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The Premier League always has surprises in store for fans every season. In the 2015-16 season, Leicester City defied the odds and won the Premier League after being nearly relegated the previous season. In 2019-20, newly promoted Sheffield United finished ninth. In 2021, Leicester dropped out of the top four on the final day.
Last season, West Ham United were the team that constantly threatened to break into the 'Big 6'. The Hammers beat Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and narrowly lost to Manchester United. This performance saw them finish seventh, two points adrift of Manchester United.
With the new season edging closer, it’s another opportunity for teams outside of the top six to exceed expectations and outperform their peers. Here are the possible "Dark Horses" for the new Premier League season.
#1 West Ham United
The Hammers have risen under David Moyes in the past few seasons. He guided the London outfit to a Europa League qualification in the 2020-21 season and saw them finish in the top seven for a second consecutive season last term.
The London club did a good job retaining the services of Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen, who were crucial to their squad last season. With these players and a few additions, they can mount a stronger challenge for Champions League qualification.
Moyes set up his side in a pragmatic 4–2-3-1, relying on Bowen and Michail Antonio on the break. Their midfield duo of Rice and Tomas Soucek is one of the strongest in the league. They also utilized set piece opportunities, with the Hammers scoring 14 goals from set pieces last season.
Adding Gianluca Scamacca (€36 million) and Nayef Aguerd (€35 million) to the team makes them more formidable. Scamacca is capable of filling Antonio's shoes and even playing alongside him. At the same time, Augerd is a quality option to Craig Dawson, who is nearing the end of his playing career.
#2 Leicester City
The Foxes narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification in consecutive seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21). Last season, they failed to reproduce the quality performance they have shown in the past, finishing eighth and losing out in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals to AS Roma.
Part of what hindered Leicester last season was the absence of key players with Wesley Fofana, Jamie Vardy and Wilfried Ndidi all missing crucial parts of the season. Additionally, James Maddison and Youri Tielemans struggled to display consistent performances for the Foxes.
But they can turn the tides and put pressure on the Premier League top six this season. The coach, Brendan Rodgers, is one of the best managers in the league and knows how to extract the best from his side.
If they stay clear of injuries and Maddison performs consistently, the Foxes may finally finish in the top four places that have been eluding them for so long.
#3 Newcastle United
The Magpies enjoyed a brilliant second half of the season where they accrued the third-most points behind Manchester City and Liverpool. Under the guidance of Eddie Howe, they will hope to replicate that form this season and fight for a spot in the Premier League's top six.
So far, they’ve recruited Nick Pope from Burnley (€11.5 million) and Sven Botman from Lille (€37 million) to improve their defense. The Magpies are still hot in the market for a winger and an attacking midfielder, hoping to put together a decent squad.
#4 Leeds United
Leeds narrowly escaped relegation last season with their final day triumph against Brentford enough to keep them in the league for another season.
Since then, Leeds have invested heavily in their squad this summer. They have added Brenden Aaronson (€32.8 million), Marc Roca (€12 million) and Luis Sinisterra (25 million) to their side in an attempt to challenge in the top half of the table.
They have also lost key players, with Kalvin Phillips departing for Manchester City and Raphinha leaving for Barcelona. Leeds will hope their recruits are good enough to fill the gaps left by these players
With Jesse Marsch at the club's helm, they have an experienced manager with tactical nous to guide them to the European places.
