This past season of Premier League action was certainly intriguing with a whole lot of ups and downs at either end of the table. Still, when the dust settled, the relegated clubs and the champions were pretty obvious with a few games left to go as Manchester City ran out as comfortable winners – despite faltering earlier on in the campaign.
While many are already focusing on Euro 2020 and rightly so given it’s just a matter of days away, we thought it’d be interesting to pick through the leading contenders who could quite easily cause City problems next season.
A few of these may be laughed off by the masses but in the English Premier League, it always feels as if there’s a surprise package waiting around every corner.
Chelsea
When you get beaten by a team three times in a matter of weeks, with two of those games ending your FA Cup and Champions League dreams, it’s bound to get in your head. Chelsea, under Thomas Tuchel, secured a top four finish and finished off their season with an incredible win in the Champions League final to become two-time champions of Europe. If they have a strong summer transfer window then we can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be viewed as legitimate contenders for the PL crown.
Liverpool
We all know the story of how injuries derailed Liverpool’s ability to defend their title but in reality, it wasn’t just the injury list that prevented them from reaching their full potential. Jurgen Klopp may have edged them back into the top four but over the summer, they need to seriously regroup and think about what comes next on this journey for them. Next season they’re definitely viable contenders for the title given their current squad, but they need a bit more bite about them – and some depth.
Manchester United
It’s easy to forget that Manchester United finished as runners-up in the Premier League last season given how they walked away with no silverware, largely due to their failure to win the Europa League. Still, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has some serious firepower at his disposal and United continue to be linked with just about every big player under the sun. It’s not going to be easy but if they can get some solid deals done over the course of the next few months, they’ll once again be talked about as a team to watch.
Leicester
Leicester City are the definition of underdogs in this particular venture but the crazy thing about them is you never know when they’re going to pop up and make some magic happen. Their FA Cup triumph served as a reminder to them of what it feels like to win a big trophy, and they’ll be hungry to prove there’s no such thing as the big six anymore – and if there is, they need to be included in the conversation. It’s a stretch but if they start early and maintain their momentum, it may just be possible.
