Who Will Challenge For The Premier League Title This Season?

This weekend, the English Premier League 2021/22 season will commence with the first Matchday of the new season. 20 teams will play 38 games over the next nine months to decide who will claim the famous Premier League trophy, currently held by Manchester City,

For Norwich City, Watford and Brentford, it is a chance to enjoy some of the rewards of their success last season in The Championship as they will face games against the likes of Champions Manchester City, Champions League winners Chelsea, plus huge clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal.

For those top clubs though, it is another chance to try and enhance their reputations still further by landing arguably the most sought after trophy available in domestic football for English clubs (though some would argue that is the Champions League trophy).

When it comes to who could win the Premier League, in truth you are not likely to have another unusual season, like the year the 5000/1 underdogs Leicester City landed the Premier League title back in 2016.

In truth, there are probably four teams who are likely winners and three who could be in contention, the rest are arguably playing for a chance to break into that top seven and maybe stake a claim for a European place.

All odds in this article are courtesy of bet365 Sport and were correct at the time of writing, although may have changed in the meantime. The site offers extensive betting on the Premier League and many other leagues and competitions throughout the season.

If you would like to enjoy betting on the Premier League and you are based in the United States and in a state that allows sports betting, then check out BetRivers Sportsbook for a fantastic selection of soccer bets from leagues all over the world.

Let’s now take a look at these seven contenders and give you our predictions for where they are likely to finish in the table.

Arsenal

• Manager – Mikel Arteta
• Last Season – 8^th
• Transfers In – Ben White (Brighton), Albert Sambi Lokonga (Anderlecht), Nuno Tavares (Benfica)
• Transfers Out – Joe Willock (Newcastle), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille – loan)
• Key Player – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (AC)

Arsenal were too flaky last season to finish any better than eighth, but I think Mikel Arteta’s team will do better this year. They look to have made two solid signings in problem areas for the team in Tavares and White, while Lokonga looks to add some craft and creativity in midfield.

However, the team is reliant on goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyng and after a dismal season last time around, scoring just ten goals, there is no doubt that Arsenal will be looking for at least double the amount for the player they broke the bank for to secure on a new contract last season.

Arsenal need to get off to a good start, but if they can I feel they could be the best of the chasing bunch and perhaps make fifth spot in the league next season.

• Prediction for 2021/22 Season – 5th

Chelsea

• Manager – Thomas Tuchel
• Last Season – 4^th, Champions League Winners
• Transfers In – None as yet
• Transfers Out – Billy Gilmour (Norwich – Loan), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Victor Moses (Spartak Moscow), Marco van Ginkel (PSV), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan)
• Key Player – N’Golo Kante (MC)

The Champions League holders twice beat Manchester City last season to deny them a clean sweep of trophies and on the second occasion, landed the clubs second Champions League trophy. Thomas Tuchel will now want to see his team replicate that level of performance over the course of the season.

A lack of signings seems likely to be remedied very shortly with the imminent arrival of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan, and if he does arrive then I feel he could be the catalyst Chelsea need to fire them to the title.

With the likes of Werner, Ziyech and Havertz having a year under their belt and Chelsea’s younger plauers gaining huge experience last season in key competitions, I have a feeling the Londoners could be the surprise team that take the Premier League title this season.

• Prediction for 2021/22 Season – 1st

Leicester City

• Manager – Brendan Rodgers
• Last Season – 5^th, FA Cup Winners
• Transfers In – Patson Daka (RB Salzburg), Boubakary Soumare (Lille), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton)
• Transfers Out – Wes Morgan (Retired), Matty James (Bristol City), Christian Fuchs (Charlotte Ind.)
• Key Player – Harvey Barnes (AMLC)

It is a testament to Brendan Rodgers that we now routinely include Leicester City in this talk for the top spots in the Premier League. Two fifth placed finishes in the past two years and an FA Cup win last season, not to mention beating Manchester City in the Community Shield last week, shows what the Foxes are capable of.

They have made some sound signings but key for them will he holfing onto the likes of Harvey Barnes and James Maddison, as well as keeping the evergreen Jamie Vardy fit for those key games against the top sides.

