Must Arsenal, Liverpool & Chelsea and maybe Man UTD fear Manchester City?

Whereas the teams of the Big 4 each encountered a problem of their own in their opening game of the 2011/12 campaign, the Sky Blues recorded a straight forward 4-0 victory against new boys Swansea City. What hit the headlines in particular was Kun Aguero’s incredible performance as a debutant.

The Argentine forward produced 1 assist and banged in 2 goals—the last one being a screamer— only to infuse instant energy in Manchester City’s team spirit. For manager Roberto Mancini, Monday night’s result against Swansea City was a strong warning to other title contenders. The Italian believes that Aguero is not even playing at 100% following his Copa America return.

Well, looking at the attitude of England’s top 5 teams on match-day 1, it is certainly not surprising to see local papers—as well as pundits and fans from all over the world—debating so soon about Manchester City’s genuine chances of becoming Premiership champions.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea couldn’t win on match-day 1 and optimistic fans will insist that there’s nothing so wrong about starting the campaign slowly. Indeed, that’s how Manchester United won the race for the English Premier League title in 2008 and in 2009.

However, football is changing as time goes by and as money’s voice gets louder. So why would it so sound absurd for England’s titans—including Manchester United—to fear Manchester City’s revolution?

The officiating—bad for Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal but good for Man City

Another interesting point is about the officiating on match-day 1. Liverpool got a clean goal harshly disallowed against Sunderland whereas the lucky Kieran Richardson might have well deserved an early red card. Elsewhere, Arsenal were plunged into a sea of controversy involving Alex Song, Gervinho and Newcastle United’s Joey Barton.

Lastly, Day 1’s worst refereeing involving giants perhaps occurred during the Stoke City vs Chelsea match. Camera replays don’t lie; the Blues should have been awarded at least 2 penalties in their Premier League opener.

Meanwhile, the same camera replay technology was enough to show the public that Aguero’s assist for Silva’s goal never should have been. The ball was well over the end line when the ex-Atletico star chipped it onto Silva. Better decisions from officials may have changed everything. But as things stand, the table goes this way: