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2017/18 EPL Thread - City Champs


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Club: AFC Bournemouth

Position in 2016–17: 9th

Key Additions: Jermaine Defoe, Nathan Ake, Asmir Begovic

Interested In: Demarai Gray

Odds to win the league: 1000/1

Prediction: Mid-Table Security

@texans_uk says: Next season will be the third consecutive season AFC Bournemouth has spent in England's top flight. This is a remarkable feat for a side built on a fraction of the budget of their more esteemed Premiership competitors. After battling to finish 16th in their first season, Eddie Howe built on his ever growing reputation by leading the Cherries to a 9th place finish in 2016. 

Having established themselves as a genuine top flight side Bournemouth have opened the chequebook this summer with the additions of Nathan Ake and Asmir Begovic, both from Chelsea, costing £20m and £10m respectively. Those two additions should shore up a backline that last season saw them concede 67 goals (5th worst) including two 4-0 and one 6-3 defeat.

The one thing that kept them in games last season was their excellent goal scoring record, led by Joshua King who top scored with 16, Bournemouth finished with the 7th most goals with 55, 1 more than Manchester United. In spite of this Bournemouth have again gone to the market to strengthen by adding former loanee Jermaine Defoe on a free from Sunderland. Defoe, 34, may be nearing the end of a fantastic career but as he has shown in the past couple of years at perennial strugglers Sunderland he has lost none of his finishing instinct.

It will be hard to follow up on the 9th place finish of 2017, with the likes of West Ham, Leicester and Southampton hots on their heels, but another season spent in the relative safety of the Premier League’s midriff should be well within their power with the potential to force their way upwards.

 

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Club: Arsenal 

Position in 2016–17: 5th

Key Additions: Alexander Lacazette, Saed Kolasinac

Interested In: Thomas Lemar, Jean Michel-Seri

Odds to win the league: 12/1

Prediction: Top 4 contender 

@BaltimoreTerp says: After years of flirting with the possibility, Arsenal finally did the unthinkable and dropped out of the top 4 amid another flurry of never-ending "will he go/will he stay" Arsene Wenger drama. A late season switch to a 3-at-the-back system helped the Gunners surge to an FA Cup triumph, potentially saving Wenger's job in the process. For now, the Gunners have signalled that they will stick with the 3-4-2-1 system, though it seems likely that they'll revert to a more familiar 4-2-3-1 shape at the first sign of trouble.

Once Wenger penned his new deal, the biggest question mark at the club then turned to the club's two biggest stars: Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, both of whom will see their contracts expire at the end of the season. As it stands, neither has signed a new contract but the club remains determined to keep them even if it means risking losing them for nothing next summer. Should they stay, they'll spearhead what looks to be an improved attack once record signing Alexander Lacazette settles into life in the EPL. While brimming with individual talent, Arsenal have failed to consistently play the kind of iconic, technical 1-touch Wengerball they were once known for and in recent years have found themselves more reliant on the individual brilliance of Sanchez. 

The signings of Kolasinac and Lacazette have improved the team but will regret not signing a central midfielder by the end of summer, with the club lacking healthy and quality options behind Xhaka and Ramsey who can dictate the game. Depending on how seriously they take the Europa League, Arsenal may find them liberated by the lack of midweek Champions League football. 

So the smart money is on Arsenal making another strong run for a top 4 place. But it's an equally safe bet that at some point in the season Arsenal will lose players they can't afford to lose to injury and suffer through some shocking and mildly humiliating results, leading to the 'Wenger Out' banners coming out in full force, Troopz going full blud fam hamroll on Wenger, and Arsenal finishing a comfortable distance behind the teams vying for the title. 

 

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Club: Brighton & Hove Albion

Position in 2016–17: 2nd in Championship

Key Additions: Matthew Ryan, Pascal Groß

Interested In: Kenneth Zohore

Odds to win the league: 1500/1

Prediction: Relegation battle

@texans_uk says: For the first time in 34 years the Seagulls will again be gracing the top flight. It’s been a remarkable rise for a football club who were 45 minutes away from exiting the football league all together as recently as 1997. They’ve led a largely nomadic life since that fateful 1997 season, first ground sharing with Gillingham before moving to the Withdean. It wasn’t until 2011, 2 years after Tony Bloom had completed a takeover, that they were home again at the Falmer Stadium. 

Since the move it’s been something of a fairy-tale for the South Coast side that have gone from strength to strength, reaching the play-offs in 4 of the past 5 seasons until finally making sure last season with a top 2 finish, although there will be disappointment they couldn’t seal the title. 

Make no mistake Brighton are fully aware of the task at hand and in Chris Hughton have a manager who has been there and seen it before at this level with Norwich and Newcastle and will be eager to show he has what it takes. 

