During the summer, the Premier League has had many changes. Some of the clubs have gone through massive upheaval, others have recruited well and still others have struggled. With the World Cup five weeks away, some teams will have a fresh start to the season. The mid-season break gives each team time to rest and recharge. This can be a positive for teams with poor starts to the season. However, fatigue will be a factor in the last set of games before the World Cup.
There are some teams that look to be on the rise, but that are unlikely to make an impact on the table. Brighton, for example, will be eager to continue their form in the second half of the season. Manchester United has also recruited well this summer, and may have the best midfield in the league. In addition to that, new manager David Moyes has won 70 league games away from home.
The biggest threat to the title is Manchester City, who will have to work hard to win their fifth league title in six seasons. Despite being underdogs, City are likely to edge out Liverpool, but they are not at their best and could find themselves a distant third if the World Cup interrupts their top flight campaign.
In terms of relegation, Bournemouth and Fulham are obvious candidates. However, Aston Villa briefly looked like it might knock Manchester United out of the League Cup on Thursday. In terms of teams who will make an impact, it’s not difficult to make a case for Crystal Palace. While they’ve only managed to win three of their last four league matches, the Eagles have been very impressive in front of their own fans. They’ve shown the ability to play lovely football, and Cheick Doucoure and Michael Olise may both have breakout seasons.
Meanwhile, Southampton have made a lot of signings this summer and are a team to watch. Their recent performances, particularly against Chelsea, indicate that they’re a tough team to beat. They’ve also been a bit cautious in the market. But they’ve got a great defensive structure, and they’ve already shown the ability to break down Liverpool’s aggressive risk-reward style of play.
If a mid-season World Cup breaks up the league, it can be a positive for the teams fighting relegation. With the five-sub rule coming into effect next season, that means tactical exploitation is possible and younger players may benefit from it.
The league will begin again on Friday. This is a very popular sport in England and the public is likely to follow it closely. In addition, the mid-season break provides a great opportunity for teams to get back to their roots. With that in mind, here are some of the most popular serie a predictions for the season.
The average expected goal figure for all Premier League teams this season is a high 2.86. That means teams are likely to score at least two goals in every game. With the five-sub rule, however, the difference between a team scoring two or more goals and having one or fewer is significant.
