How the Premier League table will look come the end of the season
Last season I correctly tipped Manchester United to win the title from the outset but this term I believe it will be Chelsea who will lift the Premier League crown.
United deservedly finished top last season - seven points ahead of third-placed Chelsea.
Yet the Stamford Bridge club impressed from the moment Guus Hiddink replaced the ill-fated Luiz Felipe Scolari in February.
And I believe new boss Carlo Ancelotti, recruited from AC Milan, will continue the good work at Roman Abramovich’s club, turning them back into title winners once more.
Chelsea are yet to spend really big in the transfer market but have kept their kingpin, John Terry.
They also have Joe Cole to come back from injury and new £18million signing Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow, who will add some much needed guile.
United’s worries stem from the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and Carlos Tevez to Manchester City.
In their absence, Dimitar Berbatov isn’t mobile enough or motivated sufficiently to fill the void, while both Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda appear two years off being ready to play first team football for United regularly.
So much will depend on the form and temperament of Wayne Rooney, who will have to raise his game to a new level.
Liverpool and Arsenal have also lost key players this summer with Xabi Alonso leaving Anfield for Madrid and Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure quitting the Emirates.
That’s why I think Liverpool will come third, with United the runners-up.
My old club still have two of the best players in the world in Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, but keeping the pair fit for the whole season will be a challenge.
Arsenal should find finishing fourth this term easier as their injury problems cannot get any worse than last season but they still have too many inadequacies at the back to be title contenders.
For all Manchester City’s extravagant spending, I cannot see Mark Hughes’ side breaking into the top four for a Champions League spot.
And I actually reckon they will come seventh behind Spurs and Everton.
After Harry Redknapp took charge at White Hart Lane last October, the north London club’s form was superb and I expect them to carry that on this season.
And another of my old clubs, Aston Villa, could be the team to suffer following the loss of their consistent duo Martin Laursen and Gareth Barry.
Elsewhere, I expect another solid season from both Fulham and West Ham, while Blackburn and Sunderland should have no more relegation worries this season under Sam Allardyce and Steve Bruce respectively.
But I fear being back in the top-flight again could be a brief experience for promoted clubs Birmingham and Burnley, who lack strength in depth.
And Hull will probably be relegated too as their decline from last Christmas onwards will be hard to arrest.
This is how I think the Premier League table will end up in May:
1) CHELSEA
2) MANCHESTER UNITED
3) LIVERPOOL
4) ARSENAL
5) SPURS
6) EVERTON
7) MANCHESTER CITY
8) ASTON VILLA
9) FULHAM
10) WEST HAM
11) BOLTON
12) BLACKBURN
13) PORTSMOUTH
14) STOKE CITY
15) SUNDERLAND
16) WIGAN
17) WOLVES
18) HULL CITY
19) BIRMINGHAM CITY
20) BURNLEY
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Линк :
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/stan-collymore/How-the-Premier-League-table-will-look-come-the-end-of-the-season-article107279.html