Premier League 2016/17 Preview: Can Leicester Do it Again?

With the 2016/17 Premier League season getting underway this weekend, it’s time to deliberate who’s going to win it, get a Champions League place and who’s finishing empty-handed. With the addition of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho straight back into a top job, this should be the most fascinating Premier League season for years. Contenders, ready!

 

The Contenders

Leicester City

Last season: 1st
This season prediction: 7th

After their shock title win last season it would be harsh to write them off for this year so quickly, but alas the league is a very cruel mistress and does not suffer rookie title winners easily. With an added Champions League schedule to contend with and losing midfield dynamo N’golo Kante to Chelsea (albeit for a healthy £30m), Leicester are going to struggle this season with their thin squad. Keeping hold of Jamie Vardy was a massive boost and if they can keep hold of Riyad Mahrez too they might have a shot at the top 4, but it’s unlikely.

Or they’ll surprise everyone again and win the treble this year. So 50/50.

 

Tottenham Hotspur

Last season: 3rd
This season prediction: 1st

Spurs will have recovered after finally stepping up to the plate and coming close to winning the title by going one better this year and actually winning it outright. Mauricio Pochettino has a very good, solid squad to play with and hasn’t lost anybody of significant value to the team like Leicester have in Kante. They also have the advantage of Champions League experience, if very little, mind. Expect them to finally shake off that tag of also-rans this season and become the Premier League’s newest title-winners.

 

Manchester City

Last season: 4th
This season prediction: 2nd

Pep Guardiola is a huge, huge capture for the noisy neighbours of Manchester and there will be even huger expectations for them this season. After a relatively disappointing 4th place finish (on goal difference no less) City fans will be expecting silverware and quick. They’ve bought well in Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane but the difficulty of the Premier League will be too much for Guardiola in his first season. This will also be Guardiola’s first time of taking on a team that have needed significant overhaul and won’t be ready made like his Barcelona and Munich teams of the past. Runners up, but no silverware this year.

 

Manchester United

Last season: 5th
This season prediction: 3rd

Mourinho! Zlatan! Pogba! The blockbuster feel has definitely come back to Manchester United this summer after a dreary few years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. There’s a feeling that they could be finally be ready to rock again this season. Eric Bailly looks a promising young defender and Henrikh Mkhitaryan was solid for Borussia Dortmund last year. However all eyes will be on world record and definitely not overpriced signing Paul Pogba. After his £89m transfer from Juventus, Manchester United fans will be expecting the world and his wife from the French midfielder. Mourinho will definitely bring change this year (and a definite spice to both Manchester derbies one must feel) but not enough to warrant the Premier League trophy back to Old Trafford. Expect a return to Champions League football though.

 

Liverpool

Last season: 8th
This season prediction: 4th

This will be Jurgen Klopp’s first full season in charge of the Merseyside club and the benefits of a pre-season under him will reap benefits this year. Liverpool have done well in getting rid of a lot of deadwood this summer (although losing Joe Allen after a great Euros was surprising) and trimming the squad down has been commendable. Sadio Mane is a sensible buy but they’ve failed to strengthen where they need it most (left-back, left-back, left-back). Klopp’s prowess will only get them so far and their defensive frailties will be telling. Their attacking power will still get them back into Europe’s premier competition this year.

 

Arsenal

Last Season: 2nd
This season prediction: 5th

This is going to be the year Wenger flounders. Arsenal have seriously failed to strengthen, hardly bringing anybody in this transfer window save Rob Holding from Bolton Wanderers and Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach. It’s difficult to see how Arsenal will cope with the added challenges of Guardiola and Mourinho competing for those coveted Champions league spots. Arsenal fans have been chanting for years “4th is not a trophy” and this year they won’t even get that. Arsenal 5th, Wenger to get the bullet.

 

Chelsea

Last Season: 10th
This season prediction: 6th

The strangest (non)title-defence in Premier League history, Chelsea have a huge point to prove after their horror season last year. The aforementioned arrival of Kante from Leicester is a great signing but they’ve not brought in anybody else other than Michy Batshuayi from Marseille. Mourinho was the main reason Chelsea bombed so hard last season but the players didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory after Mourinho was shown the door. New manager Antonio Conte had a decent Euros with Italy but any new manager needs time to acclimatise to the Premier League and it will show in their league position. They’ll improve from last year (how could they not?) but not by as much as some will predict. Thursday nights on BT for the boys in blue.

So what do you think? Will Mourinho and Pogba lead a new United charge? Will Pep bring a blue moon rising? Or will Leicester dumbfound us all? Let us know in the comments below!