Defensive reinforcements have been brought in to prepare themselves for the onslaught; although there is undoubtedly talent in the ranks (Duffy, Dunk and Knockhaert to name few) there is a distinct lack of top flight experience which they will have to overcome as the season progresses.

Whatever happens this season though, it’s a great reward for everyone involved with the club and they couldn’t ask for a better first game than at home to big spending Manchester City.

 

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Club: Burnley FC

Position in 2016–17: 16th

Key Additions: Jack Cork, Jonathan Walters

Interested In: Glenn Whelan

Odds to win the league: 2000/1

Prediction: Relegation battle

@kempus says: In their first season back in the top flight, Burnley will have been delighted to finish 16th and retain their status in the league whilst working on a shoestring budget. They will be hoping for much of the same this time around, with Sean Dyche’s sole objective being survival. 

An already tough task made that much more difficult after they cashed in on defensive stalwart Michael Keane for the princely sum of £25 million. As is common with sides facing a fight for survival, Dyche has targeted proven Premier League nous in the transfer market. Bringing in the likes of Jonathan Walters, Phil Bardsley and Jack Cork brings a wealth of top flight experience key to survival, whilst Charlie Taylor from Leeds provides them with some fresh young talent. Money however remains tight and they will be relying on a typically strong team ethos, a staple of Dyche’s sides, to carry them through another gruelling season.

A baptism of fire waits for Clarets with away trips to Stamford Bridge and Wembley in the first 3 weeks of the season, means that Burnley are likely to be looking up at their rivals from the word go. 

There’s no doubt the Burnley faithful will be bracing themselves for another relegation battle in 2018, but with sides such as Huddersfield and Brighton lacking experience and quality, they will be hoping that they have enough to avoid the drop.

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Club: Chelsea

Position in 2016–17: 1st

Key Additions: Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger

Interested In: Alex Sandro, Virgil van Dijk, Danny Drinkwater

Odds to win the league: 7/2

Prediction: Title Race

@Imarobot says: After the extremely disappointing 2015-2016 season, Chelsea bounced back to win the league last season in impressive fashion under new manager Antonio Conte. This season however, will provide new challenges as the team will now have to cope with the pressure of European football that they were not eligible for last year. One of the major tests will be to see how the team fairs without leading scorer Diego Costa who seems ready to head back to Atletico, leaving Morata and Batshuayi to man the front line.

As it stands today I think the team will struggle to retain the title and that they needed to do more in the way of summer signings if they wanted to challenge for the title again. The right wing back position is still rather weak and there is no depth at the left wing back position behind breakout player Marcos Alonso and the midfield could do with some strengthening after the departures of Nemanja Matic, Nathan Ake, and Nathaniel Chalobah, with the clubs only current options being Bakayoko, Fabregas, Kante, and Lewis Baker.

If these issues aren’t addressed it would seem unlikely that Chelsea will retain their title.

 

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Club: Crystal Palace

Position in 2016–17: 14th

Key Additions: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jairo Riedewald

Interested In: Calum Chambers, Mamadou Sakho

Odds to win the league: 500/1

Prediction: Mid-Table Security

@Imarobot says: It was a rough year for Crystal Palace in 2016, with the club earning the third worst home record in the Premier League, earning a woeful 20 pts at Selhurst Park. Fortunately for Palace fans the appointment of Sam Allardyce led to much better results in the league and the club was able to avoid relegation for third straight season.

Curiously however, Big Sam was sacked at the end of the year and replaced by Dutchman Frank de Boer. This hiring could lead to a season of big change at Palace with many members of the current squad not entirely suited to the style of play de Boer employed as manager of Ajax and it is certainly possible that the team could see themselves in a relegation battle if they start off slowly.

If however, Zaha continues to grow into the quality player he was expected to be and Ruben Loftus-Cheek can provide some stability in the midfield, they should be able to secure a mid-table finish. Especially if they are able to acquire Sakho on a permanent deal.

 

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Club: Everton

Position in 2016–17: 7th

Key Additions: Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen, Wayne Rooney

Interested In: Gylfi Sigurdsson

Odds to win the league: 70/1

Prediction: Top half finish

@Imarobot says: Everton performed fairly well in their first year under Ronald Koeman, securing 7th place and qualifying for the Europa League. The sophomore campaign of Koeman however, could prove far different from the first due to massive turnover in the squad that will require significant changes to their style of play.

Romelu Lukaku secured a big money move to Manchester United and Ross Barkley seems ready to follow him out the door, and how effectively these two are replaced may be the story of the season at Everton. Although they have already spent a significant amount on transfer this summer with great defensive improvements like Pickford and Keane, it is unlikely that they will see much of an improvement over last season’s campaign if they are unable to bring in a quality attacker to replace the void left by Lukaku, and I would have to agree with the Everton board right now that Sigurdsson would be a perfect fit.

