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#3 West Ham United
David Moyes led West Ham United to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League in 2020-21. The east London side also secured qualification to the Europa League. Moyes and West Ham have perfected the art of playing on the counter. Smart recruitment last season also propelled them into the top six.
West Ham's driving force in the second half of the season was Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard. However, they have failed to sign him this season. In fact, their only notable addition ahead of the new Premier League campaign is goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. Considering Michail Antonio's fitness issues and the quality of their centre-backs, a lot is left to be desired.
West Ham's lack of depth in key areas could also haunt them this season. The added burden of continental football might also take a toll. Unless Moyes gets his targets in the transfer window, West Ham could be in for a tough season ahead.
#2 Everton
Everton have hired former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez ahead of the new 2021-22 Premier League season. His appointment raised eyebrows among the red half of Merseyside owing to their history with the Spaniard. Benitez has not managed clubs in Europe since his departure from Newcastle, so his return could be interesting.
Everton have been poor on the recruitment front this summer. The only notable incoming player is Demarai Gray from Bayer Leverkusen. Andros Townsend has also signed for the Toffees after his contract with Crystal Palace came to an end. Apart from this, Everton have signed goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
Everton's 10th-placed finish in the 2020-21 Premier League under Carlo Ancelotti was underwhelming. This season, they may finish even lower. The teams around them have all made impressive signings. Rafa Benitez isn't a particularly exciting appointment either.
If their key players fail to deliver match-winning performances on a consistent basis, Everton could slip into the bottom half of the Premier League table.
#1 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur's quest for a new manager ended when Nuno Espirito Santo agreed to join the London club. The former Wolves manager has a tough task at hand, starting with convincing Harry Kane to stay at the club. The English striker has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City.
Nuno was relieved of his duties as Wolves boss this summer following a disappointing Premier League season which saw them finish 13th. The Portuguese manager is tasked with returning Spurs to the Champions League, after they finished 7th in the Premier League in 2020-21. Considering the quality of other top teams, however, Spurs have some catching up to do.
The departure of experienced centre-back Toby Alderweireld was compensated for by the arrival of Cristian Romero from Atalanta. Talented youngster Bryan Gil has also been signed from Sevilla. However, the club's biggest achievement this summer will be keeping Kane at the club.
The 28-year-old striker seems adamant on joining Manchester City. Should his transfer materialize, Spurs will have an uphill task in seeking a replacement. The north London side are desperate to return to the European places, but it could prove impossible without their talisman.
There is also pressure on Nuno to deliver instant success on that front. It's not the ideal atmosphere for any manager to be walking into a new club. And that might just prove to be detrimental to Spurs' ambitions.
