Premier League Preview

The new season is almost upon us and undoubtedly has a tough act to follow. The 2011/12 season was voted the best of the first 20 Premier League campaigns. The title remained undecided until virtually the last kick of the season as Sergio Aguero secured Manchester City's first Premier League title. The big question ahead of the new season is obviously if the Citizens can defend their title. In terms of the squad that one last year, only one big addition has been made in the shape of midfielder Jack Rodwell. I've always been a big fan of the former Toffee but he has had his fair share of injuries, but hopefully those are behind him as he looks to kick on with his career. Last year's runner-up Manchester United have a very strong squad to challenge their city rivals and go one better this year. Everyone is well aware of the talent imminent signing Robin van Persie has, but Shinji Kagawa is also a player of genuine class who can really help the Red Devils at vital points in the season. Chelsea may not have challenged for the title last year, but the Champions League win is bound to give them confidence ahead of the new campaign. Summer signings Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar all have huge potential which Chelsea fans will be hoping to see over the course of the year, but for me their key man could be Fernando Torres, who seems to be edging back to the player he used to be. An on-form Torres could easily replace the void left by former striker Didier Drogba, so Blues fans may not have so much to worry about. At this stage its too tough to call who will win the title. Everyone has a bad run at some point in the league, and it could well come down to when each team has their bad patch. If I had to pick one, I probably would have picked Chelsea a week ago. Now that RvP is heading to Old Trafford, they have the top two scorers from last year and  would be my pick for the season ahead.

There is also the issue of Champions League qualification. I believe Chelsea, City and United will finish in the top three, meaning there is one more space available from the league. I would hope my beloved Tottenham can mount another serious challenge for the spot as in previous seasons, but I am concerned. Ahead of our opening fixture, there are only two strikers in the squad - Jermain Defoe and Harry Kane. Defoe is a great goal scorer - as seen against Italy last night - but I can't pick up a newspaper these days without reading a rumour linking him with a move away from the club. Kane is a player with real potential but he's too young to pin all our hopes on. The rest of the squad is good enough to challenge, but we need at least one more striker. Emmanuel Adebayor's diva attitude appears to have scuppered a move for him, the move for Leandro Damiao seems to be taking an eternity and Fernando Llorente is on the verge of moving to Juventus. All three were targets, and all three would have been brilliant. Hopefully we can secure a striker before the transfer window shuts. Arsenal will also be looking to qualify for the Champions League this year and the loss of RvP is a huge dent to their chances. However, its not all doom and gloom. New signing Olivier Giroud helped fire Montpellier to a league title over oil rich PSG in France (apparently its like Stoke winning the title over Manchester City). Lukas Podolski is a player that is used to both pressure and the biggest stages. And Santi Cazorla is a talent either out wide or in the middle. Granted the influence of RvP may be hard to replace, but those three players can really help Arsenal secure fourth. Some also believe Liverpool, now under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, can also challenge for Champions League qualification. Rodgers set Swansea up brilliantly in their first season in the Premier League, and if similar tactics were given to a squad with more talent, success is possible. New signing Fabio Borini can give Liverpool something they've lacked since Torres - a natural finisher. Joe Allen can also help with a few assists from midfield, and the potential loan signing of Nuri Sahin will be great business for Liverpool, especially if he brings the form he showed whilst at Borussia Dortmund. Again, this is extremely tough to call but my biased heart says Tottenham, so I hope it's right.

The other big issue in the Premier League is relegation. As always, the favourites for relegation include the new boys and Wigan. All the new boys can feasibly go down. West Ham didn't have the best of seasons in a league many pundits expected them to dominate. Southampton have added only a few players to their squad which could lack depth, and goalkeeper Kelvin Davis had a torrid time during his last season in the Premier League with Sunderland. And Reading rode into the Premier League on the crest of a wave with a storming run at the end of the season. Will the form be there come Saturday? Wigan are perennial relegation candidates but always seem to have a way of avoiding the drop. In previous seasons under Roberto Martinez, they've looked dead and buried yet somehow stay up - they're like the relegation equivalent of Manchester United, coming alive at the right time. I wouldn't be surprised if no one has been relegated until the final day of the season.

Prediction
1) Manchester United
2) Chelsea
3) Manchester City
4) Tottenham
5) Arsenal
6) Liverpool
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18) Wigan
19) Southampton
20) Reading