The new Premier League season is under way and is believed to be one of the most open ever, with no fewer than six teams expecting to havea realistic chance of winning the title in May 2018. We look at their chances…
Chelsea
The reigning champions have retained most of their squad with the exception of Diego Costa who is likely to leave the club before the end of the transfer window. They have brought in a few interesting players such as Morata and Bakayoko. It remains to be seen how much the departure of Diego Costa will be missed in the team as his goals were important last season.
Chelsea also appears to lack strength in depth and with their participation in the Champions League this season, and their squad will be far more stretched than it was last season. Although they have a good group of players, they will find it quite difficult to retain the title.
Manchester City
They will be probably Chelsea’s biggest threat in this Premier League season. Pep Guardiola enjoyed an average season last year, and he would want things to change this year. He has brought in some big name signings, and this is expected to bring the club forward.
The Spanish manager has signed Ederson to replaced Bravo who was awful at times in the goalkeeping role. Manchester City’s defense was criticized a lot last season for shipping out too many goals, and Guardiola has brought in Walker and Mendy to help add more solidity at the back. These two players alone were signed for more than $100m.
When you know that City has one of the best attacks in the Premier League, you can easily imagine why they are the favorites to win the title this time around.
Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has continued his rebuilding this season, and it is fair to say that they also have their chances in the current Premier League title – in fact they are the bookies favourites. In Lukaku, Manchester United have one of the best strikers in the Premier League and this should guarantee goals up front. However, the most interesting signing that the Red Devils have done this season might be Matic.
The former Chelsea player is an experienced defensive midfielder, and he can be the one that wins the title for Manchester United this season. His presence at the heart of midfield allows the likes of Pogba to play higher on the pitch and cause havoc in the opposition half.
When you know that Jose Mourinho’s teams usually perform better in their second season, they should be taken seriously in the league.
Liverpool
Liverpool’s season will depend on whether they can keep Coutinho. The Brazilian is arguably their best player, and his presence will determine where Liverpool will finish at the end of the season. Klopp has not made any marquee signing except Salah, but it is the defence that might be the biggest trouble for them.
They have one of the best attacks in the Premier League, but they were guilty of conceding so many goals last season. Fans will be expecting the manager to sign some quality defenders or else it might be another frustrating season for them.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs will be playing their home game this season at Wembley, and it is too early in the season to know how much this will be an impact on their performance. On the transfer front, the London team has only signed a defender in Sanchez, and it is believed that more signings will be coming in the days to come.
They had a wonderful season last campaign and managed to finish above their bitter rivals Arsenal, and they will be hoping to do the same this season. However the teams around them have invested massively in new players, and unless they do the same before the end of the transfer window, they will have trouble replicating their performance of last season.
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger has promised the fans that they will be challenging for the title this season and at the the moment it is hard to imagine how he will achieve that. They have brought in two players this season namely Kolasinac and Lacazette, but fans are still waiting for more.
There is still the possibility that Alexis Sanchez leaves before the end of the transfer window and if this happens, this could the end of the Arsenal’s season before it actually starts. The Chilean is a very important player for the Gunners, and his presence will determine where Arsenal actually finishes in the league.
