Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit has cast his eye across the rest of the Premier League and the race for the Golden Boot .
The former Arsenal and Chelsea star has named the strikers who can push Erling Haaland , questioned the transitions at Newcastle United and Aston Villa , and delivered a blunt verdict on Alejandro Garnacho .
Petit has also assessed Enzo Fernandez and Rayan Cherki at Manchester City , the outlook for Everton , Leeds and Ipswich , and the impact new arrivals Ibrahim Mbaye could have.
The Golden Boot
Who Can Beat Haaland to the Golden Boot?
Erling Haaland will be the first name that comes to mind, but he will actually face adversity this season because of Alexander Isak and Joao Pedro . They're both having good starts to the season. With Benjamin Sesko , you can see something is missing in Manchester United for him to challenge Haaland like that. You see it through the whole team, the environment, the new signings and everything. I wish him all the best, but I'm not sure he has a chance to be among the top scorers in the Premier League this season.
Nicolas Jackson has something about him and much to prove at Aston Villa , but they have lost so many important players. They've lost the whole spine of their team, and they are struggling, so it's a pity for Jackson because I think he is a real quality player; he's just missing that confidence, and for a striker that can be the most important thing for them. I don't know what to make of Aston Villa yet because I was so impressed with the journey they were on under Unai Emery for the last two or three seasons, but now it's a different team. We will have to see what happens with Aston Villa to see what could be possible for Nicolas Jackson .
Manchester City
Can Enzo Fernandez Help City Win the Champions League?
Enzo Fernandez is still a top player. I don't know the guy. I don't know him as a person. I don't like his antics. On the pitch, he can be a leader. He's got that personality and character. He's just a different player to Rodri , but he will bring something different to Manchester City too. Can he help them win the Champions League this season? Why not! Does he do enough defensively to help them without the ball? I don't know.
Do You Fear For Rayan Cherki's Place When Doku Returns?
I have no worries about Rayan Cherki keeping his place at Manchester City . I mean, if I was the manager, Enzo Maresca , Cherki would be the last player I put on the bench. If he got injured, that would be a problem for City . Can he replace Bruno Fernandes as player of the season this year? My only question is whether he has got the strength and physicality to play every game in the Premier League . That's the problem.
When he's fit, this guy is amazing. But it's the physical demands of the Premier League as well as the Champions League . It may be too much for him to cope with. He needs to learn from what Eden Hazard did, and it will be important for Enzo Maresca to rotate him in and out of the team too.
Villa and Newcastle
Have Newcastle Impressed You or Will They Fall Short?
It's too early to say on Newcastle United . They lost some top players. Sandro Tonali , Bruno Guimaraes , even Nick Woltemade left too. It's the beginning of the season. Every single team is not yet at their best level. Newcastle are one of the teams who have taken advantage of that. Will they keep impressing? In the next couple of weeks, I think we will see the limits of this team.
Will Ibrahim Mbaye Be an Inspired Villa Signing?
Ibrahim Mbaye is a really good young player. He faced the same problems as Bradley Barcola . When you are an individual at a team like Paris Saint-Germain, who have been performing so well for the last two seasons, the best team in Europe , it can be difficult. Mbaye played 22 games last season. He's only 19. It's hard for young players from the academy to get into the top team when you have the players already at Paris Saint-Germain, where the competition is just so high. Every time he had the chance to play, he did well.
Now he has to forget all about Paris Saint-Germain and focus on a different environment and a different way of playing under a different manager who wants different things and a different style of football. It's a different culture too. I just wish him the best of luck in adapting to it all quickly because he has so much quality, and Aston Villa have lost the spine of their team, so they are struggling. They will need Mbaye to make a big impression.
Is Mbaye Already a Better Option Than Garnacho?
I had forgotten all about Alejandro Garnacho , you know. He has been at Manchester United , Chelsea and Aston Villa . How many clubs does he need to play for? He reminds me of so many other players who still wear the shirts of a top club without proving they have any value in doing so. I watch him on the bench, all covered in his diamonds.
The Chasing Pack
What Do You Make of Everton's Chances?
David Moyes has said Everton need to fight harder, fight like lions, fight like soldiers this season, and I think it's because he knows they are a tiny, tiny team when you look at the options they have on the bench, and the options up front. Tyrique George is a powerful young forward, but he cannot be the player they rely on after missing out on Folarin Balogun , especially at his age, all season.
Everton have to be careful. They have to pay for their stadium and pay off the debts from Farhad Moshiri , and it reminds me of Arsenal when they built the Emirates Stadium . Every season they had to sell players, pay off their loan, and they still need to keep competing in the best league in the world, where everyone is so powerful financially. I think this will be a very difficult season for Everton .
Do Leeds Have an Outside Chance of Europe?
Can Leeds United break through into the European places this season? Maybe they can do the same thing that Sunderland did, but I think it is going to be much tougher for them this season. Bournemouth , Brighton and many other teams as well will be wanting to put the pressure on the top clubs in the Premier League . Aston Villa , Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur will want to be up there too. You never know, but Leeds would be outsiders to make it into Europe this season.
Has Gary O'Neil Proven He Can Keep Ipswich Up?
Ipswich Town are like so many other promoted teams. How many ever stay in the Premier League after being promoted? It's not many, and it's a very big gap. Good luck to them, but it will be hard for them. I think it is the same for Frank Lampard and Coventry City . In their defences, they have played against some top teams at the start of the season. You hope it will get much easier for them after this, but it's not an easy start, and they can't let it hurt their confidence. The one good thing about playing against the top clubs at the start of the season is that you know easier games are coming soon.
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