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Premier League 2018-19: BBC Sport pundits pick champions and top four

tototoner

Staying Alert
Mar 21, 2004
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45088530

No team has managed a successful defence of the Premier League title since Manchester United in 2009 - but will this season be different?

That is the aim of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, a winner of three consecutive league titles in both Spain (Barcelona, 2008-11) and Germany (Bayern Munich, 2013-16), who saw his side finish 19 points clear of the pack last time out.

But who will challenge them in 2018-19? Can big-spending Liverpool mount a serious challenge? Will Manchester United narrow the gap? Can Tottenham improve? And are Chelsea and Arsenal contenders after changing their managers in the summer?

We asked 24 BBC TV and radio pundits to pick their top four with explanations for their selections.

The predictions were made on the basis of how each squad shaped up on Wednesday, 8 August, before the opening weekend of the season, but two days before the deadline for incoming transfers and with the potential for players to leave up until the transfer window shuts in the rest of Europe at the end of August.

Predictor 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Ian Wright
Liverpool Man City Man Utd Arsenal
Ruud Gullit Liverpool Man City Chelsea Man Utd
Martin Keown Liverpool Man City Tottenham Man Utd
Dion Dublin Man City Man Utd Liverpool Tottenham
Alex Scott Man City Liverpool Man Utd Arsenal
Joleon Lescott Man City Liverpool Man Utd Arsenal
Mark Lawrenson Man City Liverpool Man Utd Arsenal
Matthew Upson Man City Liverpool Man Utd Arsenal
Alan Shearer Man City Liverpool Man Utd Tottenham
Danny Murphy Man City Liverpool Man Utd Tottenham
Pat Nevin Man City Liverpool Man Utd Tottenham
Lindsay Johnson Man City Liverpool Man Utd Tottenham
Charlie Adam Man City Liverpool Man Utd Tottenham
Danny Mills Man City Liverpool Man Utd Chelsea
Mark Schwarzer Man City Liverpool Man Utd Chelsea
Rachel Brown-Finnis Man City Liverpool Chelsea Tottenham
Sue Smith Man City Liverpool Chelsea Tottenham
Paul Ince Man City Liverpool Chelsea Man Utd
Kevin Kilbane Man City Liverpool Chelsea Man Utd
Stephen Warnock Man City Liverpool Chelsea Man Utd
Jermaine Jenas Man City Liverpool Tottenham Man Utd
Chris Sutton Man City Liverpool Tottenham Man Utd
Chris Waddle Man City Liverpool Tottenham Chelsea
Leon Osman Man City Liverpool Tottenham Arsenal

Six teams feature in the forecasted top fours, and only Manchester City and Liverpool feature in all 24.
In terms of who will win it, Manchester City are favourites, with 21 votes. Liverpool get the other three.
 

dude573

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
1,589
4,813
I'd much rather they underestimate us like last year. We seem to do so much better when no one notices/talks about us.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
What is the Liverpool hype based on its utterly bizarre. Klopp has never taken them above 4th and the only decent team they beat all last season was city which was the basis of their “cup run”. They won 2 games out of 10 against the top 6. Keita and Alisson are the only players that will improve their 1st xi and that’s on paper as neither have ever kicked a PL ball. Also Salah had a freak season. There’s absolutely no way he is getting 30 goals again. So they’ve instantly lost 15 goals before the season even starts. When you strip away all the “booooooom” hype nonsense there’s no foundation for the hype. I think 2nd will be much like last season close between us Liverpool United.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Also another note on Salah. I can see his desperation to keep up the goal numbers effecting his overall play and being detrimental to the team as a whole.
 

