English Premier League 2016/17 season kick off: Saturday 9pm AEST, August 13, 2016.
WHAT an off-season it has been in the English Premier League.
Manchester United and Manchester City have tipped the competition on its head, spending up big in the transfer window and securing a plethora of stars to bolster their ranks.
But all that goes out the window when the season kicks off on Saturday night.
We’ve put our eagle eye over the start of the season and come up with a few futures predictions that should hopefully help you win some dough, come the end of the season.
2016-17 English Premier League title winner
Our pick: Manchester United ($4.50 with CrownBet.com.au)
Smokey: Chelsea ($7 with CrownBet.com.au)
Manchester City might be the team to beat according to the bookies, but Manchester United’s massive transfer window has them absolutely cooking ahead of the start of the season.
The Red Devils are our red hot tip to win the title. They started it all off by appointing The Special One Jose Mourinho as their manager. Titles follow the Portuguese wherever he goes and he has yet another ridiculous talented squad at his disposal, headlined by the world record transfer signing of one Paul Pogba.
The French midfielder, hailed as one of the best in the world, cost a record $151 million, but those in the know believe he is worth every cent and can lead the Red Devils to the title.
Pogba won the Serie A title in each of his four seasons with Juventus and joins a quartet of world class transfers at United. Villarreal’s Eric Bailly, Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the great Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic have all joined the club this off season, adding to the likes of Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and Juan Mata.
United now has the depth and talent to challenge for the title. Of course, City has had a strong off season too, spending up big on the likes of Celta Vigo star Nolito, Borussiaa Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan, Schalke’s Leroy Sane and new key defender John Stones from Everton and they will again be red hot challengers.
It’s hard not to think reigning champions Leicester are outside chances, having largely kept their squad together, but, at $26, you’re probably not going to want to invest to much in them to keep the dream alive for a second year running.
Arsenal’s transfer window has been quiet, as has Tottenham’s, but both clubs will be thereabouts, while Chelsea could be the big mover and might be worth a tiny drink at the $7 quote. A new manager and new perspective should see the Pensioners move back up the table, after a horrid 2015-16 season. Antonio Conte has only added the two transfers so far, but both are world class in Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi and the Foxes’ title-winning hard man N’Golo Kante.
Man Utd ($4.50)
Arsenal ($6.50)
Chelsea ($7)
Tottenham ($8)
Liverpool ($9)
Leicester ($26)
Everton ($81)
West Ham ($81)
Southampton ($101)
Stoke ($301)
Crystal Palace ($501)
Swansea ($801)
Bournemouth ($1001)
West Brom ($1001)
Middlesborough ($1001)
Sunderland ($1001)
Burnley ($1001)
Watford ($1001)
Hull ($1001)
Odds provided by CrownBet.com.au
2016-17 English Premier League Golden Boot
Winner: Sergio Aguero ($4.50 with Sportsbet.com.au)
Back up if (when) Aguero is injured: Zlatan Ibrahimovic ($9 with Sportsbet.com.au)
Smokey: Diego Costa ($17 with Sportsbet.com.au)
If Sergio Aguero can stay on the park, he is a shoe-in for this award every year.
Some say he is the best striker in the world. Of course, there are a couple of blokes in Spain called Messi and Ronaldo who might have something else to say about that, but there’s no doubt Auger’s scoring record stacks up with the best.
When healthy, he is by far the most devastating striker in the Premier League and, with a plethora of stars there to feed him at City, he will get plenty of opportunities to put them in the back of the net.
We’ve predicted that United will win the Premier League and new man Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s success will play a key role in that. While he is entering his golden years, Ibrahimovic is among the most talented and prolific strikers in the world and, if he can adapt to the Premier League quickly, there is no doubt he has the ability to win this title. We see him as a Ruud Van Nistelrooy type, doing most of his work in the box and finishing off the good work of that uber talented midfield. The icing on the cake, really.
Outside of those two, Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku have claims, but the guy we really like to improve this season is Chelsea’s Diego Costa. Costa had a woeful season last campaign, just like his club, but if he can get healthy he is going to score plenty of goals in Conte’s new set up.
Golden Boot market:
H Kane ($7.50)
Z Ibrahimovic ($9)
R Lukaku ($13)
O Giroud ($17)
M Batshuayi ($17)
Diego Costa ($17)
J Vardy ($19)
A Sanchez ($23)
S Mane ($26)
D Sturridge ($26)
A Martial ($34)
C Benteke ($34)
D Origi ($34)
V Janssen ($41)
K Iheanacho ($41)
J Defoe ($41)
E Hazard ($41)
Kevin De Bruyne ($41)
W Rooney ($41)
Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
2016-17 English Premier League top four
Our picks:
Manchester United: $1.30
Manchester City: $1.14
Tottenham: $2.10
Smokey: West Ham: $8
Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
It’ll be the usual suspects making up the top four, with Arsenal, City and Tottenham holding their places, but and the Red Devils making the big move. West Ham had a brilliant season last year and have put together several where they have finished well int he top 10. Could this be the year they surprise, just as Leicester City did last campaign?