Premier League football is finally back after a month and a half hiatus!
Arsenal and Fulham will get the 2020/2021 season underway on Saturday at Craven Cottage. Defending champions Liverpool have pretty much the same roster as last year and will be looking to go back-to-back.
Challengers Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United will not make it easy for the Reds as each club revamped their squad during the transfer window.
Here are 5 predictions for another thrilling Premier League campaign.
Champions: Manchester City
On paper, I’m not sure there is a squad better than City. Liverpool have talent don’t get me wrong but Jurgen Klopp made no signings during the fall transfer window while Pep Guardiola added CB Nathan Ake and RW Ferrnan Torres to a second-place roster a season ago.
I’m honestly not sure how any team can stop the Sky Blues presuming they stay healthy. Chelsea and Liverpool also are incredibly talented yet are a year away from truly challenging for the top spot. It is going to be a two-club race for the title and Man City will finish first.
Top Four: Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea
Arsenal and Leicester just aren’t quite at the level of United and Chelsea at the moment. United has one of the best midfielders in Europe with Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba. Chelsea added a boatload of young players to their front seven including for RB Leipzig standout Timo Werner. No shame in a top four finish for these clubs when you consider the clubs they are beating out.
Bottom Three: Crystal Palace, West Ham, Fulham
Crystal Palace have flirted with relegate for a couple seasons now and this year I think they’ll end up in the bottom three. Palace’s star striker Wilfried Zaha will probably be on the move at some point over the course of the year leaving them with little to no attacking talent. West Ham are in the process of selling their best player CB Declan Rice.
Much like Palace, I don’t see them staying up after letting go of a talent like Rice. Fulham achieved promotion thanks to a rousing win in the Championship playoffs. However, they won’t be in the top flight for long. The Cottagers are still a second-tier team without any impact signings during the current window.
Golden Boot: Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng
Arsenal’s top striker is poised for another excellent goal-scoring season. Last year he netted 22 goals, just one behind EPL leader Jamie Vardy. Aubamayeng doesn’t have the pace that most elite goal scorers possess but his striking and finesse is second to none.
Not only that, but the 31-year-old is on a team that heavily plays through their forwards. He is going to get a multitude of quality chances on goal based on Arsenal’s style of play. My money is on him converting quite a few.
Biggest Surprise: Leeds United
Leeds had were far and away the best team in the Championship a year ago and have one of the best rosters I’ve ever seen from a promoted club. Losing CB Ben White will sting for a little but the roster is talented enough to make up for his absence right away.
Marcelo Bielsa is one of the more underrated managers in football and has transformed Leeds into a powerhouse. Top 10 is not out of the question for this squad.
Read more about Leeds, here.
The season is finally here and I can’t wait! Will I be right about most of these? Probably not.
But hey, that’s the beauty of the Premier League. Anything can happen.
Featured Image: Reuters
