SOC: Premier League Rankings Vol. 1
3. Manchester United (1-0-0, 3 Pts): Manchester United played in the opening match of the 2018-19 Premier League season, defeating Leicester City, 2-1, on August 10th. Paul Pogba recorded the first goal for Man U this year, via penalty kick. That was in just the 3rd minute. There wasn't another goal for approximately 80 minutes as the teams traded scarce opportunities. In the 83rd minute, though, Luke Shaw scored on a beautiful move on the near-side of the field. He was assisted by Juan Mata. Leicester would get one goal back in stoppage time, as Jamie Vardy scored in the 92nd minute. Manchester United, who finished second last season, will look to keep the winning going as they face Brighton on August 19th.
2. Liverpool (1-0-0, 3 Pts): Liverpool might have looked like the best team during the opening matches, but we still can't put them at the top spot just yet. If they continue to look that good, though, then it's just a matter of time before they jump Manchester City for the best team in the Premier League. The thing that a lot of people make the mistake of doing is believing that Liverpool is just Mo Salah. While he is an incredible player, and did score against West Ham, Liverpool has plenty of others to help him. For instance, Sadio Mane scored twice, in the 47th minute and the 53rd minute. Daniel Sturridge also connected on a goal in the 88th minute, to put the score at 4-0. Liverpool should move to 2-0-0 as they face Crystal Palace in Match 2.
1. Manchester City (1-0-0, 3 Pts): Manchester City began their title defense the only way they know how: By winning again. After being the best team in the league last season from start to finish, Man City has their eyes on a repeat. Although that'll likely be more difficult this time around, it's not out of the realm of possibility. They proved in their 2-0 opening win against Arsenal that they're still one of the top teams in the Premier League, even if they are without Kevin De Bruyne. He isn't going to be out for as much as three months, according to BBC, due to a knee injury. De Bruyne was hugely impactful last year, going for 12 goals and 21 assists. He'll be missed, but they still have Bernardo Silva, who continued his scorching pace with another goal scored.
Honorable Mentions:
4. Tottenham (1-0-0)
5. Chelsea (1-0-0)
6. Watford (1-0-0)
7. Crystal Palace (1-0-0)
8. Wolves (0-1-0)
9. Bournemouth (1-0-0)
10. Everton (0-1-0)
Photo Credit: Fox Sports.
