SOC: Premier League's Top Storylines
The Premier League is back and the start of the 2017-18 season brings questions with it.
Here are four questions I have about the season, as well as my prediction for the top-5 of the table.
1. Will the signing of Romelu Lukaku push Manchester United to the top? Jose Mourinho and the Red Devils couldn’t have had a better summer transfer season. They have brought in the Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, from Everton, hoping to see him score somewhere around 20-25 goals. Lukaku could also provide some crucial goals for Man U in the Champions League. Alongside the signing of Lukaku, Manchester has signed the defensive midfielder, Nemanja Matic from rival Chelsea. This move in particular is what stands out to me because this would allow for Paul Pogba to push further up the pitch and contribute more on the offensive end. Last year, Pogba wasn’t able to do that and he struggled at the beginning of the 2016-17 season. We’ll see how Mourinho refines his starting 11 as the season progresses but with the addition of Lukaku and Matic, as well as the rise of Marcus Rashford, retaining David De Gea another summer from Real Madrid, and a more experienced Pogba, Manchester United might be able to finish in the top-3 comfortably.
2. How will Chelsea adjust to Antonio Conte in their second year together? Chelsea’s billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, has a love-hate relationship with his managers. Despite having a successful championship season, manager Antonio Conte might already be on the hot seat. So far, Chelsea has not impressed in the preseason and in Week 1, having lost the Community Shield to Arsenal 3-1 in penalties and an embarrassing 3-2 defeat to Burnley. As seen in 2015 with Mourinho, who won the 2014-15 Premier League and 2012 with Roberto Di Matteo, who won the Champions League that same year, Abramovich is not afraid to change managers mid-year. On top of this slow start, Conte is standing in the way of Diego Costa leaving the club according to Costa and he has been very vocal about it calling out the Italian boss publicly. Lastly, Conte will have to pray Alvaro Morata, their new signing from Real Madrid, has the best season of his career. Morata has always been right on the edge of breaking out for a few years. While he has scored in pivotal moments, especially while at Juventus, he lacks the raw talent to lead a team in scoring and to victory. With the added distraction of Champions League play, I’m not quite sure Antonio Conte will be in charge in West London in a year’s time.
3. Can Arsenal and Liverpool justify their marquee signings? For years, Arsenal and Liverpool have been on the edge of seriously competing for the Premier League title. Liverpool came close three years ago when they were three games away from the title. However, after a loss to Chelsea and two subsequent draws, they managed to lose the title and finish in second place. Arsenal have had some close finishes, coming in third place two years ago, but they have not won the title since their “Invincibles” season in 2003-04. After some key signings this summer, both of these teams are looking to show they can compete at a high level. Arsenal has just signed Alexandre Lacazette from French team Olympique Lyon for around £46 million, a record-breaking fee for the team. Lacazette can provide something that Olivier Giroud is missing, which is a natural goal scoring ability. Giroud is a great striker, but he can’t create space and finish the way Lacazette can. Despite this new addition, Arsenal are bound to lose their star player, Alexis Sanchez who has made it known he wants to leave the club. Liverpool has added a speedy attacker to their team as well in Roma’s Mohamed Salah. Previously, Salah played for Chelsea in 2014, only making a handful of appearances before being loaned out to Fiorentina and eventually being loaned and sold to Roma. This time around, I believe Salah will play a bigger role at Liverpool, providing some much needed speed up front. If Liverpool continues signing quality players like Salah, they could be a European powerhouse in a few years time. For now, they still lack the striker that can finish their plays, and barring injury, Daniel Sturridge could possibly fill in that role for the team. Manager Jurgen Klopp has very talented players on his team that he can develop and build a team around. What worries me is his ability to keep players at the club. Although it is not entirely up to him, if he wants Liverpool to be a real contender, they have to keep Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona. Without Coutinho, the team will struggle heavily as they don’t have another player who can create and score the way he does.
4. Does Tottenham have the depth to win the Premier League? Tottenham have arguably the best starting 11 in the Premier League but beyond it, they have no depth. Surprisingly, they have not made any additions to their team and have actually lost their right back, Kyle Walker, to another contender, Manchester City. Once the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Christian Eriksen come off the pitch, Tottenham has some difficulties on the offensive end. There is still 10 days left in the transfer season, which means the Spurs still have some time to find themselves a player who can relieve Kane and Alli of all the responsibility. There have been many rumors linking Everton man Ross Barkley with Tottenham. This would be a smart move as Barkley can provide key minutes late in games, especially in the second half of the season. Tottenham’s depth is the only thing keeping them from becoming a threat to Manchester United and Manchester City this season. If Kane, Alli, and other key players manage to stay healthy, they will have no problem finishing top-3 once again.
Premier League Top-5 Prediction:
1. Manchester United 2. Manchester City 3. Tottenham 4. Chelsea 5. Liverpool
Ultimately, I think Mourinho has acquired the pieces he needs to come out on top this season. I think they will be at least five points clear of City who have also made good moves this offseason, but Pep Guardiola still needs to improve his team if he wants to win. I believe Tottenham will burn out in the last stretch of the season and I predict Chelsea will sack Antonio Conte before the year is over. For these reasons, I believe Manchester United will win the 2017-18 Premier League.
Photo Credit: Mirror & Sky Sports.
