Ian Darke’s Premier League surprises: Chelsea, Jimenez, more

Each soccer season wants a story of the surprising. Leicester Metropolis’s 5000-1 title triumph in 2015-16 was the mom of all shocks, and the way many individuals thought Aston Villa would end within the prime 4 final season whereas Manchester United ended with a unfavorable purpose distinction for the primary time within the Premier League period?

So after six matchdays this season, which groups and gamers would possibly spring a shock this time spherical?

It’s a must to begin with Chelsea — dismissed by most observers as a circus membership on a grocery store sprint to signal means too many gamers. However cause has damaged out, and new supervisor Enzo Maresca has moulded a group which have climbed up tp fourth place on the again of three successive wins.

Cole Palmer, with 4 targets within the first half towards Brighton on Saturday, could be the perfect participant within the league proper now, and Chelsea are prime scorers in the entire division with 15. Much less remarked on is the truth that midfielder Moisés Caicedo is eventually beginning to present why the membership invested £100m in his providers.

Chelsea’s London neighbours Fulham are elevating eyebrows, too. They adopted a 3-1 win over Newcastle by ending Nottingham Forest’s unbeaten begin on the Metropolis Floor. Sixth place represents dizzy heights for this extremely watchable group. The Cottagers have pretty much as good a defensive document as Arsenal thus far, with solely 5 targets conceded in six video games.

Mexico worldwide Raúl Jiménez‘s return to prime kind at Fulham, after 4 years within the doldrums following his horrific fractured cranium damage whereas enjoying for Wolves, is a heartwarming story. The striker began the season on the bench however has now scored 3 times in three matches. Supervisor Marco Silva deserves monumental credit score for his endurance in restoring Jiménez’s confidence, and he’s additionally getting a tune from winger Adama Traoré, who has beforehand pushed his coaches to distraction by his failure to show his searing tempo into probabilities and targets.

Not one of the three promoted groups — Leicester, Ipswich or Southampton — have received a Premier League recreation but, however all three may but shock the doom-mongers predicting a fast return to the Championship.

Ipswich certainly have a sensible likelihood of staying up based mostly on the proof of their 2-2 draw with highfliers Aston Villa. Enjoying the intense, inventive soccer that earned two successive promotions, they gave Villa all the issues they may deal with, with younger striker Liam Delap scoring each targets and looking out a cut price after his £20m signing from Manchester Metropolis. In the meantime Jack Clarke, who moved from Sunderland, will give opposition groups loads of issues on the left wing.

Their defence, nonetheless, is much less convincing. The Tractor Boys misplaced to Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis of their first two video games however since then have held Fulham, Brighton, Southampton and Villa to attracts, suggesting they’re removed from overawed enjoying at this larger stage.

Leicester are conceding too many targets, however there’s loads of battle in them and so they have scored in each recreation thus far. Jamie Vardy, who’s 37 now, nonetheless appears sharp sufficient with out fairly being the participant who as soon as scored in 11 successive video games, whereas Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Wilfred Ndidi deliver loads of Premier League know-how to the midfield. The Foxes even gave Arsenal a scare on the weekend, which means Steve Cooper’s group shouldn’t be written off but.

In the meantime, Southampton supervisor Russell Martin questioned his group’s character after Monday’s first-half chaos within the 3-1 defeat at Bournemouth. The Saints will be slick however look poor in each penalty areas. Martin would possibly want to sometimes rip up his “go and possession” model to offer his group extra chunk. However their academy appears to have produced one other gem in younger midfielder Tyler Dibling, who scored a beautiful purpose towards Ipswich and has been a breakout star for 2024-25.

So, if the promoted trio do trigger a shock or two, who could be in a relegation battle they didn’t anticipate?

Wolves have conceded a league-high 16 targets this season and transferred out key males in Max Kilman and Pedro Neto. The squad look to have sufficient expertise to get out of bother, and supervisor Gary O’Neil can replicate on a tricky begin towards Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Villa and Liverpool. However he wants to begin selecting up factors earlier than confidence and perception evaporate.

Crystal Palace completed final season like an categorical prepare however this time discover themselves surprisingly within the backside three. The group are simply not clicking for head coach Oliver Glasner, and also you marvel why. The best way Palace pale after main at Everton can be a fear for his or her followers, however with the likes of Eberechi Eze, Marc Guéhi and Adam Wharton within the lineup, the chances are they may climb quickly.

West Ham are one other membership unexpectedly struggling to search out any rhythm. A group that may boast gamers of the standard of Lucas Paquetá, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus must be top-six contenders, but the Hammers have received solely as soon as (2-0 at Palace) and the enticing soccer demanded by the followers will not be being delivered as but by supervisor Julen Lopetegui. There’s additionally an absence of tempo in some areas, which was brutally uncovered within the current house defeat to Chelsea.

What about gamers who would possibly make some surprising waves?

Arsenal’s 17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri appears extremely gifted; striker Jhon Durán at Villa is a maverick who has scored 4 occasions instead; Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood is flexible and reliable in midfield or defence; and Nottingham Forest have discovered a correct centre-back in Nikola Milenkovic, who arrived from Fiorentina. Additionally, winger Harvey Barnes is eventually forcing his means into the group after a flurry of well-taken targets for Newcastle, whose barren summer season within the switch market will not be inflicting as many points as some warned.

Ought to we be shocked by the continued struggles of Manchester United and Erik ten Hag? I am afraid not. The show towards Spurs was pitiful, and Ten Hag can certainly not survive a repeat anytime quickly. He’s working out of time, and pleas for “endurance” should not going to scrub.

No shocks both from Manchester Metropolis, except you rely the absence from the group of final season’s PFA Participant of the Yr Phil Foden, who has began solely two video games — towards Watford within the Carabao Cup and Slovan Bratislava within the Champions League. He was ailing some time again, however is there one thing we have no idea right here?

As for Liverpool, now prime of the desk, the one shock is that the transition from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot has gone so easily. They’re having fun with developing the rails within the shadows whereas the headlines are stuffed with Metropolis and Arsenal, Pep Guardiola vs. Mikel Arteta. They may each want to look at Arne’s “Slot machine”!