Premier League Title Predictions 2016/17
The Premier League has barely got underway but pundits are already backing Manchester City and Manchester United as the hot title contenders. Much of this has been down to their transfer window activity and the less than impressive starts of their main rivals.
But is it a forgone conclusion that the Manchester clubs will be the ones battling out for the prized piece of silverware come May? What about reigning champions Chelsea or the other strong challengers from London, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur? And can Liverpool improve on last year’s fourth place finish?
Manchester Unites certainly started well, hammering West Ham United 4-0 at home on the opening day. What’s more, they have spent another £150m on players and kept the best of their talent from last season. There is even a chance that they could add more players before the transfer window slams shut.
But let’s not forget, the Old Trafford club have been spending at similar levels for the last four seasons and have struggled to get into the top four. So can Jose Mourinho lift his players from sixth place and all the way to the title? That seems like a leap too far this time round.
Arch rivals Manchester City have also been splashing the clash and Pep Guardiola must now feel he has a squad that can challenge for the title. With a team that has been moulded more in his own image the Spanish boss will expect much better results this time round and the signs were good in pre-season. They kicked off their campaign in relentless style with a total domination of new boys Brighton and Hove Albion but were somehow restricted to a two-goal haul.
Jurgen Klopp dragged Liverpool over the line into fourth place last year and despite some additions, his team still feels like one that is greater than the sum of its parts. The absence of Adam Lallana has dealt them an early blow as has the shenanigans regarding Philippe Countinho’s potential move to Barcelona.
The added dimension of Champions League football and a fairly thin squad rules the Merseyside club out as title contenders this time round. However, if they somehow manage to sign Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita before the window closes, that could all change.
Arsenal were pipped to the post in the race for fourth place by Liverpool last time out and those two can be expected to jostle for that position again. The Gunners seem to permanently tread water in this league and are rarely touted as title contenders these days. Their weakness at the back always seems to bite them and true to form, it nearly cost them points in their opener against Leicester City. In the end, it was victory that provided more questions than answers for Arsene Wenger. It could be another frustrating season for fans of the North London club.
Fellow North Londoners Tottenham Hotspur finished second last year but have failed to strengthen in the transfer window. They have been one of the most consistent teams over the last two years but they seem to lack that extra dimension needed to bag the top trophies. Their performances in Europe have exposed many of their frailties and they may struggle playing their home games at Wembley this term. As a result, there is a real chance that they will miss out on the top four.
Reigning champions Chelsea are already being ruled out by many following their opening day defeat to Burnley. But let’s not forget, Antonio Conte won the league at the first attempt and will now have even more talent at his disposal. The Blues were hampered by an early red card on Sunday that seemed to knock them off their stride. However, they showed character to fight back from 3-0 down to 3-2 despite being reduced to nine men late on and should be battling out for the title once again come May.
Premier League predictions 2016/17
- Manchester City 5/5
- Chelsea 15/2
- Manchester United 11/4
- Liverpool 18/1
- Arsenal 9/1
- Tottenham Hotspur 17/2
All prices quoted are from Betfair