The Premier League returned in early August, and fans can once again enjoy all the drama and excitement from one of the most competitive elite football competitions in the world.
Even though the new campaign is in the early stages, there have already been goals and a few upsets. A few title contenders have also emerged from the opening game weeks, and Football Betting Odds at Ladbrokesreflect this early season form.
With numerous teams in the title race, the 2021/22 Premier League could be one of the best in recent years, which is why it is one of the most-watched and most exciting in world football.
Competition Across the League
The opening game week of the 2021/22 Premier League season highlighted why the levels of competition are so high. In the opening match, newly promoted Brentford beat Premier League veteran Arsenal 2-0. The outcome defied the odds and caused a big upset. But there was another shock in game week one as another promoted side, Watford, beat Aston Villa 3-2.
Results like these happen nearly every week, especially early in the season when teams are bedding in new signings and adapting to the new league.
Some of the top teams also struggle to compete week in week out against different quality of opposition. This makes away matches tough for the top sides in the Premier League, which we have already seen with Manchester United this season.
United hammered their rivals Leeds 5-1 in the opening match of the season and looked in top form. However, the Red Devils struggled in their next two games, both away. They were held to a 1-1 draw against Southampton in game week two and just edged past Wolves, winning 1-0 at Molineux, in game week three.
The high levels of competition make Premier League results the hardest to predict. But this inconsistency and competition make the Premier League exciting as any team can beat any other in any given game week.
This inconsistency in results has implications at both ends of the Premier League table. For example, in the 2019/20 season, three teams were battling against two spots left in the relegation places. Norwich were already relegated, which left Aston Villa FC, Watford FC and AFC Bournemouth fighting against the final relegation spot on the last day of the season.
Bournemouth and Watford needed to win, while Villa needed a draw to remain in the Premier League. Eventually, Bournemouth and Watford went down, but there were late nerves to keep fans engaged right up until the final whistle of the 2019/20 season.
Some of the World’s Best Players and Biggest Signings
One of the big appeals of the Premier League is the host of top, world-class players who take to the pitch week in week out. Some of the world’s superstars play their football in the Premier League, which adds another level of engagement.
Star players like Paul Pogba, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohammed Salah and Bruno Fernandes provide moments of brilliance regularly. This season, more world-class players have joined the Premier League. Romelu Lukaku and Cristian Ronaldo have returned to the English top-flight, while Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane will look to make their mark for Man United this season. These world-class players bring in audiences from all around the world. Fans look towards high levels of individual quality that keeps the standard extremely high in the Premier League.
But players for teams outside of the top six teams also showcase moments of class. In game week two, Aston Villa striker Danny Ings produced a stunning overhead kick goal in their 2-0 win against Newcastle. Leeds’ Luke Ayling and Raphinha also scored technically brilliant goals in August, showcasing the high exemplary quality levels throughout the entire Premier League.
Lots of Goals Week-in-Week-Out
In most game weeks, there are plenty of goals scored across the fixtures in the Premier League. In the first game week of the 2021/22 season, seven of the ten matches played saw over three goals scored. Furthermore, in total there were 33 goals scored in the Premier League.
The appeal of goals being scored is a big plus for fans watching the Premier League. Goals add excitement and show that there is a level of unpredictability about fixtures in the top-flight.
Scoring goals can also determine final placements in the Premier League as teams have won the league, missed out on Europe or been relegated based on the number of goals scored or conceded throughout the season. In the 2011/12 season, Man City dramatically won the Premier League title, as Sergio Aguero scored a last-minute winner to win the title on goal difference. Man United and City had 89 points, but Aguero’s late strike secured the title for City.
