premierleaguepointers-blog

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2017/2018 Man City Season Preview

It’s been a long yet frantic summer if your a football fan, but with only eight days left until the new Premier League season gets under way, we take a look at the potential winners, relegation candidates and the new players that will be gracing the best league in the world.

Next in the spotlight is the 2013/2014 champions Manchester City. Having brought in Pep Guardiola last year, with the board feeling that he would bring the style of play that they wanted to espouse at the Etihad, it would be hard to describe his maiden season in charge as anything other than underachieving as his team of star-studded players failed to win a single trophy.

However the season hasn’t yet kicked off and you already feel like this year will be vastly different. Quick to move in the transfer market, City have already added some exciting players to their ranks with five new faces making the move so far with a combined value of over £212 million. Let’s take a closer look..

When Pep first arrived in Manchester, one of the first decisions he made was that Joe Hart was surplus to requirements. Bringing in Claudio Bravo appeared to be a sensible choice for the most part, but clearly there were still a few too many shaky moments from the ex-Barcelona man as the first major signing of this summer was the capture of Brazilian international goalkeeper Ederson. The tall, strong, confident 23 year old who commands his area, arrives from Benfica as the world’s most expensive shot stopper on a five-year contract and will be looking to challenge the much more experienced Bravo for a starting spot between the sticks.

Next through the doors was ex-Monaco playmaker Bernardo Silva. A young yet very impressive midfielder with great dribbling ability, movement and a wicked left foot who was also linked with local rivals Manchester United. Primarily played in the number ten role, this is the signing that most City fans will be excited about. If having one magician named Silva in their midfield wasn’t enough, now they have two!

Following the departure of fan-favourite Pablo Zabaleta, who has since joined fellow Premier League side West Ham on a free, one of the key areas Pep would have been keen to strengthen is his defence. The right back position in particular. This signalled the arrival of not one, but two new players in the form of Kyle Walker who arrived from Tottenham on a five-year contract, and Danilo who joined The Sky Blues from Real Madrid.

Kyle Walker, who spent eight years at White Heart Lane and joins City for a fee of around £50 million, is exactly the type of player you would expect to see at a club with endless cash and big ambitions. Strong, lightening quick and most importantly for City fans, excellent in defence, he could be the difference between finishing third and potentially knocking Chelsea off their throne this year in my opinion.

Danilo who endured a very mixed two years whilst at Real Madrid, after playing second fiddle to Dani Carvajal for most of it, joins as he looks for more regular playing time whilst also hoping to be selected for the Brazil squad that will take part in the World Cup in 2018. Am I the only one seeing the problem here? With Kyle Walker expected to dominate the right back role, the only thing Pep may do is play Danilo as a left back (where he is capable of playing) and if that’s the case it’s sounds like a very intelligent buy from City. Or is it?

The fifth and final player City have brought in to date is another man from Monaco..left back Benjamin Mendy. Another terrific player and with a hefty price tag of £52 million, it’s hard to see Danilo getting a look in here either (unless either player gets injured of course).

Pre-season is an exciting time for any football fan. It gives you a chance to get a sneak peek at your new players and take a look at your teams progress before the real hard work of the new season starts. City fans should be a bit more excited than others though. Pep’s side look extremely sharp, full of confidence, creativity and very positive going forward.

Again City’s hopes of wrestling the title from Chelsea will come down to consistency and their ability to put the game to bed. We all know that they are more than capable of scoring goals for fun, but last season they just lacked the inability to finish the game off and that came back to haunt them on more than one occasion (the 1-1 draw with relegated Middlesborough at the Etihad sticks out for me in particular).

If City can keep David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and captain Vincent Kompany fit then they’ll have a great season. If not, they’ll still have a good season with the quality of players they have.

Question is, can they win the title? Watch this space.

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2017/2018 Arsenal Season Preview

It’s been a long yet frantic summer if your a football fan, but with only eight days left until the new Premier League season gets under way, we take a look at the potential winners, relegation candidates and the new players that will be gracing the best league in the world.

Today it’s the turn of North London based club Arsenal. Arsene Wenger and his team will be looking to bounce back from a topsy turvy 2016/2017 campaign which saw them finish outside the top four for the first time in 21 years, win the FA Cup for a record 13th time and witness a revolt from a large section of fans against their longest-serving manager.

It’s been an expensive yet productive transfer window for the Gunners with Alexandre Lacazette making the move from Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais to the Emirates. The Frenchman, who arrived for a reported fee of around £53 million, enjoyed an excellent season for his old club scoring 35 goals in all competitions. Arsenal fans will be hoping his dribbling skills, ability to hold on to the ball and deadly finishing will transfer well to the Premier League and even steer them towards lifting the famous trophy.

Sead Kolasinac, who is regarded as a defensive all-rounder, also arrived on a free from Bundesliga club FC Schalke. A physically strong and clever footballer, Sead was played primarily as a left full-back under previous manager Jens Keller, but is also comfortable playing as a centre back or defensive midfielder. Given the aggressive nature of the Premier League, this could prove to be a very good piece of business by Arsenal.

