2019/20: My Premier League predictions

PL trophy
(Premier League)

After months of patient yet agonising waiting, the Premier League is back.

Last season saw a thrilling title race go down to the wire, as Manchester City secured back-to-back titles by just one solitary point. Now though, it’s time for a new campaign and a new storyline.

Who will be relegated? Who will qualify for Europe? And who will win the league? Here are my predictions for the 2019/20 Premier League season.


20. Sheffield United

20 SHE (FOOTBALL FANCAST)
(Football Fancast)

Someone has to finish rock bottom, and I think it will be newly promoted Sheffield United. I don’t think they are strong enough nor experienced enough, having not been anywhere near the top flight for years, and they will struggle among the big boys and go straight back down.


19. Brighton & Hove Albion

19 BRI (PL)
(Premier League)

Brighton just survived last season, but they will suffer second season syndrome this season. Despite some promising signings in Neal Maupay and Aaron Mooy, losing Chris Hughton as manager will prove costly as their lack of strength will see them return to the Championship.


18. Burnley

 

18 BUR (GETTY)

(Getty Images)

Choosing the third relegated team was a hard choice for me, but I’m going for Burnley. Their form at times was atrocious last season and their summer investments haven’t been good enough, as I think they’ll struggle this season and head back to the second tier.


 17. Norwich City

17 NOR (JASONPIX)
(Jasonpix)

Upon their Premier League return, Norwich only spent £1.1 million in the transfer window. That’s simply not enough if they want to survive, and while they have a few decent players I think they’ll earn Premier League survival by the skin of their teeth.


16. Southampton

16 SOU (REUTERS)
(Reuters)

Largely uninspiring last season, it will be interesting to see how Ralph Hasenhüttl copes in his first full season in charge. Southampton won’t be anything special but can improve, though I don’t see them finishing too high up.


15. Aston Villa

15 AST (ITV)
(ITV)

Aston Villa spent very big upon their top flight return, but it won’t be clear whether their £144.5 million spending was panic buying or ingenious business until later on in the season. I think they’ll comfortably survive, and begin to re-establish themselves as a Premier League team.


14. Crystal Palace

14 CRY (PINTEREST)
(Pinterest)

Palace will struggle at the back without Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but keeping Wilfried Zaha will prove crucial. No goalscoring striker is a concern but with Zaha and Andros Townsend goals shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as the Eagles renew their top-flight status once again.


13. Watford

13 WAT (SKY)
(Sky Sports)

Last season’s FA Cup finalists are always a hard team to predict, but I don’t think they’ve strengthened their side enough this summer. They’re still a decent team, but it’s likely to be a frustrating season for Watford as they miss out on a top-half finish.


12. Newcastle United

Salomon Rondon Goal Celebration
(The Mag)

Four weeks ago I might’ve predicted Newcastle to go down, but some excellent business in the transfer window has changed my mind. While I’m still sceptical about going from Rafael Benitez to Steve Bruce, the arrivals of Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin will result in a good campaign on Tyneside.


11. West Ham United

West Ham United v Arsenal FC - Premier League
(Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

West Ham have also had a really strong transfer window, with selling Marko Arnautović a job well done. The Hammers are looking stronger and have invested well, and if their new signings can settle in well then they can look forward to a decent season.


10. Leicester City

10 LEI (GETTY)
(Getty Images)

Leicester will be pushing for a European finish this season, but I think they will fall short of that. The departure of Harry Maguire massively weakens the defence, and while the attack remains powerful weaknesses in defence will cost Brendan Rodgers’ side.


9. Bournemouth

9 BOU (YAHOO)
(Yahoo Sports)

Now that Bournemouth have truly settled down as a Premier League side, they can push for an even higher finish. Eddie Howe’s time and knowledge at the club will be crucial as always, and a solid season should see the Cherries achieve a top-half finish.


