West Ham have the talent to cause Manchester City problems on opening weekend while David de Gea has a point to prove
While there is plenty of excitement to be drawn from Liverpool’s much-lauded front three, a good argument could be made that the two most thrilling players in Jürgen Klopp’s side are defenders. Technically, anyway. In reality, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson spent last season making a mockery of their job descriptions, zooming forward with exuberant abandon and each laying on more goals than any of the side’s so-called attackers. Meanwhile, down in the Championship, a similar operation was in progress. Norwich’s full-back duo, Jamal Lewis and Max Aarons, are under strict instructions from Daniel Farke to play with the handbrake permanently off and duly raised pulses at Carrow Road, clocking up 10 assists between them with Lewis being named the EFL young player of the season. In theory, that could spell good news for Sadio Mané and Mo Salah on Friday night: Liverpool’s chief goal threats should not be short of vacant space to exploit on their respective flanks. But either way, with so many tireless shuttlers on show, proceedings at Anfield may look less like a football match than an Olympic swimming contest. AH
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