You know the madness of the English football season has kicked in when a fan rings up 606 and says Arsenal will win the title.
The same caller reckons David Luiz is better than Virgil van Dijk, Mesut Ozil is better than Kevin de Bruyne, Unai Emery is better than Pep Guardiola and Nicolas Pepe will be better than Mo Salah.
Never mind the logic, admire the audacity.
For the record, I don’t think Arsenal have any chance of winning the title.
But here are 10 things I’ve learned from the first block of Premier League games this season:
1. Two team title tussle once more
Business as usual – the title race will be another straight fight between Liverpool and Manchester City.
The rest are scrambling for places in the top four.
(Image: Manchester City FC via Getty Ima)
2. Solskjaer needs to step it up… and fast
The phone-in caller who said ‘Ole must go’ at Manchester United, less than a month into the season, needs to pipe down and give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a chance.
But the warning signs are there – just three wins in the last 16 games in all competitions, including home defeats by Cardiff and Crystal Palace.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
3. Leicester looking good
Leicester look like the best ‘dark horse’ bet to break into the top six, if not the top four, this season.
Jamie Vardy is terrorising defenders, playing on the shoulder of the last man, again.
Manager Brendan Rodgers has got a good mix and the Foxes’ unbeaten start is no fluke.
(Image: Getty Images)
4. Don’t sleep on Sheffield United
Pundits who damn Sheffield United with faint praise about their ‘basic’ style need to wake up and look at the evidence – the Blades have been a breath of fresh air.
Chris Wilder’s team have played some fantastic stuff, epitomised by their second-half fightback at Chelsea.
(Image: 2019 Getty Images)
5. Can Villa and Norwich stick to their principles?
All three promoted clubs have made a promising start.
It’s good to see Villa Park rocking again, while Norwich have stuck admirably to their principles.
Let’s see if those principles are sustainable when the going gets heavier in winter, but I like their verve.
(Image: REUTERS)
6. Euro demands look set to weigh down Wolves
I’m not convinced Wolves are going to balance the demands of Europa League football with matching last season’s seventh-place finish.
It’s not easy to put points on the board when you are getting home late and tired from Thursday night assignments on the continent.
(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)
7. Spurs bid for trophies looks unconvincing
I’m not convinced, either, about Tottenham’s top-four chances – especially if they don’t keep hold of Christian Eriksen in January.
One pundit said Eriksen had more chance of winning trophies if he stayed with Spurs instead of joining one of the big guns in Europe, but when was the last time Tottenham won anything?
It’s so long ago that I was still playing…
(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
8. Everton have top six chance
Everton have a real opportunity to push for Europe.
Based on what I’ve seen so far, they should be chasing a top-six spot with Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United and Leicester.
(Image: Getty Images)
9. Hammers have a good one in Haller
We have seen too many false dawns at West Ham to get carried away.
But £45million record signing Sebastien Haller could be the 20 goals-a-season striker they have needed to set them apart from other mid-table clubs.
(Image: 2019 West Ham United FC)
10. Lampard setting Chelsea up for the long haul
Never mind where they finish – Chelsea will be stronger in the long run for new manager Frank Lampard giving extended first team experience in the Premier League to youngsters Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham.
Even if Lampard hasn’t got as many points as he would have liked so far, Mount and Abraham have looked the part at this level.
