Premier League Preview

Manchester City were last season’s champions, which was expected throughout but required some slip ups, both literally and figuratively, from Liverpool to happen. Chelsea was close but just didn't have that cutting edge. There are seven contenders for this year’s title. Here is how I rank them:

Chelsea has the best team on paper. They have an experienced tactician now saddled with the team that he wants. The only thing in the balance is to see if Jose Mourinho still has his magic touch and is able to put the pieces together into one of his championship units. They are strong in every position – they even have two of the top goalkeepers in the world. Signings Filipe Luis, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas fill the team’s voids from last season. Nemanja Matic will be eligible in the Champions League and will anchor the midfield with Fabregas and Marco Van Ginkel. The only question is their ability to mesh together – sometimes Chelsea would look very discombobulated and out-of-sync, especially against weak opposition. The Costa addition should help address the lack of goals from the forward position, and although the sale of Romelu Lukaku could wind up hurting the club in the long run, Chelsea looks well-rounded and deep. An injury to Costa or Matic would leave Chelsea the most exposed, but there are so many talented attacking players in the side to fill the void. If the squad is able to mesh, Chelsea will dominate the league.

Arsenal finally ended their trophy drought with last year’s FA Cup title, and followed it up with another victory in the Community Shield against Manchester City. They will have their issues in defense but their attacking options can cause anyone problems with both pace and finesse. Alexis Sanchez was the big signing, but Yaya Sanogo will be a key player for Arsenal. If he can emerge into a Premier League level striker, Arsenal will contend for the title. If he cannot, there will be games where Arsenal are missing that little extra firepower to take the title.

Defensively they have plenty of questions. The departure of Thomas Vermaelen means that Arsene Wenger has enough confidence in Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker to carry the squad. New captain Mikel Arteta will have to have one of his best seasons. At age 33, his best years could be behind him, but perhaps this could be the least asked of him, considering the talent surrounding him on the field. Arsenal haven’t been in a title race for years – this squad is finally close to the caliber needed to endure the long season. I expect good things from Arsenal, but they will need to play much better against the top teams in the league – an area where they were beaten heavily on multiple occasions last term.

Manchester City are the defending champions, and have retained the core of last year’s team. David Silva, one of their best players, has committed to the club long-term, signing a new five-year deal. City were fortunate to take last season’s trophy, but they have one of the top squads on the continent, and owners who certainly aren’t afraid to spend. City will look to be ambitious in Europe as well - their transition from a rising, rich club to an established superpower is finally complete. After City won their first title three years ago, there was a noticeable drop off during the following season. Their offensive weapons are plentiful and probably the best in the league, but despite signings of Bacary Sagna and Fernando to help the defense and holding midfield, I see their defense as a weak spot. Joe Hart has failed to convince during his years as City's #1 in goal, and Willy Caballero was terrible against Arsenal. City will score a ton of goals and should be right in the thick of it, but without someone stepping up in the defensive third, they will drop too many points.

Liverpool were last season’s surprise story. Brendan Rodgers has put together a very complete squad but lost his top player and goalscorer, Luis Suarez, to Barcelona. While the embattled Suarez’s departure will certainly help Liverpool off the field, his absence will be felt on it, and with no viable replacement signed this offseason, Liverpool will struggle to replicate their second-place finish. Dejan Lovren was a big signing, helping what was a beleaguered defense last season, but other signings, including two others from Southampton, will have less of an impact. I like the prospects of Adam Lallana but I don’t really see how he fits into the team. Liverpool will have a strong midfield but I still see weaknesses in defense and an attacked centered around Daniel Sturridge. He had a great season last year and has proven himself with the Reds, but overreliance on Sturridge, who was very erratic in his Chelsea days and is now without his strike partner, could be costly. Liverpool shouldn’t experience a drastic dropout, but I see a battle for a top-four place.Tottenham learned that losing your best player and replacing him with a few good ones usually doesn't work.