Rocksuperstar

Isn't this fun? Isn't fun the best thing to have?
Jun 6, 2005
53,290
66,758
What is the Liverpool hype based on its utterly bizarre. Klopp has never taken them above 4th and the only decent team they beat all last season was city which was the basis of their “cup run”. They won 2 games out of 10 against the top 6. Keita and Alisson are the only players that will improve their 1st xi and that’s on paper as neither have ever kicked a PL ball. Also Salah had a freak season. There’s absolutely no way he is getting 30 goals again. So they’ve instantly lost 15 goals before the season even starts. When you strip away all the “booooooom” hype nonsense there’s no foundation for the hype. I think 2nd will be much like last season close between us Liverpool United.

Same for the last few years; they appear quite ambitious in the transfers they bring in, spend a fair wedge of cash and look, on paper, to have made significant improvements. Each day brings another shovel of coal for the hype train and by the time the season kicks off the 'pool fans have gone from admiring a player at another club who they are linked with as "not bad", to them signing him and now he's the second coming of christ.

They are the lords and masters of the hype train, building up expectations to impossible levels and then getting depressed at even an above average showing because, dammit, they wanted the moon!

I suppose there are only so many bins to rummage through, you have to have a hobby too.
 

Saoirse

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
6,143
15,550
What is the Liverpool hype based on its utterly bizarre. Klopp has never taken them above 4th and the only decent team they beat all last season was city which was the basis of their “cup run”. They won 2 games out of 10 against the top 6. Keita and Alisson are the only players that will improve their 1st xi and that’s on paper as neither have ever kicked a PL ball. Also Salah had a freak season. There’s absolutely no way he is getting 30 goals again. So they’ve instantly lost 15 goals before the season even starts. When you strip away all the “booooooom” hype nonsense there’s no foundation for the hype. I think 2nd will be much like last season close between us Liverpool United.

a) It's not just silly scousers - they did have some poor luck at times last year.
b) He's not brilliant, but the addition of VVD in January did see a significant upturn in performances and results
c) There's no particular reason to think Salah was a "freak season" beyond blind hope. It's not as though he was scoring with every shot - he was consistently beating men, getting into great positions, and scoring. It's similar to when everyone insisted Kane wouldn't be as good as he was in his first season just because it was sudden.
d) Alisson would have to be realllllly special to be a downgrade in goal. Point taken on Keita, but on paper he's exactly what they need, and you could say the same about anyone's transfer activity.

Given how long this side's been in development, the huge investment this summer and their performances at the back end of last season, I think a title challenge is the serious expectation at Anfield. 4th again won't be seen as anything more than mediocre and worse than that could actually be disastrous.
 

Spurs 1961

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
6,665
8,739
Thought I would read this for light amusement. Nice to be underdogs as usual and also nice to see them predicting as they do every year that this will be the year Liverpool start dominating the league. Nice to see how predictable some people are?
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,957
Last season not one person said we’d get top four. Bit unnerving them thinking they do now!
 

ItsBoris

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2011
7,468
8,604
Those picking Liverpool to win the PL need to have a word with themselves.

Liverpool is the only team that has massively improved in the transfer window so far. If Man City have a hangover season from winning it last year I could easily see Liverpool challenging them at the moment.

I'd also expect Chelsea to be a lot better. Not sure about Man Utd and Arsenal.
 

TheChosenOne

A dislike or neg rep = fat fingers
Dec 13, 2005
47,874
49,707
So..

13 'alleged' pundits think Tottenham will make top 4 (Arsenal's annual target)

5 go for 3rd spot and 8 think we are good for 4th. (We must be doing something right)

6 think Arsenal will finish 4th .. None think Arsenal will make 3rd. Interesting.
 

Paolo10

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2004
6,179
7,621
This season, even more than others...I would fucking (Kevin Keegan) love it, LOVE IT, if we beat Liverpool.

Salah to be a one season wonder too, why? Because fuck them, that's why!
 

hellava_tough

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2005
9,429
12,382
I hope this isn't jinxing it, but...

I think there are big question marks around that Arsenal team

They've got a few good attacking players, but their signings have actually been pretty mediocre all said and done

Their defence still looks suspect and I have my suspicions about the attitude of some of their players

I just think everything about them is slowly sliding into the 3rd tier of the PL (signings, manager, owner's ambition etc)

Running on the fumes of past glories...
 

