The second bunch of games in the 2012/13 season, with the exception of Sunderland vs Reading, have been played and it’s Swansea who are the stars of the show so far.
Sunderland vs Reading has been postponed after the torrential rain that has blighted the bank holiday weekend led to a waterlogged pitch at the Stadium of Light. The news was taken well by the players and fans alike, especially the Reading fans who had travelled 300 miles and had to return without seeing any footballs kicked or football goals scored.
Still, at least they got to have a day out. Sunderland would have been disappointed, as they were planning on showing off their star signing Adam Johnson, who joined from Manchester City after Mancini made it clear that first team opportunities would be limited at the current Champions this season.
He will have to wait for his limelight next week, because this weekend has been all about Swansea City.
The only Welsh club in the Premier League are sitting pretty in second place in the table, and after only two games they have hit the back of 8 football nets and are the only team in the top half of the table not to have conceded in their first two games.
Michael Laudrup could not have hoped for a better start for the Swans, especially after they were almost written off pre-season after the departure of Brendan Rogers, who did phenomenally well in securing their position in the top flight a couple of years ago.
It is of course still early days though, and Laudrup is all too aware of this, keeping his players firmly planted on Earth, football boots, football socks and all by saying he expects their to be bad days, weeks or even months. The Swans are clearly the club to beat at the moment, but current table-toppers Chelsea are maintaining form too, not least Torres.
He has now scored in both of Chelsea’s games so far this season, albeit last week he was offside. He had a nightmare season in the Chelsea football kit last year and it looks like the man who has won many football trophies recently could finally be back on form.
He’s impressed Di Matteo so much that he has been called ‘immense‘ by him, highlighting his ability as a provider when he is not scoring goals. Although nobody was so forthcoming with praise like that last season, when Torres was in the doldrums.
Di Matteo has had a very good week for praising his players, fingering the brilliant Belgian Eden Hazard as the next Gianfranco Zola earlier this week.
Hazard may not be up to that standard yet but his two goals in two games will certainly count in his favour when the accolades get handed out for player of the month. If Torres and Chelsea continue to score goals and Chelsea can keep this hot streak up, then they could be contenders for the title.
Wouldn’t that shock Manchester United?
