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Liverpool may have won the Premier League by miles last season, but the group of writers at talkSPORT.com are generally not confident in their chances of retaining their title.
Jurgen Klopp’s team closed it all out with seven games to spare in 2019/20 and finished 18 points ahead of runner-up Manchester City.
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Liverpool is the team everyone wants to beat now
They kick-start their title defense with a potentially tough test at home against Leeds on Saturday, a match that you can listen to LIVE on talkSPORT, which begins at 5:30 pm.
As we did last season, on Saturday we will provide you LIVE commentary of the Premier League matches in all three schedules.
You can listen to the games at 12.30pm, 5.30pm and 8pm as we bring award-winning coverage to more GameDay listeners than ever before.
But before a ball was kicked, the writers at talkSPORT.com put themselves in jeopardy to make their predictions on who will win and who will take the top European venues.
Thiago to Liverpool ‘a better signing than Lionel Messi to Manchester City’, says Wayne Rooney, who makes a daring claim for the PL title
Jackson Cole, sports writer
Top six: 1. Manchester City (winner), 2. Liverpool (CL), 3. Manchester United (CL), 4. Arsenal (CL), 5. Chelsea (EL), 6. Tottenham (EL)
Liverpool got away with not making any major signings last summer, but doing so two years in a row is too great a risk.
With the utmost respect to Kostas Tsimikas, the Reds have not done enough during this window.
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Liverpool are playing a dangerous game by not reinforcing their squad
Manchester City have gotten into Nathan Ake, who along with a fit Aymeric Laporte, should fix last season’s defensive cracks. Liverpool may be unlucky with injuries this season and with a shallow squad that will get them in trouble.
Manchester United have a formidable midfield now, so they should break into the top four easily, but they still lack world-class center-backs. I have a feeling the unreliable David de Gea will remain their first-choice goalkeeper, holding them back as well.
And fourthly, I have gone for Arsenal to beat Chelsea. The Gunners have recruited well and the feelings at the club are good.
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Arteta led Arsenal to FA Cup glory last season. Will they be able to continue their good progress this quarter?
Although Chelsea have made many eye-catching signings, they have yet to adequately address their main problems: the central defender and the goalkeeper.
Thiago Silva has signed but turns 36 this month, I hope they find out now that he is not in a farmers league. They are about to sign Edouard Mendy, but is he world class? Time will tell.
I think Tottenham will improve, but they will still be a bit far from the top four. They will stand out in cup competitions with the great José Mourinho at the helm.
Oliver Dawnay, sports writer
The top six: 1. Chelsea (winner), 2. Manchester City (CL), 3. Liverpool (CL), 4. Manchester United (CL), 5. Everton (EL), 6. Tottenham (EL)
Frank Lampard has had a world-class transfer market and the Blues will be hungrier than ever to claim the Premier League title having last won it in 2016/17.
Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech are dynamite and their attack will propel them to glory in the English top flight.
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Imagine the scenes at Stamford Bridge if Lampard also won the Premier League as coach. Liverpool have not added the reinforcements needed to win consecutive titles and will pay the price for their shyness in the marketplace.
It’s Carlo Ancelotti’s moment to shine. He has been supported in the transfer market and now has one of the best midfielders in the division. Everton will finish above Spurs, but José Mourinho’s men have enough quality to clinch a place in the Europa League.
Josh Fordham, sports writer
The top six: 1. Liverpool (winner), 2. Manchester City (CL), 3. Chelsea (CL), 4. Manchester United (CL), 5. Arsenal (EL), 6. Tottenham (EL)
No one has done enough this summer to close the gap on Jurgen Klopp’s side even though they have been quiet in the transfer window. The first four are the best by some distance and then there is a gap with the rest.
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Josh is the only talkSPORT.com writer backing Liverpool to win back-to-back Premier League titles
Chelsea have made some big additions this summer, but it may take some time for them to adjust and I don’t see them fighting for the title.
Man United will pick up where it left off last season and secure the final place in the Champions League. Leicester have lost Ben Chilwell and will slide further down the table this season and finish outside the top six.
Arsenal have had a slightly better summer in the transfer market than Tottenham with their signings of Willian, Gabriel and Dani Ceballos and will put their North London rivals in fifth place.
