The fourth week of the 2018-19 English Premier League campaign is in the books, and all teams are now on international break. This seems to be an appropriate time to look at the “Big Six” teams from last season, and react to how they’re progressing thus far.
Last season’s race for the EPL crown wasn’t even all that competitive, as Manchester City won the title by a whopping 19 points. Still, it’s worth noting that the last time an EPL team won the top spot in consecutive years was Manchester United, who won three straight titles from 2006-2009. With that in mind, here’s a look at the top six finishers from last season, specifically if they are a contender or a pretender during this particular campaign, judging by what we’ve seen so far.
Manchester United (Pretender)
While finishing in a distant second place in the EPL last season, manager Jose Mourinho spent the summer complaining about the lack of club spending in the transfer market, while also lamenting about not being able to jettison players he believed were not pulling their weight. As if that weren’t bad enough, team captain and French international midfielder Paul Pogba has officially requested to leave the team when the next transfer window opens, with his desired location a return to his previous team, Juventus.
This turmoil has seen the Red Devils underperform early in the season, earning six points in four matches, with a goal differential of -1, placing them mid-table and adding to the rift between Mourinho and board chairman Ed Woodward. Even if all was well for United, it’s highly unlikely the Red Devils have the horses in the stable to seize the title from their cross-town rivals.
Liverpool (Contender)
While the goal-scoring abilities of Jurgen Klopp’s side have never been in doubt, his team’s defensive prowess had been routinely criticized in the past. Those days may be over, however. Acquired last winter from Southampton, Netherlands international Virgil van Dijk has provided leadership to a young back line. In their first four matches, the Reds have ceded just one goal. The addition of van Dijk, along with goalkeeper Alisson Becker, make Liverpool a formidable competitor for the top spot in the EPL this season.
Tottenham (Pretender) Known for their cautious (and frugal) moves in the transfer window, Tottenham became the first EPL team in the modern era who didn’t sign a single player through the transfer window, and instead chose to rely on its current roster. While there is no question that they have quality players on the team, they are a team that is generally competitive, but fails to win silverware.
Spurs surely have a talented starting eleven, with Harry Kane up front, a midfield anchored by Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, and a defense led by Jan Vertonghen and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. But with their EPL season augmented with various tournaments and competitions, it seems likely that some of these players will sustain injuries, and leave the team reliant on its bench. Tottenham doesn’t have the depth to sustain injuries, due to its lack of transfer market activity, and that will likely prevent them from winning a title.
Manchester City (Contender) After winning the title last season with ease, Manchester City added one major piece to its starting eleven. Breaking the club record for paying transfer fees, the Sky Blues spent $75 million adding midfielder Riyad Mahrez to the roster, and he’s already made his presence felt.
The team boasted a staggering goal differential of +79 last season, and with nearly all of the same players returning, it’s hard to see Pep Guardiola’s squad faltering. When a team can afford to leave a player of Leroy Sane’s caliber out of the lineup altogether, it is clearly doing something right. Along with an already formidable roster, Manchester City will contend for the top spot in the EPL all season long.
Arsenal (Pretender) With the departure of former manager Arsene Wenger, after he had previously been at the helm for two decades, new manager Unai Emery arrived to bring new life to the squad. The result so far is two wins in four matches, not quite meeting the expectations of the Gunners’ supporters.
Implementing a new system is never easy, but thus far key players Petr Cech, Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil have struggled in adapting to Emery’s new system on the pitch. While finishing in fifth place last season and qualifying for a Europa League spot, Arsenal’s owners have set loftier expectations for the Gunners in the current campaign. While winning an EPL title is unlikely this season — making them a pretender — a finish higher than fifth place to receive a berth in the Champions League would certainly be what Emery and Co. are shooting for, and that’s an attainable goal.
Chelsea (Pretender)
After the early termination of former manager Antonio Conte’s contract happened late in the summer, Chelsea appointed Maurizio Sarri as its new man in charge. Coming from a similar position at Napoli in Serie A, Sarri immediately plucked midfielder Jorginho from his former squad. The team was dealt a blow, though, losing star keeper Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid late in the transfer window, so Chelsea scrambled to pick up former Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for a fee of $90 million. Both players are still adjusting to their new team, but Jorginho has somewhat of an advantage, having played under Sarri. Regardless, it will take some time for the team to acclimate itself to a new system, as well as new players.
Furthermore, without any major improvements to the defense, as well as the front line, the Blues will continue to be heavily reliant on Eden Hazard, who continues to be the target of transfer rumors. Finishing in sixth place last season, Chelsea haven’t had a strong presence up front since Diego Costa left the team for Atletico Madrid last year. With Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud the only true striker options for Chelsea, they will need to rely on a stout defense. And with an inconsistent and often sluggish David Luiz as a central defender, alongside a middling cast of characters on the back line, look for Chelsea to be fortunate to qualify for the Europa League next season.
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