I don’t think Leicester have quite what it takes to reach the top four this year, but they won’t be far off.

• Prediction for 2021/22 Season – 6th

Liverpool

• Manager – Jurgen Klopp
• Last Season – 3rd
• Transfers In – Ibrahima Konate (RB Leipzig)
• Transfers Out – Harry Wilson (Fulham), Georginho Wijnaldum (Paris St Ger), Marko Grujic (FC Porto)
• Key Player – Virgil Van Dijk (DC)

Last season’s defensive injury nightmare effectively ruined Liverpool’s defence of their title and while Van Dijk and co have been strengthened in that area by the arrival of Ibrahima Konate, the Reds inability to add more attacking players despite losing Gini Wijnaldum, has been noted.

With many of their key rivals making big signings, or about to, Liverpool do risk falling a little behind the top teams this season and while the transfer window is still open, the sounds from Liverpool seem to indicate that there is not much money to spend.

As such, while the Reds I feel may finish fourth, I feel they may well be a little off the pace being set by the top three.

• Prediction for 2021/22 Season – 4th

Manchester City

• Manager – Pep Guardiola
• Last Season – 1^st (Champions), Carabao Cup Winners
• Transfers In – Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Scott Carson (Derby County)
• Transfers Out – Sergio Aguero (Barcelona), Erik Garcia (Barcelona), Angelino (RB Leipzig), Jack Harrison (Leeds), Lukas Nmecha (Wolfsburg)
• Key Player – Kevin De Bruyne (MC)

For me, City’s chances of winning the Premier League again this season hinge on them signing a striker. Harry Kane is the man that they want, but at the moment, Daniel Levy is once again proving very difficult to persuade to sell for anywhere near what City value the player at.

Without Kane, I do feel City look very lightweight in attack and even though they can play with a ‘false 9’ effectively, I think playing the season with just Gabriel Jesus in attack means that they will not likely defend their title.

If City can persuade Spurs to sell, then I’d back them to win the title again, but without Kane, I think Chelsea and Man Utd could climb above City in the table and I feel that is the most likely scenario at the moment.

• Prediction for 2021/22 Season – 3rd

Manchester United

• Manager – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
• Last Season – 2nd
• Transfers In – Jadon Sancho (Dortmund), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Tom Heaton (Aston Villa)
• Transfers Out – Tahith Chong (Birmingham – loan), Axel Tuanzebe (Aston Villa – loan), Sergio Romero (released), Facundo Pellistri (Alaves – loan)
• Key Player – Bruno Fernandes (AMC)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made a number of key signings for United and this summer Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane have massively strengthened the squad, add to that Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes, plus Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and England stars Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw and United have a very strong looking squad.

Whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can mould that into a title winning team remains to be seen, but I feel they are stronger this season than they were when they finished second last season. However, I also feel that United don’t have the ability that the likes of City, Chelsea ot even Liverpool have to win the crucial encounters.

United will be very strong but I think it will be another second place finish next season for them.

• Prediction for 2021/22 Season – 2nd

Tottenham Hotspur

• Manager – Nuno Espirito Santo
• Last Season – 7th
• Transfers In – Bryan Gil (Sevilla), Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta- loan), Cristian Romero (Atalanta)
• Transfers Out – Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Toby Alderweireld (Al Duhail), Joe Hart (Celtic), Danny Rose (Free), Erik Lamela (Sevilla), Paulo Gazzaniga (Fulham)
• Key Player – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

If Spurs can sign Lautaro Martinez and persuade Harry Kane to stay, then they could well be much better positioned to improve from my predicted 7^th place finish last season. They have already made a couple of strong signings in Gil and Romero in particular, but the Kane situation is a worry.

If Kane does want to leave, and is not allowed to, he will be unhappy. That isn’t ideal for new manager Santo. If he does leave, then while Spurs will get a mega-deal for the England captain, they will lose a guaranteed 30 goals a season which will be difficult to replace.

As such, with so much uncertainty at the club at the moment, I think 7^th is the spot for Spurs.

• Prediction for 2021/22 Season – 7th