Pep in pole position to repeat City title glory..
Mr Marmite.. Love him, hate him, you can’t ignore him
HERE we go again – neck on the block, tin helmet fixed, assume the position, and polish the crystal ball.
The eve of a new Premier League season can mean only one thing: my predictions for where each club will finish.
Some of you will agree with me, others will be sending me humble pie next May... but it’s only a bit of fun.
Don’t take it to heart if I’m tipping your team to go down, and you think they are destined for the Champions League, because the beauty of football is still the diversity of opinion it generates. Whoever you support, have a great season.
MANCHESTER CITY No sign of the bubble bursting for Pep Guardiola – City hit the magic 100-point mark last season and could do it again. The addition of Riyad Mahrez can only make them stronger, Bernardo Silva is eager to impress and Sergio Aguero looked so sharp at Wembley last weekend. Catch them if you can.
ODDS 4-6 fav PREDICTION Champions LIVERPOOL The biggest spenders in the transfer window, and Jurgen Klopp has solved two of his biggest headaches – bringing in Alisson, a top-class goalkeeper, while Xherdan Shaqiri will give them more enduring quality up front, if Mo Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino are missing. Can they close the 25-point gap on City? Close, but no cigar this time.
ODDS 4-1 PREDICTION 2nd CHELSEA New coach Maurizio Sarri has assembled a powerful midfield on paper – Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, who could be one of the loan signings of the season. And it can only be good news that Eden Hazard and Willian have both stayed at the club after their futures looked uncertain in the summer. Don’t write the Blues off, it’s only been 15 months since they won the title.
ODDS 14-1 PREDICTION 3rd MANCHESTER UNITED Apart from the capture of Fred, their transfer window was a shambles. For United, the biggest club in the world, to chase several central defenders – including Harry Maguire, Toby Alderweireld and Jerome Boateng – and land none was embarrassing. Last season’s 81 points will take some beating but, if Jose Mourinho gets the best out of Paul Pogba, you can’t take them lightly.
ODDS 7-1 PREDICTION 4th
TOTTENHAM: How can Spurs expect to challenge for the title if they don’t spend a penny in the summer window? It’s a nonsense. Yes, they have kept Harry Kane and Dele Alli but, if I was a big-name player in that dressing room, I would be wondering why everyone else in the top six has strengthened except Tottenham. And moving into a new stadium won’t always be a bed of roses, either.
ODDS 14-1 PREDICTION 5th ARSENAL The dawn of a new era at the Emirates, and Unai Emery had a fantastic track record with Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette should be a productive pair of strikers, but it’s the same old Arsenal – Sokratis Papastathopoulos is the latest contestant to audition in the long-running game show as a defensive rock, but I’m not convinced he’s the answer. ODDS 22-1 PREDICTION 6th EVERTON They mean business, and I’ve been impressed with their summer in the market. Brazilians Bernard and Richarlison give them wheels on the flanks, Yerry Mina will be a threat at set-pieces – as England found to their cost at the World Cup – and new manager Marco Silva has a point to prove after being relegated with Hull and sacked by Watford. If they hit the ground running, watch them go.
ODDS 200-1 PREDICTION 7th WEST HAM What a difference from the toxic atmosphere and animosity towards the board six months ago. Owners David Gold and David Sullivan have given new manager Manuel Pellegrini £90million to spend, and his makeover includes some exciting components, from record-signing Felipe Anderson and Jack Wilshere (above), to Lucas Perez, who could be the bargain buy of 2018 at £4m. ODDS 300-1 PREDICTION 8th LEICESTER Jamie Vardy has signed a new deal, Demarai Gray has a chance to step up after Riyad Mahrez’s departure, and I like the look of Jonny Evans and Harry
Maguire in central defence. Consistency will be the key, but a third top-half finish in four years would be no mean achievement.
