As the elite comedian Daniel Tosh famously said: “they say money can’t buy happiness, no, but it buys a wave-runner.” Likewise, British pounds and Euros can’t buy a Premier League title, but it buys the most talented roster possible. At least on paper, you have to point towards Manchester to see the highest quality grouping of players.
Man City and Man United had blockbuster summers, spending big on critical roster additions. We predict the blue side of Manchester will rule the Premier League roost, with United coming in just behind them. Pep Guardiola needed time to adjust at The Etihad, to implement his way of doing things. We think the time is now right for the Citizens.
The Sports Bank.net Premier League Season Predictions-
For five specific storyline predictions this season, go to this link.
Here’s how we see the top seven shaping up.
Champions: Manchester City
Yes, the Sky Blues underachieved last season, and yes there are serious questions in the back line, even after the high-priced makeover of that specific position group. Man City spent £202 million on five new key players- Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva, Ederson and Danilo.
In a league as wide open as this, where there is no side on the level of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich, brute financial force can be enough to push you over the finish line.
Runners-up: Manchester United
Again, love the summer transfer window they had, but the Red Devils are still at least one player, if not two or three, away from the Premier League title. Just like on the other side of town, Jose Mourinho needed a grace period to get adjusted. Standards will be more stringent this season, as expectations get raised.
Look for Mourinho to rise up to the challenge, and for Paul Pogba to make a huge improvement in productivity over last season.
This will be the best United team since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, although that’s not an extremely high bar to clear.
Champions League Qualifiers-
3rd: Tottenham Hotspur
They had an “own goal” of a summer transfer window, as they held on to everybody they wanted to keep. However, Spurs also bought nobody, and you know the old cliche about how “if you’re standing still, you’re actually falling behind.” It’s a platitude because it’s often true, and in this case it applies to White Hart Lane.
When the new stadium scheme is complete in a couple years, look for Spurs to start spending again.
4th: Chelsea
The Blues made some nice additions, and Antonio Conte is an elite manager, but Chelsea has some major issues right off the bat. They’ll be dealing with injuries to key players right from the start, and that means they will likely be very slow out of the gates, and face an uphill climb this season.
Depth is already an issue, even when everyone is match fit, because this side is just too small to handle the added workload of European football this season. Chelsea takes a small step backward this season.
Europa League Qualifiers-
5th: Liverpool
This is all contingent on what happens with the departure of Philippe Coutinho, if and when it’s confirmed, and then what LFC decides to do with all that money in the transfer market. You can’t really assess the Reds this season, in an honest manner, until after the window closes Sept 1.
6th: Arsenal
Didn’t make a whole lot of changes to a side that desperately needs change if they are to achieve the kinds of things the supporters think they should. Eventually, the board needs to realize that the Gunners are going nowhere if they continue to just stand pat with what they have. You’re going to have to shake things up sometime.
Just missed-
7th: Everton
Spent big this summer, aided by all the money they received from the sale of Romelu Lukaku, and put themselves in position to be Europa League contenders.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
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