Saturday Six-Pointer: 29/09/2012

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Chelsea have well and truly established their title winning credentials. Undefeated, with five wins from six games, has shown this on paper. But it’s wins against rivals that really count at the end of the season. Arsenal had impressed so far, none more so than in a comfortable 2-0 win at Anfield earlier in the season. I was beginning to consider them title contenders. But where the Gunners often fall short is against the other teams likely to challenge at the top. So, for every hard-earned draw like that against Manchester City last week, there is an underwhelming defeat like the 2-1 reverse against Chelsea. For the Blues, the season is looking bright. Both Manchester clubs have looked short of their best so far. And while Fernando Torres remains a shadow of his former sense, he is certainly an improvement on the player who was more likely to get a yellow card than score a goal for Chelsea. If he can continue to contribute to the goal-scoring, that could be the difference between Chelsea fighting for a Champions’ League spot, or challenging for league title glory.

Saturday Six-Pointer: 15/09/2012

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Some might see it as a bit cliché to say that the Premier League is unpredictable. Inexplicably, many people insist on debating whether the Premier League is better or worse than La Liga. Of course, this is ultimately irrelevant. And the answer would depend on what exactly you are looking for. At the end of the day they are the best two leagues in the world, and that is what matters. One thing in common so far is unpredictability. Because, while Real Madrid have lost two of their first four games, the Premier League this weekend saw another array of startling results. Out-of-sorts Aston Villa comfortably beat in-form Swansea City, while undefeated West Brom were thrashed by Fulham. Meanwhile both Chelsea and Manchester City were unable to win away games against opponents who have not yet won a game between them. The Premier League is starting to become a graveyard for the accumulator. Predicting more than one or two correct results in any given week seems to be getting harder and harder. Yesterday, out of eight fixtures, I predicted only two correct results (and those were the more obvious home bankers of Manchester United and Arsenal).

Saturday Six-Pointer: 01/09/2012

This week's Saturday Six-Pointer, looking at Spurs' crazy transfer window, hope for West Brom and West Ham, and what QPR could learn from Manchester City.

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Tottenham Hotspur had one of the more interesting transfer windows. Andre Villas-Boas was sacked by Chelsea last season for trying to change too much too quickly, dropping established figures like Frank Lampard. Presumably, his new bosses at Spurs have given him the free reign to overhaul the squad which he did not have at Chelsea. Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart have left the North London club, with a host of players including Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey coming in. This year is likely to take on a transitional feel for Spurs, as the new players bed in. It might well have long term benefits. It was the drop-off in form that did for Harry Redknapp last year, rather than the final league placing. With the changes made in the squad this year, Spurs will surely be satisfied with any European qualification this season. To achieve that, they have to learn how to hold on to a lead. An underwhelming start against Newcastle United has been followed with back to back 1-1 draws in which Spurs relinquished the lead. Both were against opposition you would have expected them to beat. They languish on two points from three games. Looks like AVB’s job is far from simple, and far from over.

Saturday Six-Pointer

Here's the first in what will hopefully be a regular feature on the blog throughout the Premier League season. It's a weekly look at the six talking points which have caught my eye in the Premier League each Saturday.

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I’m not a big fan of Alan Pardew, though it has to be accepted that he has done an incredible job at Newcastle. It is easy to forget that when he came in, to replace the popular Chris Hughton, he was derided by most Newcastle supporters. Now they back him to the hilt, because his results have proven him worthy. But his act of petulance today, pushing the linesman after he didn’t flag for a Newcastle throw-in, has no place on a football field. Managers are meant to set an example, for their players and supporters. Pardew has apologised, but he has had other indiscretions in the past. He has to realise that he cannot act like that, hoping that an apology will make everybody forgive and forget. I would suspect a touchline ban may be in the pipeline.