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The Premier League is back and the football fans must be buzzing with excitement to witness their favourite clubs play competitive football again. The English clubs have been busy throughout the summer strengthening their squads for the upcoming campaign, and the majority of them broke their club transfer records to land their priority targets. The transfer window is closed now and the clubs must now focus on how to achieve their ambition for the upcoming campaign.
With the majority of the top 6 clubs spending heavily to strengthen their squad during the transfer window, the race for the title and the Champions League spots should be fascinating to watch during the upcoming campaign. However, some mid-table clubs will be hoping of displacing the Premier League big-boys in the race for the top 6. In this article, we are going to predict which clubs will finish inside the top 6 and where each club is expected to finish in the Premier League next season:
6th place: Chelsea
Chelsea were unable to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season as they were hit by a two-window transfer ban by FIFA, following an investigation regarding their signing of foreign U-18 players. They also lost Eden Hazard, who was by far their best player, to Real Madrid this summer, making the situation even worse.
Chelsea appointed Frank Lampard after Maurizio Sarri left the London club for Juventus. Although Lampard enjoyed a stellar campaign with Derby County in the Championship last year, he is yet to prove his mettle at the highest level and is considered a huge gamble by many. Chelsea are also lacking quality and depth in several positions on the pitch, with centre-forward being the most notable one.
In comparison to their top 6 rivals, Chelsea seems to have the weakest squad as compared to their rivals and we predict that they will end up finishing 6th this season.
5th place: Arsenal
Arsenal enjoyed a brilliant start to the campaign last season under Unai Emery. However, their form dropped drastically due to injuries to key players and they failed to qualify for the Champions League for the third season running. Despite their reported financial restrictions, the Gunners have managed to bring in quality players and filled some holes in their squad. Arsenal have added the likes of Nicolas Pepe, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, Dani Ceballos, Kieran Tiernay and David Luiz to their squad this summer. However, they are still lacking options in both midfield and defence.
Despite bringing in Kieran Tiernay and David Luiz, their defence does not look good enough to compete with their rivals next season. Scoring goals was never an issue for Unai Emery's side last season, however, stopping them from going in their own net was. Despite strengthening their squad in various positions on the pitch, not fixing their backline may cost Arsenal a Champions League spot and we predict that they will end up finishing 5th this season.
4th place: Manchester United
Manchester United finished 6th after suffering a major loss in form during the business end of the Premier League last season. However, the pre-season has been very positive for the Red Devils. The players look extremely happy and there is a drastic improvement in the playing style. Moreover, the Red Devils have managed to bolster their backline with the addition of centre-back Harry Maguire and right-back Aaron Wan Bissaka, both costing a combined £130 million.
However, the club has failed to bring in a replacement for departing Ander Herrera and Romelu Lukaku, which might cause them issues on the pitch as they will be trying to compete on all fronts. Despite fixing their defensive issues, Manchester United still don't have a squad ready to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. However, we predict they might be able to knick a Champions League spot and finish 4th next season.
3rd place: Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur became the only club in the history of Premier League to not buy a single player during last season's transfer window. But despite that, Mauricio Pochettino managed to carry his side to the Champions League final and finished inside the top 4. Spurs wanted to build on last season's success and have been very active in the transfer window this time around.
They have brought in the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season. However, their biggest success has been keeping the hold of their best players. Tottenham seems to be the closest side that could compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for the title next season.
However, they still lack the experience and depth to go all the way and we predict that they will end up finishing 3rd next season.
2nd place: Liverpool
After enduring some difficult years in Europe and the Premier League, Liverpool seems ready to compete for major honours once again. And their manager, Jurgen Klopp, deserves a huge amount of credit for it. The German tactician has managed to deploy a robust style of play at Anfield by assembling a squad full of quality players who are willing to work hard for their side. Liverpool enjoyed a stellar campaign under Jurgen Klopp last season, finishing runners-up in the Premier League and winning their 6th Champions League title.
Liverpool have not made notable acquisitions to their squad this summer, which might leave them at a slight disadvantage as compared to other teams. Although they have a squad full of quality and capable of going toe-to-toe with Manchester City for the title next season, we believe the Citizens have a slight edge over Liverpool in terms of squad depth and will beat the Merseyside club to the title.
1st place: Manchester City
Manchester City have become one of the best sides in Europe since the arrival of Pep Guardiola back in 2016. The Spanish tactician has been relentless in pursuit of greatness throughout his career and has assembled a squad full of winners wherever he has been. The Citizens retained their Premier League title and also won the unprecedented domestic treble last season. And Pep and company will be out there, hungrier than ever, to lift the title once again for the third consecutive time next season.
City have managed to add more quality to their already brilliant squad with the arrival of Spanish midfielder Rodri and Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo. There is no side currently in the Premier League who can match Manchester City's depth and quality and it looks like the Citizens will end up being the champions of England for the third season running.
