King Courtois' Reign Begins

Thibault Courtois is one of those athletes who makes a lot of us think “what am I doing with my life?”  At 22, the Chelsea shot stopper is already established as one of the finest goalkeepers in the world.  

Often the forgotten player in the historically brilliant transfer window that was Chelsea’s summer, Courtois is commonly overlooked in favor of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas.  The midfielder and the striker have been integral to Chelsea’s perfect record, but the young Belgian keeper will be a mainstay in the Blues' starting eleven for a very long time.  

The age of King Courtois has officially begun in England.  This morning, Courtois signed a new 5-year deal that keeps him at Stamford Bridge through the 2018-2019 season.  At his youthful age, the keeper has already won La Liga and played in the Champions League final to cap an impressive three year loan spell at Atletico Madrid.

A few weeks later, Courtois anchored a Belgian defense that gave up just three goals in five games at the World Cup.  Not only does he boast in impressive repertoire of accomplishments.  The 22 year old declared himself one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his spell in Madrid.  

He oozes confidence, commands the box like a general, and at 6’6 shows flashes of freakish athleticism.  Albeit he could have kept out at least one of Everton’s goals in the 6-3 thriller, his reaction save to deny Kevin Mirallas later on was brilliant.  

Petr Cech, one of Chelsea’s most loyal servants and perhaps one of the best five keepers in the world, has already been usurped by Courtois at Chelsea just a few weeks into the Belgian's tenure at Stamford Bridge.  It remains to be seen if Cech will stay glued to the bench for the entirety of the season, but for now Courtois has a firm grasp on the starting role.  

Many speculated that Courtois would start on the bench while Cech carried out his duties as the incumbent holder of the #1 jersey.  Cech would of course be on a short leash, but one could argue he earned the right to start the season in goal.  

This speaks to the mild-mannered Belgian’s abilities and the confidence his manager instills in him.  Cech is still just 32, and definitely has more miles left in the tank.  However, he may be looking for a new job in the next few windows, for unseating Courtois will be exceptionally difficult.  

Power Rankings: Chelsea Overtake Stumbling City

Chelsea take the top spot in this weeks power rankings, while Stoke City and Aston Villa made the biggest leaps following their impressive wins at the weekend.  

1. Chelsea (2): Jose Mourinho’s men flexed their muscles at Goodison Park on Saturday, blowing away Everton at the tail end of a 6-3 thriller.  Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas have taken this team to the next level, while players already at the club have improved as well.  They’ve been the best team going into the international break, and are 100% deserving of the top spot. 

2. Liverpool (5): Many thought Sunday’s contest with Tottenham would be an even contest, but Liverpool stormed the gates of White Hart Lane to a 3-0 win.  There are always room for improvements, and it will take time for Mario Balotelli to re-acclimate himself with the league.  But, as Brendan Rodgers said this morning, Liverpool is not the Balotelli show, and they showed it.  

3. Manchester City (1): As surprising as the result was for Manchester City, it’s not shocking to see this team go missing for almost an entire game.  This happened several times last season in their road to the championship.  However, Manuel Pellegrini will have to go back to the drawing board in order to get his high-octane offense going once again.  

4. Swansea (6): Gary Monk has enjoyed nine points from nine for Swansea City to start the season.  Going into the international break, Nathan Dyer has given Roy Hodgson something to think about next time around; the winger was a revelation on Saturday, linking up nicely with Wilfried Bony, whose form and power make Michu a forgotten man in Wales.  

5. Southampton (7): For all the work he’s put in in the first three fixtures, there wasn’t a man more deserving of a goal than Graziano Pelle.  The Italian finished off a 3-1 road win at Upton Park which saw Morgan Schneiderlin pick up a brace that will surely ease the pain of being left behind to face the music at Southampton.  James Ward-Prowse is making this team click with his precision long-balls and ability to control the tempo of the game.  

6. Arsenal (4): A flat performance from the gunners saw them drop two points to new boys Leicester City.  The loss of Olivier Giroud is still having an impact on the team, but Danny Welbeck’s arrival should ease pressure off of Alexis Sanchez and the flailing Yaya Sanogo to produce goals from the tip of the attack.  

7. Tottenham (3): Just when we all thought Tottenham were for real, Liverpool came to town and swept them away 3-0 at White Hart Lane.  After two wins to start the year, Mauricio Pochettino has some thinking to do over the international break.  The talent is there for Spurs, but they must figure it out as a unit. 

8. Aston Villa (14): In a matchup of damage control after two respective mid-week losses, Aston Villa were the more resilient side against Hull City.  Andy Weimann continues his excellent start to league play, and Paul Lambert can rest easy during the international break.  Tom Cleverly will improve the side as Carlos Sanchez settles into life in England.  

9. Manchester United (11): I had to move Manchester United up in the rankings despite the disappointing away draw to Burnley because of what they did in the dying days of the transfer window.  Angel Di Maria was the Red Devils’ best player on the pitch Saturday, while Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao should further improve the starting XI.  

10. Stoke City (19): Going into the matchup, finding Jim Morrison alive would be more likely than Stoke City snatching all three points from the Etihad.  Thanks to some excellent organization and defending, especially from Ryan Shawcross, Stoke were able to pull off the deserved shocker against the holders.  

11. Everton (10): Everton were brutally exposed by Chelsea, but it shouldn’t deter Roberto Martinez’ men one bit.  Chelsea put six goals past Tim Howard, but there are plenty of positives to take from a match in which Everton wouldn’t stop clawing back.  The Toffees will look to bounce back in a fortnight when they head to the Hawthornes to take on West Brom.  

12. Crystal Palace (17): Times are looking up once again for Crystal Palace.  New manager Neil Warnock was rewarded a point against Newcastle by new signing Wilfried Zaha, who looks to re-vamp his post-United career. 

13. Burnley (15): Similar to Leicester City, Burnley had a chance to inflict damage on an already hurting club in the confines of their own stadium.  The point against United is a good one, but like their fellow new boys will regret not snatching three shocking points from a doable fixture.  

14. Hull City (12): Hull City endured a poor week, losing mid-week in the Capital One Cup, then falling 2-1 to Aston Villa.  Things could have been much worse for Steve Bruce, who say his Tigers thoroughly outplayed in the first half.  

15. Sunderland (9): Gus Poyet will regret not seeing his team go ahead early on, as they dominated the first portion of the match with QPR.  Overall, a disappointing result against a team who has scored one goal in three matches thus far this season.  

16. Leicester City (18): There are two sides of the coin to take from Sunday’s match with Arsenal.  Leicester City should be somewhat satisfied with a point against the Gunners, but will rue the opportunity to snatch three points against a top four team at home.  

17. West Ham (8): Sam Allardyce will not be happy with the atrocious defending on Southampton’s second goal, which saw the Saints catch the Hammers off guard from a corner.  After a big week two, West Ham are among the biggest fallers in this week’s rankings.  

18. Newcastle United (16): On the bright side, Rolando Aarons has arrived and could be a pleasant surprise for the Magpies this season.  On the not so light side, a late goal conceded cost Alan Pardew two valuable points in an otherwise outstanding contest from a neutral perspective.  

19. Queens Park Rangers (20): The highlight of the game was probably new signing Leroy Fer’s cannon off the crossbar, but other wise a huge step in the right direction for QPR.  Three points will ease pressure on Harry Redknapp, but more work is to be done if they are to stay in the league next season.  

20. West Brom (13): West Brom were thoroughly outplayed by Swansea City on Saturday, and because of it have fallen to the bottom of the rankings.  Swansea are off to a miraculous start, but the usually tough and physical Baggies were overrun by Gary Monk’s men.  

Chelsea Set For Everton Test

Jose Mourinho has had the luxury of facing two premier league newcomers in Chelsea’s first two premier league fixtures.  After a brief scare against Burnley, the Blues have gone on to dominate both games, winning comfortably in the end.

To make matters even better for Mourinho, he saw his team draw by far the easiest group of any English team in the Champions League yesterday.  This weekend Chelsea will face their first real test of the season when they travel to Goodison Park and face Everton.  

The two blue-clad clubs dueled to offsetting 1-0 home wins last season, leaving no doubt that tomorrows fixture will be hotly contested.  Everton have a pair of Chelsea strikers facing fitness battles before the weekend, but anyone who claims Samuel Eto’o isn’t out for revenge to some degree is kidding themselves.  

Eto’o, the ever confident Cameroonian who recently retired from international duty after 56 goals in 118 appearances, will have his former manager's comments about the strikers age in the back of his mind.  However, he has been with the team for less than a week, and his inclusion will likely be limited to a substitute appearance should he be available.  

Regardless of Eto’o’s fitness status, Romelu Lukaku will lead the line for the Toffees.  A year ago, Lukaku declared that he would score more goals in the premier league for Everton than any Chelsea strikers while on loan.  He came through on his promise, netting 15 goals and eventually earning a permanent contract with Everton.  

Lukaku will show the determination to prove himself under the watchful eye of Jose Mourinho, who sold the Belgian earlier in the summer.  Ross Barkley is still sidelined with injury, as are Steven Pienaar and Bryan Oviedo.  Roberto Martinez still has plenty of quality players at his disposal however.  

