The Premier League returned this past weekend after what seems a long summer break! Although we were spoilt with the Women’s World Cup, the Copa America and the African Cup of Nations to have our Football Fix; Nothing beats the Premier League! A lot has happened in the off season, Sarri-Ball is no more; Club Legend Frank Lampard has replaced him at Chelsea. One of Newcastle’s best ever managers in the modern era finally had enough with Mike Ashley and left for China – to be replaced by ex-Sunderland manager Steve Bruce. Newly promoted Aston Villa have spent big in an attempt to stay up. But the real big questions will be answered in May – Who will win the title? Who will qualify for the Champions League and who will be relegated? Check out my predictions below:
1st – Manchester City (Last Season: 1st)
The defending champions in my opinion will take much stopping this season! why? because of the strength and depth they have in each position. Remember much of last season they were without Kevin De Bruyne and yet didn’t really miss him. City and their Manager Guardiola might have their priorities set on European glory this season; But their squad will ensure they will be contenders in each of the competitions they compete in. The Citizens have strengthened their squad by adding Atletico Madrid’ defensive midfielder Rodri; Who is seen as the long term replacement for Fernandinho. Juventus right-back Cancelo has been announced in a deal which takes Danilo in the other direction. All in all its going to take a mammoth effort to stop City from claiming another title.
2nd – Liverpool (Last Season: 2nd)
Reigning European Champions Liverpool only missed out on the Premier League title by a point; On the last day of the season. They will be hoping to go one better this time round. They will go into the new season with the same squad; The only additions to the squad have been youngsters. All in all Klopp has a very good squad at his disposal. A squad that plays to his tactics and sings to his hymn sheet perfectly. On the whole the squad is quite young so can only get better with age and experience and the Manager is backing them to go get the title this season.
Liverpool’s front three Salah, Mane and Firmino are one of the most feared attacks in Europe; They certainly will have a say on the Premier League Title Race. However if one of those were to get injured; Liverpool will not be able to rely on stalwart Daniel Sturridge who left in the summer. Rather than replace Sturridge, Klopp has deemed youngster Rhian Brewster good enough to be in the First Team picture; Brewster fired England to the U-17 World Cup in 2017 and claimed the Golden Boot. Liverpool will challenge all the way but I feel most of their hopes will rely on keeping their squad fit.
3rd – Tottenham Hotspur (Last Season: 4th)
Spurs head into their first full season in their new home on the back of a fairly good season; 4th in the Premier league and Champions League Finalists. The last two seasons Spurs have had to deal with playing home games at Wembley; But they settled into home life quite nicely. Tottenham have added combative midfielder Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon to their Ranks. While Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon were added on deadline day. The only concern I would have if I was Mauricio Pochettino is they do not have direct cover for Harry Kane. When Kane was injured last season it affected Spurs performances. The likes on Son, Llorente and Moura all played in the Striker role but with Llorente out of contract Spurs are quite short of strikers.
4th – Arsenal (Last Season: 5th)
Arsenal had a mixed season last season; Another season where they failed to qualify for Champions League Football. However their first season without Arsene Wenger brought some good performances from the Gunners. Tactically Unai Emery has had an effect on Arsenal – looking more potent in attack but their inconsistent performances and unreliable defence cost them. Emery has been busy in the transfer window with the arrivals of Midfielder Dani Ceballos, Attacker Nicolas Pepe and Defender William Saliba (who returns to St Etienne on Loan). The arrivals of Ceballos and Pepe are great editions. David Luiz’s arrival to their fragile defence could prove a masterstroke; Or it could be a case of same old story for Arsenal.
5th – Manchester United (Last Season: 6th)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign at United started off with a bang but ended with a whimper! Their 6th placed finish is probably much more than expected when Ole arrived at Old Trafford but after going 12 games unbeaten in his first 12 games; a finish in the Champions League places looked likely. Like Arsenal, United’s troubles lay in defence and Solskjaer has been backed in the market. United have brought in Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace and made Harry Maguire the World’s most expensive defender.
The future Paul Pogba was up in the air but he has stayed at Carrington while striker Lukaku has left United for Inter Milan. I think United will regret not bringing in a replacement for Lukaku and may find themselves short up top if they have any Injuries. Much of their Success could rely on which Pogba we see on the pitch and if their defensive issues are a thing of the past.