8. Wolves

8 WOL (EUROSPORT)
(Eurosport)

Wolves were a real joy to watch last season, and they have gone on to make some more good signings ahead of the new season. A potential European campaign ahead could help or hinder domestic affairs, but it’s fair to say that they should rank high once again.


7. Everton

7 EVE (PL)
(Premier League)

Everton arguably had one of the best transfer windows in the league, signing the likes of Moise Kean, Alex Iwobi and Jean-Philippe Gbamin. They are going to be great to watch this season, and I’m tipping them to finish as the best of the rest outside the top six.


6. Manchester United

5 MNU (FOX)
(Fox Sports)

Manchester United invested well in their defence, with Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka excellent signings that were really needed. However, the rest of their team does not convince me in the slightest.

What about the other, weaker half of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s defence? Who is their talisman now Romelu Lukaku has left? Who will pull the strings in midfield and lead the attack? United invested well in certain areas, but there wasn’t enough for me. I can see them finishing sixth- again.


5. Arsenal

6 ARS (AFP)
(AFP)

A last minute change saw me move Arsenal up one place, after a fantastic deadline day. Kieran Tierney and David Luiz have come in to fix the defence, and while it’s far from perfect Unai Emery has certainly made some improvements.

Although their backline still needs work, their colourful attack will be exciting to watch. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pépé will be a formidable three, but I think they’ll just be pipped of a top four finish in the final weeks of the season.


4. Chelsea

4 CFC (GETTY)
(Getty Images)

This is an incredibly optimistic prediction from myself, but I really think Chelsea will scrape a top four finish at the end and leapfrog Arsenal. A weakened defence without Luiz and life after Eden Hazard begins here, as Frank Lampard leads the Blues into a new era.

It will be fascinating to watch Chelsea play, and they will be far from perfect. I think they will dip in and out of the top four throughout the season, but rejuvenation in the final stretch will be decisive for Chelsea as they qualify for the Champions League.


3. Tottenham

3 TOT (PL)
(Premier League)

I’ve been really impressed by Tottenham’s transfer window, and after not signing anyone for 18 months they made some solid upgrades. A new attacking option in Giovano Lo Celso, a new English starlet in Ryan Sessegnon and a solid midfielder in Tanguy Ndombele mark some excellent business for Spurs.

Spurs should now be pushing for the title, though truthfully that seems unlikely with the quality of last season’s top two. I rate Tottenham’s squad very highly, and they look as deadly as they have been for many years.


2. Liverpool

2 LIV (UEFA)
(UEFA)

Liverpool were so unlucky not to win the title last season, and I don’t think they’ll do it second time round. The Reds are so strong and all-rounded, with individual quality really coming together in an outstanding team.

However, there has been a lack of investment this summer, and to keep up they need to have spent money. The Community Shield defeat showed signs of vulnerability, and I think they once again won’t have enough to win their first league title in 30 years.


1. Manchester City

1 MNC (NBC)
(NBC Sports)

The last two seasons, I have predicted Manchester City to win the Premier League. The last two seasons, that is exactly what has happened. Under Pep Guardiola, they are simply unstoppable, and I’m predicting a third consecutive title for the Citizens.

What makes City stand out above the rest is their incredible squad depth- every single position can be rotated with players just as capable, and their summer investments mixed in with strong foundations and squad depth will be decisive in the title race.

Yet above everything else, I think City will win the league because they are too strong. They’re simply the best around. No team in the country is better, and they show no signs of stopping their unprecedented dominance- it is City’s title to lose.


READ MORE

Read more of my football articles here

Is Frank Lampard the right man for Chelsea?

A general election can help restore faith in British democracy

Post-match thoughts: FC Luzern 0-0 FC Zürich


CONTACT

Email: nischalsblog@gmail.com

Twitter: @NischalsBlog

Facebook: Nischal’s Blog

Instagram: @nischalsblog

Advertisement

One thought on “2019/20: My Premier League predictions

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s