🔮 Onefootball predicts the 2020/21 Premier League season | OneFootball

Well, that was quick. Just seven weeks after the 2019/20 Premier League season ended, the 2020/21 campaign begins.

We’ve dusted off our crystal balls, had a good look into them, and this is what you can expect from the new season.

What are you most looking forward to in 2020/21?

Lewis Ambrose: Match of the Day. As an Arsenal fan, I’ve barely watched it for the last few years. I’m quietly optimistic that I’ll be tuning in a little more regularly again.

Dan Burke: The return of fans to stadiums, assuming it does happen at some point. Finishing last season in empty grounds was weird, but starting a new campaign with no one there to witness it is genuinely upsetting. Let’s hope we can get back to some sort of normality ASAP.

Phil Costa: Waiting to see which young players break through. With fixtures coming thick and fast, there will be plenty of opportunities.

Alex Mott: Leeds United’s return to the Premier League. It’s only taken 16 years but Marcelo Bielsa has guided the Yorkshire giants back where they belong with the genuine prospect that they could finish anywhere from sixth to 20th.

Joel Sanderson-Murray: Getting any fans in, even at a reduced capacity will make a huge difference. However, I’m also excited to see what tactical quirks and trends will rise to the surface this season. Will teams be more defensive with no home crowd there needing to be entertained?

Can you give us your most outlandish prediction?

LA: Southampton will break into the top six. Is that outlandish enough? I don’t know, but I really like how Saints have looked in 2020.

DB: Sheffield United will be relegated. I have a soft spot for the Blades but I have a feeling they could be in for a very difficult second season. The ‘Ipswich Town effect’ if you will.

PC: Arsenal have now gone 25 games (January 2015) without a win away to a big six rival – they will win three of those games this season.

AM: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won’t be the Manchester United manager by the end of the season. I’d wager that a few more big name signings will be made, the pressure to mount a title challenge will be unbearable, and they’ll start sliding down the division.

JSM: This might not be the outlandish expectation in the world, but I can see Everton and Carlo Ancelotti going their separate ways before the end of the season.

What will be the biggest disappointment?

LA: If anyone is expecting a shiny new era at Tottenham, they’re going to be very disappointed. A José Mourinho doesn’t change its spots and they’ll be miles from a return to the Champions League.

DB: Chelsea. They’ve made some great signings but still haven’t truly fixed their defensive and goalkeeping problems. They will miss out on the top four and Frank Lampard will be sacked.

PC: Slightly harsh to call this a disappointment, but think Liverpool will drop off from their absurd levels of last season. The title race will be much closer this time around.

AM: Let’s stick the knife into José Mourinho, shall we? His good PR has gone into overdrive with the release of the Tottenham documentary, but with a threadbare squad and an astonishing amount of games, I can see Spurs finishing well outside the top six this season.

JSM: I would have to agree with Chelsea and Lampard as well. Expectations will now be ramped up with the money that has been spent, and a 36-year-old Thiago Silva is not going to solve their issues at the back.

Who will be the signing of the summer?

LA: Obviously the window isn’t closed for a while yet, but I think it’ll be Thiago to Liverpool. Few players could get into this Liverpool team, improve it, and fit into Klopp’s style. But he can.

DB: I really like the look of Eberechi Eze at Crystal Palace and can’t understand why none of the big boys came in for him. He could be worth a lot more than £16m Palace paid for him this time next year.

PC: His arrival has been overshadowed slightly by Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, but I’m a huge fan of Hakim Ziyech. He will hit the ground running.

AM: Cheating here slightly but I think the signings done by Newcastle so far this summer have been exceptional – Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Jamal Lewis and Jeff Hendrick are all exceptional bits of business.

JSM: Although Lampard could be in for a difficult ride this season, I fully expect Timo Werner to settle in to the Premier League right away. Don’t be surprised if the German posts a 20-plus goal return in his first season.

And who is going to be the biggest flop?

LA: I worry about Leeds’ decision to spend £26m on Rodrigo. He’s a good player but they’ll need goals from him in order to stay up and he only scored four in LaLiga last season.

DB: James Rodríguez. Sorry Everton fans but I have a feeling you’re going to hate watching this guy strut around not doing very much this season. I reckon he’ll be on the move again next summer.

PC: Fábio Silva at Wolves. Potential is obvious, but purely based on age and value – don’t think we’ll see the best of him for another two seasons.

AM: As much as it pains me to say, I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with Dan on this one – James Rodriguez just won’t cut it in the Premier League, especially not at Everton.

JSM: Nathan Aké has been part of a Bournemouth defence that has conceded over 60 goals in each of their last four seasons. A good player in a poor team or has the Dutchman been at the scene of the crime too much?

Who are you backing to win Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season and the Golden Boot?

LA: Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah.

DB: Kevin De Bruyne, Mason Greenwood, Timo Werner

PC: Kevin De Bruyne, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

AM: Aymeric Laporte, Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

JSM: Raheem Sterling, Mason Greenwood, Sadio Mané.

Right then, first manager to be sacked will be …

LA: David Moyes. The Hammers face six of last season’s top eight in their opening seven games. Bye, bye!

DB: Roy Hodgson. Crystal Palace’s form was woeful post-lockdown and Roy is 73 now. Time to retire, I think.

PC: Steve Bruce. Despite their impressive transfer business, everything will fail to click for Newcastle.

AM: It’s a straight shoot-out between David Moyes and Roy Hodgson, for me. But I’ll go with Moyes thanks to West Ham’s impossibly hard start.

JSM: Moyes. The Hammers are due another season of turmoil and crisis.

How about the best and worst new kits?

LA: I think we’re all going to say the Wolves away kit is the worst, right? Or Arsenal’s. Or Man Utd’s third shirt. I do, however, love Man City’s away kit.

DB: Liverpool’s home kit is the best, Wolves’ away kit is the worst

PC: Southampton’s home kit is beautiful. Manchester United’s third kit is a beautiful disaster.

AM: There isn’t one good kit in the Premier League this season. At least that Man United one is interesting, Leeds’ home effort is so forgetful I’ve finished writing this sentence and I can’t remember what it looks like.

JSM: Brighton’s home jersey is a work of art, and United’s zebra crossing number should never be seen on a football pitch.

Finally – the reason we’re all here – give us your predictions for top six and bottom three. In order!

LA: Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Wolves; Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Fulham.

DB: Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham; Sheffield United, West Brom, Fulham.

PC: Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Tottenham; West Ham, West Brom, Fulham.

AM: Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Wolves, Arsenal; West Ham, West Brom, Fulham.

JSM: Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Wolves, Arsenal; Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Fulham.