From Chelsea to Jimenez: Ian Darke's Premier League shock groups, gamers

Each soccer season wants a story of the surprising. Leicester City‘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 destructive purpose distinction for the primary time within the Premier League period?

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

You must 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 staff which have climbed up tp fourth place on the again of three successive wins.

Cole Palmer, with four goals in the first half towards Brighton on Saturday, may 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 finally 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 staff. The Cottagers have pretty much as good a defensive report as Arsenal up to now, with solely 5 targets conceded in six video games.

Mexico worldwide Raúl Jiménez‘s return to prime type at Fulham, after 4 years within the doldrums following his horrific fractured cranium damage whereas taking part in 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 gained a Premier League sport but, however all three may but shock the doom-mongers predicting a fast return to the Championship.

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

Their defence, nevertheless, 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 taking part in at this larger degree.

Leicester are conceding too many targets, however there’s loads of combat in them they usually have scored in each sport up to now. Jamie Vardy, who’s 37 now, nonetheless appears to be like 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 carry loads of Premier League know-how to the midfield. The Foxes even gave Arsenal a scare on the weekend, which means Steve Cooper’s staff shouldn’t be written off but.

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

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

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Echegaray: Cole Palmer is the perfect participant within the Premier League

Luis Miguel Echegaray reacts to Cole Palmer’s 4 targets in Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Brighton.

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 troublesome begin towards Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Villa and Liverpool. However he wants to begin choosing up factors earlier than confidence and perception evaporate.

Crystal Palace completed final season like an categorical practice however this time discover themselves surprisingly within the backside three. The staff 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’ll climb quickly.

West Ham are one other membership unexpectedly struggling to seek out any rhythm. A staff that may boast gamers of the standard of Lucas Paquetá, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus ought to be top-six contenders, but the Hammers have gained solely as soon as (2-0 at Palace) and the enticing soccer demanded by the followers is just not being delivered as but by supervisor Julen Lopetegui. There’s additionally a scarcity of tempo in some areas, which was brutally uncovered within the latest dwelling defeat to Chelsea.

What about gamers who may make some surprising waves?

Arsenal’s 17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri appears to be like extremely gifted; striker Jhon Durán at Villa is a maverick who has scored 4 instances in its place; 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 finally forcing his means into the staff after a flurry of well-taken targets for Newcastle, whose barren summer time within the switch market is just not inflicting as many points as some warned.

Ought to we be stunned 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 absolutely not survive a repeat anytime quickly. He’s working out of time, and pleas for “endurance” aren’t going to clean.

No shocks both from Manchester Metropolis, until you rely the absence from the staff of final season’s PFA Participant of the 12 months Phil Foden, who has began solely two video games — towards Watford within the Carabao Cup and Slovan Bratislava within the Champions League. He was unwell 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 arising the rails within the shadows whereas the headlines are filled with Metropolis and Arsenal, Pep Guardiola vs. Mikel Arteta. They’ll each want to look at Arne’s “Slot machine”!