The English Premier League is done for another year and with the season closing, it is time to review how things panned out over the 38 game format. Who excelled, who were disappointments and who performed just as we expected.
Here is a WFC review of what we predicted in the pre-season and if our predictions came to fruition or were we left in disarray. (full prediction article can be found here: http://worldwidefantasyclub.blogspot.com/2018/08/wfcs-premier-league-ladder-prediction.html )
Arsenal
Predictions:
New manager and a whole host of new players will make for an interesting season ahead for Arsenal. If a solid backline can form and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can challenge for the golden boot with a plethora of goals anything could be possible for the gunners.
Key Player: Aaron Ramsey
Top Goal scorer: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Predicted Finish: 6th
Season Review:
Looking promising after a long stint without loss, it came down to the gunners late season away form that cost them a spot in the top 4. There are points to build off for next season that could make Arsenal and interesting prospect.
Key Player: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Top Goal scorer: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (22)
Final Finish: 5th
Bournemouth
Predictions:
A leaky defence last season was a big downfall for the cherries, despite finishing 12th in the standings. If this poor ability to keep oppositions from scoring continues it could be dramatic to Bournemouth’s prospects to finish any higher this time round. An excelling Josh King and Nathan Akè will be vital.
Key Player: Josh King
Top Goal Scorer: Josh King
Predicted Finish: 15th
Season Review:
A leaky defence continued this season as we predicted in the pre-season, with 70 goals seen go into the Bournemouth net. This was third highest in the Premier League. Only the bottom two placed sides conceded more, Fulham (81) and Huddersfield (76).
Key Player: Ryan Fraser
Top Goal scorer: Callum Wilson (14)
Final Finish: 14th
Brighton
Predictions:
The inability to score last season saw a heavy reliance on defending, which wasn’t what many would have thought. The dominance of Australian goalkeeper Mat Ryan will be vital if Brighton want to stay up this season. He registered 10 clean-sheets and 124 saves made over the campaign – second most out of all Premier League goalkeepers. However, these feats will be hard to maintain.
Key Player: Mat Ryan
Top Goal Scorer: Pascal Gross
Predicted Finish: 18th
Season Review:
Mat Ryan not performing in the likes of last season almost cost Brighton a place in the EPL for next season. Keeping 4 fewer clean sheets (6) than 2017-18, it was the renaissance of Glenn Murray up front that kept the side up for another year.
Key Player: Shane Duffy
Top Goal scorer: Glenn Murray (13)
Final Finish: 17th
Burnley
Predictions:
The stellar run to 7th last season is seemingly a positive blip in Burnley’s history, as it is likely they will drop back to the pack of mid-table mediocrity this season. Having a moderately talented squad, with a few players that can produce something special, squad depth will be tested over the season if injuries occur or they advance in the Europa league.
Key Player: Johann Berg Gudmundsson
Top Goal Scorer: Chris Wood
Predicted Finish: 11th
Season Review:
We predicted a dip in form for the Burnely side, however we could not predict how far their fall was going to be. Original before the season we had them at mid-table mediocrity, but that was to kind a gesture. Can’t believe that we factored Europa League in.
Key Player: James Tarkowski
Top Goal scorer: Ashley Barnes (12)
Final Finish: 15th
Cardiff
Predictions:
Some clever summer signings can assist the newly promoted side stabilise and strengthen the overall squad to provide some validity to the Welsh club to remain in the EPL for more than one season. Despite not setting the world alight, grit and determination can see Cardiff get to safety.
Key Player: Bobby Reid
Top Goal Scorer: Kenneth Zohore
Predicted Finish: 16th
Season Review:
We never thought Cardiff would be good but a second season looked likely. However, the Welsh club finds itself going straight back to the championship. An inability to score goals (34 – 2nd least) or prevent goals from being conceded (69 – 3rd most) had them under achieve.
