2021-22 Premier League Table Predictions

With the Premier League about to return, I thought I'd make a post about my table predictions. Last year was abysmal, as I only got Leicester, Brighton, Burnley and Fulham's positions correct. Maybe this season I can do a bit better, so here follows my soon-to-be-proved-wrong English Premier League table predictions. Please remember to leave your predictions down in the comments below and I hope you enjoy.

1: Liverpool 

What did you guys expect? I'm a Liverpool fan! My top four is also largely influenced by my head-on-head comparison that I did about a week ago, in which Liverpool steamrolled the opposition. While City, United, Leicester and Chelsea could all win, I am putting trust in my club. The potential arrival of Romelu Lukaku could really change this and boost Chelsea to win, but I will stick with my gut for now. Having the league's best manager will also be a factor in Liverpool's favor. I do, however, think that up to fifteen points will separate the top four, a very low number, the last time this has happened being in the 2015/16 season.

2: Manchester City 

While they came third in my head-on-head match-up, I simply cannot afford to continue to bet against them although my temptation was to place them in third or fourth. While Chelsea two spots behind will likely be within ten points of the Citizens, they will put up a fair fight to defend their title, falling just short as Liverpool clinch it for the second time in three seasons. It will likely come down to some final-day action, but I do not think the Citizens can put on such a dominant display against much-improved/rejuvenated opposition without a good center-forward.

3: Manchester United 

The Red Devils have had an amazing transfer window and I am sure both Varane and Sancho will prove to be worth their respective fees. While they need to shore up their midfield and are yet to decide who will start in nets, United are sure to be up there, and they came second in my head-on analysis of the title contenders. While I am a Liverpool fan I am determined to be fair and this is an accurate representation of their ability. 

4: Chelsea 

This is going to be a bit anti-climactic, with Chelsea in the Runnings for the title almost season-long. While fourth is disappointing for Chelsea fans, they will likely hoover up at least one more piece of silverware (having already won the Super Cup) to round off the season up to fifteen points away from a winner's medal.

5: Leicester City 

I was originally going to say that they would again only just fall short of top four, but with Fofana's injury the foxes will be in the Europa league spots almost season-long and will have gaps of over five points on either side of them when the season finishes. Liverpool managed to finish third last season without Matip, Gomez, Konate and VVD, City won with a scintillating team that is still in tact, United came second and have now added both Varane and Sancho to their squads and Chelsea are the reigning Champions League winners who recently signed the most expensive player ever, Romelu Lukaku. Comfortable fifth for the Foxes. 

6: Tottenham Hotspur 

Tottenham start the next clump of teams, and win the second Europa League spot despite stiff competition with those who fell in behind them from 8th and 11th. An important player will sustain a brief injury at some point near the middle of the season, which will result in them dropping down a few spots and take away their top four challenge, but with their return they will push up the table again to enter the top six.

7: Arsenal  

Arsenal will have a slightly better season this time round, and will edge into the final European spot ahead of stiff competition. Not playing in Europe will play in their favor, as they do well in the Cup competitions and sustain very few injuries as they take this Conference League spot. It will ultimately prove to be a positive season for the Gunnars, with their new signings settling in and their team playing some really good football.

8: Everton 

The Blues will have a pretty average season, as they drop out of the cup competitions and finish a few points behind both Arsenal and Spurs to miss out on Europe - again. Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin both start the season quietly as they recover from their European and Olympic campaigns, Rafa Benitez readjusts to the Premier League and they end up out of the top ten after 15 fixtures. While they do recover and join the fight for Europe, this disappointing start ultimately means that they fall tantalizingly close.

9: Leeds United 

Leeds will start off with a bang, which means that their slow descent down the table still leaves them finishing in ninth place for the second straight season. They will also reach the semis in one of the Cup competitions all while avoiding second-season syndrome. A generally solid season after they subtly strengthened their squad in the transfer window.

