The dominators dominating, surprising flops, dark horses leading the way, we’ve seen it all in the premier league this season. From ridiculous score lines to hard-fought wins, the English Premier League is slowly but surely picking up steam and momentum. But who will clinch the coveted prize when the dust settles?
In this article, you’ll discover top teams to pay attention to in this PL season and what makes them so special. Let’s dive right in.
Photo by Nathan Rogers on Unsplash
Review of The Season So Far
The English Premier League is only nine games in, but already, it’s apparent that it’s going to be a season like no other. To be fair, this is always the experience with the EPL since every season brings its uniqueness into the mix.
Visit the bookies, and you’ll see they’re already swamped taking prediction odds for who will be crowned champions in 2024. Normally you’ll need ID before you can join in on the action. However, because of the sheer number of bets, lots of bookies now allow sportsbetting without verification to take place.
But wait, don’t place those bets just yet. Let’s examine some of the league’s current impressive performers you should pay attention to.
Manchester City
With seven wins out of a possible nine and a goal difference of 12, the defending champions have pretty much started as they mean to go on. This actually comes as no surprise; after all, they arguably have the best squad in the league.
That said, it is worth mentioning that although City are currently second, they haven’t been firing on all cylinders. Major goal threat and Ballon d’Or nominee Erling Haaland has struggled in front of goal for a while. However, he did find the net against Brighton in their last game.
This suggests that Haaland could once again be finding that form that has made him a terror all across Europe. New signing Jérémy Doku has also been impressive since joining City. Overall, with a squad depth that most clubs can only dream of, Manchester City is definitely a favorite for the trophy.
With signs of their main goal threat reawakening and the tactical genius of Guardiola at the fore, City is the team to beat. The message is clear: they don’t need to be at their best to win, but when they are, they’re nearly unstoppable.
Liverpool
Since Pep arrived at Manchester City, only one team has arguably been able to practically keep pace with them. This is, of course, barring Arteta’s Arsenal title push of last season. Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp has been scintillating, turning up impressive wins in the most unlikely of conditions. This season, they currently have six wins, two draws, and a single loss so far. With their current haul of 20 points, they have league leader Tottenham securely in their sights.
You could make a good case for Liverpool to be in the running for this year’s Premier League title. However, it all depends on how fit Mohammed Salah is for the remainder of the season. With seven goals already to his name, Salah remains Liverpool’s main goal threat. He also offers that spark of creativity needed to grind out wins in the PL.
It’s also worth mentioning that in previous years, the primary reason Liverpool failed in their title challenge was injury. The midfield players are often the most affected. Currently, however, central midfielder Thiago Alcântara is currently injured. Also, Curtis Jones is still serving his three-match ban following his red card at Tottenham.
Their ability to keep getting results despite this weakened midfield will determine how well they can maintain their title push.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s men mounted a surprising title challenge last season. Some say if it wasn’t for injuries to key players in the final stretch, they might actually have won it. This season, however, the Gunners currently sit in third place and are yet to lose a game.
This becomes all the more impressive when you consider that they’ve beaten City and United already this season. They’ve also drawn Tottenham and Chelsea. The Gunners suffered injuries to key players early this season. However, the whole team is slowly but surely becoming complete again.
For Arsenal to be considered serious title contenders this season, they’ll need to maintain a fit squad for the most part. This could be easier said than done, seeing as the club is involved in a lot of competitions. They also lack the squad depth clubs like City can call upon.
Declan Rice, in particular, has been a standout player for Arsenal. You just get the feeling that if he remains fit, they might just pull it off.
Tottenham
Coming into the 2023/2024 EPL season, no one would have expected Tottenham to sit at the top of the table. However, here we are, nine games in, and the North London club is yet to lose a game. Under Postecoglou, Spurs have become very formidable and a difficult team to beat.
Many would have expected that after Kane’s departure to Bayern, Tottenham would struggle to find the net. However, it’s interesting to note that they have not only survived but thrived. Son is currently in a ruthless scoring form, and Maddison is at his creative best. Thanks to the effort of these two, Tottenham are the dark horses for the PL trophy this season.
Should they lose any of these players, they might begin to struggle, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Possible Surprises: Aston Villa and Newcastle
Currently ranked fifth and sixth respectively, this season, Aston Villa and Newcastle are also teams to pay attention to. Both of these teams have already pulled amazing surprises against top teams, and they’ve scored a lot of goals. Newcastle, in particular, recently matched their PL record for the biggest scoreline in a match. They beat Sheffield United 8-0.
Both these teams are certainly not suffering from a lack of goals. So one thing is sure: they’ll have a say in the way things finally play out at the end of the season.
Conclusion
So there you have it: top teams worth keeping an eye on in this PL season. The league’s only nine games in, and with a lot still left to play for, anything can still happen. But that’s precisely why we love the game, isn’t it?
