2010-2011 Premier League Season Preview
The Premier League season kicks off with a bang on the 14th of August when Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester City in the season opener. We are in for some changes in the Premiership with a couple of rule changes. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City looks to solidify themselves as top-tier clubs again. They will have some formidable contenders with Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Chelsea are the reigning Premiership champions. Carlos Ancelotti is still manager and much of the squad is still intact. Chelsea could become the third club in the history of the Premier League to take consecutive titles. They did lose quality midfielders like Joe Cole and Michael Ballack, which could disrupt their offensive flow. They are still the favourites to defend their championship, but a stripped-down squad makes them vulnerable.
Manchester United haven’t changed much from last season. Their transfers may only influence the club’s FA Cup and Carling Cup campaigns. The squad has the most experience to make a run at the Premiership title. Still, the club may struggle like Chelsea to balance the demands of European and domestic football under the new 25 player limit rule. Expect Sir Alex Ferguson to keep the club in sharp form.
Manchester City spent a lot of money in the offseason in hopes of buying a Premier League title. They spent the most of any club in the transfer markets by adding Barcelona’s Kolo Toure, Germany’s Jerome Boateng, France’s Patrick Vieira and Spain’s 2010 World Cup wonder David Silva to the midfield and defence. The team’s forwards will have plenty of support at the back and Manchester City is likely to wreak havoc to the Premiership’s big guns. They play well at home. Add some away surprises and they could turn some heads for a title. Manchester City has great each-way value this season.
The other contenders are Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hostpur. Of the three, Arsenal is the most likeliest to win a fourth Premier League title. The core of the team remains and some young stars will mature over the next couple of seasons. Go with Arsenal on an each-way basis. Liverpool is another interesting club to watch. The Reds won’t be playing in Europe this season, freeing them to focus on getting back into the top four. Tottenham Hotspur can cause some upsets if they win away games consistently.