The Premier League’s 2020-21 season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting title races in its history.
There have been three-team races in the past, but this season there are four to five who have solid claims for the Premier League trophy.
This is a refreshing sight for EPL fans as most people wrote off this season as a successful Liverpool title defence.
However, Virgil van Dijk went down with a knee injury earlier in the season which affected their title defence. Because of the injury and Liverpool’s struggling form, there are many teams who are now title contenders.
Manchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s squad is finally realising their potential, and they are currently among those fighting at the very top of Premier League, regularly swapping places with other leaders. This is something people did not expect a few months ago.
Solskjær must have been fearing for his job at some points in the recent past, but it seems that he will be staying in the role for some time to come given their performances this season.
Bruno Fernandes is the team’s best player and he has cemented his place as one of the top stars in the league. He leads the team by example thanks to his ability to control games and has many vital assists and penalty goals.
The 26-year-old is a great striker of the ball from distance, but he shines in set-pieces as he can score from anywhere.
Another midfield player who has shone for United is Paul Pogba, who has finally found his stride for the Red Devils and has helped United to become a favourite in the betting odds today.
The duo of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial is reliable enough with the former having his best season as a pro. The defence has also been good with a three-man rotation in the centre-back role with captain Harry Maguire, Eric Bailly, and Victor Lindelöf.
Liverpool
Even if they have dropped off in comparison to last season, Liverpool are still in the top echelons of English football. With Van Dijk’s injury, the man who has risen up to the occasion is Fabinho who moved to centre-back.
Their front three is the usual threat, but have actually not found the back of the net as expected. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané are all great players but have struggled to cement themselves this season. They do have Diogo Jota as a back-up who is reliable enough to score in the big games, but he is also facing a spell on the sidelines through injury.
Alisson is still one of the best goalkeepers in the league, which holds a lot of weight since he needs to step up in Van Dijk’s absence. Jürgen Klopp still has a good team, but they will need their front three to catch fire if they are to defend their title.
Leicester City
Leicester City are an underrated squad but their position in the table is an accurate representation of the quality they have, even if they are still not included in the ‘big 6’ conversations.
They have always been consistent because of their power as a unit.
Jamie Vardy is the head of the Foxes with his scoring, but they have a well-rounded team. Alongside him, James Maddison has found his form, but the best player on the team right now is arguably Wilfred Ndidi, who has been excellent as the team’s anchor in the middle.
Brendan Rodgers deserves credit as he has turned this team into contenders again, which brings back memories of their 2015-16 title win. They could replicate that by pulling off big upsets this season en route to a title.
Manchester City
The Citizens have gone under the radar for much of this season so far, but are now starting to show their strength. They remain the most talented lineup in the league with Kevin De Bruyne leading the way. The most surprising change this season has been John Stones forming a defensive wall with Rúben Dias.
In attack, De Bruyne is still their best player but injuries have taken a toll in the striking department. This has limited City’s success this season, especially with the goals that both Sergio Agüero and Gabriel Jesus bring to the team, but they have adapted well and now use De Bruyne effectively as a false nine.
Do not be surprised if PepGuardiola’s City lift the trophy at the end of the season given the betting odds today.
Who will win?
Those are just some of the teams who can contend but it needs to be said that Tottenham Hotspur are also a good contender for the title. José Mourinho has unlocked this team’s potential with Harry Kane and Son-Heung Min leading the way for Spurs. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg is a great player for Spurs, too, and has slotted in well with the rest of the squad after joining from Southampton this season.
It is a difficult race to gauge, but with the teams playing with grit you can expect the two Manchester squads fighting it out for the trophy in the final days of the season.