Perhaps this could be the start of Everton finally competing for a top 4 spot, which is ultimately the clubs main goal, but with the other top 6 sides strengthening considerably it could prove a tall order for this season.

 

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Club:Huddersfield Town

Position in 2016–17: 5th in Championship

Key Additions: Steve Mounie, Aaron Mooy, Tom Ince

Interested In: Kasey Palmer, Scott Malone, Andrea Ranocchia 

Odds to win the league: 2500/1

Prediction: Relegation battle

@texans_uk says: Huddersfield are one of the few sides able to scoff at Brighton’s time spent outside the top flight, the 3-time First Division winners haven’t been seen at this level since 1972, to put that into context, that’s the same year as the Watergate scandal. The most remarkable thing about Huddersfield’s presence in the Premier League is that it has come out of nowhere, their best league finish since their relegation almost 50 years ago was 8th in the 1999/2000 season; in fact they began last season amongst the favourites for relegation.

It’s no secret that Huddersfield are short of quality so Klopp Jnr, David Wagner, has smashed the clubs transfer record several times over to try and make up the shortfall. They brought back several players that brought them promotion last season on a permanent basis (Mooy, Kachunga) whilst also strengthening with proven European top flight experience.They will also be hoping that record signing Mounie can replicate his form for Montpellier in the French top division last season as goals will be harder to come by this season. 

Interestingly they were the first club in history to reach the Premier League with a negative goal difference something they will have to try to rectify this season, as a similar performance against higher quality opposition will not end well. Similar to Burnley a couple of years ago, the Terriers will be looking to build on a strong work ethic to fall back on, but ultimately with a lack of experience and genuine quality it may not be enough.

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Club: Leicester City

Position in 2016–17: 12th

Key Additions: Kelechi Ihaenacho, Harry Maguire, Vicente Iborra

Interested In: Johnny Evans, Gylfi Sigurdsson

Odds to win the league: 300/1

Prediction: Top Half finish

@LeeEvans says: Last season was a strange one for the former Premier League champions. A dismal 2016 led to relegation fears and the eventual sacking of beloved manager Claudio Ranieri. First team coach Craig Shakespeare was given the manager position on interim basis and led the club on a remarkable turnaround and the club ended the season 12th in the league and with an appearance of the Champions League quarter-finals. While Ranieri attempted to evolve the side from the mainly counter attacking style that was so successful for Leicester when they were crowned champions the results didn’t come and it was Shakespeare’s return to what had previously worked that changed Leicester’s season for the better.

Kasper Schmeichel returns in goal after another strong season and his performances in the Champions League were very impressive. The veteran duo of Robert Huth and Wes Morgan return in central defensive but there were plenty of signs that the pair was starting to age and the signing of Harry Maguire for £17m after his impressive season at Hull City should be a welcome addition to the backline. Christian Fuchs and Danny Simpson start at fullback and both are solid players and Fuchs adds an offensive threat from left back. He will however be forced to defend his spot from talented youngster Ben Chillwell, who saw a lot of action after Shakespeare took over. In midfield, Leicester never truly managed to cope with the loss of Ngolo Kante to Chelsea and they hope the signing of former Sevilla man Vicente Iborra will help improve the midfield. He will likely partner Danny Drinkwater in midfield with Andy King and Wilfred Ndidi as depth. Ndidi had a rough start to his Leicester career but appeared to come into his own as the season went on and under Shakespeare, he has the potential to have a break out season for the Foxes. The big question this summer is whether Leicester’s most talented player, Riyad Mahrez, will be at the club once the transfer window shuts. Roma have seen a bid turned down and the star man is thought to want to leave the club before the start of this season. He had poor performances for long stretches of last season but he is without a doubt the difference maker in the squad and someone who draws so much attention from opposing teams. Marc Albrighton continues to impress on the wing opposite of Mahrez and is a truly underappreciated player who contributes equally going forward as well as tracking back and helping defend. Demarai Gray’s raw pace and directness have been shown in glimpses at the club but has yet to be able to create any consistent time in the starting XI, maybe the departure of Mahrez will allow him to show his talents on a consistent basis. Leicester City have an astounding amount of depth up top with Jamie Vardy and his brilliant pace and movement which are always a struggle for defenders to cope with. Islam Slimani was a record signing from last summer but things never seemed to click for the former Porto player and he will find an even more difficult fight for playing time this season.

With the signing of Kelechi Ihaenacho, who was recently signed from Manchester City, Leicester City have added a ruthless finisher to the side and he has shown a huge amount of potential in his few appearances at City and at £25m seems to be a bit of a bargain in this crazy transfer window. Fernando Ulloa and Shinji Okazaki round out the forwards at the Foxes disposal. Okazaki was a large part of Leicester’s reversal of fortunes and any forward is going to have a hard time dislodging him from the starting XI. He might not be the flashiest player but he has shown he adds more to Leicester than appears at first glance.