ODDS 300-1 PREDICTION 9th WOLVES Nuno Espirito Santo has added quality all over the pitch to the side that won the Championship in style, and I fancy them to spring a few surprises. Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez, Leander Dendoncker and Rui Patricio are all exciting acquisitions, I’m looking forward to seeing Ruben Neves in the top flight and Molineux will be rocking. The pack is back.
ODDS 150-1 PREDICTION 10th CRYSTAL PALACE
They have added Max Meyer, Jordan Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate, but let’s be honest – Roy Hodgson’s best bit of business was keeping hold of Wilfried Zaha. Without him, Palace would have gone down last season and, if Zaha stays fit, they stay up again. It’s as simple as that.
ODDS 750-1 PREDICTION 11th BURNLEY Thanks to Sean Dyche’s fantastic management, they
massively overachieved last year, and although European football will test their squad depth, I see no reason why they should not finish comfortably in mid-table. When fit, their trio of goalkeepers – Joe Hart, Tom Heaton and Nick Pope – will probably be the strongest group, in that department, in the country.
ODDS 750-1 PREDICTION 12th
FULHAM The first promoted club to spend £100m have bought wisely and imaginatively. Jean-Michael Seri looks a steal, even at £25m, and it was inevitable Aleksandar Mitrovic would return to Craven Cottage after his goals fired Fulham back into the Premier League. I like their manager Slavisa Jokanovic and the vivid atmosphere at Craven Cottage. They will be fine.
ODDS 1,000-1 PREDICTION 13th NEWCASTLE To finish in the top 10 last season, with what was essentially a squad of Championship players, was an incredible achievement by Rafa Benitez. Although they have brought in Salomon Rondon and Federico Fernandez, Newcastle are relying on the Rafa effect to keep
them up again – and a difficult start could put them under pressure. Fasten your seat belts, it might get bumpy.
ODDS 500-1 PREDICTION 14th SOUTHAMPTON
Mark Hughes galvanised Saints in the nick of time to keep them up in May, and the deadline-day capture of Danny Ings will give him crucial extra firepower this time. Losing Dusan Tadic in the summer was a setback, but I think they will have enough quality, and a high enough work ethic, to stay afloat again. ODDS 750-1 PREDICTION 15th BOURNEMOUTH Ten years ago, almost to the day, Bournemouth were docked 17 points before a ball was kicked in League Two after a financial crisis... but look at them now. Eddie Howe is preparing them for a fourth season of Premier League football and they have just spent a club-record £25m on a single player, Colombian midfielder Jefferson Lerma. ODDS 750-1 PREDICTION 16th
BRIGHTON Chris Hughton did a marvellous job to keep them up last season, with a bit to spare, but it might be a close shave this time. I love the vibrant atmosphere of the Amex, and Lewis Dunk’s partnership with Shane Duffy at the heart of the defence is one of the country’s most underrated, but Albion will need to be clinical at both ends of the pitch. ODDS 1,000-1 PREDICTION 17th
WATFORD Their last away goal was on January 2 and, unless head coach Javi Gracia finds a cure for the Hornets’ travel sickness, he will be under suffocating pressure to win at home. Opponents have underestimated Watford in the past, but that may not be enough to save them and their transfer business was uninspiring.
ODDS 1,000-1 PREDICTION 18th HUDDERSFIELD
They deserved to stay up last year because the fans were brilliant, and I would love to see David Wagner confound the odds again. But who’s going to score the goals to keep the quicksands at bay? The Terriers were the jointlowest scorers in 2017-18, with just 28 goals, and I just don’t see enough improvement.
ODDS 1,000-1 PREDICTION 19th CARDIFF I hope they stay up, but fear the worst. To be honest, Neil Warnock performed a miracle to win promotion ahead of some big spenders. Yes, they may be lacking in quality at both ends of the pitch, but veteran Warnock will have them fired up and motivated. Going down, but not without a fight. ODDS 1,500-1 PREDICTION 20th (Odds by William Hill)