16 minute read
SEASON PREVIEW
COMPETITIVE TWIST
BY: STEPHEN DONOVAN
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
THE GOOD
There is genuine excitement and intrigue at the prospect of a classic Premier League title race in 2021-22, as it promises to be the most competitive in years. At the outset, four clubs can legitimately claim to have a realistic chance of lifting the trophy next May after a dramatic summer of superstar signings and bold statements of intent. Manchester City overcame a slow start last term to quickly make their path to a third top-flight crown in four years little more than a procession, and have since bolstered their ranks with the eye-catching arrival of Jack Grealish. However, while they’re still the favourites this time, they’ll surely face much more of a battle as the chasing pack have also strengthened considerably and appear a much fiercer proposition. Indeed, Chelsea are fancied by many after lifting the Champions League and bringing back Romelu Lukaku, ensuring they now have top quality in just about every area of the pitch. Manchester United have addressed two key positions with the signings of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, who they hope will help them bridge the gap to their neighbours. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s transfer business was much more understated, but
Dates & times subject to change.
SEPTEMBER
Sat 11 Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Sat 11 Arsenal vs Norwich City Sat 11 Brentford vs Brighton Sat 11 Leicester City vs Manchester City Sat 11 Manchester Utd vs Newcastle Utd Sat 11 Southampton vs West Ham Utd Sat 11 Watford vs Wolverhampton Sat 11 Chelsea vs Aston Villa Sun 12 Leeds Utd vs Liverpool Mon 13 Everton vs Burnley Fri 17 Newcastle Utd vs Leeds Utd Sat 18 Wolverhampton vs Brentford Sat 18 Burnley vs Arsenal Sat 18 Liverpool vs Crystal Palace Sat 18 Manchester City vs Southampton Sat 18 Norwich City vs Watford Sat 18 Aston Villa vs Everton Sun 19 Brighton vs Leicester City Sun 19 West Ham Utd vs Manchester Utd Sun 19 Tottenham vs Chelsea Sat 25 Chelsea vs Manchester City Sat 25 Everton vs Norwich City Sat 25 Leeds Utd vs West Ham Utd Sat 25 Leicester City vs Burnley Sat 25 Manchester Utd vs Aston Villa Sat 25 Watford vs Newcastle Utd Sat 25 Brentford vs Liverpool Sun 26 Southampton vs Wolverhampton Sun 26 Arsenal vs Tottenham Mon 27 Crystal Palace vs Brighton
Sat 2 Manchester Utd vs Everton Sat 2 Burnley vs Norwich City Sat 2 Chelsea vs Southampton Sat 2 Leeds Utd vs Watford Sat 2 Tottenham vs Aston Villa Sat 2 Wolverhampton vs Newcastle Utd Sat 2 Brighton vs Arsenal Sun 3 Crystal Palace vs Leicester City Sun 3 West Ham Utd vs Brentford Sun 3 Liverpool vs Manchester City Sat 16 Watford vs Liverpool Sat 16 Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Sat 16 Leicester City vs Manchester Utd Sat 16 Manchester City vs Burnley Sat 16 Norwich City vs Brighton Sat 16 Southampton vs Leeds Utd Sat 16 Brentford vs Chelsea Sun 17 Everton vs West Ham Utd Sun 17 Newcastle Utd vs Tottenham Mon 18 Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Fri 22 Arsenal vs Aston Villa Sat 23 Chelsea vs Norwich City Sat 23 Crystal Palace vs Newcastle Utd Sat 23 Everton vs Watford Sat 23 Leeds Utd vs Wolverhampton Sat 23 Southampton vs Burnley Sat 23 Brighton vs Manchester City Sun 24 Brentford vs Leicester City Sun 24 West Ham Utd vs Tottenham Sun 24 Manchester Utd vs Liverpool Sat 30 Leicester City vs Arsenal Sat 30 Burnley vs Brentford Sat 30 Liverpool vs Brighton Sat 30 Manchester City vs Crystal Palace Sat 30 Newcastle Utd vs Chelsea Sat 30 Watford vs Southampton Sat 30 Tottenham vs Manchester Utd Sun 31 Norwich City vs Leeds Utd Sun 31 Aston Villa vs West Ham Utd
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
they’re back to form and still retain many of the squad that raced to the title in 2019-20. All these sides have their sights set on top spot. The last time this many teams were involved in the mix was back in 2014, where Man City emerged on top on the final day in a season where they trailed Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal at various points. It could turn out to be similarly captivating here, with the meetings between the sides taking on huge significance. On paper, the top four looks easy to predict, but determining the order in which they’ll finish is an altogether di erent story.