Key Player: Neil Etheridge
Top Goal scorer: Bobby Reid (5) and Victor Camarasa (5)
Final Finish: 18th
Chelsea
Predictions:
No sure what to expect this season with the managerial change throwing a spanner into the works when predicting style of play, starting XI and determination. Should Eden Hazard be looking for a way out of Stamford Bridge in the not so distant future, he could under-perform, thus diminishing Chelsea’s attack. With only Morata and Giroud in the forwards stock, goals from midfield are required. Hazard, Willian and perennial rotation players like Pedro, Ross Barkley and Cesc Fabregas all need to contribute big time. Even still, the top 4 look much more solid, therefore Chelsea could miss out on Champions League Qualification again.
Key Player: Cesar Azpilicueta
Top Goal Scorer: Alvaro Morata
Predicted Finish: 5th
Season Review:
The new manager did throw a spanner in the works, however he didn’t really tinker with the starting XI – he just played players out of position, which cost the side as a whole in the long run. Kante in an attacking midfield role and Jorginho as the main man that the ball had to flow through every play ultimately didn’t work. Eden Hazard we predicted could have under-performed, but he was anything but that. His contributions were what saw the Blues somehow sneak into 3rd spot.
Key Player: Eden Hazard
Top Goal scorer: Eden Hazard
Predicted Finish: 3rd
Crystal Palace
Predictions:
Despite a horrendous start to last season’s campaign, Palace came good through mid-season and at the back end to finish a respectable 11th. Reasonably stable all over, Palace should remain as a mid-table side. Of course this hinges on Ivorian Zaha’s decision to stay at the club or not, much like Gylfi Sigurdsson was last season for Swansea. Sigurdsson leaving Swansea spelt relegation for the Welsh team.
Key Player: Wilfried Zaha
Top Goal Scorer: Luka Milivojevic
Predicted Finish: 10th
Season Review:
A stable season all round saw Palace remain in the mid-table. Zaha staying at the club played a big role, along with the acquisitions made over the season. There is something here to build off and next season could be the year if money gets invested well.
Key Player: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Top Goal scorer: Luka Milivojevic
Final Finish: 12th
Everton
Predictions:
Big money signings didn’t pan out last season, as Everton took all season to get going. Sneaking into 8th spot without anyone noticing could occur again. Yet again, the toffee’s have spent big in the off-season, but, with a more settled team and the hope of minimal injuries, Everton could have a bit of an easier time this season. Despite this they will likely finish the season in a similar spot in the table.
Key Player: Jordan Pickford
Top Goal Scorer: Cenk Tosun
Predicted Finish: 8th
Season Review:
Couldn’t have been a more predictable season from the get go. Outside of Everton fans no one really noticed the Blue side of the Mersey get into the top 8, where they pretty much hung for the entirety of the campaign. A few big scalps over the season but nothing really else to show for. The form of Lucas Digne, Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson, however was very spectacular to watch at times.
Key Player: Gylfi Sigurdsson
Top Goal scorer: Richarlison (13) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (13)
Final Finish: 8th
Fulham
Predictions:
Some very notable signings can lift the third placed side in the championship last season to new heights this Premier League campaign after their promotion. The introduction of Ryan Sessegnon to the big league is going to be a noteworthy watch, as many top European leagues have been chasing his signature. He could take the league by storm or be lost in the crowd of EPL talent. Which one will it be…
Key Player: Alfie Mawson
Top Goal Scorer: Andre Schürrle
Predicted Finish: 13th
Season Review:
A season with so much promise was finished in a big letdown of being relegated back into the championship. At the pre-season mark we found it hard to predict Fulham, especially the form of Ryan Sessengon. We were hopeful that a much talented side could produce better, but only 7 wins and the most league goals conceded (81) was too much for them to remain in the top flight.
Key Player: Aleksandar Mitrovic
Top Goal scorer: Aleksandar Mitrovic (11)
Final Finish: 19th
Huddersfield
Predictions:
Last campaign couldn’t end quickly enough for Huddersfield as every passing week they got sucked further and further into the relegation threat. Somehow they managed to stay up despite scoring the fewest goals by any club (28) and having the equal second most amount of losses over the course of the season (19). This time around it’s going to be just as tough for the Terriers and they surely won’t escape the drop.
