The Premier League’s Four Contenders
Tom Ball
The new Premier League season kicks off at the Brentford Community Stadium on 13th August. With just under three weeks ago, let's look at the four main contenders for the ultimate prize in English top-flight football. You could call it naive to look past these four as historic seasons from Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City say otherwise. However, English currently stands at a level too high to give an outsider much of a chance.
Manchester City
It only fits, to begin with, the reigning champions. Perhaps the quietest club regarding any formal movements in the transfer window, Manchester City seem content with their personnel but are yet even to entertain the position many pointed to when the window opened. Their league and league cup triumph without a recognised striker was a considerable achievement even for Pep Guardiola. Despite their imperious nature last season, many expected City to continue the efficient strengthening they often engage with. Especially with Sergio Aguero saying goodbye to the Etihad. They have been in constant rumours surrounding their interest in divorcing Spurs talisman Harry Kane, yet, those rumours have not come to any advancements with the season just under three weeks away. EURO 2020 has put an understandable delay on any transfer activity moving forward with any urgency. Therefore it is hard to think that the Citizens will not be dipping their toe in the market to try and build on their success. The Premier League Player of the Season, Ruben Dias, signed for Pep's side with 2 games already played last season. Any additions will likely be seen as slight strengthening rather than an overhaul, unless that strengthening includes Harry Kane of course.
So where does this leave City in a bid to win a fourth Premier League title in five years? Barring an unthinkable and, quite frankly, impossible departure of Pep Guardiola, they remain favourites. They were still comfortably the best team in the league last season, and that was even after Pep's worst start to a season in his managerial career. We have seen great strides made by the other contenders. However, there is still a gap that needs to be closed. For all their shortcomings in Europe, they have the manager, the depth, the confidence and the tactical prowess that crushes a Thirty-Eight game season, and none of that will change going into 2021/22. For pure hypothetical's sake, if they were to sign Harry Kane, I don't think much needs to be said about what that would mean for the rest of the league, and this is trying to be as least dismissive as possible.
Manchester United
The red side of Manchester is the talk of the town this window. A very much expected but no-less of a statement signing in Jadon Sancho and an imminent Raphael Varane, United have been the most active in this window so far. Whether it is a genuine investment in the manager that the Glazers have financed as part of an ongoing project to return United to the summit of English football or a disingenuous attempt at appeasing a hostile fanbase rebelling their ownership. There is no doubt of its magnitude. In addition, there have been a good amount of credible reports surrounding the club's interest in french footballing prodigy Eduardo Camavinga. However, this would not fix United existing issues in the middle of the park.
Unlike City, United have been an unfinished article for a little while. They have the handicap of a very questionable recruitment strategy. Varane and Sancho don't fall into this analysis. However, Fred is one of the seven players to have cost United over £50 million, and he is already the one the fans are crying out to be upgraded upon.
It's easy to be hypercritical of United. They won thirteen of the first twenty Premier League titles and have not won any in the eight years since. These two signings are two of the three many of the fans and critics believed they needed. As an outsider, some are always going to find ways to critique them. However, their fans have high expectations, and they will not want the club to stop here. Tactically, the protection and progression within the deeper midfield areas are where United have lacked most and much like another team; their fate almost certainly rests on how they look to solve that issue in that one area of the pitch. Despite United strengthening off the back of second-place finish, this doesn't secure their place as chief challengers. The two who finished behind them last season are most certainly going to have their say. One finally fully fit, the other entering their first entire season with a transformative coach.
The final word on Manchester United lies at the door of the manager. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has presided over the most stable Manchester United team since the departure of the great Sir Alex Ferguson. On the other hand, that stability comes with a questionable history in in-game tactical adjustments. Many United fans would agree that their three main rivals this upcoming season have stronger and more proven men in their dugouts. Those men being, without a doubt, the most valued assets to their establishments. United looked more reliant on Bruno Fernandes last season rather than Ole. Signings like Jadon Sancho are made to fix that. Another season falling short of a trophy frustrated Old Trafford. However, there seems to be an aura of urgency that the other half of the City lacks, something the red half can be excited about.
Liverpool
Liverpool is the team that some still forget about while others try very hard to not forget about. They had an incredibly turbulent 2020-21. The first half of the season saw them favourites to retain their title; however, a collapse Liverpudlians will not want to be reminded about saw them slip away from not just the title, but almost the Champions League places. A massive injury crisis triggered this downfall, a problem very diligently acted upon in January that has now been rectified through the absence of Virgil Van Dijk from EURO 2020 and the early business done to bring the highly-rated Ibrahima Konate in from RB Leipzig. Liverpool has the minerals to return to their rampant and destructive selves this season. They were terrifying to even Pep's City when they welcomed anyone to Anfield from Late 2018 Through to the end of 2020, and the suffocating atmosphere of their home games will be back this season.
