The beauty of football to most is that it’s a real-life drama. No matter how hard you try to analyse the x’s and o’s of the situation, you can never really accurately predict every outcome that happens during a season.
Case and point, Leicester City last season. If you genuinely knew that would happen, you’re lying.
While the 2016/17 hasn’t thrown us quite that big of a curveball, there still has been plenty that sometimes make you take a second look. There have been some surprising renaissances, newcomers that have lit up the stage and plenty of those that have let us down.
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Here’s a look at five storylines the EPL have provided so far this season that no one saw coming
#1 – Antonio Conte is the cream of the managerial crop
Admit it, you were all swept up by the managerial whirlwind happening in Manchester, weren’t you? The ying and yang of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho at City and United respectively held everyone’s attention as the potential titanic tussle for the title.
Then some Italian stole a march on them.
That’s a great disservice to Conte, who was special in both his previous jobs with Juventus and the Italian national team, where he exceeded expectations. But could he really turn around a Chelsea team who sank the year before so quickly?
Absolutely. The 47-year-old stuck with the Blues’ familiar 4-3-3 for a few weeks before switching to his preferred 3-4-4 formation and the club have not looked back since.
It breathed new life into the likes of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, with both rediscovering the form that deserted them under previous management. Imperious up top again, with a Makelele heir in N’Golo Kante and a solidity through a back three they desperately missed, it’s no surprise that they are odds-on to win the league.
Also Read: N'Golo Kante – The best player in the world?
Some will lament the time Conte has had to implement his style due to a lack of European commitments but regardless, he has been almost faultless. With all the other big name managers somewhat hogging the limelight, it is the Italian who has bested them all.
#2 – Leicester City go from heroes to zeros
They never really tell you what happens once the fairytale is over. Once the party has gone home and the reality begins to sink in, it’s not a surprise that so many who sit atop of the mountain sometimes get a little too comfortable.
No one thought the Foxes would win the league again, far from it. With big investments from those they embarrassed last season, it would be a surprise for them to challenge for Europe but a comfortable mid-table spot was ready for them.
However, that would not be the case.
A sleepy start crept into a long, winding downfall that slowly saw them creep towards the Premier League trap door. It led to a reported dressing room revolt, with those same players that adored Claudio Ranieri’s laid back style so willing to sharpen their knives once things turned against them.
With the loveable Italian gone, the Leicester players have buckled down to pull themselves out of the mire for now. That being said, regardless of how this season finishes, there will be a bitter taste in the mouth for the neutrals that have turned on the once-adored underdogs.
This is not how anyone expected the greatest footballing story to end.
#3 – West Brom’s quietly excellent season
Guess West Bromwich Albion’s position right now. Unless you’ve seen the table recently, you’d take a punt at their usual 13-14th position, not really bothering anyone. They are eighth. Let that sink in for a moment and now ponder how absolutely no one has talked about how much of a terrific season West Brom are having.
That’s not to say they are a spectacular scoring outfit, having only notched 39 goals this season, bettered by every team above them. They aren’t a stout defensive side either, conceding 38 which is again, worse than those above and Southampton in 10th.
They aren’t huge giant slayers, the win against Arsenal last weekend was only their fourth point of a possible 30 against sides seventh and above. What they have done is won a lot of games against teams around them, with two 4-0 wins sprinkled in their too.
With a bit of time to nourish his own side and establish his style, Tony Pulis has yet again built a Premier League outfit that stands the tests of a long hard season. With a seven-point gap to those below, they can equal their best-ever Premier League finish from five years ago and with seven more points, they could beat their best points tally too.
Impressive stuff.
#4 -Tottenham challenging for silverware, again
Lost in the furore of Leicester’s title win was Tottenham Hotspur’s excellent campaign. They may have fallen below Arsenal, again, but this season they set out to prove they weren’t one-hit wonders.
Some thought they would be the unlucky ones again, looking from the outside in on a race to the top four. Instead, manager Mauricio Pochettino built on the foundation they established last season and have continued to fight not only for European football but for the Premier League title.
They ended Chelsea’s winning run in January, had their own nine-game unbeaten stint after losing to Manchester United and they’ve been able to show their big game chops again this season. Nabbing four points off Manchester City and a draw at the Emirates have been crucial to their season.
The worries of another lengthy European campaign affecting them were swept aside, even though they went out of both competitions early, and the depth they have shown has been a real eye opener yet again.
No longer will people giggle at the mention of Spurs, the comedy act they had been for so many years. Their Argentine boss brought them a taste of the high life last season and by the looks of things, the bright lights at White Hart Lane aren’t finished drinking it in.
#5 – Burnley staving off a relegation scrap
When Burnley go up, they must come down. The two prior promotions for the Lancashire club have ended in a one-way trip back down the ladder, mainly due to a combination of a lack of top-flight quality with a sprinkle of not enough cash and a dab of away day nightmares.
Sean Dyche saw that script a few years ago and the grizzly-voiced Englishman thought he’d write a better sequel. One where Burley continued to be a workhorse but one that actually got results rather than seemingly looking positive only to flounder at the end.
Only three teams have bested them at Turf Moor, Swansea stole a 1-0 win at the start of the season, Arsenal got lucky with their own 1-0 victory and Manchester City showed their prowess as they took the three points. Combine that with the best defence in the bottom half and it’s not hard to see why the Clarets have caused teams headaches this season.
In fact, if they could muster anything on their travels, they would already be safe. Saying that, had you offered the Burnley fans an eight-point advantage with four other teams sandwiched between themselves and the drop at this point of the season, they would think you were possessed.
Dyche has done a terrific job of making something out of nothing, despite many predicting his side to finish bottom again. If he can finish the job, he should be duking it out with Conte and Pulis for Manager of the Year honours.
