Macro takeaways are difficult and, frankly, illogical to muster after one game of a new Premier League season.
With so many variables to consider entering a fresh campaign it's a good idea to bench the bold takes blossoming from such a small sample for now, and instead make measured notes on the interesting micro clues gained from the opening gameweek.
At the very least they could prove useful from a punting perspective.
Openings ahead for captain Ødegaard
Almost all of the talk surrounding Arsenal's start has a sharp focus on the debuts of William Saliba at one end and Gabriel Jesus at the other. Correctly, might I add.
The Gunners were firing from the off in their impressive 2-0 win at Crystal Palace, perhaps disappointed to not hold a bigger lead early on. Mikel Arteta certainly thought that should have been the case.
The Arsenal manager highlighted Martin Ødegaard passing up an opportunity to shoot from an excellent position in the first half. Often a creative force, the club captain had multiple chances to pull the trigger during the game, instead choosing to pass.
Still, Ødegaard registered two shots in the match and will surely be encouraged to shoot from such positions in the future.
The sheer handful that Jesus can be looks like it will provide more openings for Ødegaard, who is more than capable of taking advantage.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the Norwegian's odds for taking shots and scoring goals, especially with Arsenal's rather kind upcoming schedule.
Cherries still ripe for relegation
This might seem like a macro observation considering the discussion of relegation from the Premier League, but the micro part of this is a possible overreaction to Bournemouth gaining three points against Aston Villa.
It could be the best time to back the Cherries for the drop. After all, Villa were, by all accounts, dreadful in the 2-0 defeat at the Vitality (xG: BOU 0.57 - 0.69 AVL).
Two goals from second phases of a set-piece won't sway my original thought that Scott Parker's side will really struggle to score many in the top tier.
I'm sure a high percentage of people will also agree that Bournemouth's personnel is far from good enough to stay in the league. Indeed, they look frightfully short on quality at the back.
Despite what was undoubtedly a big boost at home to start the season, the only boost I'm interested in is the one in the price for Bournemouth to go down. It should take a dive with fixtures against Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool on the horizon.
Newcastle not shot-shy
A trend of interest in Eddie Howe's Newcastle last season was their propensity to attempt a lot of shots at St James' Park, which continued in their victory against Nottingham Forest this weekend.
They seemingly love a pop at goal no matter the task in front of a raucous crowd, recording 23 shots at an average of 0.09 xG per shot on Saturday.
Granted, Newcastle were expected to dominate against newly-promoted Forest, but offensive output was high enough to think the trend is a point of emphasis at the club.
If they keep having success, it's hard to see Howe changing his approach — especially at home.
It might not be one to take huge advantage of immediately if prices are right, with three tough away games and a hosting of Manchester City in their next four, but Newcastle's shot count is certainly one to follow.
Leaky Leicester a point of conjecture
Leicester's dire defensive performance last season was well-documented, allowing the third-most expected goals against in the Premier League (71.5 xGA).
Their 2-2 draw with Brentford may be viewed as a continuation of last term's serious problems, but it's worth remembering the injury issues suffered by the Foxes in 2021/22, and Sunday's collapse was more a result of poor game management than terrible defending, dropping far too deep as the match wore on.
Limiting a team to eight shots equating to a total of 0.97 xG after holding a two-goal lead for more than a half would often be considered a respectable defensive display.
Of course, Josh Dasilva's stunner to level it up in the 86th minute changes the narrative. Brendan Rodgers' side should be given more time to shed their leaky label as a consequence.
It may be difficult away at Arsenal next weekend, but there are opportunities to show improvement in results in that area, providing Leicester aren't decimated in the transfer market.
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