Can anyone stop Man City?
This past week saw the return of the Premier League. Order is restored once again. There is always a feeling of void whenever the season ends as we ponder what to replace the beautiful game with over the summer (well, I’m not sure we’ve had any summer this year to be fair). The answer year in year out remains the same; ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! It doesn’t matter what you do with your time, whether it’s hiking in the Lake District, partying in Ibiza or even a trip to Dubai. There will always be that lingering thought in the back of your mind saying “when’s football starting?”
That thought can now be finally put to rest, well at least for the next 9 months. Football is a funny old sport and things change very rapidly indeed. A week in football is never the same let alone a month. We welcome new personnel and new arrivals to some of the best clubs in the league. For some, it’s a return to action, for others it’s a new beginning, and for Ivan Toney, it’s 4 more months down at the bookies (only kidding).
Movers and Shakers
The biggest transfer this summer has got to be the departure of Harry Kane from Tottenham to Bayern Munich for just over £100 million. I think it was highly inevitable that the Spurs & England record goal scorer would be saying goodbye, not only to the Tottenham faithful but to the league also. With just 47 goals behind Alan Shearer’s 260 premier league goals, Kane has decided to seek further challenges in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in pursuit of silverware. You cannot blame him, he gave it his all at Spurs. A player of that calibre should look back at an illustrious career littered with accolades and trophies. Goodluck Harry, I’m sure you’ll be back one day to break Shearer’s record.
Chelsea have instated Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager. The former Tottenham boss is relishing the challenge at Stamford Bridge as he welcomes in a ‘new era’ for the blues. His impact has already been felt seeing as every other player now wants to sign for Chelsea (just ask Klopp and Liverpool….hahaha!!). Will fortune favour the Argentine or will he go bust like his predecessors? I guess only time will tell. However, it must be noted that Chelsea do not have any European football distractions which could aid their quest for a top 4 finish this season.
Spurs also welcomed their new boss Ange Postecoglou as he takes over the reigns at the Lane. Similarly to Chelsea, Tottenham do not have any European commitments either and they will also be looking to capitalise on this very minute advantage. It will be a difficult task given that Kane is no longer a Spurs player. However, the future does seem bright for Spurs, if their first game against Brentford was anything to judge by. They attacked more and played some very attractive football. Bissouma put in a man of the match performance but honestly, Spurs will need to acquire a natural goal scorer if they are to mount a serious challenge.
Who wins the league?
The obvious choice would be Manchester City. The defending champions have started the campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory away to Burnley and will look to maintain this start going into their next game against Newcastle, who have also had an impressive start with the 5 – 1 demolition of Aston Villa. Newcastle will be seeking to push City this term and are looking very strong. Man City meanwhile, will not have Kevin De Bruyne for the next 4 month due to a persistent hamstring injury and his absence could seriously jeopardise their ambition this season.
Arsenal will also be looking to get over the line first this season and have also been very active in the transfer market as they aim to strengthen their side. I am not certain what value Kai Havertz adds to the team after swapping Stamford Bridge for the Emirates……but who am I to speak. The Gunners won their opening game against Nottingham Forest and have also picked up the first silverware by defeating Man City in the Community Sheild.
Liverpool on the other hand have struggled to attain the signatures of two of their primary transfer targets, Moises Caicedo & Romeo Lavia respectively. With both players definitively opting for Chelsea. Liverpool may finish in the top 4/5 but being crowned champions? I don’t think so, likewise for Manchester United, Spurs and Chelsea.
Relegation candidates
As for the relegation battle, at this point my only prediction is Everton. The Toffees are going down. They were extremely fortunate to have survived last season, however, history will not repeat itself and they will go down (so, you better start collection your points early or face the consequences).
Good Luck
Wishing the Lionesses the best of luck in the Women’s World Cup Final as they take on Spain in what is surely going to be a very interesting spectacle. Football is desperate to come home again.
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