Chelsea is currently three points ahead of second-place Southampton and was on a four-game winning streak before tying Manchester City 1-1 on Sunday. The primary reason for their success has been the play of Diego Costa, who has scored seven goals in five games.
Costa was signed by Chelsea in July 2014 for £32 million, and at Costa’s current pace, Chelsea may have the best transfer signing of the summer. The Spanish international’s most impressive performance was his hat trick in Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Swansea City on Sept. 13. Chelsea will look for a fifth victory in six games when they take on Aston Villa on Sept. 27.
The biggest surprise of the season so far has been Manchester United’s rough start. Manchester United was one of the hottest teams of the preseason and had some of the highest-profile signings of the transfer window, signing Ángel Dí María to a five-year, £59.7 million deal and paying the £6 million loan fee for Radamel Falcao on the last day of the transfer window. However, its play has not been up to the typical standards set at Old Trafford.
United has one win in five games, and its 5-3 loss against new Premier League member Leicester City this past Sunday can only be described as abysmal. United was up by two goals with 28 minutes left to play and allowed four goals in that span. Manager Louis Van Gaal was hired this year to improve on last year’s failures, but so far, there has been no real sign of consistency of play and reliable success.
Other Premier League favorites Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City’s play can be best described as lethargic, with all three teams showing signs of potential, but with stretches of mediocrity.
The start to the Barclays Premier League has left the league table looking different than many expected and may have created more questions than it has provided answers. However, it has been an exciting start, and it will be interesting to see how the year continues.