After a strange season last year, Leicester will look to put a lock on a top ten position and challenge for a Europa League spot. They have strengthened the spine of their team with Maguire, Iborra and Ihaenacho and if some of their signings from last summer progress they could have one of the most talented teams outside of the top season. Shakespeare will try to do what Ranieri could not which is evolve the side that created a miracle without losing what made it possible, whether he can do that or not remains to be seen but he certainly managed to turn around an abysmal season. He now has the job full time with optimism once again flowing through the King Power stadium.   

 

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Club: Liverpool F.C.

Position in 2016–17: 4th

Key Additions: Mohammed Salah, Andrew Robertson

Interested In: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Virgil Van Dijk, Christian Pulisic

Odds to win the league: 12/1

Prediction: Top Four Contender

@LeeEvans says: Liverpool head into the 2017-18 Premier League season with Champions League football to look forward to as well as an optimism that they have the squad and manager to win trophies that have been sorely lacking in the recent past. Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool are one of the most entertaining and fun to watch sides in the Premier League. Known for their high pressing and fast paced style of play Liverpool had tremendous success against the top six sides and finished the season unbeaten against them. Unfortunately for Liverpool the inability to take care of teams they were expected to beat consistently stopped what looked like a title challenge and instead they ended the season needing a win on the final day of the season to ensure the fourth Champions League spot. While Champions League qualification is still a huge accomplishment for Liverpool the feeling of what could have been is hard to escape.

Simon Mignolet remains the Liverpool number one and while he is not the most convincing keeper he has consistently beaten any challengers to his spot in goal. The central pair of Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren is not the strongest partnership but it became much more solid as the season progressed and is no longer the major concern that it once was. Matip in particular is a strong defender and someone that the backline will be built around. Nathaniel Clyne is a great player at right back who has tremendous speed and uses it to great effect while defending as well as getting forward. James Milner filled in at left back and performed admirably but will have to fend off new signing Andrew Robertson from Hull City this season. Midfield is the part of the Liverpool squad that drives the team. Phillipe Coutinho is the undoubted star of the team and can either play centrally or out on the wing. His ability to create chances and score himself is something that every opponent must account for. Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson are good players who fit well into the style of play that Klopp has this Liverpool side playing and are well rounded players. Adam Lallana is excellent at carrying the ball through midfield and links the midfield and attack well. Emre Can adds a directness and power to the midfield and adds something different to the Liverpool midfield when he is on the field. Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah add incredible pace on both wings and with the likes of Coutinho pulling the strings behind them Liverpool will be a huge threat on the counter. Mane had an incredible first season at Liverpool and his absence through injury and the African Cup of Nations was a major reason for Liverpool’s troubles in January and February and, until Mohammed Salah’s arrival, was someone that Liverpool did not have a like for like replacement for. Roberto Firmino is the main man up top for Liverpool and while he isn’t the most lethal of finishers his ability to link and interchange with the wingers and midfielders is something that makes the Liverpool side flow and is someone I feel is underrated. Daniel Sturridge is the main back up option for Firmino and in many ways he is the complete opposite type of player from Firmino. Sturridge is a natural finisher but quite often if he is not scoring goals his contribution to the team is minimal and he seems to have a long road back to starting under Klopp. Danny Ings and Dominic Solanke are two other options up top. Ings has had major injuries but had a strong season with Burnley before signing with Liverpool two seasons ago and Solanke was signed from Chelsea this transfer window and is coming off of a Golden Ball performance in the U-20 World Cup with England and looks to have all the makings of a great player for Liverpool.

Liverpool’s success against the top six last season proves that they have all the ability to mount a serious title challenge. Whether they can overcome their struggles against some of the smaller clubs in league and deal with the added Champions League games is a big question and will likely determine how successful their season will be.

 

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Club: Manchester City 

Position in 2016–17: 3rd

Key Additions: Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, Danilo, Ederson 

Interested In: Alexis Sanchez, Kylian Mbappe 

Odds to win the league: 19/10 (fav)

Prediction: Title Contender 

@BaltimoreTerp says: It's year 2 of the Pep Guardiola era on the blue side of Manchester, and with his Abu Dhabi overlords having so far stumped another €240 million - with €140 million alone given just to shore up the fullback positions - on new players for Pep this summer to go with the €220 million spent last summer, there will be no excuses for the highly regarded manager if he's unable to deliver a fierce (and stylish)  title challenge this season. 

City boast what is likely the best attack in the league with the likes of Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane, and Raheem Sterling being supported in midfield by the creative genius of Kevin DeBruyne, David Silva, Bernardo Silva, and potentially Ilkay Gundogan. Jesus in particular could be in line for a major star turn this season, either playing on the wing off of Aguero or even pushing to take Aguero's central role as he was starting to do last season before he got injured. 