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Mourinho has a lot to do with Tottenham
Jake Bacon, sports writer
The top six: 1. Manchester City (winner), 2. Liverpool (CL), 3. Chelsea (CL), 4. Manchester United (CL), 5. Tottenham (EL), 6. Arsenal (EL)
I’m going through the traditional top six to come back this season. Leicester did well to finish fifth, even if they should have secured a top four finish last season.
However, with Jamie Vardy getting old and the club failing, so far, to cover enough, I can see Leicester drift away. This will pave the way for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to return to the top six.
Man City will lead Liverpool to the title, and games behind closed doors will likely favor Pep Guardiola’s side.
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Guardiola has twice won the Premier League
Meanwhile, the big spenders Chelsea could push City and Liverpool and finish third with Manchester United with slightly more than Tottenham and Arsenal to take the final Champions League spot.
Anton Stanley, Feature Editor
The top six: 1. Manchester City (winner), 2. Liverpool (CL), 3. Chelsea (CL), 4. Manchester United (CL), 5. Arsenal (EL), 6. Tottenham (EL)
Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t think Liverpool are going to drop drastically, but there could well be a drop.
Let’s face it, if they can continue at the same pace for a third season, it’s really amazing. The possible loss of Georginio Wijnaldum could be a bigger blow than many anticipate.
City’s signings should be the boost they need to get back to No. 1, but something is also not going well on defense for now.
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City will be up to the task if Ake can form a good partnership with Aymeric Laporte on defense
Chelsea will be better than last season, but only if Lampard gets his tactics right is there a good chance they will be as chaotic as they are brilliant.
Manchester United should see some regression in terms of penalties this season, so expect some tighter matches to go wrong, but overall the talent in the attacking third is undeniable and should be enough to get them across the finish line in fourth place.
Tottenham and Arsenal are lost, but the Gunners are likely to end the campaign earlier than their rivals with too many questions about Spurs players at the moment and limited transfer action. Arteta has clearly seen the potential of a top four finish and has drafted well.
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Havertz and Werner to create a renewed Chelsea
Billy Hawkins, news editor
The top six: 1. Manchester City (winner), 2. Liverpool (CL), 3. Chelsea (CL), 4. Tottenham (CL), 5. Manchester United (EL), 6. Arsenal (EL)
It may be boring, but they are called the ‘Big Six’ for a reason.
Manchester City and Liverpool are shoo-ins; Chelsea have bought well, so it is better than last season; Tottenham have José Mourinho for a full season; Manchester United continues to get results despite doubts about them; and Arsenal have Mikel Arteta, whose impact has been evident to all.
Sorry Premier League fans, there will be NO top six door crashes this season.
Sam Gilbert, Social Media Manager
Top six: 1. Arsenal (winner), 2. Manchester City (CL), 3. Liverpool (CL), 4. Chelsea (CL), 5. Manchester United (EL), 6. Tottenham (EL)
What do you have in life if you don’t have faith? Arsenal fans have seen enough of Arteta to be encouraged by the progress they are making. Why can’t they go all the way and win this season?
The Gunners are the fit team heading into the new season and have won their last two games against Liverpool (yes, the Community Shield counts), and have beaten both Chelsea and Man City in recent weeks. Stranger things have happened in football …
Pep will retire at Man City after leading a valiant charge to win the league, but I love the narrative of Arteta, his former apprentice, who won him the jackpot.
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Arteta beating his former mentor for the title this season? It couldn’t happen, right?
Every dog has its day and I’m afraid Liverpool have had theirs. With Fenway Sports Group reluctant to spend money on new signings, I can see Liverpool’s complacency in the transfer window returning to haunt them in spectacular fashion this season.
The pretty big caveat for predicting Chelsea will finish in the top four is that their 68 new signings start to roll and join. For Lampard’s sake, they better do it …
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plan to put in as many midfielders as possible will not be enough to get Manchester United into the top four. Even if a marquee signing like Jadon Sancho or Jack Grealish makes it to Old Trafford, I still don’t think the Red Devils have enough to build on their finale from last season.
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United have been obsessed with signing Sancho all summer, but Sam thinks his acquisition won’t even be enough to put them in the top four.
In typical José Mourinho fashion, he will be fired mid-season and his replacement (a comeback from Mauricio Pochettino) will stabilize the Spurs’ boat enough to place them in the top six.
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