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THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
Injuries and key players losing form meant Liverpool’s title defence barely got started
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time last year, and the Champions League the season before, much was expected of Jurgen Klopp’s Reds. Unfortunately a host of injuries, which saw influential centre-back Virgil van Dijk out for the majority of the season, resulted in Liverpool struggling to establish any consistency in the league. Missing a number of key players was fundamental to their disappointing performance, yet the poor form of the likes of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino should not be underplayed. Throughout Liverpool’s 18 months of success much was made of how Klopp rarely rotated his side, with his players maintaining remarkably consistent high standards. As a result, it seems almost inevitable in hindsight that injuries and a dip in form were on the horizon, and whereas Manchester City have reinforced year-in, year out, Liverpool have paid this price this season for a lack of investment in the summer after they lifted the title. The blame should not be laid solely at the feet of the former champions, as the teams that made up the rest of the top four, Manchester United and Chelsea, also failed to put pressure on the eventual winners, although the latter did best City in the Champions League Final. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side came closest in the table, though finishing 12 points behind their cross-town rivals despite not partaking in the Champions League knock-out stages can hardly be seen as a success. Likewise, Chelsea’s resurgence under Thomas Tuchel came too late in the season to ever come near to Manchester City, despite beating Guardiola’s side every time they met. At times the 2020-21 season looked set to break the monopoly of the Premier League giants, with Tottenham and Everton both enjoying spells at the top of the table in early weeks. As with much of the narrative, this unpredictability was firmly over by the mid-season point as Jose Mourinho’s Spurs tenure came to an end after a spell of just eight league wins in five months. For Everton, consistency was the problem as despite winning three consecutive games three times in the season the team had similarly lengthy spells of defeats. This season did witness a change in the Premier League’s regular top six as Leicester and West Ham were able to break in at the expense of the North London clubs. While the prospect of European football is undoubtedly
PREMIER LEAGUE SUMMER TRANSFERS
Tottenham Hotspur threatened an early title challenge only to fall away – with Jose Mourinho sacked in the spring
There is one rumour that is expected to dominate the summer transfer headlines: where next for Harry Kane? The England captain revealed his desire to leave Tottenham Hotspur as the season was drawing to a close and is widely expected to be granted his wish. However, with three years remaining on his contract, and Daniel Levy a competent negotiator, the question remains which clubs will be able to afford what is expected to be a record-breaking transfer fee. Of course, the club that immediately comes to mind is Manchester City, the big-spenders having seen Sergio Aguero leave after 10 years this summer. Sheikh Mansour is one of few owners that has the cash to stump up for Kane who is likely to want to remain in England. City’s only real financial competition within the Premier League are Manchester United and Chelsea. The former have other areas in the squad that they are likely to invest in over the summer whilst the latter have regularly refused to deal with Tottenham and that isn’t likely to change now. Thomas Tuchel already has a host of forwards in his squad, and other departments need addressing more urgently if Chelsea are to build on winning the Champions League with a Premier League title challenge.
Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea beat Manchester City in the league and in Europe but he arrived too late to spark a title challenge
positive, especially for David Moyes’ Hammers, qualification for the Europa League comes as an anti-climax, with both teams pushing for Champions League football for much of the season. At the other end of the table, the relegation battle was even more lacking in suspense than the title race. After finishing ninth last season, Sheffield United failed to win a Premier League match in the first four months of the season. With relegation all-but nailed on the Blades slightly improved their performance, securing seven wins and two draws but controversially parting ways with Chris Wilder. Come the end of the season Sheffield United secured more wins than the other two relegated teams, West Brom and Fulham. Neither side ever really looked like escaping the bottom three despite Scott Parker’s side attempting a resurgence during a five-game unbeaten spell at the beginning of 2021. The only major news to emerge from West Brom’s relegation was the fact that Sam Allardyce was unable to mastermind yet another great escape – having made his career on beating the relegation odds. In the end, perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2020-21 season was that there were no surprises. The clubs that were best suited to contend with financial and fatigue-based problems of the COVID-19 pandemic did best, whilst those with limited resources and squad depth struggled. However, after the stop-start nature of the previous season a bit of familiarity was arguably exactly what was needed. With the disruption hopefully over and the chaotic drama of the European Super League resolved, the stage is set for the Premier League to return in 2021-22 closer to its best.
Elsewhere in the league there are a number of players who are either up for sale or highly coveted by other teams. Yet another captain that may be on the move over the summer is Jack Grealish. The Aston Villa skipper is attracting interest from most teams in the traditional big six, with Manchester United and Arsenal reportedly the keenest. An impressive Euro 2020 for the 25-year-old will only have seen his value increase. Grealish’s England teammate Declan Rice is another player who has been attracting consistent interest. The defensive midfielder, who grew up in Chelsea’s youth system and is
BELOW: Chris Wilder
a close friend of Mason Mount, could well be on his way to Stamford Bridge this summer despite West Ham’s unwillingness to sell. Tammy Abraham, who is out of favour with Tuchel, could be used as a makeweight, as David Moyes’ side are in despite a need of a forward. It’s a rare transfer that could suit all parties, unlike the Kane saga, which has the hallmarks of a long-running, acrimonious affair.
RIGHT: Can Manchester City replace the great Sergio Aguero
LEFT (OPPODITE PAGE): England captain Harry Kane wants to win trophies and feels he can’t at Spurs – is he bound for Manchester City?
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2021-22
The prizes were shared around the Premier League in 2020-21 and English clubs nearly dominated Europe too. Does that point to a more competitive season?
If the results of 2020-21 are anything to go by, Premier League fans are in for an interesting upcoming campaign. For the first time since 2005 a different English side won one of the Premier League, FA Cup and the Champions League, while Manchester United were a penalty shootout away from Europa League victory. The strength of English football should make for a fascinating season, especially with a number of ambitious teams, such as Leicester and West Ham, looking to improve on last season’s performance. Manchester City have a difficult job on their hands as they look to replace Sergio Aguero, hoping to find the final piece of their Champions League jigsaw. The victors in Porto, Chelsea, will aim to improve on what was a disappointing domestic season with Thomas Tuchel likely to be handed a sizeable war-chest for his first summer transfer window in charge of the Blues. Liverpool are already moving to avoid another poor season, having secured the services of centre-back Ibrahima Konate. Most importantly, Jurgen Klopp will be able to count on the services of Virgil van Dijk and will hope that his team bounces back to the levels of 2019-20 under the Dutch defender’s guidance. Outside this season’s top six, both Tottenham and Everton will have new managers come August. Antonio Conte, fresh off lifting the Scudetto with Inter, was strongly linked with a return to London for the former job, and Mauricio Pochettino was also touted with a sensational return to his old club despite barely half-a-year at Paris Saint-Germain. For Everton, the departure of Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid has thrown off their project, with the club looking at the likes of Nuno Santo and Graham Potter, both of whom have impressed in the Premier League. Ascending automatically to the Premier League are Norwich and Watford, both of whom have returned having been relegated just one season previously. This season’s newcomers are Brentford, who made it through the play-offs on the second time of asking to become the 50th different team to participate in the Premier League. The Bees are also playing in the top flight for the first time in 74 years.