Key Player: Aaron Mooy
Top Goal Scorer: Steve Mounie
Predicted Finish: 20th
Season Review:
Easliy the luckiest team in the league last season, we predicted a tough time this outing and it proved to be right. Last on the table with only 3 victories to their credit and 28 losses. Their inability to score, with only 22 goals all campaign – 12 fewer than the next lowest was their ultimate demise as they couldn’t capitalise on anything and hope to get lucky wins.
Key Player: Chris Schindler
Top Goal scorer: Karlan Grant (4)
Final Finish: 20th
Leicester
Predictions:
A heavy blow for the Foxes with the loss of Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City in the transfer market, but it is not all bad news. The future looks bright, as the introduction of solid backline players of Jonny Evans and Ricardo Pereira can slot in with current players Harry Maguire and Benjamin Chilwell. If goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel remains at the club, clean-sheets could be plentiful this season.
Key Player: Harry Maguire
Top Goal Scorer: Jamie Vardy
Predicted Finish: 7th
Season Review:
The loss of Mahrez as always going to hurt, however the emergence of James Maddison into the fold was exciting to watch. We predicted that a solid backline was required and that came to be true as the foxes conceded less than 50 goals this season – a feat Manchester United and Arsenal could do. 10 clean sheets came throughout the season.
Key Player: James Maddison
Top Goal scorer: Jamie Vardy (18)
Final Finish: 9th
Liverpool
Predictions:
Some of the best transfer window business has been done by the Reds this off-season. Strengthening in weaker areas of the field such as central midfield and mainly goal-keeper has given the squad a major boost in the ratings for the Premier League title. Central defence is still an area that needs to be looked at, but Liverpool arguably now have 2 players in every position that can do a high level job when playing on the pitch. If Mohamed Salah can get close to the feats he produced last season and Roberto Firmino or Sadio Manè can elevate to a near 20 goal league output this year, Manchester City are under serious threat of being usurped after 1 season of dominance. Despite this it still looks as if City just have the edge, therefore Liverpool fall just short.
Key Player: Roberto Firmino
Top Goal Scorer: Mohamed Salah
Predicted Finish: 2nd
Season Review:
Our predictions were almost on point for the Liverpool outfit. Throughout the year they could call upon a second player to produce tier 1 level play when a first choice was injured. We also predicted that Firmino and Mane needed to produce big goal contributions. Firmino feel shorter than we thought with 12, but Mane excelled and grabbed 22 goals. Our biggest fail prediction came as we thought central defence was an area that needs to be looked at for the Reds. This is by no means the case. Virgil Van Dijk became a defensive God this season and Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip all provided as solid partners to only concede 22 goals over the 38 fixtures. We predicted Liverpool could usurp Manchester City but would ultimately just fall short and that’s exactly what happened.
Key Player: Virgil Van Dijk
Top Goal scorer: Mohamed Salah (22) and Sadio Mane (22)
Final Finish: 2nd
Manchester City
Predictions:
The best team by light years last year saw almost every Premier League record broken by the all-conquering City side. A mishap in the Champions League was a stain on the campaign and as strong as City look this year – Mendy returning, Mahrez signing – they could chase the champions league to erase the memories of 2017/18 leaving the door open for other EPL clubs to snap up the title. However, earlier mentioned Liverpool have 2 players for every position, it seems City have 3 top class players for each position. Even an understrength side could go close to winning the title and that’s why the blue side of Manchester is overwhelming favourites to claim the trophy again.
Key Player: Fernandinho
Top Goal Scorer: Sergio Aguero
Predicted Finish: 1st
Season Review:
Like Liverpool, we almost got Manchester City predictions correct at pre-season. Benjamin Mendy getting injured again for majority of the season when we thought he would be a dominating force was a bit of a fail on our part, but he did play at an extremely high level for the small portion he was fit. Another bad prediction was the thought that City would dominate the champion’s league. That obviously didn’t happen. With injuries occurring over the season the proof that City have the deepest squad in world football was on show.
