The first big six game of the Premier League season and the only one on the opening weekend was a total laugher. Only one team was big today, United, who trounced the visiting Blues 4-0. It was a match that lacked energy at first, but once United got going they would never look back.
Let’s run through some of the news, notes, nuggets and tidbits from this one, starting with the stellar performances turned in the new guys for Manchester United. Winger Daniel James scored in his United debut, and we have video of that goal and subsequent celebration in the first collection of news and notes from this match over at this link.
Also making their debuts were Harry Maguire (now the world’s most expensive defender) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Both were brought in and handsomely paid for in the hopes of shoring up United’s shaky back line.
Both looked great and played with a lot of poise, even though Chelsea caused United problems defensively quite often in this match. The Blues even hit the post twice in the first half, but the defensive lapses were much more due to the gaffes made by left back Luke Shaw and centre back Victor Lindelof missing their assignments or inferior passing ahead of them in the midfield.
Overall though, the unit as a whole is improved with Maguire and AWB deserving high marks on the individual performance grading front.
Elsewhere, ex-United manager Jose Mourinho was very harsh on his former employer, giving a take so hot it will warm your entire house this winter.
The Special One, now working as a pundit for Sky Sports, said that Manchester City’s reserve team is better than every club in the league aside from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur (and City’s A team of course)
When asked today who he thinks could win the title this season, Mourinho responded: “Four teams. Man City, Tottenham, Liverpool and Man City’s B team. When I looked at City’s bench and saw the players that weren’t involved in the XI, I believe even their B team can win the title.”
Uhm yeah, ok, dude, whatever.
One guy who really has a lot to prove this season is Anthony Martial. He got off to a great start by scoring in this one.
https://twitter.com/Allgoals11/status/1160596020235046914
With Romelu Lukaku off to Inter Milan, United’s young and talented forwards will need to step up and fill the void in 2019-20.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link.