The Premier League 2020/21 season is well underway and we can finally anticipate our favourites to win. Liverpool look as ready as ever to retain the title that they successfully claimed last June after a long drought (30 years) of no EPL silverware. There’s no denying it – Jurgen Klopp’s Reds were in their best shape last season, and favorites to win this season was inevitable as they managed to win 28 of their 31 matches.
However, the Reds face some difficulties this year, and it could cost them their title. Without the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Thiago Alcantara and Alisson Becker’s fractured appearances, will Liverpool struggle this season? Currently ahead of Liverpool on goal difference and topping the Premier League table are Tottenham who have, so far, done nothing less than impressive this season.
So, which teams are our favourites to winning the Premier League title this year? Read our analysis below on our top five teams for the season.
- Liverpool
Despite obvious complications such as the absences of Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantra due to his long-term injuries and Alisson Becker’s fluctuating appearances, the Reds do seem to be holding it down, and it would be a struggle to get past them. After all, the team contains a variety of world-class players and with Klopp’s successful management, they seem unstoppable. With the likes of the Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Robertson and their goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, who has kept the highest proportion of clean sheets (36 out of 73 appearances), there is yet to be a chink found in this unrelenting team. Although they had a rather shaky start to the season with injuries to key players, Liverpool still lies just under Tottenham who are ahead of them due to goal difference. Will the Reds retain top position in the table like they did last season or forfeit it to their opponents this time?
- Tottenham
The Spurs are quite unpredictable this season. Although they have managed to achieve some hard-fought victories such as a 2-0 win over domestic treble winners Manchester City in North London, they may still see their odds drop the most. However, Pochettino’s replacement, Jose Mourinho is aiming to win a first-top flight title since 1961. It has taken a while, but it seems Mourinho has finally got his team where they need to be – a daunting, ruthless force to score against which may make Tottenham a hard opponent to surpass.
- Manchester City
Although the Blues started off the season as favourites, they are dropping off now, and there may not be a comeback as it is turning out to be somewhat of a let-down season given their lofty standards last time. However, if Manchester City manage to find their stance again especially in front of a goal and achieve a solid defence, they would be one hard team to beat. Not to mention, the team harbours an abundance of experienced, world-class youth such as Kevin De Bruyne who is crucial to Guardiola’s team. Nonetheless, to set in pace with the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool, major improvement is required and needs to be sustained especially now considering star striker Sergio Aguero’s continuous knee issues.
- Chelsea
The Blues, managed by Frank Lampard, are off to an impressive start, but it is too soon to decide whether they have what it takes to make it to the top of the table. Upcoming domestic cups and other European commitments could prove to be a distraction for Chelsea, leading them off the path to a Premier League title. However, they have proved their worth in recent weeks with an appealing balance of attack and defence – too good to be overlooked. Currently unbeaten in 13 games, the Blues are the league’s second-highest scorers, the first being Liverpool. With a defeat against Liverpool and draws against the Spurs and Manchester United, it is apparent that Lampard’s side definitely needs some reconstruction to unlock these fixtures, and they could well be in the title race until the finals.
- Manchester United
Unfortunately, the Red Devils have not won the title ever since the renowned Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season in 2013, and they could be the underdogs to try and favorites to win this season. With a revitalising signing of Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United have officially recovered from a shabby start with four wins in a row in the past two months. Fernandes has been the Red Devils biggest game-changer and has had a significant impact on their play ever since he arrived from Sporting Lisbon. They are winning matches and are only two points off the top position if they win their next game. All Solskjaer’s side needs to do now is maintain consistency with their first-class performances to help and restore them to their former glory. It is undoubtful that a ton of reconstruction needs to be done, but their attack form is at its best and with midfielders the like of Donny van Beek, Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, they have the potential to do a lot of damage.
Are there any outsiders to win the league?
Arsenal enjoyed a solid end to the last Premier League season and we hoped the Gunners would bring that same energy and drive into the next one. Although favorites to win this season at the FA cup was the cherry on top to their season, the Gunners could not be performing worse in this year’s Premier League. Unfortunately, Arteta’s side is sat in 15th place after losing 6 of the first 11 games, proving to be a worrying concern for Arteta himself.
