Premier League predictions pt 2

Premier League Predictions

At the start of the season I made some predictions regarding the season, as we approach the business time of the season, over a third of the way in, it seems a good time to check in on my predictions

Everton
They have struggled, especially defensively, John Stones has been missed through injury, and Martinez' formation with the full backs pushing on, has been exposed. They have conceded 31 the second highest in the league, showing their defensive frailty.

Ross Barkley also missed the first 7 games of the season and has yet to hit form.

Everton are lower than expected, but they should still finish in the top half.

Hull City
For Hull 2014 has been a juxtaposition. They had the joy of the FA cup final, mixed with a terrible run of form, that has left them in the relegation zone. In fact in 2014, Hull have just 30 points from 38 games.

I think they will still be safe, but there is a lot of pressure now. They have been unfortunate with injuries, depriving them of a settled defence, and midfield.

They should be safe, around 16th/17th.

Leicester City
The Premiership has provided a stern test for Leicester. They had a bright start, beating Manchester United 5-3 after being 3-1 down. 

However since then their form has nose dived. They have conceded 31 the second highest in the league, but don't have the fire power to compensate for it.

Ulloa and Mahrez have provided their attacking threat, but they will need more than that to stay in the Premier League.

Liverpool
I predicted they would struggle, but they have struggled, even more than I thought. They are a long way from challenging for the title and are looking unlikely to challenge for the Champions League as well.

Suarez was a big blow, and he hasn't been adequately replaced, Sturridge has compounded that with his injuries, Lovren has looked lost at the back, and Mignolet has been exposed at the highest level.

I think 7th is more likely for Livepool now.

Manchester City
They managed to navigate a bad run of form in late October and early November, and are now just 3 points behind Chelsea and in the next stage of the Champions League.

They are currently without Aguero, Dzecko and Jovetic, even Jose Pozo has been unfit, so James Milner has been upfront. However they are winning regardless, and once their strike force regains fitness, they will prove a stern test for Chelsea.

I still think they'll be a narrow second.

Premier League Predictions Review pt 1

Premier League Predictions

At the start of the season I made some predictions regarding the season, as we approach the business time of the season, over a third of the way in, it seems a good time to check in on my predictions.

Predicted Premier League Table 

It's still early days yet, but I'm spot on with the top 2 so far, the rest, well we'll have to see.

Southampton and West Ham have been the shining stars, so far, but Southampton are starting to drop away, as their fixture list has delivered some tougher assignments of late.

I'll review each team one by one as before.

Arsenal - Predicted 3rd - Current 6th
Same old Arsenal, I pontificated that Shad Forsythe maybe Arsenal's best signing if he could prevent the injury crises of previous seasons, unfortunately he has not. 

Arsenal are stuck in a rut, they are threatening in attack, with Sanchez proving an almost instant hit, with 9 goals and 5 assists in the league. However, Arsenal's formation, tactics and lack of defensive cover (both in the sense of a holding midfielder and enough defenders) have meant they have struggled to capitalise on the opportunity for 3rd place.

They need defensive cover in January and a re-think of their holding/central midfield tactics.

Aston Villa - Predicted 17th - Current 12th
Paul Lambert must be the ultimate opportunist, Villa took 10 points from their first 4 games, and Lambert was awarded a new contract. 6 straight defeats followed and in total they went 9 games without a win.

I predicted without Benteke they could struggle at the start, and that has been the case. In fact considering they have only scored 11 goals, they are doing very well to have 20 points at this stage.

They need to start scoring goals soon, they'll be hoping Benteke starts to hit form.

Burnley - Predicted 20th - Current 18th
It's been a steep learning curve for Burnley, it took them 10 games to get a win.

But they have adjusted well, and are within touching distance of safety. They are built on a disciplined defence. Scoring goals has been the issue, with only 12 scored at this stage of the season, less than Sergio Aguero.

However, Danny Ings and Ashley Barnes have started to fire, and they have Sam Vokes set to return, however they still seem light weight up front.

Chelsea - Predicted 1st - Current 1st
It's been a near perfect start for Mourinho's men, and I predicted they would be in first place. 

However, I also predicted Diego Costa would struggle, and he has scored 12 goals.

Chelsea look impressively strong, with depth in every position, it is hard to see anyone other than Man City challenging them.

Crystal Palace - Predicted 9th - Current 17th
I made my predictions on Crystal Palace whilst Tony Pulis was still in charge, and understandably Palace have struggled without him. They lie just one place above the drop zone, however I would expect them to stay up, with the creative forces of Bolasie and Zaha out wide, they just need a goal scoring front man, and they should correct that in January.

*Since writing this, Neil Warnock has been sacked and a new manager is yet to be appointed.