Premier League’s Biggest Disappointments: Liverpool Star Among Five Underperformers
The new Premier League season is still in its early stages, but several teams and players have already attracted attention for disappointing starts.
Chelsea and Manchester City have made strong beginnings under their new managers, winning both opening matches. Liverpool, meanwhile, have drawn their first two games 2-2, while Tottenham have suffered consecutive defeats against Brentford and Newcastle.
Roberto De Zerbi – Tottenham
Tottenham’s start has been particularly concerning. After spending more than £350 million on several new players during the summer, expectations were high. However, defeats to Brentford and Newcastle have quickly raised concerns among Spurs supporters.
Roberto De Zerbi has time to change the situation, but the performances so far have been far below expectations.
Jeremie Frimpong – Liverpool
Jeremie Frimpong has also struggled to impress since joining Liverpool as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s replacement.
The Dutchman has faced criticism for his defensive performances and has yet to consistently provide the attacking quality expected from him. His display against Nottingham Forest was especially disappointing, with his performance described as erratic by critics and supporters.
Liverpool may need to give Frimpong time to adapt to Andoni Iraola’s system, but his early performances have certainly raised questions.
Luke Shaw – Manchester United
Manchester United secured an impressive 5-2 victory over Ipswich, but their defensive problems remained evident.
Luke Shaw was heavily criticised for his role in Ipswich’s opening goal after being beaten by Abdul Fatawu and failing to recover quickly. With limited competition at left-back, United could face problems if they become overly dependent on Shaw throughout the season.
Frank Lampard – Coventry City
Frank Lampard has also endured a difficult return to the Premier League.
After losing to Arsenal on the opening day, Coventry desperately needed a positive result against Hull City. Instead, they struggled to create opportunities and were beaten on the counter-attack.
With Coventry already sitting near the bottom of the table, Lampard will need to find solutions quickly.
Thierno Barry – Everton
Thierno Barry’s inclusion is perhaps the harshest, considering how well he started the season. The Everton striker scored four goals in his first two matches but endured a frustrating outing against Bournemouth.
Barry recorded an expected goals figure of 1.48 but failed to score and missed two major chances. One particularly costly opportunity came after Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic dropped the ball directly at his feet.
Everton eventually rescued a point through James Tarkowski’s late equaliser, but Barry’s missed chances could have cost his side all three points.