The midfield duo of Gareth Barry and James McCarthy has been excellent in the past year, while fullbacks Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines are a mainstay on either flank.  John Stones could deputize anywhere along the back line should Martinez need a late replacement.  Muhamed Besic has yet to make his first premier league start, so I wouldn't rule out Martinez sending him out there in front of the holding pair of Barry and McCarthy with confidence.  

Chelsea will have their hands full going into a hostile environment, but will have a full squad to choose from.  Diego Costa had a brief injury scare midweek, but has passed a fitness evaluation this afternoon and will likely lead the Chelsea line.  

Mourinho has fielded an attacking lineup in the two previous matches, but could opt for a more defensive starting XI and deploy the tireless Ramires next to Nemanja Matic in the middle.  

This would mean either Oscar or Cesc Fabregas would be sacrificed to the bench, something Mourinho is not afraid to do in big games away from home.  Ramires could also feature on one of the wings, since defending the flanks is never easy against Everton.  Whoever Mourinho selects on either wing must have a tactical understanding and help out against the marauding Coleman and Baines.  

As they did last weekend against Arsenal, Everton will likely come out aggressively.  However, Mourinho will not allow his team to go down 2-0 as Arsene Wenger did.  He has to be wary of how dangerous Everton can be when the run of play favors them and at times will be forced to play behind the ball.  

For Everton, it is imperative that lessons be learned from last weekend’s result against the Gunners.  For 75 minutes, Everton defended excellently and took their chances extremely well.  They took advantage of a sluggish Mertesacker and a weak defensive midfield, but must know the team they face tomorrow will be tougher and more organized.  

If Everton grab the lead, they mustn’t so deep in the dying moments as they did against Arsenal and allow Chelsea to mount a comeback.  Chelsea will probably play relatively simple and compact for the first portion of the game and Jose Mourinho will adjust as he always does.  

If Mourinho can sustain a defensive presence and assess how to improve the squad he has on the pitch at halftime, Chelsea could sneak away with a win.  However, the big game mentality that Roberto Martinez instills in his players will reign supreme over Mourinho’s methods.  I’m predicting Everton to snatch their first win of the season in what is sure to be a heavyweight duel, 1-0.  

Week Two Preview: Chelsea v Leicester City

If Chelsea’s opening fixture against Burnley was David vs Goliath, one would argue the Blues’ hope opener against Leicester City could be construed as the United States vs Grenada.  The Blues were impressive in disposing of top flight new boys Burnley on Monday, and look to wow the fans at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.  

Cesc Fabregas turned in an immaculate performance in his competitive debut for the East London club, delivering a man-of-the-match performance which included a sublime flick to Andre Schurrle for the Blues’ second tally.  Diego Costa also impressed, opening his account for Chelsea to level at 1-1.  Even so, Chelsea showed some vulnerability, but don’t expect them to do so again this weekend.  

After going down 1-0 on Monday, Chelsea kicked it into top gear.  This weekend look for Chelsea to attack from the opening kickoff, feeding off of the Stamford Bridge crowd.  Leicester were impressive in their home draw against Everton, Riyed Mahrez putting in a terrific performance.  Mahrez showed he belongs in the top flight, and that should be encouraging for Leicester.  

However, Chelsea will be near impossible to compete with at home, at least for a club like Leicester.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Chelsea went unbeaten at home this season, given Jose Mourinho’s pristine record at the Bridge and the arrival of new signings Fabregas and Costa.  

Felipe Luis earned a place on the bench in the opening fixture, but could feature this weekend at left back with Cesar Azpilicueta moving over to right back in place of Branislav Ivanovic.  I would speculate that this would be the long-term solution to Chelsea’s deep set of fullbacks.  Luis has a great deal of pace compared to the aging Ivanovic.    

The combination of Oscar, Nemanja Matic, and Fabregas in the midfield is a lethal one.  Matic is happy to sit deep and dictate the middle third, with Oscar and Fabregas searching out creative opportunities up the field.  Eden Hazard turned in an exceptional performance against Burnley, as did Andre Schurrle who was on the end of Fabregas’ wonder-through ball.  

Diego Costa completes this Chelsea team.  Costa showed promise that he could replicate his La Liga form in the premier league, while his skill set could have easily made the difference in Chelsea’s title challenge last season.  He doesn’t look it, but Costa is still at a tender enough age that he could yet show his best.  

