The Premier League is back and promises exciting duels. The public has also returned to the stadiums, and with it an essential part of the spectacle that we lacked throughout the previous season. Regarding the incorporation of new talents, the Premier League will spend more than one billion euros on new players, above the 400 million in Serie A and the 134 million in the Spanish League.
Below we analyze the possibilities of the so-called big six and their prospects for this tournament.
Manchester City
The reigning English champion and runner-up in the UEFA Champions League faces more than a few challenges this season. It is true that he brought into his ranks the young and very talented Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, which cost him a fortune in the process. However, where he seemed to need more reinforcement is in the defensive midfield waist. It is in this position that he showed the greatest weaknesses last season. In response, he signed the veteran Fernandinho for a new season, whose athleticism at age 35 has undoubtedly diminished. In the attack, there was much talk of signing Harry Kane, from Tottenham, a situation that has not yet been decided or resolved. In their debut, City lost precisely to Tottenham, in a somewhat flat presentation devoid of spark.
But we must take into account two aspects. The Citizens played with an incomplete squad, with many casualties, due to the players who participated in the Eurocup, America’s Cup or the Olympic Games. And second, that Pep Guardiola has shown throughout his successful career an enormous capacity to correct defects in the structure or in the language of his teams. For this reason and because of the great wealth of its squad, Manchester City continues to be the favorite.
Chelsea
When those led by Tuchel won the UEFA Champions League last season, they showed a solid, compact, supportive game, with great emphasis on the collective. However, he had a shortcoming: he lacked a little more goal. And to solve it they got Romelo Lukaku, recent Serie A champion with Inter, and who had previously played with Chelsea.
His defense could easily be the best in England (maybe in Europe) with players like Thiago Silva, César Azpilicueta, Antonio Rüdiger, Andreas Christensen and Koundé. In the midfield they have Kanté, a prodigy of energy, a monster with three lungs with an impressive journey.
Talent to spare, a great warrior spirit and the addition of Lukaku, make Tuchel’s Chelsea the second favorite.
Liverpool
It is very true that last season Liverpool looked tired, worn, sometimes burned. But it’s also true that Klopp’s team suffered countless losses to their defense, undoubtedly the biggest of which was losing Virgil van Dijke for the entire season. This forced the German strategist to move Fabinho and Henderson from midfield to rear, leaving the team lame and unbalanced on many occasions.
To this we have to add the poor form shown by Firmino and Mané in attack, to better understand Liverpool’s stumbling blocks.
“The Premier League will spend more than a billion euros on new players, above the 400 million in Serie A and the 134 in the Spanish League.”
Virgil van Dijk is already recovered for this season and the Reds also acquired 22-year-old French central defender Ibrahima Konaté from Leipzig. In midfield they lost Wijnaldum, who left for PSG, but renewed the contract with Fabinho. In the attack, they hope that Firmino, Mané and Salah will once again be the stellar trio of attackers that plagued enemy defenses in recent seasons.
Manchester United
Everything seems to indicate that Manchester United is preparing an assault to the top. The acquisitions of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varanne suggest so. But will it be enough?
At first glance, it doesn’t look like it.
The most compelling thing about the Red Devils is their midfield, with Bruno Fernandes, Scott Mc Tominay, Paul Pogba (who thinks more about going elsewhere than playing), Fred and Nemanja Matic. This, not to mention Donny Van der Beek, whom Solskjaer hardly ever takes into account. The goalkeeper position between Henderson and De Gea has yet to be defined. It also remains to be seen if they get the right-back Kieran Trippier, currently at Atlético de Madrid. They also long to take Harry Kane, but surely they will not reach the silver.
Arsenal
Until when the excuses?
With several seasons without participating in the Champions League, this time Arsenal did not even manage to qualify for the Europa League. It is true that your finances have suffered many shocks and shocks, but it seems time to reverse the course of the ship. As expected, the Gunners were not very active in the market. They acquired midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, central defender Ben White and left-back Nuno Tavares. Of the three, only White seems to arrive with the starting job under his arm. He will play in the position of the very veteran and fickle David Luiz in the center of the defense. They must also resolve the situation of their forwards Aubameyang and Lacazette, both linked to possible exits. The positive is a commitment to greater youth. The negative, the early injury of Thomas Partey, his most important player.
Tottenham
With a new coach in charge (Nuno Espirito Santo), Tottenham begins a new stage, also with many doubts. The first is called Harry Kane. It will go? It will stay? In the opening game, Kane did not play and the Spurs also obtained a difficult victory over the champion Manchester City.
In addition to Nuno, the successful Fabio Paraticci also arrived as sports director. He comes from Juve and his first two additions were defensive reinforcements: Italian goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and Argentine central defender Cristian Romero, both from Atalanta.
On the other hand, they lost the attackers Gareth Bale, who returns to Real Madrid, and Erik Lamela who went to Sevilla. Although the championship is just beginning, there are still many aspects to be resolved and difficult circumstances to define.
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