They have lost Gini Wijnaldum to PSG on a free transfer this summer. Many have looked to the return of Virgil Van Dijk as the most significant positive they could take out of this season. On the other hand, many understate the importance his fellow Dutchman had in midfield. Over the last three seasons, Wijnaldum has led all Liverpool midfielders in appearances and by quite a lot. He was outrageously consistent and rarely ever picked up a knock. His energetic runs into the penalty area are something neither Thiago Alcantara nor Jordan Henderson can provide in the same volume, and unfortunately for Klopp, it is a huge ask for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to stay fit, the former Arsenal man offers the most likened play style to Wijnaldum. There have been rumours of the reds swooping in for a more technical alternative in Leicester's Youri Tielemans. However, the Belgian's employers are not going to part ways with him for a price Fenway Sports Group will cough up. On the other hand, recent reports of a £100 million offer made to Juventus for Frederico Chiesa, subverts this idea that they are unwilling to spend. Perhaps it comes from an expectance that either Mohammed Salah or Sadio Mane will be departing Merseyside in a years time.
We shouldn't get too mixed up with transfer rumours especially when it comes to Fenway. There is a clear consensus that they are not looking to invest much further than what has already been brought onto the table. However, the crown jewel in the masterpiece that one them a Champions League and Premier League title is Jurgen Klopp. Any manager needs the appropriate resources; even the 'do more with less' guy. The centre back crisis crippled their title defence. However, they are coming back stronger this season. Much like their incredible fight with Man City in 2018-19, they are coming in with smaller expectations and a sense that they have to prove themselves once more. A motivated and hungry Liverpool is a dangerous thought.
Chelsea
The final contender in this years title race is the reigning European Champions. Like Liverpool, Chelsea had an eventful 2020/21. The club's greatest ever player was sacked from his position as manager in January after a poor run of form tested the short fuse of the Blues' board. So they brought in Thomas Tuchel, fresh off the sack from Paris Saint-Germain despite bringing them to a Champions League Final last August. Tuchel immediately transformed the side, bringing them back into the Champions League places and winning the Champions League while setting the record for the least goals conceded by a Champions League winner. A turnaround most of the Stamford Bridge faithful still can't quite comprehend, especially when it comes to dismissing such a legend.
Considerable success breeds ample confidence. The Blues have made their interest in Erling Haaland very clear. The man who seemed destined for one of the top three to four teams in the continent is being furiously chased down by Chelsea. There is no denying the club's buying power and European prowess. However, with Haaland sure to pick the bunch next summer, it will be a task for Chelsea to get a deal done. Even if Haaland is keen on Stamford Bridge, the player's employers Borussia Dortmund are historically a very tough nut to crack and tend not to give an inch of leverage to any club looking to snatch one of their players. Especially, the most special of them all.
The Blues' weakness was made evident last season. They lack goals, a lot of them. They scored fifty-eight last season, the least of any of the top seven teams. Chelsea thought the goals they needed were going to come from Timo Werner. However, his swap from the Bundesliga last summer has proven very difficult despite scoring thirty-four goals in all competitions for RB Leipzig the season prior. The excitement for Chelsea not only comes from the possibility of getting Erling Haaland but also the promise Kai Havertz showed towards the back end of last season and at EURO 2020 for Germany. The West London faithful is expecting to see the guy they saw at Bayer Leverkusen for the next season. If they don't get their hands on the Haaland, most of the eyes will be on him. Much like Liverpool with Tielemans, it is expected that Chelsea will look elsewhere, to Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku, perhaps? Despite many different rumours doing the rounds surrounding Chelsea's activity, their season hinges on a very clear hypothetical; whether they get a striker. If they do, Lukaku or Haaland, their performance against Liverpool and the wins against Manchester City last season are signs that Thomas Tuchel is the man they need to get them challenging for a sixth Premier League title. If they don't, their impressive defensive record can only get them so far.
Verdict
The safe bet for the title is clearly Manchester City, they finished 14 points ahead of everyone else and that’s after Pep’s worst start to a domestic season in his career. We seem to forget how ruthless the sky blues are throughout an entire season. Liverpool and Chelsea are stable and organised sides with managers that have proven their worth, they just seem a bit short in certain areas to compete with a City squad that seems to out-do any Premier League side in history in terms of depth.
Manchester United provide the most unpredictable outfit for the new season. Their activity in the transfer market shows their intent. However, they are yet to address the biggest problem in their starting eleven. Furthermore, despite all that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done for the squad at Old Trafford, it is impossible to see him overcoming all three of the managers to win next season. It is very easy to say that they finished second last season. However, Chelsea were ninth when they changed their manager and Liverpool were missing essentially every centre back option Jurgen Klopp had available.
Last season showed that you can’t look at these teams in a perfect world. However, that is all you can do here. Therefore, barring injury or any catastrophe of any kind the prediction goes:
Manchester City, 1st
Liverpool, 2nd
Chelsea, 3rd
Manchester United, 4th