By George Cummins
Last year’s Premier League had all the makings of a classic sitcom.
Victors Chelsea looked anything but at the beginning, having got off to a bit of a bad start. But, after Leicester City’s shock win the season before, anything was possible. Spurs – not quite one of the ‘Big Four,’ but getting closer, had a great season, but they lost steam down the stretch. Still they gathered enough to stay in the running for the top spot longer than any other challenger to Chelsea.
The less said about Manchester City’s season, the better (although they did manage to finish in 3rd), while at the other end of the spectrum, Liverpool predictably enjoyed a fantastic season, finishing in 4th place.
However, no Premier League season would be complete without shocks and upsets – and this time it was Arsenal’s turn to fall. For the first time since the late 1990s, the Gunners finished outside the top four, and their 5th place finish means that they will miss out on an all-important Champions league place.
Team Predictions
No team is perfect and each team (we’re looking at you, Arsenal) will look to last season to learn from their mistakes. This coming season will be a tough one to call – I don’t think I will be using my William hill Android app to make a bet on who takes the top spot.
Here’s a quick look at potentially winning paths for some of the most popular teams.
Chelsea
Antonio Conte will be put to the test as Chelsea look to defend their title. He’ll have to keep his temper in check (remember him slapping his assistant last season?), especially after ill-timed injuries (feel well, Hazard), sudden transfers (Manchester United and Bayern Munich felt the wrath) and that whole texting episode with Diego Costa.
With a league title to defend and a higher profile than ever, there will be more issues, injuries and hard work in store. Chelsea needs to buckle down and focus as a team, but one thing’s for sure: whether Conte manages to keep his cool or not, it’ll certainly be entertaining to watch.
Spurs
Spurs are in it to win it this season, and pose quite a considerable threat. With some of the league’s best players, they need to buckle down and keep the team together. They have the talent, but will they have the discipline? The biggest question here is how they’ll feel playing at Wembley Stadium all season, while they wait for their home ground to be finished. Their history isn’t the most illustrious, but this upcoming season Spurs are one of the league title frontrunners.
Man City
Armed with a young emerging Brazilian striker, it almost seems like Man City have had some divine intervention.
Gabriel Jesus made a massive impact in his first five matches for the club, and after his return from a metatarsal injury he looks in finer form than ever before. With Jesus on their side, Man City look set for a breathtakingly stellar season, but only if they buckle down on defense.
Liverpool
Post-Suarez, Liverpool have managed to strengthen their forward line…but they should work on strengthening their back, which is their weak spot. With one small change to their standard starting XI this season, Philippe Coutinho will be focusing more on the central-midfield role, showcasing his creativity.
Liverpool will also welcome newcomer Mohamed Salah, seeking to shoulder some of the scoring burden from Sadio Mane. If the team adjusts quickly to these changes, then they look to be a massive league title threat.
Arsenal
Arsenal are set to claw back into a position among the top four. Arsene Wenger will be knocking his men into shape by overhauling his formation to capitalize on the extra defensive player supporting Aaron Ramsey from midfield. He announced yesterday that they will play a 3-4-3 this season.
The question is, by trading a midfielder for an attacker will Arsenal’s gamble pay off? If it doesn’t, Arsenal’s dream of returning to the top four might just only be that, a dream.