6th – Chelsea (Last Season: 3rd)
Much was made of Maurizio Sarris appointment at the beginning of last season; it heralded what would be a change in their style of play – “Sarri Ball” as it was known from his time at Napoli. But in the end it was a mixed season of playing players out of position, inconsistent performances on the pitch and unrest from fans who weren’t buying into the new style of play. All in all though a 3rd place finish, a EFL cup final defeat and winning the Europa League was a good season for Chelsea. Sarri however had a desire to return to his native Italy and was appointed Juventus manager.
Club legend Frank Lampard was appointed manager after impressing in his debut season as a manager at Derby. Lampard’s’ job has been made tougher as Chelsea are currently serving a transfer ban; Their only incoming signing being Christian Pulisic which was finalised before the ban took effect. As a result Lampard will rely on some of their youngsters who would normally be sent out on Loan. I think on the whole this will be a transition season for Chelsea who will miss their talisman Eden Hazard. A season of bedding in youngsters and improving their development which I think in the long run will stand Frank Lampard and Chelsea in good stead.
7th – Wolverhampton Wanderers (Last Season: 7th)
Wolves had a fantastic debut season back in the Premier League finishing 7th and qualifying for Europe; a testament to their Manager Nuno Espirito Santo and his tactics because they played an attractive brand of football. Wolves fortunes changed when they were taken over by a Chinese conglomerate – The owners also own 20% in the agency of Football super agent Jorge Mendes. It’s this connection which has brought a host of Europe’s top talent to Molineux. The Likes of Raul Jimenez, Diogo Jota, Matt Docherty – not household names but they lit up the Premier League.
Wolves have spent quite a bit of money in the transfer window on some Promising youngsters such as forward Cutrone from Milan and Belgian defensive midfielder Dendoncker. All in all Wolverhampton have a very talented squad which is young and hungry and I’m sure we will see more of the same this season, whether it is good enough to break into the Top 6 remains to be seen.
8th – Everton (Last Season: 8th)
Everton strengthened considerably last season and spent quite a lot of money so to finish 8th would of brought mixed reactions; Especially when their neighbours were fighting for the title and crowned Champions of Europe. Marco Silva was under pressure for his tactics but I feel their problems were well documented; They spent heavily on their defence by bringing in Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne from Barcelona but as a unit they must perform better if they are going to challenge for the Top 4. Up top they also struggled having never really replaced the goals of Romelu Lukaku. Local Boy Dominic Calvert-Lewin had the honour of leading the line but at times it was a lot to ask of him.
Everton have been busy again in the Transfer Window but most importantly they have bolstered their attacking options by bringing in Alex Iwobi from Arsenal on deadline day. The most impressive addition however is a permanent deal for striker Moise Kean – one of Europe’s hottest properties. If you add that to the likes of Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Walcott, Bolasie and Andre Gomes who made his move permanent; Then Everton have the potential to be dangerous. If Everton can become more consistent then they can challenge the Top 4 but I think we’ll see more of the same; Much will rely on how quickly Moise Kean settles.
9th – West Ham United (Last Season: 10th)
Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham had a very bright 18/19 season finishing 10th in the Premier League; With a squad mixed full of youth and experience. There is a lot of talent in the squad but one of the most frustrating things for West Ham is Injuries; Injuries have resulted in results being very mixed. Made it hard to go on a run of good results and have a crack at the Top 8. The likes of Lanzini, Wilshere, Sanchez all suffered long term injuries. While key players such as Arnautovic and Keeper Fabianski missed part of the season. Pellegrini also had to deal with Arnautovic trying to force a move in the January transfer window. He later changed his mind and decided to stay.
In the summer transfer window, Arnautovic finally got his move to China; The club deciding it was best to eradicate his disruptive persona from the Hammers dressing room; His replacement was big money striker Sebastien Haller (£36mill) from Eintracht Frankfurt. In addition, the Claret and Blues brought in attacking midfield Pablo Fornals from Villareal; A highly rated prospect from Spain. If you look at West Ham’s squad, there is a lot of talent, a strong spine and some really good depth. If Pellegrini can keep key players fit and Sebastian Haller replicates his scoring form from Germany; It could be a very good season at the London Stadium.
