It’s been a long summer for many but this weekend sees the return of the Premier League, so i’ve put together my thoughts on the Premier League 2015-16 season, along with some of my own personal bets.
Premier League 2015-16 Preview
Last seasons’ Top 3 teams have all been surprisingly quiet in the Summer transfer window with a total of just 10 players being brought in with a combined spend of £94m.
Champions Chelsea will be looking to retain the title which they won by 8 points last term. Jose Mourinho has brought in Falcao to bolster his attacking options following the departure of Didier Drogba but despite the lack of purchasing that normally goes on at Chelsea the strength of their squad cannot be undermined.
The challenge for me would be if Diego Costa and Eden Hazard get injured, who will provide the ammunition upfront? If they do stay fit though it will be tough for any team to bridge the gap.
Manchester City have spent the most money out of the top 3 teams with a huge £49m being spent on 20 year old Raheem Sterling from Liverpool and he will have big expectations on his shoulders for such a young lad.
My opinion is that I don’t believe Raheem will ever be worth more than his purchase price, he lacks the touch and finishing ability of the world class players however his pace and skill does make him a big threat and he will no doubt improve as he progresses.
Away from Sterling however I don’t feel City have bought well enough to compete with Chelsea and therefore I think they will be vying for 3rd place this term.
Arsenal are my picks for this season, with Petr Cech joining the ranks he will in no doubt bolster the back line of the Gunners whilst the immense power in attack at their possession makes them look challengers in waiting for the Premier League 2015-16 crown.
I really do believe Arsenal are a world class striker and centre half away from being a real force in World Football, let alone the Premier League, the only negative would be that they have not improved their back 4 with any signings although I do think they will improve defensively with a full season under the belt of their current crop, I can’t see them out of the top 3.
Manchester United have made some interesting purchases with the picks being Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin and they will surely improve on last season’s performances.
However their lack of signing a striker and the loss of Robin Van Persie for me leaves a big void, yes Wayne Rooney is a top player but can he play up to on his own for a full season without injury/rest, I don’t think so. For me, without a big name striker coming in I don’t believe United will compete with Chelsea or Arsenal.
Liverpool have improved their squad this season with some big money being spent on namely Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Nathaniel Clyne and that is without the transfer of James Milner plus Danny Ings and Joe Gomez who will also improve the squad.
Brendan Rodgers has clearly learned from his buying errors of last season and it will be a make or break season for the Liverpool manager, whose owners will no doubt expect nothing less than a top 4 finish, I think if Benteke can stay fit and Daniel Sturridge returns to his old form, there is no reason why Liverpool won’t meet that target even with the players to gel in their first season.
My Premier League 2015-16 Verdict
New Coral Customers can take advantage of their enhanced Outright Winners’ Offer and take Arsenal to win the Premier League at 10/1 (also if you bet £20 on them you get £5 bonus bet for every game they win in August).
New Customers can also get 15/1 with Betfair.
Other Premier League 2015-16 Betting Suggestions
Next Manager to Leave Post – Manuel Pellegrini (Man City) – 10/1
With expectations high at Manchester City and the aforementioned £49m spent on one player, the pressure will be mounting on Manager Manuel Pellegrini to push for the Premier League title.
The City owners will be expecting silverware and should they falter early on this season I think 10/1 is a big price on a Manager already under the radar following a poor season last term
Top Scorer Handicap – Christian Benteke (+7 goals) – 15/2
A man with a big price tag on his head but his scoring record speaks for itself and he should have greater opportunities in his new team so to come inside 6 goals of a top scorer looks a great bet at a decent price.