PL Week 1: A 20 Way Tie at the Top

[pedro1918]

Another PL season kicks off today as Norwich City, making their return to the top flight of English football, visit Liverpool, the European Champions. The game is on NBCSN at 3PM EDT. The rest of the weekend shapes up as follows. All times are EDT.

Saturday:

West Ham - Man City (7:30 AM on NBCSN)
Bournemouth - Sheffield United (10:00 AM on NBCSN)
Burnley - Southampton (10:00 AM on Gold)
Palace - Everton (10:00 AM on Gold)
Watford - Brighton & Hove Albion (10:00 AM on Gold)
Spurs - Villa (12:30 PM on NBCSN)

Sunday:

Leicester - Wolves (9:00 on CNBC)
Newcastle - Arsenal (9:00 on NBCSN)
Man United - Chelsea (11:30 on NBCSN)

Let the games begin!

 

[SocrManiac]

Our long nightmare is over... I'm going to get blasted, watch, and fall asleep at 6.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Just a reminder of the last Liverpool-Norwich game.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S5MeBTOP54

Benteke breaking Klopp's glasses in the pile-on perfectly encapsulates his time with the Reds. The Norwich keeper just letting himself fall onto his back with his arms spread as the ball ends up in the net always killed me.

 

[pedro1918]

1) I was just reminded by Rebecca that VAR makes its PL debut today.

2) I love that Magazine's "Shot by Both Sides" was played over the loud speakers as the teams were warming up.

 

[OCST]

HAPPY FOOTY EVERYONE

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Welcome back to the EPL, Norwich.

 

[Kliq]

Not the most enjoyable start for neutrals.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

Your early leader for PL Goal of the Year.

 

[Kliq]

I mean, just when you think Divok Origi couldn’t have a more charmed exsistence as a player...

 

[CPT Neuron]

Own goal! Thank you Canaries....welcome back to the big leagues boys!

edit

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Not the most enjoyable start for neutrals.

When a Big 6 side is playing a non-Big 6 side, is anyone truly neutral?

 

[DJnVa]

Well, I bet SJH didn't think that a Norwich player would, at any point, be the leading scorer in the EPL this year...

 

[DJnVa]

Norwich actually created 2 decent chances, and same guy put it into Row Z both times.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

That'll work.

 

[pedro1918]

Mo Salah! Mo Salah!

 

[Kliq]

Liverpool is better than Norwich.

 

[DJnVa]

Liverpool is better than Norwich.

Yes. But a better team than Norwich might have a goal already on Liverpool. They've been in dangerous positions.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Norwich are going to be fun to watch this year. Play a nice style and have some skill, they are just going to have to get used to having less time to take an extra touch.

 

[CPT Neuron]

Big save from Allison there

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Woooo.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

Norwich are pretty stylish (the football, not the gradient shirt to shorts thing which I didn't like last year for Spurs and I don't like here).

Only time and non-Liverpool games will tell if this is "suicidal for a newly promoted PL team" stylish or "mid-table" stylish, but they've looked better than this 3 - 0 scoreline

 

[CPT Neuron]

VVD!!!!!!

 

[OCST]

Norwich are going to be fun to watch this year. Play a nice style and have some skill, they are just going to have to get used to having less time to take an extra touch.

this scoreline is very harsh to Norwich. They should be losing but not by this much.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Krul saves them from going 4 down.

 

[OCST]

nice save.

 

[CPT Neuron]

Firmino with a chance for the spectacular there...

 

[SoxFanInCali]

this scoreline is very harsh to Norwich. They should be losing but not by this much.

Agreed, that OG was a shank that would have been either saved or gone wide if it was a couple feet in either direction.

You can tell they are well-versed in this style of play, but the combo of having to get used to the speed of the Premier League, some natural nerves, and playing against a relentless, skilled opponent in their stadium makes for a pretty brutal way to start the season.

 

[allstonite]

Oh no

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Well, this is a much earlier debut for Adrian than I was anticipating.

Mignolet must be like WTF?!?!?

 

[OCST]

Alisson slips and goes down. Looks like he's pulled something? Who's the backup keep er now, is it still Mignolet?

 

[OCST]

He'll get all the time he needs to get loose, right? This will be like 15 minutes of stoppage time.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Alisson slips and goes down. Looks like he's pulled something? Who's the backup keep er now, is it still Mignolet?

Mignolet went to Brugge, they brought in Adrian (old West Ham keeper) just the other day.

 

[allstonite]

Looks to be lower towards the shin or ankle so hopefully not a knee. Fingers crossed

 

[CPT Neuron]

Last thing we need here....

 

[67YAZ]

And we were worried about depth in the attack...

 

[SoxFanInCali]

There's a legit one for Origi.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

What a pass!

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Love the big ovation for Adrian's first touch, no matter how routine.

 

[CPT Neuron]

Divock Origi

What a start....

 

[CPT Neuron]

And the service from TAA.......sublime

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Delia better have a nice dessert ready for halftime.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

Max Aarons suffering from an unfortunate metaphor for that whole half, for Norwich.

 

[CPT Neuron]

Is it just me, or does the Norwhich manager look exactly like Antonio Banderas?

 

[JayMags71]

Is it just me, or does the Norwhich manager look exactly like Antonio Banderas?

I don’t see that. I see:

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Of all the ways VAR can delay a game, I bet nobody guessed a problem with the referee's radio.

 

[CPT Neuron]

Really.....I leave to see 1 patient, do a little work and the clean sheet has evaporated!!

 

[Cellar-Door]

Liverpool being title contenders and having their backup keeper be someone who lost an open competition to Darren Randolph, and Corpse Joe Hart in back to back seasons is WILD.

 

[JayMags71]

Liverpool being title contenders and having their backup keeper be someone who lost an open competition to Darren Randolph, and Corpse Joe Hart in back to back seasons is WILD.

He has to be an improvement over Karius and Bogdan, right?

 

[Cellar-Door]

He has to be an improvement over Karius and Bogdan, right?

As someone who watched him at West Ham.... no. Karius for sure is better, both have moments of just WTF are you doing, but between those moments Karius is a really good keeper and Adrian is just a decent one.

 

[OCST]

Scoreline notwithstanding, this Norwich keeper has made some really good saves, like that one.