10th – Leicester City (Last Season: 9th)
Leicester looked on course for a bottom table finish last season under the guidance of Claude Puel playing a brand of football which didn’t appease the majority of the home fans. Many however would of forgiven the team for such a finish after the tragic incident where Leicester owner Khun Vichai lost his life in a helicopter crash as he left the stadium; He was responsible for turning the clubs fortunes round resulting in them winning the Premier League. Click here to read my blog post on the Leicester owner and the effect he had.
On the Football field, Claude Puel could not prevent results from slipping and was sacked; replaced by Brendan Rodgers; In Rodger’s 10 league games in charge they only lost once leading them to a 9th place finish. Their main business in the summer has been to make Youri Tielemans Loan permanent for £40 million; In his short loan spell he showed great attributes of a world class midfielder and confirmed why he is one of Europe’s hottest properties. Which makes it a great bit of business for Leicester.
Harry Maguire: The World’s Most Expensive Defender
Ayoze Perez was also brought in from Newcastle; The Striker who predominantly plays in the number 10 position is another great addition and has Premier League experience. Midfielder Dennis Praet was an addition on deadline day but the talking point from the transfer window for the Foxes was the loss of Harry Maguire; The World’s most expensive defender.
While Leicester have a good squad full of internationals, there are two areas of the squad which I believe are a weakness and will cost them. Firstly, the choice not to replace Harry Maguire. Leicester decided against replacing Maguire because they were quoted inflated fees for their targets. This leaves them a bit short of experience and options and if one of Johnny Evans or Wes Morgan were to get injured it would be catastrophic.
On the other side of the pitch Striker Jamie Vardy is the main man but if he was to get injured then options are limited. Kelechi Iheanacho has failed to produce the form that secured his move to the King Power from Man City and Islam Slimani is out of Favour. Ayoze Perez could fill in as a lone striker but his best position is being the support striker / attacking midfielder. The Teams from 7th down to 12th/13th are of very similar standards in the past few season and only separated by a few points; I expect Leicester to be one of those clubs again.
11th – Watford (Last Season: 11th)
Watford are normally everyone’s favourites to go down ever since they were promoted. But even though they lost in the FA Cup final and there successive defeats in the league led them to finish 11th; It was good season for the hornets in what was Javi Gracias first full season in charge. In the clubs best season since promotion, Gracia proved that he is a master tactician and great man manager; For most of the season it looked like they would secure a top half finish.
The Hornets squad isn’t full of big names but more full of experienced campaigners from domestic clubs; And the summer transfer window again proved this philosophy. Centre back Craig Dawson had been brought in from West Brom; a dependable yet uninspiring signing but will strengthen a defence which struggled at times last season. Danny Welbeck on a free transfer is a good bit of business if they can keep him fit; but the best bit of business had to be winner Ismaila Sarr. The youngster who is pacey and hot prospect will give Watford’s attack another dimension.
Javi Gracia will need his squad firing every week if they are going to match their success of last year. If the defence improves then there is no reason Watford can’t challenge for a place in the Top 10.
12th – Southampton (Last Season: 16th)
Last season was a dismal campaign for the Saints who finished just 5 points above the relegation zone. Much of the blame goes to Mark Hughes as Southampton were languishing in 19th place when he was sacked; An average squad, with considerable high earners under performing was enough to put Southampton on the brink of relegation. The appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl; The highly rated ex manager of RB Leipzig turned their season around.
Southampton, who in recent years have been seen as a selling club; Selling their young talent who have come through the academy or even players they have brought in. The likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Toby Alderweireld, Sadio Mane, Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale all played at St Mary’s. However times have changed and the current squad is absent of those exciting talents. Forward reinforcements have been brought in with Danny Ings loan move made permanent and Che Adams arrival from Birmingham; The prolific Championship striker will have his first taste of Premier League football.
The Saints have 6 first team Centre Backs on their books and much of their success will rely on if they can find a Centre Back pairing that lasts without chopping and changing; Many CBs have come and gone but its longest serving player Mayo Yoshida who is relied on. Apart from youngster James Ward-Prowse who was probably the only positive last season in a pretty dismal campaign; Southampton are short of creative midfielders and it could be key to their success connecting the midfield to the strikers. Ralph Hasenhuttl has another mammoth task on his hands but with his man management skills he should be able to keep Southampton away from the Relegation fight.
