The New Premier League Season - A Return To Form

Premier League football has returned, and we are all better for it. The opening weekend provided plenty of drama and intrigue as we saw Arsenal on the brink of crisis, normal business resumed with Manchester United, the return of Jose Mourinho and exactly why Manchester City are favourites to win the league this season.

There was a Marouane Chamakh sighting as Spurs beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and, yes, he still has that terrible haircut that makes us question if he has ever looked in a mirror. Rickie Lambert continued his fine run of from with a late winner for Southampton and West Brom's Nicolas Anelka, 'Le Sulk', has already got his strop on one game into the new season.

The brilliantly-named Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored on his debut for Norwich against Everton and the more commentators say his name the better. The game featured some very good goals and it looks as though Everton's Ross Barkley, scorer of a fine goal, will be hot property by the end of the season.

Aston Villa still possess the power of BENTEKE and Paul Lambert looks to building a fine squad up there in the midlands as they beat Arsenal at the Emirates 3-1, which prompted Armageddon in north London.

Some things remain the same; Match of the Day is still a shambles, for example, but we all keep watching because it is a tradition in this country. The punditry has not got any better even with Mark Lawrenson having a 'reduced role'. Alan Shearer is reliably unbearable and the only silver lining is that Gary Lineker can still crack a one-liner.

Is that a good thing?

And the best thing about all this, I hear you ask: We have 37 more league games from now until next May and if every weekend turns out to be this fun (apart from when there is an interlull) then we are laughing my dear friends, laughing I tell you.

The first blockbuster game comes in the form of Manchester United vs Chelsea on Monday night and then the Transfer Deadline Day looms on the horizon.

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