Off Topic 2023/2024 EPL TITLE ODDS !

Liverpool has been more successful than city-winning more trophies. You noisy neighbor .

 

You've hurt my feelings now.....

 

Who ever hurts you is hurting himself. REALITY !.

 

Confucius?

 

He never got kicked in the shin by a CB.

 

Ryan Elliott gives a detailed breakdown of this season's Premier League, as well as his 1-20 predictions.

The Title Race
Let’s get down to business…

My pick to win the 2019/20 Premier League title is…*drumroll please*…Liverpool (1st).

Finally, after so many long years of Premier League failure—and yes, not winning the title is a failure for a club of Liverpool’s size—I’m backing Jurgen Klopp to at last deliver the big one.

Though they’ve had a slightly ropey pre-season, it would be crazy to consider that when deciding the winner of the Premier League; Liverpool’s excellent performance against Manchester City in the Community Shield, which they arguably should have won, is a much better indicator of where the squad is at.
Last season showed that the gap between Liverpool and City is tiny. Miniscule. Pep Guardiola’s men only need to drop 1% of their intensity—a possibility considering their Champions League aspirations—and Liverpool could well capitalise.

There has been a steady improvement under Klopp at Anfield (8th, 4th, 4th, 2nd), and I can’t help but think their defence is simply too good to allow any significant decline in quality from last season. Furthermore, without trying to sound sensationalist, Liverpool are unbeatable at Anfield (they haven’t lost there since 2017), and that’ll go a long way to ensuring their standards don’t drop this time around.

It’s shaping up like another two-horse race – one which I see Liverpool winning.

Which leaves Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City (2nd) finishing runners-up

City’s one big arrival this summer has been midfielder Rodri—giving some much-needed competition to the ageing Fernandinho—but I do have some doubts over whether Pep’s side can maintain the astronomically high standards set over the last two years.

Firstly, they’ve retained the Premier League for the first time in a decade – box ticked. Secondly, they still haven’t won the Champions League despite the billions that we’ve
seen be poured into the club, so you can be sure that’s the manager’s first priority next season.

I find it unlikely that City and Liverpool will notch-up 98 and 97 points respectively this time around, but I do believe it’s more likely City’s level drops than Liverpool’s. With the two sides so evenly-matched, it could all come down to focus and desire – perhaps that’s where Liverpool finally win their first Premier League.

Liverpool
Premier League
1.5pts
Top Four Finish
I have fairly high hopes for Spurs (3rd) this season.

It’s so far been a quiet transfer window for the North Londoners, barring the signing of Tanguy Ndombele in midfield—a position where Spurs desperately needed some added depth—but another season under the stewardship of Mauricio Pochettino can only be a positive.

Considering the side finished third last year and reached the Champions League final, despite Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane missing huge chunks of the season, it does show just how good this squad really is, and there’s little to suggest Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United will make up enough ground this year. A full season at the new stadium is also a nice bonus.

You generally know what to expect from Poch’s Spurs, and I can’t see this being much different. A slight lack of depth still perhaps prevents Spurs from mounting a serious, sustained challenge for the title, but they’re still in a very good place.
Occupying the final Champions League place this season is Arsenal (4th).

I’ve been impressed with the work Unai Emery has done over the summer. Dani Ceballos looks like a very nice midfield option, while Nicolas Pepe scored 22 goals and registered 11 assists in Ligue 1 last term, and will add plenty to Arsenal’s already terrifying forward line.

There’s been little in the way of defensive reinforcements incoming— I generally don’t see that as an area where Emery thrives as a coach anyway—but the Gunners boss is a much more experienced (and talented) manager than both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard, which is why I’m backing Arsenal to wrap up fourth place.

Missing out on Champions League qualification, I have Manchester United (5th).

I must admit, I was tempted to reconsider this decision following Harry Maguire’s big money arrival, but I’m sticking to my guns – as long as Solskjaer is in charge, I struggle to
see how United break into the top four.

The side over-performed their xG to such a significant extent last year, and once things started going awry, Ole suddenly didn’t look the master-tactician many started believing he was.

A centre-back pairing of Maguire and Victor Lindelof does look strong, but I still have huge issues with the rest of the squad: who replaces Romelu Lukaku? Who replaces Ander Herrera? Is there enough quality in the middle of the park? Will Paul Pogba perform?

I just don’t see this United side as the finished article, and while they’ll surely concede fewer, I don’t expect much in the way of cutting edge at the other end of the pitch.