Key Player: Fernandinho
Top Goal scorer: Sergio Aguero (21)
Final Finish: 1st
Manchester United
Predictions:
If any player sparks in this side, watch out. The plethora of talent is unquestionable but the coaching tactics and game management is. We know Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez can be 20 goal a season players as they have been in the past, but the utilisation of their skills need to improve. A dominating presence in midfield through Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic and Fred, the Red Devils should be title contenders but that feeling doesn’t resonate as a reality, and for overall quality and winning mentality they seem well behind Manchester City and Liverpool.
Key Player: David De Gea
Top Goal Scorer: Romelu Lukaku
Predicted Finish: 3rd
Season Review:
What can we say? We thought a Manchester United Squad with this talent could produce better. Ultimately we were wrong and by a long way. Not only did Man Utd finish 5th overall, if it hadn’t been for a stellar 2 months when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over as manager, the Red Devils could have found themselves much lower. We did predict that their team tactics and management was questionable, so that’s a little win for us on the prediction front.
Key Player: Jesse Lingard
Top Goal scorer: Paul Pogba (13)
Final Finish: 5th
Newcastle
Predictions:
Touted last season as still a Championship side playing in the Premier League, Newcastle excelled far beyond what was expected by them in their first season back up in the top flight. That seems eerily similar to the last time they were promoted and then they fell into severe second season complacency syndrome. This appears to possibly occur again, as Newcastle are limited in many areas of the pitch. Scrapping to safety is highly likely.
Key Player: Jamaal Lascelles
Top Goal Scorer: Ayoze Pèrez
Predicted Finish: 17th
Season Review:
We thought that Newcastle looked doomed to struggle but that was far from the case. Despite no looking totally solid, they comfortably finished above relegation and in mid-table. The side was estute in defence as they only conceded 48 total goals, to finish with a better defensive record than 5 sides that finished above them on the table – two of these included Arsenal and Manchester United.
Key Player: Fabian Schar
Top Goal scorer: Ayoze Pèrez (12)
Final Finish: 13th
Southampton
Predictions:
A decent backline forming and some attacking players getting in form will be the key to Southampton’s survival. Getting out of relegation by the finest of margins last year was amazing but this time round luck can’t sustain them again. They have strengthened their squad and with a better playing style and Charlie Austin staying fit and firing should see the saints improve enough the be back again in the Premier League come the 2019/20 season.
Key Player: Jannik Vestergaard
Top Goal Scorer: Mohamed Elyounoussi
Predicted Finish: 14th
Season Review:
The Saints let us down on our predictions. We thought they had improved and looked set to have a slight elevation in quality for the 2018/19 season, but we were far off the mark. Southampton struggled all year, and if hadn’t been for other sides playing even worse, they could have been relegated. It was the amount of draws (12) that saved them in the end as the finished a mere 5 points above the drop-zone.
Key Player: James Ward-Prowse
Top Goal scorer: James Ward-Prowse (7) and Danny Ings (7)
Final Finish: 16th
Tottenham
Predictions:
Yet again for the second season in a row Tottenham have been quiet in the transfer market, with no acquisitions to the squad to date. Coach Mauricio Pochettino loves the unity he has within his squad and believes they can push further with the natural development of the playing talent he has. Despite his players getting better, other teams are also getting better and we at WFC don’t believe they can overtake the top 3 of City, Liverpool and United. Possibly the best backline in the EPL, along with a strong rotation ability, Spurs should be stable enough to reach Champions League qualification again. Side note, Harry Kane could break 30 league goals this year.
Key Player: Christian Eriksen
Top Goal Scorer: Harry Kane
Predicted Finish: 4th
Season Review:
Despite being resolute at the back, Spurs still lost 13 games over the course of the season. Their inability to hold onto draws in the final stretch of the season cost them a place in the table. We predicted they couldn’t catch the top 3 sides, but we were wrong in the sense of who the top 3 would be. Man City and Liverpool a give to be in there, but, Spurs losing out to London rivals Chelsea was unforeseen. Champions League success can cover this up and with Harry Kane out injured for a fair portion of the season our 30 goal season barrier we expected him to break did not come to fruition.
