Pereyra and Watford surprisingly find top of the leaderboard
Photo courtesy of watfordfc.com | Roberto Pereyra is one of the key players leading Watford to a surprising start to the 2018 season as the team is situated atop the leaderboard.
As the steamy hot days of late August transition into the cooler rainy days of mid-September in the United Kingdom, we can officially say that the Premier League is in full swing.
The first month of action on the pitch has been quite exciting — filled with major storylines throughout the table. Here is a more in-depth look at these storylines from across the pond.
Top of the table
For the most part, the top of the table is business as usual. Liverpool, with star player Mohamed Salah, stand tied with 12 points after posting four wins in the first four matches of the season. Chelsea is also tied for first, winning its first four games as well.
The final team tied for first is Watford — which may come as a surprise to some.
Through its first four matches, Watford has yet to concede a loss or draw. While its first three wins came against those at the bottom of the table, Watford came away with a huge win against Tottenham in its last match. Watford was projected by many to finish at the bottom of the table and possibly be relegated, so it will be interesting to see if it can continue this hot streak.
The two other notable teams at the top of the table are Manchester City and the aforementioned Tottenham. Both squads were projected to be at or near the top when the season began, so this doesn’t come as a shock.
Middle of the table
The middle of the table is dominated by two Premier League heavyweights in Arsenal and Manchester United. The managers of these clubs have been a big topic of discussion in the early season so far. Arsenal, with new manager Unai Emery, has had an up and down start to the 2018-19 campaign. It began the season with back-to-back losses against Chelsea and Man City but have since won consecutive matches against West Ham and Cardiff.
For Man U., the season has been more bad news than good. Expected to make a run for the top of the table, it is instead in 10th place. Manager Jose Mourinho has been on the hot seat since the end of last season, and with two early losses to Brighton and Spurs, his future does not look promising in Manchester.
Bottom of the table
The three teams situated in the relegation zone currently have two points through a combined 12 games.
Newcastle United and Burnley have both managed to get a draw this season, while West Ham sits alone at the bottom with zero points. Keep an eye on the bottom of the table, as these teams will become very entertaining toward the middle and end of the season in attempts to avoid relegation.
Premier League in the Champions League
Groups for the 2018-19 Champions League were drawn a couple weeks ago, and the four teams representing the Premier League will be up against some stiff competition.
Notable matches include Manchester United vs. Juventus, Liverpool vs. PSG and Tottenham vs. Barcelona.
This Champions League group stage has potential to be one of the most exciting in recent memory, as many of Europe’s most powerful and historic clubs will face off. Group stage action begins next week.
By: Colin Cooper | Staff Writer