Premier League Box Office: England presents ‘A Tale of Three Cities’

As the euphoria of arguably an International tournament worth giving up your vacations for settles down, domestic football comes knocking on your screens again. The fantasy teams are being trotted against each other as the Premier League action begins in five days. With the final countdown underway, the excitement is already seizing every football aficionado’s fancy.

There are probably six teams vying for the top spot come May of 2019 and the whispers in the rafters are gaining decibels as the opening weekend approaches. With Manchester City and Chelsea providing ‘alteration of generation’ with the trophy over the last four years the battle for honors will set alight the triptych of cities; Manchester, Liverpool and London.

Manchester: A City Divided

Manchester City

The Citizens would be champing at the bits to perpetuate last year’s slalom campaign to League dominance. Imperious in attack and impervious in defence, the record-breaking season could well be followed by a record-setting one. Riyad Mahrez arrives to add more weaponry to the already formidable phalanx and a couple of more signings may still arrive at Etihad.

Rome was not built in one day and Pep Guardiola has time on his side to forge the next footballing dynasty. Although, the unprecedented 100-point season will be hard to repeat let alone surpass. With the major transfer business taken care of at the earliest, City looks menacingly hungry. Having tasted success already the City players will be raring to get out of the traps firing on all cylinders. They might very well have to as they face a rejuvenated Arsenal under new leadership on the opening weekend.

Manchester United FC

United has failed to inspire in their attempt to reclaim the throne for supremacy in Manchester. A stop starts preseason and moaning Mourinho sings more like a mournful dirge than a resounding battle cry. As Michael Carrick joins the support staff, there are three new signings in the dug-out.

Fred has already shown promise on his first start against Real Madrid while shot-stopper Lee Grant and fullback Dalot may not see much first team match at regularity ( certainly Grant will not). It is also clear, for even the most ardent supporter, that orange might be the new black but M&M (Marcus and Martial) are certainly not the new R&R (Rooney and Ronaldo).

With the World Cup stars returning late to training and United still slavering for a marquee signing, there seem to be more questions in newspaper columns and press conferences than assured answers. If Martial stays and there is a scalp like Perisic or Bale, it could still be a game changer in the feud for the bragging rights in Manchester.

United will be looking to set the pace for the new campaign as they play a day earlier than any other team lest they are left to chase the league favourites City like last season.

Liverpool: The Lone Walk to the Perch

Tranmere Rovers v Liverpool - Pre-Season Friendly

Liverpool FC

Since Liverpool last won the league (erstwhile 1st division) the United States has had two generations of Bush as President, an adulterous President, a black President and a gormless President. The world has shrunk and gone digital.

The analogy of analogue transmission to Liverpool's Premier League mission seems befitting, even though there have been a few near misses and the 'StevieG Slip'. They have made impressive acquisitions and that too swiftly.

Alisson Becker arrives to exorcise the horrors of the Karius final and midfield engine is bolstered with Fabinho, Naby Keïta and Shaqiri. Even out of favour striker Daniel Sturridge seems to be back in Klopp’s and the Kop’s plan.

The proclamation of 'this is the season when the wait finally ends' is the joke that resonates across different fan forums and YouTube channels from RedCafe to Arsenal Fan TV. Only time will tell if they can finally conquer the Premier League challenge.

London: The Bridge, the Hotspur Stadium and the Overhaul

Arsenal

Having bid adieu to Wenger, Arsenal have entrusted Spaniard Unai Emery to return the club to the very top of the table. Notwithstanding a couple of FA Cups, the trophy cabinet has been eating dust for the last decade.

There are reinforcements in defence with the experience of Lichsteiner and Sokratis and the combative gumption of Torreira in midfield. The club has been able to offload depreciating assets like Mertesacker, Wilshere and Cazorla and is set for new beginnings. The rearguard still cries out for more robust reinforcements.

There is also some rabble regarding the contract impasse of Aaron Ramsey with Liverpool rumoured to be on the prowl.

A revitalized Ozil and the exciting attacking triumvirate of Lacazette, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan are already looking capable of providing a glut of goals. The Gunners have hit their straps in the preseason and looks like after two decades they are seeing fresh light with the torch finally finding a new bearer.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs have the Poch and the 'Hurrikane '. The manager has been able to secure Champions League spot for 3 seasons in a row and has brought stability in the playing style and team composition. A team which is often more than a sum of its parts does have one ace in the pack though and it’s Harry Kane. With a 30-goal return last season and a 6-goal World Cup under his belt, the Kane pedigree is difficult to challenge. After all, a Golden Boot is a Golden boot even though the anatomy maybe slightly sketchy (3 penalties, 2 tap-ins and 1 fluke).

The squad has not seen any noteworthy shuffle and it is more of the same gameplan but with new expectations. Pochettino has reiterated that things may pick up pace in the last week but when push comes to shove, they have enough young players to provide cushion in the squad length and quality.

The grand opening of the new 60,000 capacity stadium, though delayed probably till September when Liverpool visits, could be just the catalyst Spurs have been missing.

Chelsea

The acrimonious exit of Antonio Conte got the tongues wagging even before the rumor-mill could heat up. His replacement Maurizio Sarri has come in to wrest the reins from disequilibrium. The clouds of doubt over the futures of the MVP Eden Hazard and the recently crowned Golden Glove Thibaut Courtois have added to their troubles.

Notwithstanding any of that, the contract extension of N'Golo Kante, ‘the man who stopped Messi’, could yet turn out to be the business of the summer.

Jorginho was snatched from the clasp of Manchester City and Robert Green comes in as a backup keeper. It will be interesting to see how the Blues incorporate the likes of Barkley, David Luiz and Loftus-Cheek as the new manager stamps his authority.

The likes of 17-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi can bring a zestful ebullience to the ageing squad if they make the cut after impressive pre-season displays. If that happens the Stamford Bridge fortunes might achieve swift amelioration after the debacle of 2017. The Community Shield clash with Manchester City on 5th August will be the curtain raiser to the top-tier football in England.

West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League

The wait is almost over…

This season will be a first for a bouquet of reasons. There is going to be a, first of its kind, totting-up system for disciplinary breaches on the sidelines for managers and team staff. We will also have competition specific cards for players (not combined for domestic cups and the league). There will four managers making their Premier League debut with a host of new sporting talents coming to the English shores.

The transfer deadline closes at 1700 hrs BST on 9th August so all the transfers, tweaks and trading need to be settled before the deadline. The new 4-panel Nike Merlin ball will get the action on the pitch rolling at Old Trafford the next day.

Do not forget to set your clocks to Friday, 10th August (early morning Saturday for Indian fans) as traditional Saturday afternoon kick-offs are becoming a thing of the past. Football takes the centre stage as the expectations, dreams and hopes of millions of avid fans provide a tinderbox of emotions. From the glory of victory to the ignominy of defeat, from last minute winners to attritional draws, from spectacular goals to acrobatic saves, the summer ends with its most awaited showpiece.

There will be passions on tenterhooks, nerves on ice, songs belted in raucous atmospheres, axes to grind and hatchets to bury. As the English summer reaches its crescendo, the blockbuster is soon coming to arenas galore. Fasten your seatbelts, puff out your chest and get ready to be dive headfirst in the whirlwind football extravaganza served up by the World’s greatest league.