THE BAD
After signing from Saint-Etienne last summer at the age of 19, Wesley Fofana instantly established himself as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe with a succession of top performances for Leicester City. His maturity and ability on the ball both shone through as he became an integral part of a side that won the FA Cup and came within a whisker of qualifying for the Champions League, but his progress has suddenly been halted, after su ering a broken leg days before the start of the season. The unfortunate incident happened in a preseason friendly with Villarreal when he was caught by a poor challenge from Fer Nino, and although Fofana was later able to post a message of positivity on social media while lying on the treatment table, he faces a lengthy absence. That will last until at least a few months into 2022, as a scan showed the injury is worse than originally feared, with damage to the medial ligaments. It is bad news for the Frenchman and a serious setback for Leicester, who were left short of defensive options. Fofana has the pace and technical prowess that when he’s fit, gives them such a good balance, complementing the more orthodox robustness provided by the likes of Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu. His style of play also helped to start attacks, so the Foxes will have to adapt slightly in order to cope with his loss. Manager Brendan Rodgers responded quickly by recruiting Southampton’s Jannik Vestergaard as cover, although while there’s no doubt Leicester are a quality side that should achieve a third successive top-six finish, they are a weaker side without Fofana. There’s currently no timescale on his return, but when he does, his true importance will be underlined and he’ll aim to come back stronger. exhaustive process of finding a new manager before having to contend with a disruptive transfer saga involving Harry Kane. It has caused chronic uncertainty for a club whose fortunes have declined significantly since reaching the Champions League final in 2019, and any imminent signs of improvement appear a long way o . At the end of June Nuno Espirito Santo was finally named as the successor to Jose Mourinho, who was sacked in April, but not before the chairman Daniel Levy and the board spoke to numerous other high-profile candidates. From the outside, amid a backdrop having fallen so far o the pace last season and only scraped a place in the all new Europa Conference League, it appeared that the club was in some sort of disarray. It began with an audacious and somewhat sensational attempt to lure former boss Mauricio Pochettino back to North London from Paris Saint-Germain. Whether the Argentine might have been tempted to return to North London is unknown, as the French club refused him permission to discuss a potential move. Tottenham then turned their attention to Antonio Conte after his departure from Inter, but their visions didn’t match. Then it seemed certain that Paulo Fonseca, who left his position as Roma Coach in May, would be appointed, only for it to collapse at the last minute. There were contrasting explanations for this including tax issues and the sudden availability of Gennaro Gattuso, whose links to Spurs were soon severed after protests from supporters regarding comments he previously made about sexuality and women in football. Nuno was e ectively the last man standing, and he has the challenge of getting Tottenham back on track and dealing with the outcome of the Kane situation.
TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku applauds his teams supporters
BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Jack Grealish of Manchester City in action a during the English Premier League match
ABOVE: Leicester’s Wesley Fofana in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion
BELOW: Harry Kane of England reacts after losing the UEFA EURO 2020 final between Italy and England
TOP RIGHT: A goal decision by the video assistant referee (VAR) is announced on a huge screen during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea FC and Everton FC
BOTTOM RIGHT: Burnley's manager Sean Dyche The use of VAR in the Premier League has been widely criticised since its introduction in 2019-20, but changes for this season mean we’re likely to see fewer of the contentious penalties and indeterminable o side calls that have caused such consternation. At long last, referees are being told to use their common sense.
GOING DOWN
Another summer of minimal recruitment means that Burnley could face a serious battle to maintain their Premier League status this time around. In recent years they’ve relied on manager Sean Dyche’s ability to continually get the most out of his thin squad, but there’s concern that their luck might soon run out.
