With the start of the new Barclays Premier Season only forty-nine days away, supporters across the globe have already begun marking the days off their calendars. Ever since the completion of last season on May 24th, several of the proverbial ‘bigs’ team have made additions to their squads. So the looming question is; Who will lift the Premier League Trophy next season? Of course, Chelsea are the favorites having won last year, but they will have to overcome several difficult opponents if they hope to retain their trophy.
One of the teams who will push them close is Manchester United. In Louis Van Gaal’s first season in charge, the Red Devils finished fourth and gave Chelsea a scare both times they played. That being said, a lot of pundits still believe that United will not have the quality to push for the title. So far this summer, they have signed young Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven for an estimated £25 million. Having played under Van Gaal in the 2014 World Cup, Depay will fit into his new team with ease. Another team that will compete with Chelsea is Arsenal. The Gunners finished in third place last season and retained the famous FA Cup.
However, the season ended up being a disappointed one due to the team being unable to close out matches. So far the team from London have not confirmed any signings. In previous years this has been the unraveling of the team. Rather than sign top quality players, they would resort to only buying when there is value in the market. The number one position on Arsenal’s wish list is that of a striker. With Olivier Giroud scoring only 19 goals last season, Arsenal supporters have been crying out for a new striker since the opening day of the transfer market. All in all, unless Arsenal sign a world class striker to support Giroud, they won’t come close to winning the league. The third and final team that will challenge Chelsea is Manchester City. They had a dreadful season last year, in which they finished second and won no major honors. Among the disappointing results, there was also several reports of players falling out with manager; Manuel Pellegrini. This lead to the Chilean only barely holding onto his job. However, a team as rich as City will have no trouble selling the bad eggs and replacing them with phenomenal players. So to the dismay of millions, it seems as though Chelsea are the favorites. Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City will fight, but do not be surprised if you see Chelsea’s captain John Terry lifting the trophy yet again.