Their title challenge will ultimately rest on how much the team improves defensively compared to last year. The fullback and goalkeeper recruits will help, but what the midfield balance looks like could be just as important in leaking fewer goals - Fernandinho is arguably the only midfielder City has with the workate and defensive ability to break up play and stop counter-attacks when needed. Head to head matchups won't necessarily decide the title, but it will be fascinating to see how this extremely Pep-ified fluttery, technical central midfield machine holds up in the heavyweight matchups against Chelsea's steely, leggy Kante/Bakoyoko duo, Spurs' choice of physical menaces among Dier, Dembele, and Wanyama, and United's nuisance brigade of Matic/Herrera. 

With a year to adjust to Pep's demanding and particular way of playing and the sheer absurdity of talent stocked throughout the team, it would be a shock and failure if City aren't a major player in the title race come next May. 

 

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Club: Manchester United

Position in 2016–17: 6th

Key Additions: Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic, Victor Lindelhof

Interested In: Gareth Bale, Serge Aurier, Ivan Perisic

Odds to win the league: 4/1

Prediction: Title Contender

@texans_uk says: After spending in excess of of £150m in the summer of 2016, United fans could be forgiven for expecting more than a 6th place finish and a dire home league record which saw them draw with the likes of Stoke, Burnley, West Ham, Hull, Bournemouth, West Brom and Swansea. Fortunately for the "special one" a first Europa League triumph for the club, coupled with a domestic trophy has glossed over what was otherwise a largely disappointing campaign.

Jose Mourinho has never gone two full seasons with a side without winning a league title, and United fans will be hoping that with an additional outlay of £150m this summer, that he will have the tools at his disposal to displace Chelsea at the top of the table.

A large issue last season was their profligacy in front of goal, although top goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged 28 goals in all competitions, that led to a league high 15 draws (six 0-0's) and the 2nd fewest league goals in the Premier League era.

Coming into the 2017/18 season the Red Devils boast a wealth of attacking options with new signing Lukaku lining up alongside Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata, so goals shouldn't be an issue in the upcoming season. The signing of Nemanja Matic has also added some much needed steel to the centre of the park and United now have a strong looking spine of De Gea, Bailly, Matic and Lukaku.

Their title challenge this year will largely rest of their ability to breakdown less opponents, particularly at Old Trafford. In recent years Old Trafford has lost its aura as a fortress and sides now feel if they can stifle United for long enough they can come away with some good points. There are constant rumblings surrounding De Gea but if they can keep a hold of him they should remain tight defensively.

It will be interesting to see not only the performance of United this season, but also the actions of Mourinho, particularly if things are going his way around mid season. There is no doubt that after spending £300m over two summers, the pressure is on.

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Club: Newcastle United

Position in 2016–17: 1st in Championship

Key Additions: Christian Atsu, Florian Lejeune, Jacob Murphy

Interested In: Joselu, Lucas Perez

Odds to win the league: 750/1

Prediction: Relegation Battle

@texans_uk says: The familiar faces of Rafael Benitez and Mike Ashley will be making a return to the top flight after a solitary year away. Last season’s big spenders in the Championship got off to a blistering start, after 2 straight defeats to open the season, they were top by mid October but a few sticky patches later in the season threatened to spoil their return to the top flight, in the end they had to rely on a mini implosion from Brighton to ****** the title from under their noses, but the Geordies won’t care one iota.

There’s no doubt they are the most equipped of the promoted sides for the rigours a season in the Premier League, their squad is littered with Premier League and International experience with the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Jack Colback and Matt Richie offering a solid midfield core. However, there are rumblings around St James’ Park that Benitez is not happy with the lack of transfer activity after being promised by Ashley that he would unlimited access to the earnings from promotion, it's key to Newcastle's success that they hold on to Rafa.

If Newcastle can bring in one or two more faces and the likes of Dwight Gayle and Alexsandr Mitrovic can prove they belong at this level then Newcastle should be able to keep their heads above the water. If however Rafa departs due to issues with transfers this will create a huge problem heading into the season and will leave Newcastle in a precarious position.

 

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Club: Southampton

Position in 2016–17: 8th

Key Additions: Mario Lemina

Interested In:

Odds to win the league: 500/1

Prediction: Top Half finish

@LeeEvans says: Southampton seemingly start every season on thr back of a slew of changes during the summer transfer window and this season is no different. Claude Puel was brought in to replace Ronald Koeman last season but was sacked following the end of the season. The man appointed as his replacement is Mauricio Pellegrino who managed Deportivo Alaves in La Liga and led them to a ninth placed finish and a Copa Del Rey final in their first season back in the top flight. He will be tasked with continuing Southampton’s strong league position which, while finishing eight, took a large step back in terms of points earned last season.

