As the curtain is about to be raised on a new Premier League season, everyone loves to speculate on who will triumph, and who will crash and burn.
As customary before the start of the season, I will be giving my predictions on how the Premier League table will look on Championship Sunday in 2022.
Let's get right into it starting with the teams that will be relegated.
20. Norwich City- Recently promoted Norwich City will struggle in the league, just as they did in the 2019-20 season, where they finished dead last. However, with the recent signing of Chelsea young talent Billy Gilmour in the midfield, as well as finisher Teemu Pukki, Norwich may fair a bit better than their previous EPL season.
19. Brentford- Brentford may not be a name many are familiar with, as they have spent a majority of their recent history in the Championship, but they do have a couple bright prospects that could elevate their chances. However, there is no way that this team is competitive against the majority of EPL teams, thus sending them back down to the Championship.
18. Southampton- Obviously, the loss of the club's top scorer for the last couple years is a huge loss; Danny Ings really was the only reason that the Saints stayed up last season anyway. With his departure to Aston Villa, players like James Ward-Prowse, Theo Walcott and Che Adams will have to find ways to score, or they will find themselves in deep trouble.
17. Watford- Just barely in the safe zone, Watford will be safe by the skin of their teeth. While Watford have talent, take players like Josh King, Ismaila Sarr and Andre Gray, their defensive line will have to be solid to keep the attacking onslaught of the Premier League at bay. If they are able to do that, Watford will stay up.
16. Burnley- How these guys stay up every year is baffling. Burnley really don't have any big names on their roster, and they never score many goals during the season, but the soccer gods seem to take pity on them every year and keep them safe. I don't see anything changing.
15. Brighton and Hove Albion- The seagulls are an odd bunch of players. At times, their players look fantastic, think Ives Bissouma, Leandro Trossard and Danny Welbeck. Other times however, this team looks lethargic, dull and uncreative. I am also predicting that Graham Potter will be fired before Christmas.
14. Crystal Palace- Placing them here is generous in my opinion. Palace have had good players in the past, but recently, it's been the Wilfried Zaha show (I can't believe he's still with this club). Zaha is one of the only creative players that Palace have, and as always, he will be running the team. Look out for Eberechi Eze and Jean-Phillipe Mateta, as they might provide Zaha with a bit of breathing room.
13. Newcastle United- Like Watford, Newcastle have a talented team, but they've yet to put all the pieces together to be truly successful. Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron, Ryan Fraser and Jonjo Shelvey are all extremely talented in their own way, but they try to be too full of themselves and end up costing the team. If Newcastle can consistently score, they might do well.
12. Wolverhampton Wanderers- The loss of Wolves beloved manager Nuno Espirito Santo to Tottenham was a huge blow, both to the way that Wolves play, as well as his presence in the dressing room. Because of this loss, Wolves will struggle with consistent form, but the promising players that they possess will still be a huge boost too. Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez and the blistering pace of Adama Traore will still cause havoc to any team that underestimates them.
11. Everton- Just like Wolves, Everton lost their cherished manager, Carlo Ancelotti, to the hungry eyes of Real Madrid. Rafa Benitez has come in to manage the Toffees this season, but I do not have high hopes for this team. While players like James Rodriguez, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin can dictate games with creative and clinical showings, I do believe those showings will be few and far between, leaving Everton with a mediocre finish.
Onto the top half!
10. Leeds United- Leeds had a phenomenal season in the league last year, defying expectations to finish comfortably in 9th place. I believe they will repeat that success. Goal threats Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo will lead the line and rack up the goals, while holding midfielder Kalvin Phillips will protect the back line. Leeds have a solid team, and like Wolves, they should not be underestimated.
9. Aston Villa- For a team that just lost their golden boy to the English giants Manchester City, Villa have done great business replacing him. Bringing in goal machine Danny Ings, Bayern Leverkusen's Jamaican playmaker Leon Bailey and former Norwich City star Emiliano Buendia can see Villa have another comfortable and acceptable finish in the ever more competitive Premier League.