Manchester United are a popular bounce back candidate under new coach Louis Van Gaal. United have been impressive in the preseason, but I don’t see them reaching the top 4 this year. David Moyes mismanaged the club and was a major factor in the rapid descent of the club, but the players are not good enough and there weren’t enough big signings to overhaul the squad. The team that won the title two years ago was far too reliant on currently injured Dutchman Robin Van Persie, and there are a number of unproven players that Van Gaal will be forced to give a chance. He did a fantastic job with Holland, taking a team of youngsters to a third place finish in Brazil this summer, but the league season is a long grind, not a short sprint. Van Gaal will help develop some of the young talent and can certainly stop the bleeding from last year, but a quick jump back into the top four looks unlikely to me.

Everton’s signing of Romelu Lukaku completely changes the outlook on the season. Without Lukaku, they were without a bona fide striker and one of their top players from last season. With him, they should continue to be a dangerous side. Roberto Martinez has proven himself to be one of the best managers in the Premier League, and with Everton actually buying players after years of catching up with debt, a top four place is hardly out of the question. Everton has always been a show-me squad; I'm not going to predict them to finish in the top four until I see it. They play a very attractive style and their matches with Liverpool should be very intense, but I don't see the depth to crack the Champions League places. It should be another good campaign from Everton, and Martinez will continue building this squad for the future.

Tottenham took a huge step backwards last season. It began with Andre Villas-Boas, ended with Tim Sherwood, and was underwhelming throughout. Gareth Bale’s move to Real Madrid gave Daniel Levy a massive paycheck to spend on new players, which he did – but very few shone during the rocky season. Eric Lamela was the biggest underperformer, with his move from Roma a complete flop amid talks of him leaving the club after just one year. Mauricio Pochettino proved a success at Southampton and he could be the right man in North London. Spurs could prove to be very good this year but they don’t stack up well against the teams above them. They have more rebuilding to do and have had the least success in the transfer market. It will be interesting to see if Pochettino can end the club’s disappointing run, or if the new players will continue to struggle. Spurs and Everton are both very good sides, but the top three teams are so strong that it's going to be difficult to take a European place.

The best team defensively in any sport is often the one who wins. Chelsea had the best defensive record last season and their defense could be even better this season. I just see Arsenal and City dropping points because of their potential defensive issues. Regardless, it should be a tight race and I'm looking forward to the season starting this weekend.

Projected Top 7:

1)      Chelsea
2)      Arsenal
3)      Manchester City
4)      Liverpool
5)      Manchester United
6)      Everton
7)      Tottenham
Trivia: Who is the highest scoring active player in the English Premier League?

Last answer: Brazil and Italy. Brazil won both finals, in 1970 and 1994.

Champions League Final Preview

It isn’t El Clasico, but it may be even better. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will play a Madrid derby in Lisbon, and will give Spain its second European champion of the year (Sevilla won the Europa League). Both clubs won their semi-final matchups with a curious lack of drama, winning by a combined score of 7-1 in the second legs of the ties, which were played on the road. Really impressive play from both teams, as the last two European champions, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, were swiftly sent packing. 

La Liga’s race came right down to the wire, with all three top clubs stuttering multiple times, but it was Atletico who came out on top, with Diego Godin’s goal securing a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou. It's a deserved and long-awaited triumph for Atletico, whose defensive prowess reigned in a typically offensive league. I think Real counted themselves out of the league too early and focused squarely on 'La Decima.' Obviously, that is not a bad thing because they are in the final, but they really blew the title this year despite being given so many chances to come back into the race. We will see if their lack of attention in the league pays off with a victory in Lisbon.

When: May 24, 2:45 ET

Injuries & Suspensions: There are a number of notable players in this category. Xabi Alonso picked up a yellow card with Real leading 4-0 on aggregate in Munich, and now he will miss the final. It’s a shame that players must miss the final for yellow card accumulation, but there is no better way to implement the rule, and he really should have known better in that situation. He is perhaps Real’s most important player, and they will feel his absence. 

