The start of the season is one of the most beloved periods for every fan. It’s a time for a fresh introduction to each of the teams that have undergone significant changes over the summer.
In the Premier League, four match days have already been played, marking a full calendar month. It’s the perfect time to assess the strength of all the teams. In this article, we will discuss the teams that occupy the ninth to twelfth spots.
The top eight are as follows: 1. Manchester City, 2. Arsenal, 3. Liverpool, 4. Tottenham, 5. Brighton, 6. Manchester United, 7. Newcastle, 8. West Ham.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa might be mid-table currently, but they will still be satisfied with their start given their summer acquisitions and the more favorable fixtures coming up. With the arrivals of Clement Lenglet on loan and Nicolo Zaniolo, as well as last year’s purchases of Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, and Moussa Diaby, Villa seems equipped to juggle both UEFA League and domestic competitions. Diaby, in particular, has started brightly. Philippe Coutinho’s stint in the Midlands didn’t live up to expectations, and he’s since moved to Qatari champions Al-Duhail for the season.
Heavy defeats to Newcastle and Liverpool can be alarming as these are the clubs Villa would be battling if they aim to finish above seventh. Hence, any early-season enthusiasm for a Champions League spot might be a tad optimistic. It’s worth noting that all major bookmakers in India are taking bets on every Premier League fixture.
Chelsea
Current league position: 2
It’s almost given that Chelsea can’t go a few weeks in the transfer window without inking a deal, and late deals were wrapped up for Caicedo, Lavia, David Washington, Djordje Petrovic, and Cole Palmer. There are reservations about four of these five: Lavia still needs time to regain his fitness, Washington might head out on loan, Petrovic stands as the second choice behind Robert Sanchez, while Palmer, despite his high ceiling, started only three Premier League matches with City.
After a truly staggering summer of spending, where Chelsea crossed the 1 billion pound mark under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s stewardship, the spotlight shifts to new coach Mauricio Pochettino and his ability to mold this group of individual talents into a cohesive unit. There have been encouraging signs, but a home loss to Nottingham Forest and one win in four underscores the magnitude of the challenge. No one truly knows what this Chelsea side will become.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace’s best move during the transfer window closure was extending the contract with Michael Olise for four years, when it seemed he was moving to Chelsea, which had triggered his release clause.
Manager Roy Hodgson managed to keep all of his key players except for Wilfried Zaha, who left as a free agent when his contract expired earlier in the summer. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson, bought from Manchester United for 20 million pounds, was the only notable acquisition after the season started.
Crystal Palace is in seventh place after winning two of their first four matches; their only loss was at home against Arsenal. Hodgson might not have made many changes, but the fans are awaiting the debut of Brazilian attacking midfielder Mateus França. Crystal Palace looks like a solid mid-table team.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest’s transfers were relatively modest by their standards when the season started, so they signed 10 players in the last week of the transfer window! Following a great start, Forest is in ninth place. They won against Chelsea and at home against Sheffield United, but with a bit more luck in matches against Man Utd and Arsenal, they could be even higher in the table.
The problem is that the team that secured those points might now be entirely different, with the arrival of Argentina’s World Cup winner Gonzalo Montiel, AC Milan forward Divock Origi, and young Chelsea player Andre Santos, all on loan. Matt Turner also moved from Arsenal to become Steve Cooper’s new number one.
Forest fans have every reason for optimism, provided they haven’t changed too much too quickly.
