Welcome back to the second part of the article. We’ll cover the 7th to 13th position in this blog. So, without wasting much time let’s get straight back into it.
One of the most frustrating teams to watch in the premier league since the last two seasons is Brighton & Hove Albion. Don’t get me wrong, they play good football. But it is frustrating because they hardly convert their good performances into positive results. For example, last season they registered xG (expected goals) of 52 but only scored 40 goals during the whole season. If they can improve their finishing, they certainly can do well this time around. The next team in discussions is Wolves. With the new Manager, GK and Jimenez returning after 9 months we are not sure what to make of them just yet. But they have enough quality in their squad to make sure they finish midtable. Aston Villa was expecting to finish this season inside the top 10, but it seems a bit unlikely now that they had to let go of Grealish for 100 million pounds. But they have invested that money well by signing Bailey, Buendia, Young and Tuanzebe (on loan). They will do well to finish 11th this season.
Everton started the last season well and then drifted off. I fear it will be more of the same for them this time around as well. Richarlison will take some time to come back into starting eleven after winning Gold for Brazil at Tokyo Olympics. James Rodriguez looked dejected during the preseason friendlies. New manager Rafael Benitez needs to bring him back into the squad to make sure they perform well this season. West Ham United had a year to remember last season. They have done well to keep hold of Rice. They need to buy a forward to cover injury-prone Antonio. They will be taking part in Europe this season and I think that means they’ll finish the season at 9th position.
Marcelo Bielsa signed a one-year contract renewal last night which means his murder ball will carry on at Leeds United. After returning to Premier League after 16 years last season, they were a joy to watch. Signing Harrison permanently and keeping hold of brilliant Brazilian Raphinha means they will keep entertaining us this time around as well and will finish at 8th position. Tottenham Hotspurs might have to suffer the consequences Kane transfer saga. No doubt, they still have Son, Moura, and Alli is slowly getting back into his best form. It is still unclear how Nuno Santos will make them play. I think it’ll be close between them and Arsenal who’ll finish 6th this season. As I’m an Arsenal fan, I’ll back my team to finish sixth and above Spurs.
In the last blog of Premier League predictions, I will cover which clubs will finish at which position in the top 6.
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