The Premier League is back, and the opening weekend delivered plenty to talk about. From transfer drama at Arsenal to a ruthless Brighton performance, here is what we learned from the first round of top-flight action.
The biggest talking point heading into the new season is not what happened on the pitch at Arsenal, but what is happening off it. Gabriel Martinelli was left out of the squad entirely for Friday’s 3-0 win over Coventry, and the circumstances surrounding his absence have sparked real anger from club legend Ian Wright.
Arsenal had agreed a fee with Turkish club Galatasaray for the Brazilian winger last week, but Martinelli turned the move down. What has frustrated Wright, and plenty of Arsenal fans, is not the transfer saga itself but the way the club has reportedly handled it. According to Wright, speaking on Sky Sports after the Coventry game, nobody at Arsenal has even sat down with Martinelli to talk through his future.
‘I know they might want him out, and a lot of people might say it’s time to move him on,’ Wright said. ‘But there’s ways of doing that and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave. He’s done enough with this squad to be treated with a little bit more respect than he’s being treated with at the moment.’
Martielli is 25 years old and has been a key part of the Arsenal project for several years. Whatever the club’s plans are, the suggestion that he has been blanked by decision-makers while his future is decided around him does not sit well. Arsenal won comfortably without him, but this story is far from over.
Elsewhere, Manchester United’s attack looked worryingly short of firepower during the opening weekend. It is a problem that has followed the club for a couple of seasons now, and early signs suggest it has not been fixed. Without a genuinely clinical striker leading the line, United are going to struggle to grind out results when games get tight. The squad looks unbalanced, and the pressure on the manager to address it in the remaining weeks of the transfer window is only going to grow.
Brentford, on the other hand, look like they may have pulled off one of the summer’s smartest pieces of business. Their new signing, brought in for around £39 million, looked sharp and settled from the off. For a club that operates on a fraction of the budget of their top-half rivals, finding value in the market is everything, and early signs suggest this could be a real bargain.
Over at Everton, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made an immediate impact on his debut, showing exactly why the club pushed to bring him in. The midfielder looked composed and energetic, giving Everton a real presence in the middle of the park that they have badly needed. It was one performance, but supporters will have come away feeling genuinely encouraged.
The result of the weekend that raised the most eyebrows was Brighton’s 4-0 demolition of Aston Villa. Villa were one of last season’s standout sides, so getting torn apart on the opening day is a serious concern for their manager and fans. Brighton, meanwhile, look organised, sharp, and dangerous going forward. If they can keep that level of performance up, they will be in the mix for European football again.
The opening weekend always throws up more questions than answers, but a few things are already clear. Arsenal have an internal situation that needs resolving quickly. United need goals. And the race for the top four is going to be as competitive as ever.
Martinelli situation is proper strange, Arteta needs to sort that out sharpish. United toothless as ever, no surprises there. Brentford always find these gems don’t they, absolute magic from that club honestly.