United Draws First Blood

Chelsea 1 - Manchester United 3
Scorers
Chelsea: Kalou (83)
Manchester United: Valencia (41), Hernandez (76), Berbatov (90)

Team: Van der Sar, Vidic, Evans, Fabio (Smalling 71), O'Shea, Scholes (Fletcher 79), Carrick (Giggs 79), Park (Nani 46), Valencia, Rooney (Berbatov 46), Owen (Hernandez 46)

Life is good. We did well, really well, to take the game to a Chelsea side that looked completely out of sorts. With the exception of Essien, Chelsea looked jaded and at times, rather mundane. If today's game is any indication of the season to come, we look like genuine title contenders. As Kentona mentioned while we were watching the game, it looks like we have two first teams, with equal cover in every single position.

Both teams started the game with attacking flair and either side could have taken the lead. But it was United who drew first blood with a fine combination of Scholes and Rooney, finding Valencia alone and unmarked to fire home. Scholes pass was utterly exquisite he seems to have found a new dimension to his game. We all know Scholes is good when he's not tackling, but from the game's I've seem so far, he seems to have brought it to a higher level. The question is if he can keep it up for the entire season. Both in preseason and today's game, Scholes has been our top performer so far.

Wholesale changes were made at the start of the second half and United's entire strikeforce was replaced. Berbatov seems to link well upfront with Chicharito. His little flicks and Chicarito's runs behind the backline of Chelsea's seemed to be giving the defenders a harder time than expected.

The game was played at the right spirit with neither team parking the bus and both willing to throw men forward. Eventually it was United who scored again. This time Valencia was the provider and Chicharito opened his United account with a goal that was truely comical. His shot ricochetted off his face and into the net. It didn't matter to the lad nor everyone in the team. I'm pretty sure it's the first of many in his United career. At some point in the distant future, we're all going to remember his first United goal, much like the way we always remember Ole's first against Blackburn.

To Chelsea's credit, they came back strong and pulled one back with Kalou. Their onslaught to find the equalizer eventually left them exposed and Berbatov finished them off with a delightful lob. It was an immensely entertaining game and we signalled our intent to carry the fight to the champions.

Every season, I can't help but be bearish over the team's chances, but this season looks and feels different. For once in a long long time, I actually think we have a really good chance of taking the Premiership title back. Chelsea is our main rival, and I don't really rate the rest of the chasing pack. City looks good on paper, but the title isn't won on paper. They have too many new plays and a manager who does seem clueless. As we've seen with Chelsea's rise, it takes a few seasons before the team finds the maturity and chemistry wrestle control for the big boys.

Wenger is a brilliant manager, someone I rate as highly as our own SAR. But Arsenal is Arsenal. You just get the feeling at some point in the season, their lack of depth/funds is going to haunt them like the previous seasons.

Liverpool is the dark horse here. Hodgeson is no pushover but their inability to bring in new blood to replace the junk they inherited from my all time favourite manager, Benitez, will hamper their chances. Yet they are the dark horses for a reason. A change in regime, and an influx of funds could change their season completely. With a manager at the helm who knows the English game, Pool could be a force to reckon with.

Everyone else, ie Everton, Spurs and Villa, are simply not good nor deep enough. There is still a gap in talented personale between them and the top 5.

Damn it, I think I've just convinced myself to place a bet on us to win it all.