Jose Mourinho has finally joined Manchester United, Pep Guardiola is up for the English Test and the ever-expressive Antonio Conte has reached the Stamford Bridge.
These three are surely the favorites for the English Premier League (EPL) glory but after what Claudio Ranieri and Mauricio Pochettino did last season, it will be unfair to rule out their chances.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are the dark horses but are finally playing as a unit while Gunners’ Arsene Wenger will be expected to do the unexpected by the patient fans of the football club.
It will be a battle of managers in the EPL this season with some of the best football coaches in the world trying to outdo each other tactically. Leicester’s triumph and Spurs’ emergence has made the title a seven-team race and with the summer transfers at the peak, the upcoming season promises to be a blockbuster.
As the 25th season of the Premier League starts in less than a month’s time, here we take a look at the teams that are the contenders to win the championship this time:
Since Alex Ferguson left the club, United have been nothing less than a mess. Under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, the club reached new lows, but Mourinho’s arrival and the urgency in buying big players shows that the Red Devils are desperate to regain their lost glory.
Under LVG, United were expected to show some improvement and they also spent good amount of money on transfers but what they were left with was a fifth-place finish with their lowest ever EPL goals tally.
Mourinho may have a defensive style of play but he is a proven champion and has won almost everything. United right now have one of the strongest squads and with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan signings, and Paul Pogba under the radar, United are the clear favorites.
After winning the title in 2014, City, despite having one of the strongest squads, have had a poor show in last two seasons. The problem with them has been that they have not yet found the right combination and that has made them inconsistent. Other than Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne, there have not been many who have found regular pace in the starting XI.
With Guardiola coming in, City will be hoping for a revival and some good transfers can make them a much stronger side. Guardiola, who is regarded as one of the best football managers of this generation, has lost just 68 games in his seven-year career, winning 408 matches. If they manage to make their defence solid, then they are going to be one of the strongest contenders.
After clinching their fifth EPL title, Chelsea had a forgettable season as they finished 10th in the league table and Mourinho left the club. Now with Conte ‘s arrival, the Blues are trying to regroup and Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi’s inclusion in the squad will make their attack more potent. Eden Hazard had a good show at Euro 2016 and it will boost his confidence. They have capability to make a comeback and take the title back from Leicester.
Arsenal’s second-place finish was their best finish in EPL since 2005 but it was also their best chance to win the title and they missed the golden opportunity. Wenger, who has been given way too much time from the team owners, will be under tremendous pressure this season. They still lack a quality striker but signing of Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka was a good move and they need to make many more signings like that to keep them in title hunt.
Liverpool are not the favourites but under Klopp they are looking a completely different side and are finally playing as a unit. Last season, despite injuries to most of their key players, they managed to reach two major finals. Sadio Mane's arrival will be a big boost but they are going to lose Christian Benteke. It is highly unlikely that they will win the title this season but Klopp has done it with Borussia Dortmund and can surprise everyone by winning it for Liverpool.
Tottenham and Leicester were the star performers last season and week after week they went defying the critics who were projecting that their form will slump. If they manage to do 75-80 per cent of what they did last season, they will surely throw their hat in the ring once again.
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