NICK FEINBERG: IT’S GOING TO BE TIGHT AT THE TOP THIS SEASON

HELLO my good football people, trust all is well! The Premier League is doing well and is already shaping up to be a massive, memorable season!

There have been a number of “statement” performances and one thing is for sure, no one is going to win the league title with ease this time around.

Last season was definitely a once-off and despite Liverpool “we aren’t a money club” FC spending like deranged oligarchs, they aren’t guaranteed s**t, and I reckon it’s going to be a whole lot tighter than the last few seasons.

What makes me say that? Well, just looking at the traditional “big clubs” it just feels like some real positive forward movement has been made since last season.

Starting with Spurs. Could you believe it? Okay, Manchester City had a few chances, but I’d say on the balance of it, Tottenham were the better team.

They were hungrier, quicker on and off the ball, more committed and most noticeably, better drilled... they had a better shape about them and looked like a proper outfit.

It’s incredible the change that has been made in such a short space of time. I guess what Ange Postecoglou brought was so extraordinary that anything mildly “normal’ would look vastly different. But yeah, hats off to Thomas Frank. Suddenly, you have to put Spurs back in the title mix.

However off their game City were, winning at the Etihad so early in the campaign is a massive boost. It sets up the season. It immediately puts players’ faith in the new coach.

I tell you what, had Eberechi Eze not broken hearts and dropped Spurs at the last minute, they could have been onto something special.

Then there is north London neighbours Arsenal. Mikel Arteta has now spent over £1 billion (R24bn)! Welcome to the billionaire boys club... that is a lot of dough. Unlike City or Chelsea who now have bristling trophy cabinets, the Gunners’ £1bn has netted them ahh, you know, mmmh, agh, an FA Cup.

That is not really a return on investment in the traditional sense! However, they are a great side, a top-end top-flight football team capable of competing at the highest level. And with the latest batch of signings, most notably Eze and Viktor Gyokeres, I genuinely think they have a real chance of winning the title. It does feel like Arteta has gone all-in and nothing but a top-tier trophy will do!

Across in west London Chelsea finally appear to be a genuine top-four team. Despite still

lacking experience, the kids are two years in now and Enzo Maresca’s system is properly bedding in.

It seems crazy to me that while they are buying attacking players (Alejandro Garnacho is still a possibility) there wasn’t even a glance at Eze and he is only just hitting his prime at 27 years old.

As much as I dislike the owners and the American model, it does feel like they might just be onto something bigger than we understand or should I say anticipated.

I’m also going to stick with City as a team that will be up there pushing in the top four space.

There is so much talk of Pep Guardiola not knowing what to do, but that’ll change once new signings have bedded in and they hit their rhythm. They did look very laboured against Spurs though.

I wish I could include Manchester United as one of the “big clubs” as they are a huge club. They are still big enough even (despite not playing Champions League football and being a mid-table team) that players will sign for them just because of who they once were.

Guys, tell me if I’m wrong? Apparently last week they were brilliant against Arsenal and “should have beaten Fulham easily”. But I’m not seeing much change.

Yeah, there is a bit more energy, which is positive, but I just can’t wipe the image of Ruben Amorim in the technical area, squatting in his elasticated grey slacks, white socks and trainers, watching the game with a look on his face that says, “how the f**k am I going to turn this from average to great?” I just don’t believe in him and the sad thing is, I don’t think a lot of people including his own players do either.

Liverpool host Arsenal on Sunday... Let’s have it.

Chat next week, bye bye.