Author: TheSoccerUniverse Team [Fran Attie, Josh Finkelstein, Yashish Hirani]
With 3 match days in, another Premier League season is well under way. And this year promises to be a special one. I mean, Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the Prem! Enough said right? And I’ve yet to mention Romelu Lukaku back at Chelsea, Grealish as Guardiola’s secret weapon, Klopp without glasses and a very possibly dire year for Arsenal. This season promises much, so us here at the SportUniverse thought we’d make a little guide for you.
Fran: Chelsea, and it pains me to say this, because Manchester United are gonna come so close. Ultimately though, their curse will spell Chelsea’s glory: Ole Gunnar Solksjaer just isn’t on Thomas Tüchel’s level, and certainly not on Pep Guardiola’s, though I reckon City will be engaged with something different this season; from the signing of Jack Grealish, Guardiola will be trying to craft a new offense with the young Englishman slowly inching his way towards the false 9 position. Yes, I’m saying that. And notice how good Gabriel Jesus has been on the wing, shades of David Villa… Anyway, the champions will be Chelsea because they have Lukaku, Jorginho, a menacing defense full of bastards, a confident and intelligent goalkeeper in Mendy and some of the best no. 10s in English football: Ziyech, Mount and Havertz. This is no regular team, these are the European champions! Expect great things from them this year.
Josh: Liverpool. I may be biased because I’m a Liverpool fan but I think many fans are wrongly writing Liverpool off the title race. Even though Liverpool have not made many signings, Liverpool’s squad consists of players who have won the UCL and PL and have shown that they are capable of mounting a 90+ point title challenge. As long as Liverpool won’t have a similar injury crisis to that of last year, I think they could definitely win the league.
Yashish: Chelsea. The additions of Lukaku and Saul bring even more quality to the champions of Europe. Tüchel has already transformed this team into one that can barely be broken apart, and his defensive masterclasses, along with Saul's added creativity and Lukaku's world class ability, will give them the edge over City and competition.
Yashish: Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool. Man City are already one of the best teams in the league and they added Grealish to the mix. The team is well drilled and has the attacking ability to destroy most defenses in the world. However, a lack of a clear target man could end up hurting them in some games like we saw against Spurs. Not being able to get a striker will be a huge issue for them in terms of winning the title, but they will surely push Chelsea all the way. I would not be surprised if the race is decided on the final day of the EPL. In 3rd Place, I believe it will Man United. Last year they were lucky to be 2nd—the competition around them was not that great. However, this season they have really improved and addressed areas like CB and RW. Two world class players and one of the greatest players of all time is not a bad transfer window, but it is not perfect one. CDM options of Fred and Mctominay will really hurt them, but they will be a side to watch out for. And in 4th Place, Liverpool. Their lack of quality squad depth will come to haunt the Reds, but they will have enough to secure a UCL position. With Van Dijk back and Salah being Salah again, I would not be surprised if they make a run for the title too. But as thing stand, their transfer window activity was very poor and that will put them down this season.
Josh: Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Chelsea are about to sign Lukaku. He’s the missing piece in the Chelsea team—a striker that can score 20 goals a season. With Chelsea’s solid defense and the goals from Lukaku, I think Chelsea could definitely finish 2nd and challenge for the title. Manchester City have boosted their squad by signing Grealish for 100 million and also might sign Harry Kane. Similar to Chelsea’s squad, a striker that can score 20 goals a season is the missing piece for Manchester City and Kane would be that. City will definitely be in the title challenge but I think Liverpool and Chelsea will do slightly better. Manchester United will be the last spot of the top 4. They won’t be in the title race but easily make top 4.
Fran: Chelsea are in. Man City obviously too. Man Utd have Cristiano Ronaldo! Yes CR7 is back in the Premier League! So you know they’ll make top 4 even if they struggle some. Now, the last spot will be subject of much fight, but I honestly can’t see Liverpool missing out on it. They still have Klopp, they still have Van Dijk, and they still have Salah. And that’s probably enough isn’t it? Not to mention that they look completely rejuvenated this year; pay a close eye to Thiago and Sadio Mané and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Having said all that, Leicester City are a formidable team that deserves respect. At this point I think it’s fair to say they’ve garnered a place among the Big-6, or rather, a top 6 finish this year would guarantee their standing for the next ten years. And it is thoroughly deserved. So while I don’t expect them to snatch a Champions League spot, they’ve earned Arsenal’s spot in the British elite. Other teams to look out for: Everton, who I see making great strides this year under Rafa BenÃtez (who’s quietly one of the best mangers in England), and Spurs, who are also lead by a brilliant manager and just got lucky enough to keep Harry Kane for another season.