10: West Ham 

Yes, the Hammers will not get Europa League again. However, 10th is not really an accurate representation of their attempt. They will still be right in it in March, but will ultimately fall short. This is largely down to the intensity of the Europa League, as they make the knock-outs and struggle to spread the players between that, the Prem and the other domestic trophies. Injuries will be a plague and this will lead them to fall at the final hurdle.

11: Aston Villa 

This is really unlucky, with Villa ending at the tail end of the second group. Only a few points separate the teams from their chasers from Tottenham through to West Ham, and Villa could easily climb higher. They fall victim to an opposite trajectory to Leeds, as they struggle without Grealish and the new players take time to settle. After this, however, they slowly climb the table to join this group, putting a sizeable gap between them and the next cluster of teams. They put themselves into the top ten, but the high intensity football of Liverpool, Leicester and City as well as a tough affair against a rugged Burnley outfit in their last six matches causes them to drop just out of it. 

12: Wolves 

I have seen some people predicting brilliance and even more predicting that they will flop and get relegated, and I am sort of sitting on the fence. With the return of Jimenez and Silva settling in their attack will be improved, but all of the teams above them have really stepped up the tempo in the transfer window so they will not really threaten the top half and end up significantly behind Villa in eleventh.

13: Southampton 

The Saints have lost Ings! Let me just say that I think the Saints will have a really strong defense and midfield, so they will not ship very many goals at all. The issue lies in attack. I'm going to go against the grain and say that Armstrong won't flop. I don't see why everyone seems so adamant that he will. However, he is no Ings and the Saints will struggle without such a dependable figure who can be trusted to put the ball in the back of the net consistently. It will not be too bad, and with a really high draw percentage they will stay up really comfortably.

14: Brighton 

I have always liked Brighton. From a lovely sea-side town comes an exciting team for all the football hipsters out there. While they have finished thirteenth in the past, this would be their second-highest league position, so it is pretty good going. They will be pretty consistent throughout the season, as they don't threaten the top ten while also remaining at no risk of going down throughout. They will, as always, play an exciting brand of football, which is always good.

15: Burnley 

While their brands of football could not be more different, Burnley have for seasons now been battling for the same League positions as Brighton and, liking a good underdog story, I would rank both in my top 5 favorite teams. Burnley will be solid, as per usual, and will always be within a few positions of their rivals down on the South Coast. 

16: Newcastle United 

Newcastle are a pretty boring outfit full to the brim with stock-average players, but I don't really think they're going to go down. They have experience and squad depth, and with a few more stars to help the trio of Dubravka, Saint-Maximin and Wilson they could push the top half. However, the lack of talent in the squad will mean that they finish sixteenth. 

17: Norwich 

Using my usual formula of two newly-promoted going down and one staying up, Norwich are my pick for the team to remain in the division. They have a pretty talented and experienced starting eleven, with should make up for their Premier League rustiness, keeping them up by the skin of their teeth. 

18: Crystal Palace 

Patrick Viera was a brilliant player, but as we have seen so many times over, this does not translate perfectly into being a top-class coach. The squad has lost many good center-backs, and have made no big statements in the transfer window. They have relegation written on their foreheads.

19: Brentford  

They came up through the play-offs, and despite being fairly talented the squad reeks of inexperience. They will start of by being hammered over and over, and by the time they finally adjust to the Premier League it will be too late. They won't be terrible, but they will go down.

20: Watford 

While they have more Premier League experience than the Brentford team, the Watford team lacks talent and other than Ismaïla Sarr, Troy Deeney will have no-one talented enough to race down the field and deliver him a pass or cross than he can put into the back of the net. They will struggle for goals and have their defense prized open again and again by some of the best teams that the world has to offer. 

So there are my Premier League Predictions. What are your thoughts? What would you have done differently? Comment below on both and anything else that you would like to say and I will try to reply to most of them. It has been brought to my attention that my recent posts have come out unusually on a phone, but it still works on a computer and I will research my problem and attempt to solve it. See you next time! Noah (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)