Arsenal
Arsenal had a lackluster performance in the 1-0 win over Manchester United in round 1 of the Premier League.
With only 39% possession, the "Gunners" clearly showed a deadlock in their own rhythm. Remember, last season they only had 3 matches with less than 40% possession, and two of them ended with red cards.
It is not difficult to see that coach Mikel Arteta's team is prioritizing direct play and counter-attacking more.
In the opening round, only Morgan Rogers ( Aston Villa) made more successful passes in the penalty area (3) than Martin Odegaard (2) However, Arsenal's frequency of losing the ball is still a concern.
Arsenal also suffered 22 shots at Old Trafford - an extremely unusual number for a team that is famous for its solid defense. By comparison, last season they were only attacked so many times, and in both matches they had to play with one less player.
However, focusing on defense and an excellent corner kick was still enough to help The Gunners leave Manchester with 3 full points.
In addition to the need for smoother passing, Mikel Arteta will probably have to review the pressing structure. In recent seasons, Arsenal have always been among the most effective pressing groups in the Premier League, especially when preventing opponents from deploying the ball from their home field. But against Man United, this system was constantly penetrated.
Chelsea
Right before the new season started, Chelsea received a big shock when Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He was forced to miss most of, possibly even the entire 2025-2026 season. This has forced coach Enzo Maresca to rush to find a replacement.
At Chelsea last season, only Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo made an average of more progressive passes per 90 minutes than Colwill (3.74). That shows that this young centre-back is a key factor in the Blues' attacking play.
The original plan was to have Tosin Adarabioyo take on the replacement role. However, injuries in the final stages of the summer tour kept him out of the opening game against Crystal Palace.
With no one to break the card from the back, Chelsea had a clear difficulty when Palace organized a pressing in the midfield area extremely effectively.
Adarabioyo's return promises to help improve the situation. However, Maresca has publicly expressed his desire to sign another centre-back. Meanwhile, Jorrel Hato - a contract worth more than 40 million Euros from Ajax - is also considered a potential solution.
In that context, bringing Palmer back to the wing position - where he played explosively at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 - could be a viable option.
In the match against Crystal Palace, when assigned to play as a number 10 player behind the striker, Palmer had a hard time making an impact. He only scored 0.2 expected goals (xG) and did not create any expected assists (xA).
Liverpool
The defeat to Crystal Palace in Community Shield sounded the alarm, and the opening Premier League match only further proved that Liverpool were not really stable.
Despite defeating Bournemouth 4-2, The Kop had to rely on late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah to decide the match.
This past summer witnessed a big change at Anfield. Liverpool earned more than £200 million from selling players, but also kept two pillars Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah with new contracts.
However, the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold has led to a defensive revolution. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong arrived at Anfield to hold on to their wings.
Up front, nearly £200 million has been spent on Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz - two potential young stars. However, although the quality is unquestionable, these new contracts still need time to integrate.
And coach Arne Slot also needs more time to find the right formula for the team in the post-Jurgen Klopp era.
Although it is too early to evaluate, it can be seen that Wirtz and Kerkez are still not really comfortable in their new roles. Arne Slot's urgent task is to help them quickly stabilize.
And the solution can be very simple. That was the use of holding midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who had just completed his suspension after his red card in the match against Crystal Palace at the end of last season.
Gravenberch's return will help reduce the burden on Liverpool's midfield. In the last 2 matches, both Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister had to take turns deep into organizing the game and covering the defense, making their roles uncertain.
Even Wirtz often have to drop deep to participate in building the gameplay. The Kop's defensive system is not solid enough for the German player to control the ball comfortably in his home field.
