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The Premier League is the most widely followed top division football league on the planet. The thrill-a-minute nature of the Premier League has helped it earn immense popularity on a global level. As a result, English clubs are also some of the richest in the world.
The 2021-22 Premier League title race has been blown wide open
Even though the top Premier League sides have some of the best players in the world playing for them, a positive result is not a guarantee in any given fixture. Even the minnows fancy their chances against the giants and the unpredictable nature of the Premier League is pretty much in tact this term as well.
It's difficult to forecast who is going to win the Premier League title this term and who all are going to finish in the top 4 and qualify for the Champions League. But let's give it a shot anyways.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five teams that we believe are going to finish in the top five this Premier League season.
#5 Arsenal
Lest you forget, Arsenal lost all of their first three matches in the Premier League this term. To be fair, they did have to face Chelsea and Manchester City in their first three gameweeks. The Gunners weren't up to full strength and were nowhere near being as settled as either Chelsea or Manchester City in the opening stages.
However, Mikel Arteta's men have bounced back from the trenches. They are now unbeaten in 10 matches across all competitions after a 5-0 humbling at the hands of Manchester City. It hasn't been easy for them but they've shown a lot of resolve to climb to fifth in the Premier League table.
The likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Magalhaes have been really impressive this term. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Aaron Ramsdale are proving to be inspired acquisitions and Mikel Arteta does finally look like a man with a plan.
The Gunners are playing an effective brand of football and look well capable of holding their own against some of the big guns right now. They might just be able to sustain this in the long term and we're expecting them to finish fifth in the Premier League this season.
#4 Manchester United
Manchester United have to thank the stars for a top four spot still being within reach. While they have slipped up majorly over the past five Premier League gameweeks, their peers haven't had great results either.
Manchester United have taken just four points out of their last possible 15. They were on the receiving end of a humiliating 5-0 loss against bitter rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford. The Red Devils then produced a spineless performance against Manchester City at home a fortnight later and the 2-0 scoreline flattered them.
A section of Manchester United fans want manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked. But without a viable alternative, the club is likely to stick with its former player. The Norwegian did a fantastic job in his first two full seasons as manager of the club.
However, they need to snap out of their current predicament. This was a team that stood its ground against the top six quite last term. They seem to lack belief now. The constant alterations in the system have definitely hurt them and Solskjaer needs to make a sharp 180 right about now.
He will need to be ruthless when it comes to picking players. This Manchester United side has plenty of world-class individuals led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes. It's only a matter of time before they bounce back. But they still won't be good enough for Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester City.
Therein lies the problem and that is why Solskjaer might eventually get the sack at the end of the season.
#3 Liverpool
Liverpool conceded their first defeat in 25 matches against West Ham United this past weekend. The Hammers proved to be too lively and focused for Jurgen Klopp's men in a match that was decided by fine margins.
Mohamed Salah has been in terrific form for Liverpool. But the same can't be said of all of their attackers. Roberto Firmino is another player who has impressed this season but he is now out injured. Sadio Mane has been doing better than he did last term but he has not been clinical in the final third.
Their midfield has been rather inconsistent as well. Klopp relies heavily on his full-backs for attacking thrust and both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have done a good job so far. They are testing out different combinations at the back in a bid to find out who the perfect partner for Van Dijk might be.
But the plan has not yet come together and they are still a little off the pace. That could prove to be detrimental as Chelsea and Manchester City have looked quite formidable this season.
#2 Chelsea
Chelsea are currently top of the table. But they just might not be able to sustain this for the length of the season from the looks of it. They are four points clear at the summit but have a difficult set of fixtures coming up.
They face Leicester City, Manchester United and West Ham United in their next three games. The Blues squandered their chance to pull away from the chasing pack by settling for a 1-1 draw against Burnley this past weekend. The form of their goalscorers is perhaps the biggest concern for Thomas Tuchel.
Timo Werner offers everything but goals and Romelu Lukaku has been sidelined with injury. Lukaku, the club's most expensive signing of all time, has scored just four goals in 11 appearances across all competitions so far.
As a unit, Chelsea are not yet a team whose parts are all working together in perfect condition just yet. That's why we believe Manchester City will eventually catch up with them and outdo them over the course of the season.
#1 Manchester City
We're predicting that Manchester City will retain the Premier League title this term. The lack of a proven goalscorer would have been hugely detrimental to any other side. Even though Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have had their problems in front of goal, they often seem to be able to find a solution.
Their midfield is one of the best in the world and they have some world-class attackers in their ranks as well. City beat Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford in their latest outing but it was as dominant a performance as they've produced against their rivals in recent times.
Manchester City are pretty comfortable controlling entire games. All of their players are technically adept and comfortable in possession. They have creators all around the park. This City side are also very familiar with sustaining their momentum over the course of a season, having won the league three times in the last four years.
