With only a month to go until the Premier League season kicks off again, after what seems like an eternity of inaction, we go over our season predictions for the league winner, top goalscorer, relegation candidates and top 4 finishers!

Premier League Winners Prediction

Chelsea
Title Odds: 15/8 best price

The Special One Jose Mourinho will make it 2 seasons in a row for his formidable Chelsea side.

After blitzing the first half of last season, they came under scrutiny the moment their displays dipped below expectations. However, they continued to clinch result after result thanks to the in-built winning mentality that Mourinho had instilled in his squad.

It’s hard to see any other team getting the better of Chelsea over the expanse of a league season, unless there are any huge transfer deals that are unknown to us.

So far, they have let club legend Petr Cech leave for Arsenal and sought a backup goalkeeper in Asmir Begovic. They have also brought in the misfiring Radamel Falcao on loan after he was set free by Manchester United.

It seems rather unlikely that they will stump up big money for any more players, as the squad isn’t really lacking in any areas. Ivanovic, Terry, and Cahill are all still enjoying their prime, and the emergence of youngster Kurt Zouma was another highlight of last season. Hazard, Oscar, and Costa were exceptional, and with Falcao brought in to provide backup after Drogba departed they look set in attack as well. Linking defence and attack will be Matic and Fabregas’ department, who are both in the prime of their careers and unlikely to need replacements drafting anytime soon.

This ready-made squad also avoids any potential problems will gelling among new members in the team, so I really can’t see any team other than Chelsea winning the Premier League in the coming season. The bookies agree as well, with bet365 listing the price of Chelsea to win the league at 6/4.

Top 4 Finish Predictions

Arsenal
Title Odds: 4/1 best pric

A permanent fixture in the top 4 of the Premier League, and I see the coming year as being no different, and I fancy Arsenal to finish 2nd thanks to the addition of Petr Cech.

Alexis Sanchez had a very impressive debut season in red and white, netting 16 league goals and terrorising defences with his blistering pace and flair. Add to that the fact that Theo Walcott missed most of the season through injury, and their trademark eccentric goalkeepers shipped many unnecessary goals, and it’s easy to see why we expect Arsenal to perform better this season.

The solidity of Petr Cech will provide the defence will a massive confidence boost, and Francois Coquelin is likely to play a vital role in central midfield after emerging as a real talent towards the end of last season.

Cech will save a significant number of dropped points in my opinion. And if they can stave off their central midfield injuries they should well outperform last season’s handiwork, even though they look likely to miss out on Morgan Schneiderlin.

Manchester City
Title Odds: 3/1 best price

It’s been a quiet summer for Manchester City so far, but I harbour no doubts that they will splash the cash on somebody in the coming months.

Raheem Sterling looks the most likely option, although in my opinion £50 million is a major overvaluation for a player who wasn’t even the best in his team last term.

But even without any high profile additions to the squad, Manchester City have all the quality available to them to make the top 4 comfortably. Sergio Aguero remains one of the best strikers in the world at the moment, and with Silva, Nasri, and Toure around him there should be no shortage of service.

I think the main aim of Man City this summer will be finding a long term replacement for the ageing Yaya Toure, who has been one of the most influential players in both defence and attack in recent seasons for the big spenders.

Manchester United
Title Odds: 11/2 best price

I predict Manchester United will make the top 4 much more comfortably than they managed last season, but still lack the credentials to mount any real title challenge.

However, that could all change in the coming months. They have already shelled out £30 million on the highly rated wonderkid Memphis Depay, and we expect a world class striker to be added to that list before the transfer window is closed. Robin van Persie is expected to move on sooner rather than later, and Radamel Falcao has already departed. This leaves a gaping hole in their front line, one that they can’t fill even with the bulky frame of Wayne Rooney.

The future of David De Gea is obviously vital for Man United, and with Iker Casillas openly admitting he would welcome a move to Porto De Gea’s future looks like it’s back in Madrid. This will mean that, as well as a striker and the likely incoming Morgan Schneiderlin, Van Gaal will be scouting for a goalkeeping replacement this summer.

Just like last season, this amounts to a fairly large influx of newly established first team players. This could well end up with them having another slow start to the season.

