You cannot win the title in August or September, but you can certainly lose it. Oh, for the days when that cruel adage found its victims only in the contenders who not merely stumbled out of the blocks, but tripped over their own shoelaces in the process.
In spite of clear teething problems and weaknesses, both Manchester United and Arsenal have got away well, making decent starts to the new Premier League season with six and seven points respectively from their first three matches. These days, though, as is well established, decent doesn’t do.