2021-22 SERIE A SEASON PREVIEW
ATALANTA The Bergamaschi’s top four finish last term sees them partake in their third straight Champions League campaign and the key to any title hopes they have this season will be holding onto Colombian striker Duvan Zapata, who has garnered interest from around Europe’s top teams. Tottenham Hotspur have raided the Bergamo club by signing goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and defender Cristian Romero on loan with options to buy for a potential combined fee of €70m. Goalkeeper Juan Musso has arrived from Udinese for a reported €20m, while defenders Matteo Lovato and Merih Demiral have joined from Verona and Juventus respectively. from Verona and Juventus respectively.
LAST SEASON FINISH: 3RD BOLOGNA Last season’s 12th place finish was possibly too lowly a position for an ambitious President like Canadian Businessman Joey Saputo. The Rossoblu will want to place in the top half of the table this season and by signing Austrian maverick Marko Arnautovic from Shanghai Port FC their chances of doing so have improved. Veterans Rodrigo Palacio and Danilo are out of contract and have been replaced by SPAL defender Kevin Bonifazi and former Celtic striker Pierre van Hooijdonk’s son Sydney, who arrives from Eredivisie club NAC Breda.
LAST SEASON FINISH: 12TH CAGLIARI The Sardinians underperformed last season by finishing just four points above the drop zone despite President Tommaso Giulini flashing the cash on a host of veteran and big-name players such as Kevin Strootman, Radja Nainggolan, and Kwadwo Asamoah. Diego Godin and Nahitan Nandez could possibly be heading for an exit with plenty of interest in the two players. The average age of the Cagliari squad looks set to be drastically lowered this season, while the biggest signing ahead of the opening fixtures was the arrival of Brazilian wing-back Dalbert on loan from Inter.
LAST SEASON FINISH: 16TH LAST SEASON FINISH: 16TH
BOTTOM, RIGHT: Only two clubs from last season’s top 10 start this season with the same coach – Stefano Pioli at Milan and Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini
EMPOLI Last season’s Serie B winners will be hopefully looking to extend their stay in the topflight for a second consecutive year at the very least. The Azzurri have brought in striker Patrick Cutrone from Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers to fire in the goals they need to avoid the drop. Sebastiano Luperto has also re-joined the club on loan from Napoli, while keeper Guglielmo Vicario and defender Riccardo Marchizza also arrive from Cagliari and Sassuolo for the season. FIORENTINA La Viola came in an underwhelming 13th place in last season’s Serie A, which saw Coach Beppe Iachini sacked in November, replaced by Cesare Prandelli and back in the hot seat by March. Former Spezia boss Vincenzo Italiano has been given the reins for this season and will hope to at least compete for a top half finish if not a Europa Conference League qualification spot. Franck Ribery, Borja Valero, and Martin Caceres have all left the club while Argentine attacker Nicolas Gonzalez arrives from Stuttgart for a reported €27m transfer fee. GENOA Il Grifone will be hoping to go one better this season and finish in the top half of the table after last term’s 11th place finish. Coach Davide Ballardini may have lost keeper Mattia Perin, who returns to parent club Juventus, but his replacement is the experienced and talented Salvatore Sirigu, whose contract ran down at Torino in the summer. Mexico international defender Johan Vasquez has joined from Mexican side UNAM Pumas for €3.5m, but a free transfer move for exTottenham, Newcastle and Schalke midfielder Nabil Bentaleb collapsed after an issue with the 26-year-old’s medical.
ABOVE, MIDDLE: Atalanta players celebrate a goal, as they improve as each year goes on.