Young Nasty Man

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
470
1,317
I can’t believe people actually think Liverpool have no shot. IMO, they are the only team that can beat Man City because of their pure speed and momentum.

1. Salah is rapid. Even if he doesn’t have the same form, he is a threat. I’ve now seen this guy carve Spurs on 5 (yes that is 5) different European sides. He’s good. You’re a fool to think otherwise. He is in fact exactly what we need: a wide forward that is blazing fast. I hope Lucas keeps it up.

2. VVD made their defensive record increase overnight. They were a different team in the second half of the season.

3. Mere Can always looked like a lost puppy. whether or not he’s an ideal fit, Fabinho is a perfect signing for that role and can play in numerous spots. Keita is going to do a great job in the midfield with Klopp’s style of play. They shored up the middle of the park if you ask me.

4. It comes down to Alisson. I don’t trust Brazilian keepers; even if he has a good record, Brazilian Keepers + Liverpool seem like a bad combo. With that said, their keepers have been next to horrendous since Reina left. I find it hard that they can be worse than Karius and the only person that can do a better Huerlho Gomes than Huerlho Gomes is Mignolet. At worst, this is an upgrade.

—-

I’m a spurs supporter which is all that matters at the end of the day. I think that they have us marked right. Fair enough - we aren’t the mess that Man U and Chelsea are being shaped up to be, and that’s with no signing currently and probably at deadline close. To be fair, I think we’re ranked fairly and appropriately. We gotta hope that stadium is a fortress like the Lane. It’s on us to make it that way.

We have consistency and a side that knows it’s reaponsibility. Unfortunately I don’t think we’re a title contender, but we’re not gonna make it easy for people. I see us playing Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal really well. I see Man City (I have nightmares of Trippier looking like a turnstile against Sane) destroying us again.
 
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shelfboy68

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2008
14,566
19,651
My initial thoughts were that arsenal and Chelsea have new manager's so there is maybe a period of transition with them that leaves city, Liverpool and moany mourhino to battle it out for the title.
I think arsenal will probably pip us to fourth so as long as the long term plan is unaffected we should be ok in the long run.
 

Everlasting Seconds

Well-Known Member
Jan 9, 2014
14,914
26,616
Overall predicted ranking, using all BBC predictions (using system of 4 pts for a 1st place, 3 pts for 2nd, 2 pts for 3rd and 1 pt for 4th)
1. Man City 93 pts
2. Liverpool 74 pts
3. Man Utd 34 pts
4. Tottenham 18 pts
5. Chelsea 15 pts
6. Arsenal 6 pts

I think that's pretty good, I don't see how this is underestimating Tottenham. If anything it's spot on or ever so slightly optimistic.
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
What is the Liverpool hype based on its utterly bizarre. Klopp has never taken them above 4th and the only decent team they beat all last season was city which was the basis of their “cup run”. They won 2 games out of 10 against the top 6. Keita and Alisson are the only players that will improve their 1st xi and that’s on paper as neither have ever kicked a PL ball. Also Salah had a freak season. There’s absolutely no way he is getting 30 goals again. So they’ve instantly lost 15 goals before the season even starts. When you strip away all the “booooooom” hype nonsense there’s no foundation for the hype. I think 2nd will be much like last season close between us Liverpool United.
Also another note on Salah. I can see his desperation to keep up the goal numbers effecting his overall play and being detrimental to the team as a whole.

They have improved far more than we have in the last 8 months. Count in their January business as well.

They were brave, they backed their manager to the maximum. They will be better this year than last. And can we say we'll be better than last with zero changes? In fact, we could be far worse without Toby, Dembele and Rose.

The best thing for us to do is stay quiet this season. If we do well - brilliant. If we're cack, at least we didn't make ourselves look silly.
 
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