It seems like every season Southampton are tasked with rebuilding after being pillaged by league rivals but this year has been much quieter than previous ones with Virgil Van Djik, Ryan Bertrand and Cedric Soares all still at the club. These three defenders form part of a very talented defensive unit along with Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens, who had a breakthrough season last year after stepping in for the injured Van Djik. In Van Djik, Southampton have possibly the league’s most talented central defender and they have a plethora of both talent and depth in defense. This backline protects the excellent shot stopper Fraser Forster who recently signed a new deal to keep him at the club. Captain Steven Davis leads a midfield unit that includes talented youngster James Ward-Prowse, Jordy Clasie and Oriel Romeu. Ward-Prowse had a strong season and adds a range of passing and a threat from set pieces to the team while Romeu adds a strong defensive presence as a holding midfielder. Out wide Nathan Redmond presents the biggest threat to opposing defenses. While Redmond can be a frustrating figure he has the pace, trickery and eye for goal that sets him above the other options on the wing in Dusan Tadic and Sofiane Boufal. Boufal was a much-heralded signing last summer and Southampton supporters will be hoping the change in manager will see a rise in his performances, the former Lille man is fantastic on the ball and Southampton don’t have a player in their squad that has his skill set. While Southampton don’t have an elite player up top they have a group of several above average forwards who offer different things and can all contribute when called upon. Shane Long has great pace to stretch the defense and latch onto long balls while Charlie Austin is more capable of holding up the ball and is a more traditional target man. January signing Manolo Gabbiadini started his Southampton career brilliantly and scored six goals in 12 appearances and scoring two goals in the League Cup final before having his season derailed by injuries. Southampton have a deep squad and while they might lack some top-level talent higher up the pitch they have quality players who perform higher then maybe their individual talents suggest.

While there haven’t been any major signings this transfer window, defensively there aren’t many sides in the league who are more talented and I believe this defensive strength will lead them to compete with Everton for being the best side outside of the top six. Claude Puel struggled to create goals and play attacking football and paid the price for it, Pelligrino will need to get more consistent displays from his players if he hopes to improve on the Saints finish last season.

 

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Club: Stoke City

Position in 2016–17: 13th

Key Additions: Darren Fletcher, Kurt Zouma

Interested In: Nedum Onuoha

Odds to win the league: 1000/1

Prediction: Mid Table Security

@texans_uk says: After a run of three consecutive 9th place finishes Mark Hughes will disappointed with his team's performance in 2016/17, the biggest problem for Sparky in his 4 years at the helm has been to find a reliable goalscorer. Names like Wilfried Bony, Mame Diouf, Peter Crouch, Peter Odemwingie and Kenwyne Jones have all tried and failed to provide a regular supply, although Crouch to his credit has hit double digits most seasons despite being largely used as a substitute.

The situation hasn't improved through the summer after they first let Jonathan Walters join Burnley and then Marko Arnautovic join West Ham in July, taking with them 25% of the league goals the Potters scored last season. That means that the focus for this season will rest on Saido Berahino's shoulders, last season's £12m purchase will be hoping he can get back to the form that saw him bag 20 goals for West Brom a few years ago after a difficult 2016/17 season both in terms of form and personal life.

Reinforcements have been limited, with Darren Fletcher arriving to add some steel, Kurt Zouma adding a talented centre half alongside Shawcross and Eric Choupo hopefully adding a threat from the wings.

This will be a testing season for Stoke, if they can't find suitable signings to at least replace the players they have lost this summer then they could be in for a long season. I think they just about have enough to finish a few places above the drop zone, but they are only a couple of injuries away to a few key players and they could be dragged into a dogfight.

 

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Club: Swansea City

Position in 2016–17: 15th

Key Additions: Roque Mesa

Interested In: None

Odds to win the league: 1000/1

Prediction: Relegation Battle

@kempus says: Swansea's 15th place finish was their lowest in the Premier League, since their promotion in 2011-12. At times they looked destined for relegation and were bottom of the pile after a 4-0 home defeat to Arsenal in early January. Paul Clement replaced Bob Bradley on the 3rd January, this coincided with the Swans best run of form of the season that saw them win 5 and lose 3 of their next 8 games, with all the defeats come against top 5 side. They suffered a dip in form through March and April, but a late upturn which saw a run of 4 wins and a draw to end the season, pulled them away from the relegation zone.
With only the addition of Roque Mesa to date, Swansea fans will be hoping that key man, Gylfi Sigurdsson, remains at the club this season. However, the clubs resolve will certainly be tested with interested clubs, such as Everton and Leicester, circling. Record signing Borja Baston has been loaned out to Malaga having only scored 1 goal all season for his new club and top scorer Fernando Llorente is being discussed as a possible backup for Antonio Conte and others, so Swansea will be looking to reinforce the squad further.
With all their relegation rivals spending big this summer to strengthen Swansea face a very tough year ahead and barring a sudden surge in the transfer market will be one of the teams in or around the relegation battle come May.