13th – Crystal Palace (Last Season: 12th)
Last season Palace started the season terribly and it looked like a relegation battle was imminent; 3 wins from their opening 16 games but a good away record in the second half helped them shy away from that fight; Comfortably finishing 12th. 9 wins on the road made up for a pretty dire home record. Palaces defence was one of the main reasons for their 12th place finish; Only Newcastle conceding less goals in the bottom half of the table. Going forward there was some concern; Only 28 of the 51 goals they scored in the Premier League were from open play. Wilfried Zaha had his best season in a palace shirt with 10 goals and 10 assists; As a result he is a very sought after man!
Zaha was subject to bids from Arsenal and Everton but ultimately Crystal Palace held out and kept him as the Transfer Window closed; It remains to be seen what Zaha we will see as he handed in a transfer request to get a move. However the lack of investment is what will really hurt Palace this season; The arrival of Gary Cahill on a free is a good signing but he only strengthens an already strong part of the team. In Midfield, exciting Spanish midfielder Camarasa came in on a season long loan. There wasn’t any reinforcements up front which is probably where Palace are crying out for reinforcements. Much will depend on Zaha and a squad full of veterans, that with Hodgsons experience should see them safe for another season; If Zaha leaves in January then a relegation battle may ensue.
14th – Newcastle United (Last Season: 13th)
Newcastle United finished quite comfortably mid table in the end last season. Rafa Benitez proving his worth as a master technician by getting the best out of a very average squad; For Benitez it was about making the defence hard to beat because goal difference could of been a factor if it came to relegation.
The appointment of Benitez brought renewed hope of investment and ambition from Newcastles hierarchy but that never really materialised during Rafas tenure leading to him leaving this summer at the expiration of his contract. This summer also brought hope of a takeover from a rich Arab tycoon dubbed the “Fake Sheikh” as proof of funds and a takeover never came to fruition.
Ex Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has been appointed boss to further add to the unrest on Tyneside and has a massive task on his hands to win the fans over; that task has been made even more difficult when both of last seasons top scorers are no longer at the club. Ayoze Perez will ply his trade at Leicester City this season while Salomon Rondon has followed Benitez to China.
The Magpies broke their transfer record for Brazil Striker Joelinton, while also bringing in explosive winger Allan Saint-Maximin, full backs Emil Krafth and Jetro Willems; Deadline day also saw the return on Geordie Andy Carroll on a free transfer. On the whole the Magpies squad has been improved and shows a lot of promise but much will rest on Steve Bruce’s tactics; Could he be relegated for a 3rd time in a row in the Premier League?
15th – Aston Villa (Last Season: Promoted via Play Offs)
Aston Villa were promoted via the big money Play Off final they won at Wembley in May. In the normal season they finished 5th playing an attacking high pressing style of play which led to them being the third highest scorers in the league. However on the flip side Villa had a defence that had a tendency to implode and one that conceded more goals than the teams who finished 16th and 17th.
Once promotion was secured, it was imperative Villa overhauled and strengthened a squad that was ageing. A massive 12 new signings were brought in for around £100million – Villa were not messing around. However only two of those signings had previous Premier League experience. Record signing Trezeguet will need to fill the void left by Tammy Abraham. The considerable Squad investment shows Villa are keen to compete rather than just survive; but they must remain cautious as Fulham last year heavily invested in their squad but they failed to gel resulting in relegation. The Villans should survive comfortably under Smith’s guidance.
16th – Bournemouth (Last Season: 14th)
Eddie Howe is the Premier Leagues longest serving manager and with Bournemouth you know what your getting, a solid hard-working team that will finish quite comfortably mid table. So will that change this season? Last season Bournemouth were the highest scorers outside of the Top 6 with Callum Wilson and winger Ryan Fraser leading the way. The problem though was their defence; conceding 70 goals in 38 games. Only the bottom two teams conceded more.
Bournemouth’s ageing back line needed refurbishment, at the heart of the defence is 23 year old Nathan Ake who has proved to be very consistent. The fullbacks are in the twilight of their careers so reinforcements have been brought in; Jack Stacey and Lloyd Kelly have arrived from Luton and Bristol City respectively. Eddie Howe hoping a blend of youth and experience will bring an end to their defensive woes.
In midfield Phillip Billing was brought in from Huddersfield to strengthen an already accomplished midfield. Last season the emergence of young attacking midfielder was a massive plus. If Bournemouth can get their defence well balanced with their attacking philosophy then they may challenge the Top 10.