8. West Ham United- After a charging comeback to finish in a Europa League spot, West Ham, with the revitalized Jesse Lingard (who is now back with Manchester United) were truly a team to be reckoned with after Christmas. Now was that a fluke or was it legit? A little bit of both. West Ham will preform as we've come to know them, consistent, but nothing too special. Look out for Said Benrahma, Michail Antonio and Declan Rice, all who shined in the 2-0 friendly win against Atalanta.
7. Arsenal- Ah Arsenal. At this point, I've almost come to pity this team. After years of turmoil with "Wenger In, Wenger Out, Emery In, Emery Out" they have finally settled with Mikel Arteta, who was Pep Guardiola's assistant at City for a while, as well as a player for the Gunners back in the day. Arsenal always seem to have promise, but never really have anything to show for it. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring for fun and Bukayo Saka, along with Nicolas Pepe still trying to find their promised form, Arsenal are just going to win some, lose some, draw some, and complain.
6. Leicester City- After a dramatic win in the FA Community Shield against Manchester City, Leicester will ride that confidence into the league season, where they ought to fare very well. Finishing just outside of a Champions league spot, Leicester will strive to achieve what they had in the 16-17 season. With Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, and Youri Tielemans paving the way for another successful campaign, Leicester remains a team fighting to prove just how good they are.
5. Tottenham Hotspur- This is my prediction if Harry Kane stays. If he leaves, Tottenham could be down the tubes. Tottenham have the players, they have the money and a new stadium, but what has gone wrong from them in recent seasons? Nothing glaring comes to mind, they just have not been as good as the other big clubs. Spurs have been quiet this transfer window, as their focus is trying to nail Harry Kane down. Let me be clear, this team needs Kane to be successful, without his goal scoring or his creative vision, Spurs could drop even further down the table.
Here is where things heat up, and get tough for me.
4. Liverpool- If Liverpool had a healthy defense last season, the race for the title would've been a lot closer. With Virgil Van Dijk out most of last season, Jurgen Klopp had to rely on Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak, which, to be honest, were not expecting to be thrust into the first team so quickly. Bad news for Reds fans however is the potential loss of Andrew Robertson, who limped off with help during a friendly match against Bilbao today. That could be a pivotal loss to a rejuvenated back line, adding Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate earlier on in the transfer window. If Firmino, Salah and Mane continue their illustrious form, the rest of the clubs best watch out.
3. Chelsea- The Champions of Europe will attempt to reclaim their domestic glory this season, and they have a great shot at it, especially if they add Belgian finisher Romelu Lukaku to their already dangerous front line. I expect Hershey, Pennsylvania born Christian Pulisic to shine, as well as Mason Mount. It remains to be seen if Timo Werner can find his shooting boots though, and be the striker that Chelsea bought him for. The midfield is already solid, and the defense is build like a wall, expect London to remain blue this season, and charge toward their UCL defense.
2. Manchester City- Manchester City ran away with the title last season, but they need to expect stiff resistance from their opponents more so than ever. I do believe if City purchase a true goal scoring striker, like a Harry Kane, they will win the title, but at the time of writing this, they have not. While splashing the cash on Jack Grealish, which will add another layer of creative depth to the midfield, City will need someone to score goals consistently, and at this time, they don't. Raheem Sterling will need to shake off his funk he was in last season and focus on improving his Euro form, and if he does that, he can truly shine like we know he can. Expect Phil Foden to play an even bigger role on the wing, pairing with Algerian maestro Riyad Mahrez, who is in excellent form. Between City and United, they will be neck and neck but it is Manchester United who I believe will emerge as Champions of England.
1. Manchester United- Looking at this roster; this is a truly dangerous side, especially if they all stay healthy. Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and the addition of Raphael Varane will make this back line one of the best United have had in a long time. With Paul Pogba finding his form again, alongside the ever so dangerous Bruno Fernandes, the Red Devils midfield looks vibrant and lively. Now with the purchase of Jadon Sancho, United's attacking trio of Rashford, Cavani and Sancho could rack up an insane amount of goals. Expect United to charge deep into the Champions League, even after their embarrassing loss to Villarreal in the Europa League final.
I feel that this will be a fanastic year for the Premier League. With fans returning and restrictions being lifted, I hope that this season will be as triumphant and climacteric as ever!
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