It is great to see the Premier League back, truly.
Top-level football is comfortably the world’s most popular sport and domestic leagues from top to bottom don’t get better than England’s main competition.
Newly promoted Ipswich made a lively start, though were ultimately outclassed by Liverpool. Arsenal managed a routine win against Wolves, Newcastle showed their fight and determination, Villa won and of course Man City were successful too.
This all begs the question though; has anything actually changed at all?
Familiarity Hopefully Won’t Breed Contempt
Other than three promoted teams replacing three relegated teams, there was always a certain air of predictability about what was to come over the Premier League’s opening weekend.
Things all felt very familiar. Despite a three-month break between seasons with a Euros wedged in, there was a certain continuity and it’s not necessarily a good thing.
| Day | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | Manchester United | 1-0 | Fulham |
| Saturday | Ipswich | 0-2 | Liverpool |
| Saturday | Arsenal | 2-0 | Wolves |
| Saturday | Everton | 0-3 | Brighton |
| Saturday | Newcastle | 1-0 | Southampton |
| Saturday | Nottingham Forest | 1-1 | Bournemouth |
| Saturday | West Ham | 1-2 | Aston Villa |
| Sunday | Brentford | 2-1 | Crystal Palace |
| Sunday | Chelsea | 0-2 | Manchester City |
Watching Man United against Fulham just felt like a months-old replay for example and that set the tone. The opening weekend could easily have been an extension of the 2023/24 fixtures.
Is PSR to Blame?
Occasionally, clubs need a genuine overhaul, and players need to find pastures new. The sport also requires this from time to time for the sake of the watching public.
Profit and sustainability rules mean that, even when clubs do have cash at their disposal, case in point Newcastle, they basically can’t go and spend it.
That was meant to be a good thing but, as has been pointed out again and again, it simply means we keep the status quo. The top clubs are earning more so can add to already dominating squads, while those looking to challenge are handicapped in their attempts to catch up.
Even when squads are added to rapidly, clubs still can’t always use them. Incredibly, Chelsea managed to leave out Kepa Arrizabalaga, Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Axel Disasi, Conor Gallagher, Romelu Lukaku, Djordje Petrovic and Raheem Sterling out of their matchday squad against Man City by choice.
A representative for Raheem Sterling has issued this statement after he was left out of Chelsea’s squad to face Man City. #BBCFootball #CHEMCI #PL pic.twitter.com/eukRKEKxh0
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 18, 2024
They had so many players to choose from but were still nowhere near Man City’s quality. At odds-on to win the league, we kind of knew that would be the case with the visitors meaning again, no surprises.
If this carries on, it’ll feel like a continuous two-year-long season as opposed to two campaigns which means fans could get bored. This is something the Premier League shouldn’t be too blasé about.
Could People Turn Away from Football?
Ultimately it would likely take years for football to suffer a major downturn when it comes to watchers and punters. It remains extremely popular, the Premier League especially.
There are precedents though, and without allowing for squads and the established order to change a little the game could suffer.
Ask those in horse racing or snooker whether established customers are there for life. They’d tell you it’s absolutely not the case.
Even within football itself, the FA Cup Final in years gone by was the event of the year with people tuning in from midday to watch all the build-up. Now, that competition sits third in the priority list for top Premier League clubs.
In the 1980’s millions, yes millions were glued to the World Snooker Championships final on a yearly basis. The players of the era were bona fide British celebrities. Now, other than the one obvious name, the general public doesn’t know or even care who our snooker players are.
That’s the level at which a sport can fall in popularity.
What Can Be Done to Liven Things Up?
Football is still exciting. Resting on one’s laurels however will always be a dangerous and arrogant move.
Changing PSR is the most obvious thing. Even if you don’t don your tin foil hat and believe the Premier League deliberately changes the rules to suit the ‘Big 6’, you’d have to agree those rules aren’t working.
Fans of some clubs are honest with themselves and know they will never challenge for the league title. Big clubs from many major cities however should be able to challenge but they know at the moment all the cards are stacked against them.
If a club happens to be able to buy new players, whether that’s because they were very lucky to sell a talent or because of a rich owner, they should be able to.
Not allowing this means a certain inevitability regarding who will challenge for honours and that is entirely boring. The opening Premier League weekend highlighted that.