Elsewhere it was an emotional exit for Polish international goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, who moved to Serie A giants Juventus on a four-year deal after 8 years at the club.

After a very busy pre-season with games against Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Benfica and Sevilla, Arsenal are now preparing to take on Champions Chelsea in the FA Community Shield Final and will be hoping to take home the first piece of silverware up for grabs this season. 

For me this match will be won in the midfield. If Mesut Özil can continue to provide the creative spark to drive Arsenal forward and link up with Alexis Sanchez and Lacazette, then it will be a very difficult afternoon for Chelsea. However the Blues also have creative players of their own, Eden Hazard being the stand out performer (who can forget his solo goal against the Gunners at Stamford Bridge last season). He along with Pedro will pose a huge threat, if both are passed fit for the game, and Arsene Wenger will be keen to keep them as quiet as possible.

Given the current financial stability at the club and the very talented squad at Arsene Wenger’s disposal, it’s hard to see why Arsenal can’t mount a serious challenge for the title this year. However there are still a few uncertainties hanging over the club at present. The biggest one being whether Alexis Sanchez will still be playing in an Arsenal strip next season. Many Arsenal fans are confident that the Chilean will remain at the club, but with endless speculation linking him with a move elsewhere, and the transfer window still very much open until August 31st, only time will tell.

The other grey cloud looming for Arsenal is the unity between the squad and their manager which was somewhat tested by the fans last season. Winning the FA Cup did silence the Wenger critics to a degree, but if they don’t begin this season well then the pressure is back on from the start. 

Keeping Sanchez at the club, keeping Özil fit and consistency in their overall play will be key for the Gunners this season. If they can do that, the sun will be shining at the Emirates. 

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2017/18 Chelsea Season Preview

It’s been a long yet frantic summer if your a football fan, but with only nine days left until the new Premier League season gets under way, we take a look at the potential winners, relegation candidates and the new players that will be gracing the best league in the world.

After a very active summer transfer window, which doesn’t look set to slow down any time soon, it seems only right that we start with the team who’s aim it is to try and retain the crown.

Chelsea enjoyed a very successful 2016/2017 campaign under new manager Antonio Conte who, despite an early season 3-0 thrashing at Arsenal, managed to steer his side to the title in his very first season with seven points to spare.

It’s been a somewhat frustrating transfer window as far as the Champions are concerned with reported top transfer target Romelu Lukaku opting for a switch to Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils instead. That being said, they have added four signings to their roster so far and today we’ll take a closer look at the new acquisitions, the season ahead and what is needed going forward.

First in the door was former Malaga and Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero who joined as a free agent having been released by the latter . A very experienced and focused individual, he will certainly provide more competition for regular number one Thibaut Courtois and offer words of wisdom to the younger players within the squad.

German international defender Antonio Rudiger was next to sign on the dotted line for the Blues with a new centre back a top priority following the departure of club captain and legend John Terry. Having impressed during his time at Roma, there is little doubt that his pace, positional play and ability to read the game could prove crucial as Chelsea try to compete on all fronts.

Then came 22 year old central defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Ligue 1 winners Monaco. The Frenchman, who was instrumental in their title winning campaign, was quickly recognised as a key target for Antonio Conte as he seeks to create a formidable midfield partnership with PFA Players Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year award winner NGolo Kanté. However Chelsea fans will have to wait a bit longer before they can see the duo in action as the new man continues his recovery from minor knee surgery.

The most expensive and most anticipated signing of the summer came in the form of Spanish striker Alvaro Morata. Having been behind Karim Benzema in the pecking order at Real Madrid, the 24 year old made the switch to the Bridge for a club record fee of £70 million. Known for his blinding pace, aerial abilities and clinical finishing, could he be the man to replace the popular yet unpredictable Diego Costa? Antonio Conte certainly thinks so.

Having watched Chelsea very closely during their pre-season tour in Singapore, what is clear is that they are far from the finished article. With Bakayoko unable to take part and Matic on his way out the door, a defensively minded Kanté and forward thinking Fabregas struggled to deal with a rejuvenated Bayern Munich side and looked very vulnerable against Italian giants Inter Milan in the heart of the midfield. Could rumoured targets Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley provide the answer?

Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso, who played a pivotal role down the wings last season, lacked pace and end product. This is a position Conte is keen to strengthen and has been in the hunt for Juventus right back Alex Sandro since the transfer window opened. However with Juventus reluctant to sell, they may look to England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who can play on either side, to provide the necessary penetration and quality.

Another striker is also on the wishlist with Fernando Llorente reportedly the man Conte feels can step in or step up should anything happen to Morata. However Michy Batshuayi had a good pre-season and will be determined to prove he’s capable of scoring week in week out.

With the return of Champions League football to the Bridge, it’s vital that Chelsea bring players to the club that can produce quality, strength and depth. Only time will tell if they can hang on to the Premier League crown, but with Antonio Conte in charge and a front three of Hazard, Pedro and Morata..you wouldn’t bet against them.