If the bookmakers are anything to go by, and they don’t get it wrong often, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Manchester will have the two top Premier League spots sewn up. Although, after spending some serious money Chelsea may have something to say about that and I expect them to finish third.
But who are the main contenders for that coveted fourth place and the Champions League spot that goes with it?
Of course the usual suspects will be vying to claim a stake and last year’s third place finishers will consider themselves favourites. Especially as Arsenal’s long term strategy appears to be to aim for a top 4 finish each year. An objective proved by their inability to win any silverware over the last 7 years and the probable reason their two best players see it fit to move on at the end of every season.
Last year both Fabregas and Nasri departed and this year they see their talisman RVP leave for bitter rivals, Manchester United and yet another body will make the familiar trip to Barcelona as Alex Song completes his move to the Catalan maestros.
Whilst Wenger has invested early this year in replacements, and has made some astute purchases in the form of proven goal scorers Podolski and Giroud as well as Spanish midfielder and one to watch this season, Cazorla, I still think it hangs in the balance for the Gunners after losing two such instrumental players.
I’m sure Spurs will also fancy their chances at competing for fourth place against their north London rivals. Particularly as they so agonisingly missed out on Champions League football this year despite achieving a fourth place finish due to Chelsea’s success in winning the competition in May.
The only person that may have had a worse taste left in their mouth by Chelsea last year was the man they fired last season and Tottenham’s new boss AVB, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to galvanise his new dressing room. A dressing room distinctly lacking in firepower with only one recognised striker in Jermain Defoe, something AVB will have to remedy before the close of the transfer window if they are going to compete.
The next contenders to the throne are Alan Pardew’s Newcastle, they competed for fourth place with great consistency last season and have a well assembled squad. Newcastle have had no notable losses to the squad that was so close to the pack last year and with no one activating the reported £7m release clause in Demba Ba’s contract, combined with the finishing ability of his fellow countryman Cisse the Toon Army are bound to fancy their chances.
Although, despite a good start against Tottenham, they are likely to be without the guidance of their manager on the sidelines for a while as the FA look to throw the book at him for shoving the fourth official over a disputed decision on Sunday afternoon, an act Pardew apologised for immediately after the game in his post match interview with Sky Sports.
As I opened the piece by mentioning the usual suspects, a team that were so consistently a member of this elite four for so many years, Liverpool, may be a consideration this season.
As they embark on the implementation of a new system of play under new boss Brendan Rodgers, there’s no doubting they have undeniable talent in their team. The likes of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez will feel they are good enough to win games and will want to return LFC to a Champion’s League place, something I think is unlikely this season, amidst such fundamental changes at the club.
Follow me on twitter @BigEddie84 to continue the debate.
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Seems like you’ve already decided with your ridiculous anti Arsenal rant at the start.
Arsenal will be within the first three spots.
Whilst i feel sure that Citeh will win the league, I firmly believe that second third and fourth are all up for grabs.
Manure have a creaky leaky and ageing defence with Evra and Ferdinand plus unreliability elsewhere. Giggs and Scholes are ancient and require replacing. Rooney.. I am unconvinced and RVP is due more injury..
Chelsea, I am not sure about the manager.. I do rate Hazard.
Arsenal appear to have strengthened even with the loss of RVP
Tottenham are a real threat, provided they can keep modric and motivate Adebayor..
Liverpool will struggle to finish in the top six.
Bookmakers get it wrong in football all the time … 1) Man C 2)Spurs 3) Man U 4) Arsenal 5) Newcastle 6) Chelski 7) Everton 9 or 10) Liverspuds
Your having a laugh.spuds to finish above man u and arsenal.you’ll be lucky to finish in the top 6.
It’s something for the officials to take note of when a Reading player says on Sky Sports the way to stop Edin Hazard is “to kick him.”
Song one if Arsenal’s 2 best players? Mwah – he was going to be the 6th choice midfielder in a 3 man midfield this year behind wilshere-arteta-Sahin-rosicky-chamberlain. We didn’t think he was worth more than 55k a week and we literally bit Barca’s hand off with their 19m euro offer. He has no passing range, no tactical nous and an average 1st touch.
Gutted RVP left no question. However, with Santi, Pod, Giroud, Sahin and Van der wiel coming in (plus potentially one more striker) alongside the return of Wilshere and the coming of age of Chamberlain and Szczeney – Arsenal are far stronger this year than last and we should increase our points total by 15 points on last year. Whether that’s enough for 1st place I doubt it – but it will be close.
Mark my words!
Utter tosh!
1 Arsenal 2 Man C 3 Chelsea 4 Man U 5
Football is not a poem, my friend, that where the poet put a full stop, the reciter must stop and take a breath before resuming. Football is an unpremeditated game, whose result remains a mystery until it’s over. That ‘Bookmakers don’t often get it wrong’ is a very ridiculous statement, isn’t it?
Who gave Chelsea a chance to win the CL?
Who gave Arsenal a Chance of finishing 3rd?
