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Panic Rankings: Who should be worried after opening two weeks?

David Price / Arsenal FC / Getty

It's never too early to panic. Here, we look at a collection of clubs and players that should be very concerned just two weeks into the new campaign.

5. Burnley

Don't get too worried just yet, Burnley supporters. With defensive mastermind Sean Dyche at the helm, there's reason to believe the early struggles are simply part of the ebb and flow of a season.

That said, not being able to break down a decidedly mediocre Southampton in the season opener, and then conceding three goals to Watford at the usually impenetrable Turf Moor isn't encouraging.

Couple that underwhelming start with the club's lack of activity in the transfer window, and a potential Europa League campaign and it may not be long before Dyche's gravelly voice gets worn out from all the screaming on the touchline. Burnley are set to meet Greek giants Olympiacos in the Europa League playoff - the first leg goes this week - and strange as it may sound, failure to advance to the group stage of the tournament may actually be the preferred outcome, given how thin the squad looks.

Clubs with far more resources have struggled to cope with the added strain of European football in recent seasons, after all.

Of course, this could all just be an overreaction.

Four of Burnley's next six Premier League matches are against sides that were promoted to the top flight in the last two seasons, so the Clarets have ample opportunity to steady the ship in the coming month. If we're having this same conversation after that favorable spell, though, Dyche and Co. will have legitimate reasons to start panicking.

4. Wes Morgan

We may have just witnessed the beginning of the end for Wes Morgan at Leicester City after the Foxes captain was dropped from the starting lineup for Saturday's 2-0 victory over Wolves.

The 34-year-old Jamaican center-back has started no fewer than 27 Premier League matches in each of the past four seasons - including the miraculous title-winning campaign of 2015-16 when he didn't miss a single minute. But Leicester's summer recruiting suggests the veteran could spend the bulk of the year watching the action unfold from the sidelines.

Related: Winners and losers from the Premier League weekend

Claude Puel's side invested heavily in rebuilding the backline, signing central defenders Filip Benkovic, Caglar Soyuncu, and Jonny Evans. The former pair, 21 and 22 years old, respectively, were brought aboard with an eye to the future. The latter, though, offers an immediate upgrade on Morgan; Evans lined up alongside undisputed starter Harry Maguire on Saturday.

Puel's style will never be described as swashbuckling - he'll take a drab 0-0 over a wide-open contest any day of the week - but he does favor defenders who are comfortable on the ball over no-nonsense bruisers. That figures to give Evans the edge over Morgan in the battle for playing time.

3. Anthony Martial

Already in Jose Mourinho's doghouse after a summer spat that was incited by his departure from the club's preseason tour, things didn't get any better for Anthony Martial this weekend.

His feud with the Portuguese probably says more about the bench boss that it does the French winger - Martial left United's Los Angeles training camp last month to attend the birth of his child, for which, incredibly, he was fined a reported £180,000 after returning late.

You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who sides with Mourinho in that debate.

Related: Mourinho's tenure indefensible when backline organization goes AWOL

Regardless, the 22-year-old winger now finds himself in an unenviable position. Multiple reports suggested he wanted out of Old Trafford this summer, but with the transfer window in England now closed - along with the one in Italy - he can only get his wish if he moves abroad to Spain, Germany, or France. His hefty wages make that a difficult proposition for all but the wealthiest of clubs.

On the pitch, Martial was ineffectual in the dismal 3-2 defeat to Brighton on Sunday. He had more yellow cards (1) than completed passes to attacking partner Romelu Lukaku (0) before being yanked off in the 60th minute.

Mourinho admitted that the French forward only got the start due to an injury to Alexis Sanchez, and with a wealth of other options up front, it looks as though Martial is staring down the barrel of a season spent rotting on the bench.

2. Granit Xhaka

It's becoming increasingly difficult to defend Granit Xhaka with each passing match, and as a result, his hold on a starting role in Unai Emery's midfield looks tenuous at best.

The Swiss international, 25, has been nothing short of abysmal in Arsenal's two defeats to open the campaign. Yes, those have come against quality opposition - in the case of Manchester City, the highest quality the Premier League has to offer - but Xhaka's place in the team is already in jeopardy.

Teenager Matteo Guendouzi has looked lively and promising, if a bit raw, in his first two matches. It's only a matter of time before summer signing Lucas Torreira is fully recovered from his World Cup exertions and ready to take over at the heart of the Gunners' midfield.

Where does that leave Xhaka, then?

Brought in from Borussia Monchengladbach to act as the fulcrum of the side, he's proven a complete liability during his time in north London, often shunning his responsibility in the defensive phase of the game. His range of passing is superb, but he's too often a passenger, and the odd Hollywood ball sprayed out to the flanks isn't enough to outweigh the ineptitude in his own half.

Arsene Wenger was famously laissez-faire during his final years at Arsenal and continued to trot Xhaka out at every opportunity. Emery is unlikely to be so accommodating.

1. West Ham

Someone needs to remind Manuel Pellegrini that he's allowed to start a competent midfield partnership.

There was a renewed sense of optimism at West Ham after an extravagant summer saw the club splash nearly £100 million on nine new players, but a woeful start to the campaign has soured some of that already; supporters were already flocking to the exits with 10 minutes remaining in Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth.

Captain Mark Noble has been a terrific servant for the club, but his time as a legitimate Premier League option in central midfield is over. Pairing him with Jack Wilshere is an invitation for opposing sides to dominate matches in the center of the park.

While exciting young signing Issa Diop continues to acclimate before getting his first chance in the Premier League, West Ham are a defensive nightmare. Angelo Ogbonna is doing his best to set a new league record for individual errors leading directly to goals, and the full-back situation leaves plenty to be desired.

On the back of two consecutive losses to open the year, West Ham now face a miserable run of fixtures that could see things get a whole lot worse before they get better. The Hammers meet Arsenal, Wolves, Everton, Chelsea, and Manchester United in their next five league matches.

“This group of players, obviously there were big changes and it takes time to bed in," newly signed goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski said, according to The Telegraph's Ian Winrow.

"Hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later."

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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