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Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Position in 2016–17: 2nd

Key Additions: None

Interested In: Ross Barkley

Odds to win the league: 10/1

Prediction: Top 4 contender

@kempus says: After finishes of 5th, 3rd and 2nd under Mauricio Pochettino, one would look for Spurs to make that final push for the title, right? Well, it won't be as simple as that. Not least because of the need for Tottenham to play all of their home games at Wembley Stadium, where they notoriously struggle. Another factor is the massive amounts of money that has been spent by the other top 5 teams, with Spurs yet to make a signing. It's not all doom and gloom, though. Spurs are a very young team who will be looking to make that next push for silverware with another seasons experience under their belts. They will also retain almost the entirety of the team that finished 2nd, last season. With the exception of £50 million pound man Kyle Walker, who left for pastures more gr$$n. Spurs season, whether it be a title push or more realistically a top 4 challenge, rests on if they can actually make Wembley home.

 

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Club: Watford

Position in 2016–17: 17th

Key Additions: Tom Cleverly, Nathaniel Chalobah, Will Hughes, Andre Gray

Interested In: Alberto Moreno

Odds to win the league: 1000/1

Prediction: Relegation Battle

@Imarobot says: Another season and another sacked manager for Watford. After one rather dire season, Walter Mazzari has been shown the door and has been replaced by one of the hotter names on the market in Marco Silva. Silva was tapped up as a manager who would be able to bring in some surprise signings but so far, it’s hard to get excited about players like Tom Cleverly whose talent level has rightfully landed him on a side close to championship quality. Will Hughes has been fairly successful in the Championship but has yet to be tested at the highest level, and the same could be said for Nathaniel Chalobah who has never seen significant premier league minutes due to his squad status at Chelsea. Overall, I think it will take a tremendous effort by Troy Deeney to keep Watford up and all three of their signings will have to make significant contributions. Otherwise I see relegation in the future for Watford.

 

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Club: West Bromwich Albion

Position in 2016–17: 10th

Key Additions: Jay Rodriguez

Interested In:  Chris Smalling

Odds to win the league: 1000/1

Prediction: Mid-Table Security

@LeeEvans says: The 2016/2017 season was another comfortable season for the Baggies under Tony Pulis. However, the club’s performances once again plummeted once safety was reached and there is a real feeling of stagnation at the Hawthorns. On March 18th they beat Arsenal 3-1 to reach 43 points, after this result they went winless for the rest of the season and only picked up two points, finishing the year on 45 points and finishing in 10th. Such a collapse is difficult explain and the feeling of an opportunity missed is hard to ignore. This season seems to be a real make or break season for Tony Pulis and whether he can conjure consistent performances after safety has been assured remains to be seen. Ben Foster started every game in goal last season and has shown himself to be a reliable set off hands. Boaz Myhill will try to force his way into the starting XI but it is hard to see him unseating Foster. As is the case with most Pulis teams the defense is the strength of this Baggies side. Led by Johnny Evans and the evergreen Gareth McAuley in the center of defense West Brom have one of the most experienced sides in the league and are very tight at the back. The fullbacks, Allan Nyom and Craig Dawson, are also very experienced players who can be relied on week in and week out. Former winger Chris Brunt was also used at left back before injuries disrupted his season, he provides a more offensive option at fullback. In addition to stopping the opposition from scoring goals, the West Brom defenders also have a knack for scoring them at the other end. In fact, Gareth McAuley scored the second most goals in the West Brom team last season and the defensive unit scored more goals overall than the forwards. The Baggies rely on experience in midfield as well with the likes of Claudio Yacob and James Morrison creating a reliable duo in central midfield. The loss of Darren Fletcher to Stoke City this summer has yet to be addressed and there is a startling lack of depth in the middle of midfield. Jake Livermore is the only other proven option at the moment and he had very rough first season at the club and it remains seen whether he has a future at West Brom. James McClean, Nacer Chadli and Matt Phillips are all talented options on the wing although they sometimes struggle for consistency. They are arguably the strongest area of this team outside of the defense and are often responsible for creating most of the chances for the side and all are capable of contributing goals. Meanwhile, Hal Robson-Kanu and Salomon Rondon are the options up top. Rondon has proven to be an adequate Premier League forward but is often isolated and asked to feed off scraps in service from the midfield. I personally believe Rondon could be a very good forward for a more offensive side but he shows a good ability to convert the opportunities he comes across as well as holding up play well even when swarmed with defenders. Robson-Kanu is a versatile player who can play up top or on the wing but has yet to show he can consistently play at the level required for the Premier League.

This West Brom side will continue to rely on its experience and reliability to get results against sides who are maybe more talented than it. While reaching safety shouldn’t prove too difficult for the Baggies, Tony Pulis’ future may depend on whether they can continue to get results once the minimum requirement has been reached. The squad that is currently assembled seems thread bare, particularly for an aging squad, and the new Chinese owners have not shown any investment in the side at this stage in the transfer window.  