Who thought Newcastle would finish above Chelsea and Liverpool?
Who thought Montpelier would lift the league title in France at the expense of mega-rich PSG?
THE BOOKMAKERS OFTEN GET IT WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When Man United wrestled the title back from Arsenal after that dramatic meltdown in 2003, every pundit suggested Wenger should overhaul the squad by signing up to six players, he differed, signing only one notable player in Jens Lehmann, and Arsenal went on an unprecedented unbeaten run, and proved everyone including the so-called Bookmakers wrong.
Looking at Arsenal this year, I think people like you Mr. EDWARD MCKAY are only negative and that has stopped you/them from seeing the truth about Arsenal. The truth of the matter is, even without Van Persie and Song, Arsenal are far better than they were last season, and will strongly compete for the title this season, believe it or not. Here are the reasons for my strong optimism:
1. Arsenal played the whole of last season with one potent striker in Van Persie, now they have two top quality strikers, Giroud and Podolski. They will definitely plug the hole created by RVP’s departure.
2. Santi Carzola!! What a player Arsenal have in their ranks! He may not have been talked about so much like Hazard after his debut against the Cats, perhaps because Arsenal didn’t win, or because the media’s negative attitude about everything Arsenal, but I thought he had bigger influence of play for Arsenal and ability to shoot with both feet at equal ease, create and pass than Hazard. He’s a massive improvement from last season for Arsenal, isn’t he?
3. The return of Abou Diaby. He barely played last season due to a series of injuries, but he looks fit now and raring to go, having had a full preseason under his belt for the first time in years. If fit, Diaby is unstoppable. He will surely have a great season, now that he looks to have got over his injuries.
4. The glowing influence and maturity of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. Since his transformation into a more central player, Chamberlain has looked every bit a real gem and looked as if he has played there all his life. His displays against Koln and Man City in Asia are testament to that. Now that he’s a full England international, he will have a much more important role in the team and will certainly steer Arsenal to great things this season.
5. The imminent return of Jack Wilshere. This should send shock waves through the spines of opposing teams because Wilshere is a hell of a player!!! His absence was greatly felt last season as he was expected to take up the creative role Fabregas held at Arsenal. He wasn’t able. But he’s back running and poised to return in a month. He’s a mammoth presence in the Arsenal engine room and his long awaited return will go a long way to lifting Arsenal’s title chances this season.
6. The imminent arrival of midfield sensation, Nuri Sahin! If you don’t know who he is, check out his stats and some u-tube clips. He’s a playmaker supreme with a keen eye for a killer pass and goals. He took the Bundesliga by storm, scooping the German Player Of The Year after guiding Dortmund to their first league title in nine years. Can you imagine a midfield of Arteta, Sahin, Wilshere and Carzola? It makes me lick my lips in anticipation. Who would have a better midfield?
7. A rejuvenated Gervinho. Watching him against Sunderland began to remind me of the Gervinho I saw at Lille Metropole a couple of seasons ago. Despite being a bit lacking in his final decision, he was, to me the second best player for Arsenal behind Carzola. His confidence is back, he knows the league much better now. He will definitely be a great player for Arsenal this season and many other seasons to come!
8. Strength in depth. Arsenal will have great strength in depth, no doubt. I have already talked of a midfield of Carzola, Sahin, Wilshere and Arteta. This means that there will be no place for Diaby, Rosicky, Chamberlain, Ramsey, Coquelin, Theo/Gervinho, Arshavin/Park/Chamakh (IF THEY ARE NOT SOLD). At the back, despite there being a host of defenders, Wenger still wants to add one more. I can’t see how this squad is less in strength than Man United and City’s.
People have sung praises of the departed Song and how his sale was very uninspired, but I beg to differ. Yes, I admit that Song played a big part for Arsenal last season, providing 14 assists in all competitions. Put simply, Song was more known for his assists than his defensive instincts. In fact his positional indiscipline cost Arsenal a great deal as he was always caught out of position, having marauded to make “that pass”. He had already absconded his defensive duties and transformed himself into a player whose role Wenger has filled with people who do it better. If Song is remembered for his assists, Sahin(44 career assists, 25 goals) is about to join, and Carzola a definitely better offensive player is already at the club! Will Song be missed? Not at all. This is modern football where archetypal defensive midfielders are no longer revered. Barca have no one, Bayern have Tymoshuk whom they don’t play, they instead play Schweinsteiger and Gustavo and none is a real anchorman. United don’t have one but they’ve continued to be successful, etc. BESIDES, SONG IS AND WAS NOT AN ANCHORMAN AT ARSENAL, as Arteta was furthest behind. He still will be this season.
Competing with Liverpool, Spurs, Newcastle for 4th? Wide of the mark!!!
Not jus fully agreed, I am just pleased with the above comment by PATRICK.. Arsenal is gunning for Title..
man city,man utd,chelsea,real madrid spends huge huge money and still gets credit it surprises me.anyone can win with spending this amount.