The eagerly awaited Premier League 2018/19 season got underway on Friday 10th August and it was a mixed bag of fortunes for Merseyside top-tier clubs Everton and Liverpool. The blue half of the city are already worried, the red side confident for the future.
Everton have invested heavily in their playing squad over the last few transfer windows, but it hasn’t brought them success so far. The Toffees finished last season down in eighth having spent a large part of the campaign flirting with relegation despite the board picking up a jaw-dropping wage bill every month.
New manager Marco Silva was tasked with turning around the club’s fortunes in the short-term, but he had to settle for an opening day draw away to Wolverhampton Wanderers who were promoted from the Championship in spring.
Big money summer signing Richarlison – signed from Watford for £35m – shrugged off the price tag to mark his club debut with a brace, scoring the opener on 17 minutes before adding a second on 67. The Brazilian’s goals came either side of Phil Jagielka’s sending off, the 35-year-old defender’s game cut short just before the break following a reckless challenge on Diogo Jota.
The red card seemed to spark Watford to life and they responded with goals from Neves and Jimenez in what was a highly entertaining match for the neutral. One group who obviously weren’t impressed by Everton’s efforts during that four-goal drama was bookmakers who have pushed them out to 200/1 to win the league. A big price, indeed, but it won’t be too popular with punters. A top-six finish is more likely according to Betfair oddsmakers who go 9/2.
A day later and Liverpool ranked as the most impressive side of round one when battering West Ham United 4-0 at Anfield. Their start was so impressive in fact it was enough to drive them to the top of the division and that’s where they stayed after the results were tallied up.
Last season’s Champions League finalists started as second favourites behind The Cityzens in the Premier League betting and manager Jurgen Klopp couldn’t have hoped for a better opener. Salah had the ball in the net inside 19 minutes and that was added to by Mane who helped himself to a double. The game was dead and buried by the time Sturridge earned himself a goal bonus on 88 minutes.
Incredibly, Englishman Sturridge scored with his first touch, no more than 24 seconds after coming off the bench to replace Salah in the dying embers of the match. That should give his boss something to ponder going forward, but Egyptian goal machine Salah will take some shifting on a permanent basis.
Fancy more of the same? There’s no doubt Liverpool are shaping like a side who will have a major say in the title race this season and believers will be encouraged by the 10/3 about them winning their first crown of the millennium.