Premier League Tips: Five early winners and losers to back or swerve | OneFootball

English Premier League

Old Trafford has once again become a place of crisis

Ste Tudor picks out five winners and losers from the Premier League's opening fortnight, players or teams to back or back against...

Two games in and hints are becoming clues while guesswork is being replaced by something a little more informed.

Take the plight of West Ham who have wasted no time in confirming low expectations. All summer long, the Hammers were widely tipped to disappoint. Now they're doing so - and then some - before our eyes.

Hugo Ekitike meanwhile looks like a ready-made Premier League star after just two starts for the champions.

Across the rest of the top-flight there are plenty of other winners and losers from the opening fortnight, players and teams who should be backed - or backed against - in the days ahead.

Let's start with an obvious shout, a failing forward-line that cost the earth and could, ultimately, cost Ruben Amorim his job.

Loser - United's attacking woes to worsen

After scoring their lowest league tally since 1974, Manchester United were always going to upgrade their attacking options this summer. It genuinely surprised though to see them splurge almost the entirety of their transfer budget - close to £200m - on three new forwards, essentially putting all their eggs in one basket.

Fundamental and long-lasting issues in midfield and defence remain.

Still, in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko they now had the firepower to paper over the cracks, or at least that was the theory.

In the event, a trio who scored 48 league goals last term have taken on 29 shots with only Mbeumo's effort at Blundell Park last night finding the net. Less than half an hour later he missed the decisive pen as United crashed out of the League Cup to Grimsby in humiliating fashion.

Individually they are too good to struggle long-term but in the present they have the weight of the world on their shoulders and it shows. And while Burnley represents a chance to put things right this Saturday, the same was said of the Mariners.

Winner - Stached in Leeds' favour

Signed for £17m from Hoffenheim, Anton Stach's move to Leeds went somewhat under the radar, beyond Yorkshire at least. To date though, he has been one of the stand-out Premier League performers of this new campaign.

The German international's impressive output from midfield is all the more noteworthy because half of it was produced amidst a 5-0 hammering at the Emirates, Stach one of the few positives to emerge for the visitors.

Against elite fare such as Rice and Zubimendi, he won five of his seven duels.

But it's his creativity from deep that has really taken the eye. No other top-flight player has carved out more chances to this point, with seven key passes translating to seven opportunities.

Sooner or later, one is going to be converted.

Winner - Minteh is mint

Yankuba Minteh was statistically Brighton's best player last weekend, which admittedly isn't saying much - the Seagulls being initially wasteful, then listless at Goodison - but it does suggest an even better season lies in wait for the Gambian after establishing himself as a Premier League winger of note last term.

Amidst the reverie of Everton kicking off a new era in a new stadium with a win, Minteh completed all five of his dribble attempts and racked up a healthy four key passes for good measure.

Indeed, staying with his ability to beat a man, no other winger has averaged more dribbles to this early juncture, the 21-year-old boasting 4 per 90. Until Jeremy Doku gets back into the groove and Mohammed Kudus settles at Spurs, he may stay top of the pile for a while yet too.

This Sunday, Brighton host Doku's Manchester City, a team they beat and drew against last season. Lightning quick and direct on the break it's not beyond the realms that Minteh could be a key part of that decent return continuing.

Loser - Fouls fancied at Amex

If Brighton are to dominate the back pages on Monday morning for all the right reasons they must discover a clinical edge that has wholly been lacking so far. They have yet to score from open play despite carving out five big chances combined against Fulham and Everton.

Fabian Hurzeler's men would be well-advised too to cut back on the ill-discipline, committing a league-high of 15.5 fouls per game and seeing yellow six times.

Summer signing Maxim De Cuyper has been one of the worst culprits, fouling three times apiece in his opening two outings for the Seagulls. Coming up against the pace and trickery of Oscar Bobb, that trend will likely continue.

Winner - Petrovic saves the day

Bournemouth's defence is almost unrecognisable from the excellent back five that helped the Cherries secure a top ten berth last season. Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez have all departed for a combined £145m while a goalkeeping merry-go-round saw Kepa end his loan spell at the Vitality and head to the Emirates from his parent club Chelsea. The Blues meanwhile allowed another of their back-up stoppers - Dorde Petrovic - to go south.

It's fair to say that the towering Serb had a baptism of fire, debuting at Anfield and conceding four goals, but perhaps it was lost in the mix that Petrovic also made six saves that evening, keeping his side in the contest until late-on.

Against Wolves last weekend, the 25-year-old was assured throughout, with little to do but doing it well.

This time out, it's Spurs at home, and with Thomas Frank's side registering the second highest number of shots on target to this point, expect Bournemouth's new number one to be busy again.

Now catch up on the latest Premier League transfer news here

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