ABOVE, LEFT: Inter were deserving champions but much has changed for the Nerazzurri since May
Milan look to add more fire power to a front line already containing Zlatan Ibrahimovic Lazio's Immobile celebrates with his teammates after scoring
Fiorentina look to improve Napoli's Stanislav Lobotka (L) in action against Genoa's Caleb Ekuban (R)
INTER The champions have had an uneasy summer. First they lost coach Antonio Conte, who parted ways with the club after a dispute with the owners. Then main hitman Romelu Lukaku was sold back to his old team Chelsea to pay o their debts, while attacking wing back Achraf Hakimi also joined Paris Saint-Germain for a large transfer fee. Simone Inzaghi is tasked with tough job of retaining the title and getting out of the group stage of the Champions League. He will rely on new signings, such as PSV Eindhoven’s Denzel Dumfries and Edin Dzeko, who joins from Roma. Hakan Calhanoglu left rivals Milan to join the Nerazzurri while Joaquin Correa followed Inzaghi from Lazio.
LAST SEASON FINISH: 1ST JUVENTUS The Old Lady struggled last year under the leadership of Andrea Pirlo and just about scraped into the top four and the Champions League qualification spots on the last day of the season. Pirlo was shown the door soon after the end of the campaign and Max Allegri made an unsurprising return to the club he successfully led for five years. But despite the change in the dugout there has been very little transfer activity involving the Bianconeri, however, Brazilian wonderkid Kaio Jorge has arrived from Santos for a fee worth somewhere around €3m, while Manuel Locatelli left Sassuolo – initially on loan – to join. Gianluigi Bu on has left the club for a second time, this time signing for his boyhood side Parma in Serie B, while Merih Demiral joined Atalanta.
LAST SEASON FINISH: 4TH
TOP RIGHT: Massimiliano Allegri makes his return to Juventus
BOTTOM RIGHT: What e ect will Jose Mourinho have at Roma this year?
LAZIO The Biancocelesti were left o the pace in the race for the top four last season, finishing sixth, while also being well beaten by Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16. Inter-bound Simone Inzaghi has been replaced by former Juventus and Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri. The tactician finds himself reunited with Pepe Reina and Elseid Hysaj, who he coached at Napoli and could bring out the best in attacking players such as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Luis Alberto, and Ciro Immobile. Felipe Anderson returns to the club after his spell in London with West Ham United, while old stalwarts Senad Lulic and Marco Parolo have been released. AC MILAN Milan finished second last season and qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2013. Stefano Pioli’s men have steadily grown over the past two years and will be hoping to go one better this term. French goalkeeper Mike Maignan was bought for around €15m from Lille, replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma, who joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. Hakan Calhanoglu jumped shipped to sign for champions Inter, but Olivier Giroud arrives from Chelsea to add more firepower to a front line already containing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
CLASH OF COACHES
Inter, Juventus, Roma, Lazio and Napoli all changed coach over the summer. Ciro Di Brita looks at a very di erent Serie A coaching picture for 2021-22…
Much remains to be seen how champions Inter will perform this season without the drive and determination of coach Antonio Conte, the goals of Romelu Lukaku, and the pace and dribbling talent of Achraf Hakimi. Simone Inzaghi will no doubt take a di erent approach to running things at San Siro than his predecessor, but he takes over an already strong and competitive team. The return of Massimiliano Allegri to Juventus after two years was something that always looked on the cards: the Old Lady like to win, and the return of Max brings that winning mentality. However, the complaints about his style of play could once again rear their heads if results are slow to improve. The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo is a big loss, but Juventus will look to Paulo Dybala, Federico Chiesa and Alvaro Morata to fill his shoes. Nonetheless, they will be among the favourites to reclaim the Serie A title once again. What e ect Jose Mourinho will have at Roma draws top billing for those interested in the goings-on at the Stadio Olimpico. The Portuguese coach may have lost the services of Edin Dzeko who finally signed for Inter after years of courtship, however, the big money transfer of Tammy Abraham will have plenty of people talking about the Giallorossi this season. Napoli underperformed while being coached by Gennaro Gattuso as his side was guilty of being far too flaky, able to beat the best teams one week before losing to sides in the relegation zone the next. Luciano Spalletti arrives with the job of getting back into the top four and getting the best out of probably the most potent attack in the league. Can Maurizio Sarri replicate his style of football at Lazio? If he can then the Biancocelesti will be one of the teas to watch this season. With the likes of Immobile, Luis Alberto, and MilinkovicSavic firing on all cylinders this could be a fun watch for fans of Le Aquile.
