FEVER PITCH
Anticipation is palpable as Premier League kicks off season
Less than three months after Chelsea lifted the championship trophy, the Premier League returns to the pitch this weekend. Although the Blues breezed to the title during Antonio Conte’s debut season in charge of the London club, the fights for the Champions League places and safety were as dramatic as anything else in European soccer last year.
With nearly all the top sides having added new blood, along with the addition of three newly promoted sides (Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield Town), the league is bound to be as unpredictable as ever. With that in mind, here’s what to keep an eye on over the next nine months:
THE CONTENDERS Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s tactical voodoo papered over the aging holes in Manchester City’s squad last season. Now, he has spent more than $250 million on a goalkeeper, three fullbacks and yet another creative midfielder to fill out a squad worthy of his managerial skill. The Spanish genius now has no excuses — and should guide his team to the league title.
Chelsea and Manchester United
The two financial powerhouses were separated by 26 points in last year’s table, yet executed the exact same plan over the summer. Integrating a new star striker, midfield destroyer and center back, the question for Antonio Conte is whether he can keep Chelsea’s machine purring with the added pressure of Champions League matches. For United manager Jose Mourinho, the challenge is simple: score more goals, especially against the bottom-feeder teams.
Tottenham and Liverpool
The Spurs have kept the purse strings closed this transfer window, while Liverpool has made only one significant signing to date. That’s because managers Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp are betting on the continued improvement of young stars such as Dele Alli and Philippe Coutinho (if Barcelona don’t grab him first).
Arsenal
After five long years, Arsene Wenger finally went out and bought the star striker his fans have been longing for in the form of $63 million man Alexandre Lacazette. Unfortunately, the two superstars already on the club’s books — Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil — only have a year left on their contracts and seem ready to leave for greener pastures.
THE MIDDLE CLASS Everton
Shocking basically everyone who has followed the team, Everton has spent big and relatively wisely this summer. But despite the nearly $130 million expenditure, it’s hard to imagine Everton improving upon last year’s seventh-place finish. But with local hero Wayne Rooney back in blue, a few strong showings against the top six would make that easier to take.
Bournemouth
Although continued Premier League survival is all but a miracle considering the club’s size and history, that’s not enough for manager Eddie Howe. Already in possession of an offense to be proud of, the club reinforced its defense this summer and is ready to take another step up.
Southampton
After years of selling its best player each summer, Southampton appears to be standing firm in letting defensive standout Virgil van Dijk go. A lot can change with three weeks left in the transfer window, but the Saints have repeatedly proven themselves capable of soldiering on regardless.
Crystal Palace
Maybe the league’s biggest wild card, a talented but inconsistent Palace side looks to finally have a manager, in Frank de Boer, who can instill his players with some discipline.
Leicester City
Is Leicester City the team that floundered through the first half of last season or the side that showed flashes of its titlewinning form in a strong finish following Claudio Ranieri’s February firing?
West Ham and Stoke City
Despite high expectations last August, both West Ham and Stoke City turned in shocking displays that saw both teams in danger of relegation in the sea- son’s final weeks. They’re both too talented for that to happen again, but if they continue to tune out their managers — which was definitely an issue last year — it’s hard to imagine an improvement of any sort.
West Bromwich Albion
For about two-thirds of last season, Tony Pulis’ method of no-frills management was bearing fruit, his side finally becoming one to reckon with.
THE DANGER ZONE Watford
Owned by Gino Pozzo, a transfer-obsessed Italian, the Hornets are the most unpredictable team in the league. About the only thing anyone can count on is beer keg-shaped captain Troy Deeney, who scores far more goals than his talent warrants, and new manager Marco Silva, who has shown a knack for making the most of what’s handed to him.
Newcastle
Everything is going according to plan for the perpetual sleeping giants of northern England. Rafa Benitez’s men spent a single season in the Championship and are now back at the big-boy table with a squad trimmed of much of the underperforming “stars” who led Newcastle to relegation in the first place.
Swansea
From Joe Allen to Ashley Williams, and now, in all probability, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Swansea has sold the best and brightest every summer, hoarded money and hoped for the best. Amazingly, Swansea’s luck has held, but it can’t last forever, especially since the club has done next to nothing to improve this offseason.
Brighton
It’s cruel to say Brighton has given up before giving it a go, but so far the team has spent a grand total of $13.5 million on new players — the equivalent of 5 percent of one Neymar — and will use this season and the TV money earned from it to shore up the books before the inevitable relegation.
Burnley
Selling far and away your best player is very rarely a recipe for success, and in Burnley’s case it could prove fatal. Sean Dyche’s team struggled to score goals, and now that young Michael Keane is off to Everton, the club’s all-important defense is all but guaranteed to be weaker than last year’s.
Huddersfield Town
David Wagner will be the second American to coach in the Premier League, and he is sure to bring far more fireworks than Bob Bradley did at Swansea. Wagner’s men play balls-to-the-wall soccer and are sure to garner many neutral supporters because they will try to score as many goals as possible — defending be damned.