Under Jose Mourinho, Costa will be managed well, not that he wasn’t under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.  With a top striker, Chelsea look set to reek havoc both in Europe and in England.  Mourinho has the depth at every position to challenge on multiple fronts, and expect them to take care of business fairly easily this weekend.  They have yet to be tested against a contending team, but the Blues look to be in excellent form early on.  I see Chelsea coming away with a 3-0 win on Saturday.  

New Look Chelsea

Chelsea solidified themselves as title favorites with a comfortable 3-1 win on the road against recently promoted Burnley.  After a Scott Arfield screamer to make it 1-0 in favor of the hosts, Chelsea unleashed a fury of attacking moves, wave after wave of blue shirts converging on the Burnley defensive third.  

Burnley were declared huge underdogs going into the fixture, but they showed fight and resolve in the second half, not to mention the impressive opener.  Chelsea were up for the task though, maintaining their shape and defensive work rate until the final whistle.  On both sides of the ball Chelsea looked comfortable.  

In the transfer market, Jose Mourinho constructed the most balanced starting midfield; a group who fits well with each other, but also complement each other very well.  Nemanja Matic is the defensive anchor that all premier league sides could use, allowing Cesc Fabregas to roam and seek out creative chances with the ball.  

Meanwhile, the relationship between Oscar and Eden Hazard appears to only be getting better by the day.  Now with two full seasons together, the two are accustomed to overlapping each other and dropping into other positions in perfect harmony.  Andre Schurrle looked good in a wide role, linking up nicely with Fabregas for the second.  

Diego Costa is what separates this team from last years squad though.  Costa is undoubtedly World Class, despite his poor form at the World Cup.  His presence changed the way Chelsea attack, in that he draws defenders further up the pitch and allows more space for the wealth of creative midfielders to shine.  

To cap it off for the Brazilian…erhmm, Spaniard, he scored in his premier league debut, a far cry from Fernando Torres’ start to life at Stamford Bridge.  Arsenal have done a lot in the transfer market, and so have Liverpool.  However, Chelsea have won the transfer window thus far in addressing their most urgent needs first.  

Messi's Relationship With England

It’s no secret that Lionel Messi is good, really, really good.  His stardom is what embodies Barcelona, and it’s no secret that his word bears some weight around the Nou Camp.  There is a notion that Barcelona is a place where attacking midfielders and forwards alike have a chance to succeed and play in a beautiful system which produces brilliant football.  

This, I would argue, is false.  In the summer transfer window, the premier league has seen Luis Suarez head to the Nou Camp, with Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez coming in the opposite direction.  For Suarez, a change of scenery and culture will probably help him, but when it comes to football he may be in for a bit of a surprise.  

Since joining Manchester City from Barcelona, Yaya Toure has kicked it into another gear, showing a more diverse and free all-around game at the Etihad.  At Barcelona, Toure was shackled by the constraints of the Barca way, but in the premier league is able to impose himself on the fast-moving and physical game that suits him the best.  

Players to join the Catalan club from the premier league don’t always find their way in Spain either.  Javier Mascherano has turned into a terrific center back, but his identity as a defensive midfielder shouldn’t be thrown under the table as he proved in Brazil for Argentina.  Alex Song is another example, for he has rarely started and is often played out of position at center back too.  

Cesc Fabregas was given the ultimate freedom at Arsenal to roam the pitch from box to box and create chances.  At Barcelona, due to the presence of Xavi, Sergio Busquets, and Andres Iniesta, Fabregas was too often played as a winger or false nine in the absence of Messi.  

Fabregas was still a good player for the Catalans, but his return to the premier league should be an exciting one for the creative midfielder.  At Chelsea, Fabregas will surely feature more centrally alongside Nemanja Matic or Ramires.  His positional dilemmas he experienced at Barcelona should be a thing of the past, because Jose Mourinho will put him on the field where he is the most dangerous.  

After just one premier league game under his belt, the praises are already being laid upon Alexis, who looks freed from his sidekick role to Messi in Barcelona.  The Chilean showed in the World Cup he can be devastating when given positional freedom, and has made a good impression on the Arsenal fans so far with his tricks, marauding runs, and creative awareness.  

The balance of power in La Liga is very different from that of the premier league, and it’s a testament to Barcelona's commitment to their star player that so many top-class players are cast into his shadow.  Luis Suarez was in a perfect situation at Liverpool; he was a rockstar, and now at Barcelona he arrives highly coveted but with a black cloud of shame over his head.  

With Messi already the incumbent rockstar with his young sidekick Neymar at his side, Suarez is in danger of being shackled at Barcelona, just as Alexis, Fabregas, and Yaya Toure have been.  Ultimately, the premier league is probably a better (and probably safer) place without the Uruguayan, but from a football point of view it’s a shame to see players limited so much when they move to the Catalan giants.