So Arsenal close out the 2015/16 Premier League season finishing above Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, yet they’re not league champions. As sick and tired people may be of hearing it, that honour belongs to Leicester City who, despite defeat to Hull City on the opening day of this campaign, turned all consistency and logic in football on its head last term and have changed the English football picture forever.
Never have pundits, journalists and writers like myself been so cautious in their predictions at the start of a campaign than over the past few weeks. It really is now a case of ANYTHING can happen. Yes, a lot of predictable finishes and results will come to fruition, but don’t be surprised if a handful of inconceivable events pop-up over the next nine months. Here’s a look at the most likely unlikely outcomes this season that you may tempt you to have a flutter...
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1) Champions League football for the Hammers
Had it not been for the fearless Foxes, West Ham may very well have stolen the headlines last season after they finished a very modest 7th under the slick Slaven Bilic. Only the top three lost fewer games than the Hammers last campaign (8) and ahead of arguably the most competitive Premier League season ever, the East London side have made some great deals in the transfer market.
While the additions of Sofiane Feghouhli on a free and Andre Ayew for £20.5 million are more than impressive, retaining the likes of Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll could prove the most prudent pieces of business. Bilic has instilled the squad with a terrific harmony and with the new Olympic Stadium able to bolster revenue and generate an electric atmosphere, the Hammers could easily squeeze into the top four spots.
2) Liverpool Premier League winners & Philippe Coutinho top scorer
Sunday’s performance against Arsenal was far from vintage, but going forward the Reds looked deadly and summer signings Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum, although initially eyebrow-raising, fit Klopp’s system and style of play perfectly. The German in the dugout has finally had a full pre-season to work with the squad and now has multiple options in each position; Liverpool’s squad depth is vastly improving.
Crucial to their successes this season is forward Coutinho whose spectacular strike against the Gunners on the opening weekend was routine by his standards. Seldom do we see in any top division a player who is not an out-and-out striker win the Golden Boot, but Coutinho’s fine eye for goal from distance means that he’s certainly up there as a contender this season.
3) Wenger to Walk Away
Mutiny is a strong word but what Arsene Wenger faces at Arsenal following a desolate transfer window and poor display on Sunday is not far from such. Fans are growing tired of the Frenchman’s persistence to spend little and place faith in a handful of mediocre players who simply are not good enough for a club of Arsenal’s standard.
It seems inconceivable to think that someone who has achieved so much, done so much for Arsenal as a club and influenced English football in ways many do not even realise could be staring down the barrel at an early season departure, but with the growth in quality in the Premier League this season, Wenger may see fit to finally bid farewell to his beloved Gunners before things turn toxic.
4) Relegation for the Foxes
In truth, little can be based around an opening day fixture and so Leicester’s defeat to Hull City perhaps shouldn’t have gained as much attention as it is. That said, it could play on the minds of key players Jamie Vardy and, more likely, Riyad Mahrez over the next couple of weeks, both of whom have been linked with moves away from the club. If such deals did materialise, it could rattle the squad ever so slightly and cracks could start to show.
The pre-season was tough for Leicester. They went from locking horns with the likes of Mansfield and Burton prior to the last campaign to Barcelona and Manchester United in the weeks leading up to this season.
That’s bound to have knocked their confidence and a couple more defeats in the next few matches could see pressure build, players leave, Ranieri potentially dismissed and the club could spiral out of control. But, like I said, let’s not read TOO much into the opening day, hey?
5) All three newly promoted sides to survive
One win (Hull City), one draw (Middlesbrough) and one defeat (Burnley) in the opening round of fixtures made for pretty inconclusive reading if one is looking to see how the newly promoted sides will fair this season. The Tigers undoubtedly looked the least prepared coming into the 2016/17 season, with just 13 first team outfield players available and Mike Phelan occupying the currently vacant managerial spot.
You would not have thought it the way they approached their game with Leicester City on Saturday though and perhaps the criticism they face could be all the motivation they need.
Middlesbrough are well set up with the likes of Alvaro Negredo and Victor Valdes coming in, as well as the fact they’ve retained the bulk of the squad that gained promotion to the top flight last season. Meanwhile, Burnley have a group and boss who experienced Premier League life just two seasons back and one can hope that they’ve learned from their previous errors.
It’s a big ask for all three to stay up given the limited resources available to them but a handful of other sides are home to just as much if not more unrest. Bournemouth, Swansea City, Crystal Palace and Sunderland are equally as vulnerable.
