NFL
By: Edwin Duodu
The Premier League is officially back in full action. After months of waiting for football to return, fans worldwide get to mark their calendars for match dates and times. The best part about this season is that fans can also return to stadiums to enjoy the lively atmosphere. This season breeds a new, competitive challenge for the Premier League title. For the first time, there may not be a clear favorite to win the title, with four English teams having solid cases to be made. For the fanbases, there should be excitement flowing through their bodies because of their teams’ talent.
Let’s analyze why each of these four teams has a legitimate shot at winning it all this season.
Manchester City
Last year’s English title winners may now have some trouble securing first place. However, under manager Pep Guardiola, this team will always be tactically sound enough to have a strong chance of winning any game they play. After an opening day 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, City has appeared to return to their scoring ways with a 5-0 thrashing win over Norwich City. That game also saw City’s £100 million man Jack Grealish score his first goal for the club.
Last season saw this team on a 15-game winning streak after struggling for the start of the season. Aymeric Laporte returns to the backline alongside Ruben Dias, who was considered the player of the season. The midfield and winger depth is stacked from top to bottom. The only issue that may hinder Guardiola’s side from winning is the use of a world-class striker.
Manchester City was in the running to acquire Harry Kane from Tottenham during this transfer window, but talks have stalled, with now a slight chance of the deal going through. It’s evident that City has adjusted to this problem by deploying a “False 9” system. Currently, Ferran Torres is occupying that role so far through two games, and it’s a system that saw the team win the title last season and make it to the Champions League final. The question is, can that lineup continue to work?
Manchester United
After making some great transfer decisions with the signings of Jaden Sancho (£85 million) and Raphael Varane (£34 million), this year’s team looks set to compete finally. After a commanding 5-1 victory over Leeds United, the Red Devils took a step back with their recent result; a 1-1 draw away to Southampton. Despite that draw, United currently owns the league’s best unbeaten away record at 27 matches.
This team looks to be carried by a strong midfield pairing of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba. Pogba is currently the league-leading assister with five, and Fernandes scored a hat-trick in the season’s first game. Additionally, Varane has yet to play a league game, and he looks to form a strong center-back pairing with Harry Maguire and solidify the backline.
The main issue that Manchester United might face this season is the tactics of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Despite a strong squad, Solskjaer has focused on hitting teams on the counterattack instead of taking a more aggressive approach. This mindset has prompted the team to be void of trophies within the past three seasons. Furthermore, United has shown minor inconsistencies, hence their recent draw to Southampton and their second-place finish last season.
Regardless of the manager’s tactics, if Manchester United finds a way to remain consistent this season, they have the makings to be a strong title contender.
Chelsea
The Champions of Europe are flying high! The Blues have just about one of the deepest teams in all of Europe at the moment. Thomas Tuchel has utilized a 3-4-2-1 formation to perfection in the opening two fixtures. How is it that the Champions League winners still needed reinforcements after such an electrifying Champions League win? That’s because their striker performances have been uninspiring, that included shipping Tammy Abraham to Italy.
Enter £97.5 million man, Romelu Lukaku, who figures to be the missing piece to Chelsea’s title quest. In just his first game for the club since signing the contract, Lukaku put on a Man-of-the-match performance against Arsenal. His hold-up play, physicality, and vision were all traits that Chelsea didn’t possess a season ago.
Lukaku also scored his first goal for the club since his departure from English football. That match showed multiple flashes of why they might be one of the hardest teams to beat this season. Over the past couple of transfer windows, the Blues have spent wisely and have built a competitive team. Can that team rise to the occasion and finally make their presence known in the league?
Liverpool
Winning consistently in the Premier League is something the Reds have forgotten how to do because of an injury-plagued season last year. The confidence seemed to be lost, and there was little goal output in a handful of matches. However, all that is in the past, and now Liverpool has their main man back in defense. Virgil van Dijk is fully healthy and looks to hold this team together once again.
Liverpool’s exciting front-line returns and appears to be firing on all cylinders, scoring five goals, and winning the first two games. Also, once Andy Robertson returns from injury, there’s no reason why pundits shouldn’t count in this team the title race. This is mostly the same squad that won the Premier League title two years ago. The main concern may be the depth in certain areas of the team.
The midfield has lost Georginio Wijnaldum during the transfer window and hasn’t found a straightforward replacement. Naby Keita looks to receive more playing time, but can he improve upon that midfield position that Wijnaldum served in? There isn’t much of a creative factor in the midfield, relying on the front-line and full-backs to provide the creativity. It’ll be a daunting task for Liverpool, and they may have the longest shot at winning the title than any of the other teams mentioned. Will this team be able to find its way back to the top? Only time will tell for them and the rest of the teams. This should be a fun season to watch!