Key Player: Son Heung-Min
Top Goal scorer: Harry Kane (17)
Final Finish: 4th
Watford
Predictions:
Season past Watford had some very good performances by players in all areas of the pitch. Players like Kiko Femenia and Abdoulaye Doucourè had stellar years that were well above expectation. All of their effort still only got Watford to a 14th placed finish. Suffering the second most amount of defeats (19) in the league and having conceded 64 goals – only Stoke and West Ham conceded more (both 68), it is hard to see Watford getting any better this season. Improving in the goalkeeping department (Ben Foster) won’t help that much as the inability to defend is so lacking that he will have to be miraculous to keep many clean-sheets.
Key Player: Abdoulaye Doucourè
Top Goal Scorer: Andre Gray
Predicted Finish: 19th
Season Review:
We were way off with the prediction of Watford’s season. They performed excellently at the beginning of the season where they found themselves in the top 6 for a portion of the campaign. From here they kept stringing good performances together. Many squad players carried over 2017/18 form into the 2018/19 season. The ability for Watford to reduce their goals conceded, losses and general play is a big step forwards.
Key Player: Troy Deeney
Top Goal scorer: Gerard Deulofeu (10)
Final Finish: 11th
West Ham
Predictions:
This could be a true bounce back year for the Hammers. Having been a good top half of the table side for many years, last campaign came as a shock. The introduction of a new manager and new talent from other EPL clubs and abroad has sparked life and revitalised the squad. The continued loss of Manuel Lanzini for a prolonged period will be a downer but there are many others now that can fill his creative shoes – Felipe Anderson is one of those players, who recorded almost identical stats for 4 key attacking areas last season for Lazio, Goals (4), Assists (7), Shots per game (1.2) and Shot assists (1.8) as Lanzini did - Goals (5), Assists (6), Shots per game (1.4) and Shot assists (1.6).
Key Player: Lukasz Fabianski
Top Goal Scorer: Marko Arnautovic
Predicted Finish: 9th
Season Review:
We predicted in the pre-season that this would be a bounce back year for the Hammers and it was somewhat correct. They played exceptionally well at the beginning of the season, with our man Felipe Anderson living up to the hype we put on him to be a creative replacement for Manuel Lanzini. All in all, the Hammers could have finished even higher had they not dropped off in form through the middle portion of the season. Having a negative goal difference was a bit of a concern, seeing as they focussed on defensive acquisitions in the transfer market.
Key Player: Felipe Anderson
Top Goal scorer: Marko Arnautovic (10)
Final Finish: 10th
Wolverhampton
Predictions:
Best team in the Championship last season with the most goals scored (82) and fewest conceded (39), while recording the most league wins (30), Wolves had a remarkable season in the second tier of English football. Now in the EPL, Wolves have to show what a good side they actually are – and they can. Retaining the services of Benik Afobe, Leo Bonatini and most importantly Diogo Jota (loans becoming permanent moves) who aided them in winning the Championship title last season, Wolves have made other fantastic signings. Rui Patricio from Sporting CP, Raul Jimenez from Benfica and Joao Moutinho from Monaco are all experienced campaigners who will thrive in the EPL and push Wolves into the mid-table, well away from any fears of relegation.
Key Player: Diogo Jota
Top Goal Scorer: Leo Bonatini
Predicted Finish: 12th
Season Review:
Wolves played top calibre all season for a newly promoted side. Losing the same amount of games as Spurs over the campaign, Wolves over-excelled even our expectations, which were very generous. We mentioned they brought in high quality players from other leagues that were experienced and these players solidified the team. Raul Jimenez was next level, scoring 13 goals and providing 10 assists. Despite a few occasions of Robin Hood syndrome – taking points away from top 6 opponents and then losing to bottom table sides, effectively giving them unnecessary points, prevented Wolves from possibly finishing above Man United in 6th place.
Key Player: Matt Doherty
Top Goal scorer: Raul Jimenez (13)
Final Finish: 7th
So, here is the Predicted standings of the Premier League table for the 2018/19 season that we anticipated at the pre-season stage and the comparison to how the final Premier League table standings finished.
