2014/2015 Premier League Predictions
Manchester City look to build on the success of last season under Manuel Pellegrini; with a fantastic first-team on hand, Luke feels they’ll repeat as champions
LUKE DUFFY
League Champion – Manchester City; It’s really hard to bet against City this season, isn’t it? While Chelsea have done brilliantly to improve their first-team ranks this summer, that does not write City off whatsoever. Manuel Pellegrini’s men still have a very close-knit squad who baptized themselves last season during their run to the league title, and on top of that, they have added the RIGHT depth in the right areas to improve upon last season.
Chemistry is everything in football, and when it comes to that factor when its considered, City are in a far better position to win the league than Mourinho’s Blues and that should see them through to the end.
Top Seven – Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham
Relegation – Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Southampton
Top Goalscorer – Stevan Jovetic; This is by no means the popular choice at all; how could I choose Jovetic over Sergio Aguero? Well, consider the fantastic pre-season the Montenegrin has had, but Jovetic is likely to be fit far more routinely than his Argentine club-mate.
While Aguero is the better player on the whole, fitness and consistency mean everything. Yes Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo are on the books as well, and yes they are talented, but the pair of them lack the consistency in their performances that Jovetic can maintain. Naturally this will all be dependent on the amount of time on the pitch, but if Jovetic see’s significant playing time, he will certainly shine.
Young Player of the Year – Philippe Coutinho; While everyone else in the world is touting up Raheem Sterling, myself and the Brazilians will stick with Coutinho. While Sterling, Sturridge and Suarez gained the lions share of the plaudits last season, Coutinho quietly (and with much flair) produced brilliant performances behind the scenes at Anfield.
Despite Brendan Rodgers’ recruitment this summer, the diminutive maestro should still feature prominently in the first team as much as possible. If Liverpool hope to build on last season, and have a successful European campaign, the performances of Philippe Coutinho are absolutely vital.