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| Fabrice Muamba gives us his Premier League predictions |
CHELSEA will not win the league because Cesc Fabregas cannot keep up his standard of brilliance for the entire season and they are too weak in attack. Manchester United need an X-Factor striker and Manchester City will only scrape fourth place. Arsenal, on the other hand, with Petr Cech anchoring their defence, will win the Premier League. Fabrice Muamba on the 2015/16 Premier League season
Arsenal 1st
Arsenal fans are well within their right to believe this could be their season.
The current squad have been together over the past five years and they have shown maturity throughout the second half of last season.
With the addition of Petr Cech and his presence at the back, there is sense that Arsenal might end that dry spell of not winning Premier League since the Invincibles of 2003-04.
And so they cannot afford to start the season in similar fashion to how they did last year which left them trying to catch up during January.
They have already proven that they can beat Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, now those players will need to show consistency throughout the season. But in particular, the strikers needs to be ruthless in front of goal and the defence will require hunger to keep a clean sheet. And I think those factors will click into place.
Chelsea 2nd
Jose Mourinho will be relishing this upcoming season to emphasise that his Chelsea side are capable of winning the league again – but I don’t think they can.
Chelsea may have brought in Radamel Falcao as replacement for Didier Drogba but the core spine of Chelsea team remains the same.
Eden Hazard was their best player last season and Jose will need to motivate him and his colleagues to raise the standard both home and away if they have any chance of winning the league.
It is well documented that Cesc Fabregas does not always play as well in the second part of season. This could be a huge problem for Chelsea as all their title rivals have more depth in their squad, especially in the attacking department.
And the question remains: how much of a role will John Terry be able to play this season? At 34, will two games a week become too much to ask?
3rd: Manchester United
This is a huge season for Manchester United. Last term, Louis van Gaal achieved his target, which was to qualify for Champions League. This time around, he needs to go one step further – and the pressure is on.
United might have strengthened their midfield with the acquisition of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin, who is also capable of playing centre-half too, but their defence is not the strongest compared to the rest of top-four sides. That remains a worry and leadership is also needed if they have any chances of finishing one step better than they did last season.
They also need an “X-factor” striker before the transfer window closes in order for them to be considered real title contenders. Otherwise, there will be too much pressure on Wayne Rooney and new signing Memphis Depay, who is unproven in a fast and physical Premier League.
4th Manchester City
This is a make-or-break season for Manuel Pellegrini, especially with Pep Guardiola seemingly waiting in the wings. And Manchester City will regret getting rid of James Milner, because they have failed to replace his versatility and commitment so far in this transfer window.
In order for City to maintain their place in the top four, Vincent Kompany will need to stay injury free and try to perform in the same level like did when they won the league the first time around. But, at 29, can that be achieved?
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