 

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Club: West Ham 

Position in 2016–17: 11th 

Key Additions: Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic, Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta

Interested In: Lamine Kone 

Odds to win the league: 500/1

Prediction: Top Half Finish 

@BaltimoreTerp says: West Ham's first year in the Olympic Stadium proved to be a major challenge for the club, but a strong summer transfer window offers has renewed hope for the Hammers. Having lost Dimitri Payet last season, they secured the signing of Marko Arnautovic this summer to ensure that they've still got at least one mercurial star whose talent is only matched by his petulance. The signing of Chicharito ends their long-time pursuit of a center forward solution. A pure poacher, his success will be tied largely to the form of the team around him - as we saw just last season at Bayer Leverkusen, he's not the kind of player who will elevate the team when they're struggling. But with creative fulcrum Manuel Lanzini, Arnautovic, last year's breakout start Michail Antonio, and reliable left back Aaron Cresswell helping provide service, West Ham will feel that they do have the supporting cast needed to tee the Mexican striker up. The bigger question mark will be whether Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta can help sort out a backline that was comically slapstick defensively last year. 

West ham is still years away from fulfilling any long-term ambitions they may have about challenging the blue bloods of the league. But with the top 6 already essentially their own league within the league, West Ham can at least set their sights this season on a strong run at being among the 'best of the rest.' 

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45 minutes ago, kempus said:

Great write ups. I'm looking forward to the rest of them.

Like wise, great work @texans_uk, @kempus and @BaltimoreTerp! Now who is up for a Championship preview!?

It will be interesting to see if Burnley can stay up this season. Most people didn't give them a chance last year and they ended up being pretty comfortable but they've lost their best defender and I think the newly promoted sides have some potential to stay up putting pressure on the sides who finished in that 14-17th area. 

Arsenal will be interesting as well. It wouldn't shock me at all if they have a really strong season and exceed expectations but they are going to have a lot of competition for those top four spots. The Manchester clubs both strengthened well and I just don't know if they've closed the gap on Spurs and Liverpool enough. I agree that if results start going sideways then fans will waste no time in calling for Wenger's head and it could disrupt the season like last year. 

 

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8 minutes ago, LeeEvans said:

I think the newly promoted sides have some potential to stay up

Newcastle (who you would say are the most well prepared) are still a bang average PL side as it stands. Huddersfield were expected to be playing League 1 football in 2017.

I think Burnley are in a dogfight, but I wouldn't say they were less likely that the newly promoted sides TBH. 

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5 minutes ago, texans_uk said:

Newcastle (who you would say are the most well prepared) are still a bang average PL side as it stands. Huddersfield were expected to be playing League 1 football in 2017.

I think Burnley are in a dogfight, but I wouldn't say they were less likely that the newly promoted sides TBH. 

Oh I totally agree. Burnley are certainly more experienced and are favored to stay up in my opinion, just that I think it isn't beyond any of the newly promoted sides to stay up. If Burnley take too much of a step back then they could be in trouble, their away form was atrocious last season and that is something they need to address before it catches up to them. 

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5 hours ago, kempus said:

I think Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs are going to be fighting it out for that final CL spot.

Isn't that always being said at this time? :P

 

Still true though. Guess both Manchester clubs will be the main title challenging teams, City has finally got some full-backs(although I'm surprised they haven' t strengthened  their midfield) and United with Lindelöf, Matic and Lukaku will be 1-0ing their way to the top - especially if they can add a winger. Spurs will be great to watch but are still not good enough to win it imo, hope they finally improve their international form though. Chelsea haven't done enough to be able to defend the title imo, sceptical about Morata and squad is limited in midfield and wingbacks. Can see them struggling a bit. Arsenal are Arsenal, added Laca and may benefit from an improving Xhaka, midfield and defence still look a bit meh though. Liverpool still need to add at least another attacking/creative option and a CB, otherwise they may loose out. Selling Coutinho would pretty much be the end aswell, don't think(hope) that will happen this summer.

Everton had a decent transfer window, should cruise to 7. No idea on how Pellegrino does at Soton or whether West Ham will be that much better(I'd say Bilic won't survive that season), can see Stoke regressing even more to the point where Hughes gets sacked, agree that Bournemouth will have another decent season, King might still leave though. Newcastle should stay in easily, Burnley, Brighton(even with the almighty Markus Suttner!) and Huddersfield will struggle, really interested how the latter will do though, can see them having a similar season to Blackpool.

Very sceptical about de Boer at Palace, if I was a betting man I'd put my money on him getting sacked before 2018. Watford under Marco Silva could be interesting, while Swansea could also be decent to watch(again) under Clement. And well, Leicester and West Brom are what they are.

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