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We are now less than two weeks away from the start of the 2019/20 Premier League season, and it looks set to be yet another thrilling campaign.
Manchester City will no doubt go into the season as favorites to secure their third straight Premier League title, having accumulated 198 points over the past two seasons. They will need to balance this with their efforts to win the Champions League, something they have failed with in the past two seasons.
If they do slip up, it is Liverpool who look best placed to take advantage, having finished just a point behind City in the league last season, and won the Champions League. They haven’t strengthened yet this summer though, so they only have the same resources as last year to work with.
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Behind them, Manchester United and Chelsea will be amongst the teams battling it out for the Champions League places. Both have former players at the helm now, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard the two sides' respective managers.
At the other end of the table, Aston Villa have been the Premier League’s big spenders thus far, splashing over £115 million on ten players. This includes breaking their club transfer record to sign Wesley from Club Brugge, while they also paid £10 million to make Tyrone Mings’ loan move from Bournemouth permanent.
But it won’t be just the new players that clubs will be relying on this season. There are a number of players who have perhaps failed to find their form in past seasons, and need to do the job this time around. Here are five players set for a big Premier League season.
#1 Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
Riyad Mahrez was City’s big-money signing last summer, as they broke their transfer record to sign the winger from Leicester City in a deal worth £60 million.
However, things didn’t really work out for the Algerian winger, as he started just 14 times in the Premier League, and never really established himself in Pep Guardiola’s side. He particularly suffered from the emergence of Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva, who regularly started ahead of Mahrez.
As City go fighting on four fronts again this season, Guardiola will have to rotate his side, and without a doubt, Mahrez will get the opportunity to prove himself. He will have to take it because as City look to dominate both English and European football, they need players they can rely on in the biggest moments.
#2 Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
Last year, Jack Grealish was one of the most talked-about players in England. Sadly this wasn’t always for his football, as he was attacked by a pitch invader during Aston Villa’s game with Birmingham City in March, a match he later scored the winner in.
He, and Villa, did have a fine season though, as they returned to the Premier League through the play-offs, beating Derby County in the final. Captaining the side from March onwards, Grealish also led Villa to a club-record ten straight wins.
What is now crucial is that Grealish tries to prove himself at the highest level of English football. He has had two years of Premier League football so far in his career, yet struggled to make his mark, instead making headlines for his off-field behavior.
However, he has matured in his three years in the Championship, and is now a much more rounded player, ready to lead Villa to new heights.
#3 Naby Keita (Liverpool)
Having agreed a deal to sign him in the summer of 2017, Liverpool had to wait a year to get their first sight of Naby Keita in a red shirt. Unfortunately, he never really proved his worth and was seen as a bit of a flop, particularly after Liverpool paid around £50 million for his signature.
He started just 16 games in the Premier League all season, scoring only two goals, and never really earned himself a sustained spell in the side.
The Guinea midfielder struggled to adapt to Premier League football, failing to deal with the physicality of the English game and forcing Jurgen Klopp to favour a more dynamic midfield.
The 24-year-old also picked up an injury towards the end of the season, meaning he missed the Champions League Final and then looked short of fitness at the Africa Cup of Nations. He is fully fit now, and must make the most of the chances he gets next season.
#4 Jack Wilshere (West Ham)
It's strange to say, given that it seems like he has been around forever, that Jack Wilshere is still only 27. A lot has changed since the midfielder became Arsenal’s youngest league player at the age of 16 in 2008, but things have not always gone according to plan.
Wilshere’s career has been dominated by a multitude of injuries which have seen him miss masses of games over the years.
Last year was his first away from Arsenal on a permanent basis, and it proved a bit of a disaster for Wilshere. The England international appeared just eight times in the Premier League for West Ham due to injuries, but has played a full part in pre-season.
If he can remain fit for a full season, he will be a huge boost to this Hammers midfield, which already features the likes of Felipe Anderson, Declan Rice, and Pablo Fornals.
#5 Ross Barkley (Chelsea)
It was an up and down season for Ross Barkley at Chelsea last time out. The England midfielder at times looked to finally be reaching the potential he showed while at Everton, yet at other times, he looked totally out of place in this Chelsea side.
Had it not been for the Blues’ transfer ban this summer, there is a good chance that Barkley would have been replaced in the team, and he would have found opportunities limited.
However, with the transfer ban now in place, and Frank Lampard returning to Chelsea as manager, there is certainly a lot of hope for Barkley this coming season.
If there is anyone he would want to learn from, it’s Lampard, a man who had endless success for Chelsea in the position Barkley is currently playing.
The 25-year-old has had a strong pre-season, and is now at a stage where he should be hitting his peak, and he will be given the chances he needs by Lampard in the Chelsea midfield.
