uhmm many? Mauricio Pochettino was extremely disappointed about this, and I wonder if the players feel a bit let down too. Nevertheless, two excellent passing teams on the wide spaces of Wembley should be entertaining.

Excited for these ten games this weekend:

1. Spurs vs Fulham
2. Guingamp vs PSG
3. Chievo vs Juventus
4. Chelsea vs Arsenal
5. Villarreal vs Real Sociedad
6. Lazio vs Napoli
7. Torino vs Roma
8. Nimes vs Marseille
9. Valencia vs Atletico Madrid
10. Crystal Palace vs Liverpool