A bright start, but unfinished business can tilt the balance of power among the Big Six.
One game played, one week to go in the transfer window.
One swallow may not make a summer, but a last-minute signing can make a season.
The funds are available, the medicals are booked, and the trolley dashers are under starter’s orders.
So who will be the EPL game changers for the next nine months – or at least until the window opens again in January?
First impressions range between the ominous and the obvious.
Manchester City were ominously good and, dare it be said, may have discovered a new star.
Pep doesn’t need anyone else yet may have one of the world’s best goalkeepers landing in his midst.
Liverpool and Manchester United still have obvious needs at the back. Arsenal may still need a striker. Newcastle certainly do.
With sales already topping £2 billion, there are still gaps to fill – some quite glaring.
Chelsea, after a zillion signings, are still short of a top-class goalkeeper – and now a centre-back after Levi Colwill’s injury.
Elsewhere, West Ham may need a manager with Graham Potter being the new favourite for the Sack Race.
Although Brentford’s Keith Andrews may run him close.
But we have to start with the most impressive performance of the opening weekend – City’s 4-0 win at Wolves.
Everyone said it would take two players to replace Kevin De Bruyne and City may have found them.
Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki were so good that it made you wonder why Pep had waited so long to sign them.
And why weren’t they already household names?
It was Dutch dazzler Reijnders who stood out, bagging a goal and an assist to deliver one of the EPL’s outstanding debuts.
Indeed, there was a hint of Johan Cruyff about his play – a joy as well as a swagger – which made you wonder where he’s been hiding.
Son of a Dutch pro footballer and an Indonesian mother, he’s been at the San Siro with AC Milan for two years, and before that AZ Alkmaar.
Now 27, he’s perhaps a late bloomer or just needed better players around him. Either way, he looks a thrilling addition to the City ranks.
At 23, Frenchman Cherki is perhaps better known and didn’t disappoint in a cameo that also produced a goal.
But these two were augmented by the forgotten Oscar Bobb, of whom big things were expected until he broke his leg at the start of last season.
So that’s virtually three “new” players making a massive impact. No wonder Pep let Jack Grealish go. Oh, yes, and Erling Haaland scored twice.
So, are City back? If Rodri can be as good as he was then, yes, we could have a return to the high-class, high-octane City-Liverpool rivalry of the Jurgen Klopp era.
Just as we thought they’d finished their business in the transfer window, Gianluigi Donnarumma became available. Now that would be ominous.
Liverpool were nothing like as comfortable against Bournemouth and got a genuine scare from the brilliant Antoine Semenyo.
But Ryan Gravenberch has been missing, and he will surely close the back door.
Still, even with young Giovanni Leoni signed, another body is surely required if there’s to be a serious tilt at the Champions League.
At less than £40m, Marc Guehi is a must-sign.
Kopites would have been thrilled to see Hugo Ekitike put in an electrifying debut shift with a goal and assist.
But the icing on the cake would be Alexander Isak. It looks a little less certain now as Newcastle can’t find a replacement.
If he stays, all three parties would be unhappy.
But there is a solution that you read here first. Ivan Toney.
The former Brentford striker now plays in the Saudi Arabian Pro League for Al-Ahli.
They happen to have the same owners as Newcastle, the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
If Newcastle’s season depends on it, wouldn’t an in-house deal where Toney returns to the EPL to replace Isak be the answer?
The England striker may not want to swap the warmth of Saudi for the chill of Tyneside, but you wouldn’t rule it out.
The great Italian gloveman, Donnarumma, must come to the EPL, but where?
United need him the most, but it may depend on removing the dead wood first.
The Italian has been among the world’s best in recent seasons and no one can figure out why PSG no longer want him. On the evidence of the Super Cup, they still need him.
United’s need for a midfielder to share the load with Bruno Fernandes is almost as pressing.
But you can’t see Jim Ratcliffe paying the £100m that Brighton want for Carlos Baleba.
It promises to be a big week at Old Trafford with perhaps some bargains to be had if the dead men can somehow be resuscitated.
When it comes to wheeling and dealing, Chelsea are the masters and you feel both Donnarumma and Guehi could end up there. That would be ominous, too.
As for Arsenal, they’ve started a north London transfer derby in trying to get Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
Spurs thought they had him, but at the time of writing, it looks as if Arsenal hold the upper hand. Either way, Eze won’t be staying at Palace.
He could be an upgrade on Kai Havertz, whose injury sparked the move, and be good news for Viktor Gyokeres, who had a bad first day at the office.
One Arsenal site gave the Swede 3/10, and the pressure is on. Doing even half as well as his goal-a-game form in Portugal would be enough.
Eze could be the perfect accomplice.
Elsewhere, two of the three promoted clubs won their opening games, which is welcome news after the gulf with the Championship seemed to be widening.
Sunderland and Leeds will have raucous home backing, which might be enough to help garner enough points for survival.
This will worry West Ham and Brentford, who are among the next favourites to go down.
A good season would be a ding-dong title race, two of the promoted clubs staying up and a couple of aspirant clubs to get into the Champions League.
What happens in the coming week may well play a major role.
Toney would be a worthy successor in Newcastle’s long history of No 9s.
And a Liverpool front three of Salah, Isak and Ekitike running at City’s defence would be a mouthwatering prospect for anybody.
City would need Donnarumma then.
Bring it on!
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