I’m not necessarily saying Manchester United will be bad, but they’ll certainly fall short of the top four.
Warding off the challengers below them, I have Chelsea (6th) next.

It’s been a strange few months at Stamford Bridge; Frank Lampard’s arrival has renewed a sense of optimism around the place following Maurizio Sarri’s bizarre tenure, but I see a few glaring issues with Chelsea this season.

The first being Lampard. Though it’s undeniable he did well at Derby last season, there were certain tactical naiveties which seemed to be glaring – benching Jack Marriott and Martyn Waghorn in the play-off final defeat against Aston Villa was particularly costly.

Of course, Lampard is a young manager cutting his teeth, so he’s bound to make mistakes, but this job, in my opinion, has come round a little too early for him.

However, the departure of Eden Hazard, and subsequent transfer ban, is a bigger worry. Hazard scored 55 goals in his last three seasons with the club, but I cannot see how Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi come close to covering that
monumental loss.

Christian Pulisic comes in to help ease that burden, but the American was benched for Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund last season, and generally underperformed when given a chance, so he’ll need time.

Lampard won’t be afraid to blood youth, but as a result I wouldn’t expect his side to pull up any trees this season.

Arsenal
Premier League [Top 4 Finish]
2pts
Final Table Prediction

1. Liverpool

2. Manchester City

3. Spurs

4. Arsenal

5. Manchester United

6. Chelsea

7. Leicester CIty
8. Everton

9. Wolverhampton Wanderers

10. Southampton

11. West Ham United

12. Watford

13. Aston Villa

14. Burnley

15. Brighton & Hove Albion

16. Newcastle United

17. Bournemouth
18. Crystal Palace

19. Norwich City

20. Sheffield United
https://www.oddschecker.com/tips/football/20190806-premier-league-2019-20-betting-tips-predictions

 

I think the pendulum has slipped towards Liverpool with the injury to Laporte. Stones and Otamendi are not the same quality. You also include the injury to Sane. City are not as superhuman without him.

I think as things currently stand with it being a 2 horse race, the title is Anfield bound. We celebrated 6 last year...this season the magic number will be 19.

 

Laporte will be out for a few weeks of so, not too long. They have a run of easy games too:

vs Norwich, Watford, Everton, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Southampton.

I see them winning the lot, with or without Laporte.

 

You won it last Christmas
Don’t be greedy

 

There was no prognosis as of yet and won't be until tomorrow and the earliest. To suggest Laporte will be out for a 'few weeks' is premature. By the look of the injury first hand, it looks months not weeks.

Can you really trust Otamendi and Fernandinho to cope against half decent teams?

 

Man City have enough cover to cope for any position. They won't be effected

 

What are you doing on these board nosy batard..

 

Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham: Spurs off the pace as two leading horses pull away
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49543347

 

Yet another pointless article by McNutty.
It's way too early to call it a two-horse race. Obviously that's the way it's looking, but anything can happen. We only need a couple of weak performances and/or some crucial injuries, draw a couple of games, and others could close the gap.
If both City and we show no signs of faltering and are a dozen points clear by Christmas, then we can start to make tentative predictions.

 

Not at centre back they don't. Stones is erratic and Otamendi is dreadful. Imagine City going to Anfield with these two? It's likely too because a realistic prognosis and this is very likely that Laporte won't be back until the new year.

Do you remember the CL at the Etihad when Bobby Firmino strolled past Otamendi? Bobby destroyed him without even trying. That shows you how bad he is. City may be a fabulous attacking side. They are not as good defensively as a full strength Liverpool.

 

Who they playing whilst Laporte is out? They don't come Anfield until 9 November (roughly 5.5wks)

 

That doesn't matter a jot, there are no easy games. It's also highly likely Laporte is out of the game at Anfield. Stones and Otamendi struggle against raw pace.

 

Yeah, of course they'll struggle when they've got 80%+ possession and rarely have to do any defending. I stand corrected...


Stones and Otamendi are still a better pairing than most teams in the league can muster btw

 

City can always be got at, but few teams have the balls to have a go at them.
It's understandable - lose possession with too many players high up and they'll rip you open. Their fire-power is such that no matter who's at the back, they'll still outscore most opponents.
Most teams will be happier losing 3-0 rather than 6-1.

 

Agreed. Just find it laughable that someone would think the most exclusively em assembled squad would crumble because one player as a short term injury.