Diego Costa has a hamstring problem for which he underwent surgery for last Monday, while Cristiano Ronaldo has a groin issue, and he has not played since May 7. These are massive attacking players for each side, and while both have adequate alternatives, these two are irreplaceable. They are both making the trip to Lisbon, and Ronaldo seems to be the healthier of the two, but it remains to be seen. If Atletico are missing Costa, Diego Simeone will likely turn to David Villa, while Carlo Ancelotti would turn to Gareth Bale to fill in for Ronaldo. 

Real have other concerns at both the front and the back, as Karim Benzema and Pepe are questionable to play. If either are unable to play, it presents a big problem for Los Blancos. Without Benzema (and a hobbled Ronaldo) Real will not have a focal point to their attack. While Pepe may have an erratic history, he has been fantastic in the Champions League this year, and they will already be missing cover in midfield due to Xabi’s absence. While I hope the injured players are able to play, it would be interesting to see how Ancelotti would set up the side without either or both of those two players. Lastly, Arda Turan is also racing to be fit for the contest for Atletico. He was a constant threat against Chelsea and provides plenty of service to Costa. He is a major part of Atletico’s passing play in the final third, and after picking up an injury against Barca, it will be a close call. 

Prior Meetings: This season, the sides played four times – twice in La Liga and twice in the Copa Del Rey semi-finals. Atletico won 1-0 at the Bernabeu and the sides drew 2-2 at the Vicente Calderon in La Liga, while Real won 3-0 at home and 2-0 away in the Copa. The 2-0 loss for Atletico was played without the likes of Diego Costa, Diego Godin, Arda Turan and Adrian, but it was a convincing response from Real nonetheless following their string of poor results against the Rojiblancos. 

Verdict: There is as much uncertainty in this final as I can remember – there are injury questions piled on to the fact that it’s a Madrid derby, and derbies are nearly unpredictable. Real dominated Atletico under Jose Mourinho, but now Diego Simeone’s crew has been getting the better of their wealthier neighbors. The pressure is squarely on Real – this has been a long-awaited moment for their fan base, and a loss to Atletico would be very painful to swallow. It’s surely a match Atletico want to win, but having won La Liga, they have surpassed everyone’s expectations by a long, long way. 

It’s hard to even pick who the favorite should be. Atletico won the league, but Real have performed admirably against high-level competition, while tripping up on some of the lower hurdles. The match is close by in Portugal, so there’s no site advantage. Carlo Ancelotti has more experience at this level and has already won two Champions League crowns with AC Milan, but Diego Simeone has proved himself to be one of the best coaches is the game today with his team’s achievements this season. Real have superior attacking depth, but Atletico have a sturdier defense and one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Thibault Courtois. Real has a slightly better midfield, but they will not have Xabi, so I think that advantage swings to Atletico. The point is, there’s no distinguishing these two sides.

Weighing in all the factors, I think Atletico wins if Costa plays and Real is missing any of Ronaldo, Pepe, or Benzema. If Ancelotti has all of those players at his disposal, I think Los Blancos take La Decima. My reasoning – with Xabi already out of the lineup, if Real are missing a forward, or another important defender, Atletico will have a major advantage, as Ancelotti will be using someone he hasn't featured often. Atletico have won without Costa before, but I don’t see them doing it on this stage against a team that has been gearing for this game for the last month. I don’t believe in the “meant to be” type outlook on this match for Real – they have superior individual players and in what could be a very tight game, one moment of brilliance could make the difference. Between Ronaldo, Bale, Di Maria, Modric, etc. there are depths of brilliance. It looks like Ronaldo will play and don't be surprised to see him become the man of the moment. It should be a very tight match, and I will take Real to produce that one Zidane-esque moment to take La Decima.

Prediction: Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid

Maybe add to these?