Josh: Over performers: Aston Villa. Even though Aston Villa have lost Grealish, Smith’s side still made good signings in Leon Bailey, Danny Ings, and Buendia that will strengthen the squad. In addition, Villa have kept their important players, such as Martinez, Mings, McGinn, and Watkins. Under performers: Manchester United. United have made some great transfer business with the signings of Varane, Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo, which will massively improve the side that finished 2nd last season. However, I think Ole will not be good enough tactically to compete with Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel, and Jurgen Klopp in a title race. The league will be much more competitive and I don’t think United will have enough to mount the title race most people expect given the signings they made.
Fran: Crystal Palace. I know it sounds strange, but with a very progressive core of players that are just hitting their primes, I think Crystal Palace could make some damage this season. Zaha is one of the best players in England, trust me. He’s that good. But he’s content with playing at home, for a club that lacks money and whose fans (the old class) don’t much care for him. That’s his biggest fault. Still, doesn’t take away from his talent. Van Aanholt is a very serviceable wing-back, Eberechi Eze is an incredibly exciting young talent who plays football with joy and swag, Benteke is just mobile and sharp enough to have a solid enough season (at his best, there’s even some Bafétimbi Gomis in him), and even if his not at his best, I could see young Jean-Philippe Mateta having a good year, while in Jack Butland and Cheikhou Kouyaté there’ll be a solid-ish defense. You’ve definitely noticed I haven’t mentioned Vieira yet. Well, it’s because he’s still a little of an unknown commodity. I saw him coach at NYCFC where he was being groomed for the Man City job, and he didn’t do enough there. I saw his brief stint at Nice, and though he created some lasting bonds with players, he didn’t show enough to warrant praise for his tactical acumen. But I think this might just be the perfect squad for him. Crystal Palace are comfortable enough in the Premier League to lose big games to big teams, which means, they’ll be out to claim some scalps of their own, and I think if Vieira can foster good morale with this bunch, they’ll find great wins this year, wins that will bring them over the hump after the losses. I’d watch out for them.
Yashish: I believe that despite Arsenal's poor form, they will bounce back this season and I would not be surprised to see them in the battle for the top 7. They have been missing key players to injuries and have played Chelsea and Man City in their games so far, so it is not justified to right them off just yet. Everton fans, on the other hand, must be eternally disappointed, and I do not think this season will be any different. They have great players and a great team, but compared to others ahead of them, I believe they are worse. West Ham, Aston Villa, even Wolves and Leeds are better than them on paper and have been showing that they could very well finish ahead of the Toffees. They have the ability, but never the results.
Yashish: Southampton. Despite some great results so far, they just do not have the team and ability to stay up. It will be close with the likes of Watford and Burnley, but Southampton have shown very little ability to prove that they will stay up. They have been lucky so far this season, but the luck will not last. Crystal Palace. Patrick Vieira is still finding his feet as a manager, I would love to see him succeed but so far the performances from Palace show that they are not sure about what they have to do. They cannot keep depending on Zaha and Benteke, and the overall quality in the team is either ageing or sub-par. Norwich. Yes Yes Yes, I know Arsenal should be here but let's be honest, Norwich City's style is not built for a team that is trying to survive. They play expansive football, and for a team that does not have the same quality as that of a Brighton or Leicester, they will struggle.
Fran: I have a few names here that I’ve been considering, but honestly I’m a little at a loss. Most of the bottom quarter teams are pretty evenly matched. They lack in talent, have mostly mediocre coaches and haven’t done enough in the market to show they’re serious about staying up. I’d expect Norwich, Brentford, Brighton, Watford and Southampton to all find themselves battling relegation this season. I think Wolves are gonna have a scare after losing their manager and possibly their most exciting players (Rúben Neves, Adama Traoré), but I don’t see them going down. Newcastle United fans will be happily surprised this year as their team just edges out to the other boys thanks to special play from Saint-Maximin, Willock and Callum Wilson, while Arsenal fans are in for a rough year that won’t get much better until they replace managers.
Josh: Norwich, Southampton, Watford. Like always, the relegation battle is hard to predict. I think Norwich will go back down simply due to the quality of the teams above them. However, the signings of Sargent and Gilmour could help Norwich give a fight so I predict them to finish 18th. Southampton will finish 19th. Their poor form in the 2nd half of the season as well as Ings’s departure does not give me confidence that Southampton has what it takes to stay in the PL. Lastly, I think Watford will finish bottom since they didn’t make enough signings so far.
For more soccer talk, check out Fran and Yashish on the SoccerUniverse podcast, and Josh on the Liverpool Perspective, on all podcasting platforms!