17th – Burnley (Last Season: 15th)
Burnley struggled last season to live up to the hype of their 7th place finished the season before. Ultimately the club didn’t have the money to invest in a squad that was capable of a cup run in the Europa League and doing well in the Premier League. They started slowly in the league due to their Europa League qualifying commitments; Which ended in the 3rd round to Olympiakos. Overall it was a quiet season as they finished on the magic 40 point mark in 15th place.
Jay Rodriguez has returned to Burnley from West Brom for £5 million – their biggest deal of the summer. Dyche’s side also completed the signings of full-backs Erik Pieters and Ryan Cooney from Stoke and Bury respectively. 22 year old Goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell has signed from Leeds; a highly rated prospect who could wear the number one shirt in years to come.
With no European distraction this season, Burnleys tactics to defend for long periods and soak up pressure is dangerous but served them well in seasons gone by, I think they will struggle defensively this season; However keeping James Tarkowski is a massive plus.
18th – Norwich (Last Season: Promoted as Champions)
The 2018/19 will be one to remember for Norwich fans as Daniel Farke led his young squad to the Championship Title while playing an attractive brand of football. The season started slow as fans called for Farke’s head but by Christmas they were in the promotion places; they went on to secure the title bu going unbeaten in their last 14 league games.
The Canaries strengths lie in attack where they scored 92 goals, 29 of them from top scorer Teemu Pukki; The front four of Emi Buendía and Onel Hernández on the wings with Marco Stiepermann playing in an attacking midfield role behind striker Teemu Pukki were responsible for 53 of them.
In the transfer window, Norwich had a fairly quiet one. Experienced striker Josip Drmic has swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League. However the forward has been plagued by injuries in recent years. Experienced German keeper Fahrmann has arrived from Schalke on loan whilst winger Patrick Roberts has also arrived on loan from Man City. Right Back Sam Byram arrives from West Ham to add some depth to the Norwich squad.
The problem for Norwich is their lack of Premier League experience in the squad – only 5 players have previously played in the league. Also the youthful defence could struggle in the Premier League with the increase in class; it could be a long season for them. They won’t go down without a fight though as they will stick to their attacking philosophy.
19th – Sheffield United (Last Season: Promoted as Runners Up)
Sheffield United’s season last season would of been a surprise to themselves; As the blades were not favoured for promotion before the season began. Most of the credit must go to Manager Chris Wilder who has changed their fortunes in League one to now be back in the Premier League; Twelve years since they were last in the top flight. With the least amount of goals conceded in the division, the best goal difference, and the second most wins; It was a great season all around.
The blades have been busy in the off season preparing for top flight football by bringing in 7 players, spending £40million and breaking their transfer record 4 times! Lyss Mousset and Oliver Mcburnie have been brought in to add competition for Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick up front. Luke Freeman joins from QPR while Ravel Morrison joins on a free transfer. Centre back Phil Jagielka’s return to his old club from Everton signals the importance of Premier League Experience.
There is no doubt the Blades will fight tooth and nail for every point but the lack of Premier League experience in the squad, especially in the middle of the park could hurt them.
20th – Brighton (Last Season: 17th)
Last season proved to be a tough campaign for Brighton as they escaped relegation by 2 points. An FA Cup Semi Final gave the fans something to cheer about where they lost to eventual winners Manchester City. Long serving manager Chris Hughton was sacked which came to a surprise by many. He was replaced by Swansea manager Graham Potter.
Brighton spent £60 million in the summer to strengthen their squad. £18m of that was spent on Brentford’s Neal Maupay, who scored an incredible 28 goals last season. He will look to give the ageing Glenn Murray competition up top. Centre back Adam Webster was brought in from Bristol City for £20m and he will add some competition in defence. The third big money signing was winger Leandro Trossard who arrives for £18m from Belgian side Genk who had an impressive season in the Belgian league
The problem for Brighton this season is Graham Potter will employ a more attacking formation and tactics. Defensively last season Brighton were strong, they only conceded 6 more goals than Man United who finished in 6th. It was in attacking areas where they came up short. This season I think the change in style will be hard to adapt to for a squad that’s used to being defensive; Graham Potter has a huge task on his hands but I think their Three season stay in Premier League could come to an end.