Relegation Predictions

Watford (8/11 best price)

Watford had an incredible second half of the season in the Championship last year, with striking duo Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo lighting the league on fire with some incredible attacking displays. Deeney has recently signed a new 5 year deal with the Hornets, and Ighalo has openly said he would like to stay. Attacking midfielder Matej Vydra has also joined the club on a permanent basis, and they have signed Capoue and Stambouli from Spurs already this summer.

However, the all-out attacking set up they employed in the Championship is unlikely to cut it in the Premier League. High quality teams will simply soak up the pressure and destroy them on the break, and their defence proved a little shaky at times last term.

If Watford are going to remain in the league for more than a season, they will need to sign some defensive players this summer. This is what I believe will save the Bournemouth side, who have completed a number of big signings very early on in the transfer window, largely focusing on the defensive areas of the pitch.

Leicester City (4/1 best price)

The surprise sacking of the heroic Leicester boss Nigel Pearson could prove to be a massive mistake in my opinion. The manager finally figured out how to get the best out of this team late in the season and managed to perform a great escape from the bottom of the league.

Claudio Ranieri was named manager which we think is an appointment destined for the drop. Add to that Leicester’s weak squad won’t give Ranieri an easy life in the Premier League, and any manager would find it difficult to avoid relegation.

I expect them to find themselves in a tough position in the league again by Christmas, and I simply can’t back them making the great escape 2 years in a row.

Sunderland (5/2 with Bet Victor)

Despite Dick Advocaat managing to turn the Sunderland squad around in his short time there, the inspiration he obviously instilled will have worn off by then. Now, they are left with a disjointed squad full of under performing players.

So far, they have shown no sign of amending that, with the transfer rumour mill remaining quiet in the Sunderland camp and Celtic defender Adam Matthews and Sebastian Coates being the only additions so far. I expect them to, once again, infuriate the Stadium of Light season ticket holders, but this time they won’t stop the freefall.

Sky Bet Special: Leicester, Sunderland, and Watford all to be relegated (66/1)

Bournemouth and Norwich to Stay Up?

Bournemouth have been tipped as one of the hot favourites to make a swift return to the Championship, but I think they are doing themselves a lot of favours in the transfer market.

It’s a well known saying that titles are won at the back, and it’s no different for relegation candidates. Bournemouth showed off their attacking ability last season, scoring a huge whilst only conceding 45.

However, they have recognised that their attack won’t keep them out of trouble in the Premier League, and have splashed the cash in the early stages of the transfer market. Defender Sylvain Distin will bring much needed Premier League experience to the back line, whilst Artur Boruc will instil confidence in Distin and club record signing Tyrone Mings.

They are unlikely to be finished in the transfer market, but getting so many key signings under their belt so early on will give their squad time to get to know each other, and I think a good start will be key in their survival.

Bournemouth to stay up (5/6 best price with Bet Victor)

Norwich have the advantage of previous Premier League experience to guide them, and their squad is already fairly strong from their last stint in the top flight. They are hoping to add Blackburn hotshot Rudy Gestede to their ranks, and have already brought in Graham Dorrans from West Brom. They will also add Youssouf Mulumbu to their squad once his contract is up, and have made numerous bids for Hull City’s Robbie Brady.

If Norwich can add Gestede and Brady to the squad, I think their mixture of youth and experience will guide them towards safety come the end of the season.

Norwich to stay up (10/11 best price)

Premier League Top Goalscorer Tips

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Sergio Aguero (7/2)

Last season’s top scorer is, for obvious reasons, the bookies favourite going into the new Premier League season. The Manchester City marksman missed a couple of months of last year’s campaign, but still ended the season with 26 league goals.

He continued that vein of form into the Copa America, where he was the one of the standout players in what was a fairly dull Copa America tournament.

He has proven year after year that he is simply unplayable, and I foresee that he will continue to give defenders nightmares this season.

Harry Kane (14/1)

Where will Harry Kane be when he leaps in to Premier League action this season? At the time of writing, he’s still at Spurs, but he could well start the season at Manchester United.

Louis Van Gaal is certainly looking for a striker amid the departure of Falcao and the imminent sale of Robin van Persie, and a young English starlet such as Harry Kane would fit the bill perfectly.

Wherever he ends up, if he can keep up the form he showed last season he will certainly be up there with the best of them. He didn’t become a key figure in the Spurs set up until November, but still managed an impressive 21 league goals with his combination of pace, strength, and finishing ability.