Mid-Season EPL Predictions
We are at the halfway point at this year’s EPL season. I figured that now is the time to take a peak at how the season has played out so far. Well the first twenty games that most teams have played so far have been very entertaining. This is the most exciting EPL season in my opinion in a very long time. There are no clear cut favorites on who is going to win the EPL this season, and that is why it is so exciting.
I would say that there are only four to five teams that have a realistic chance of winning the league this year. For those that didn’t know I had made predictions on how I thought the season would play out before it started. Really quick I am going to take a peak at where the table looks from where I thought in September to where it is now.
20th Sheffield (11th)
19th West Bromwich (17th)
18th Fulham (19th)
17th Brighton (14th)
16th Newcastle (16th)
15th Burnley (13th)
14th Crystal Palace (18th)
13th Wolves (6th)
12th Leeds (10th)
11th Southampton (15th)
10th Aston Villa (20th)
9th Arsenal (5th)
8th Chelsea (2nd)
7th Everton (7th)
6th Tottenham (8th)
5th Liverpool (3rd)
4th West Ham (12th)
3rd Leicester City (9th)
2nd Manchester United (4th)
1st Manchester City (1st)
Well on the left side of that is where the team is currently ranked and on the right side is where I thought the team would finish before the season started.
Spot On:
If the season ended today I would have been spot on two teams. Those two teams were Manchester City and Everton. Man City has been solid in the premier league this season as they have given up the fewest goals in nineteen matches. They haven’t lost an EPL game since November, and this team looks like they are in prime to win the league this season. Watch out for Manchester City everybody.
Now onto one of my co-hosts favorite team; Everton. At the beginning of the year I assumed Everton was going to be a solid team, and they have not disappointed so far. Carlo Ancelotti is in my eyes a top three candidate for manager of the season in the EPL. He has gotten this team back to the top ten of the table, and they have been good all season long so far. James Rodriguez has played very well for Ancelotti, and his play has helped this team tremendously. Everton is a piece away from being a legitimate contender in the EPL. If I am playing Everton though I am really nervous because of how talented that they are.
Biggest Flop:
For my EPL predictions at the start of the season my biggest flop was where I put Aston Villa. Villa a season ago was a bottom of the table team and they have taken a giant step forward. Dean Smith has been a fantastic manager for this team. To go along with the fact that Jack Grealish has taken a big step towards to becoming a superstar. Grealish currently sits at third in the league in assists with 8. Also Emiliano Martinez is second in the EPL in clean sheets with 9. This team relies on them two and Ollie Watkins who leads the team in goals with 9.
If Aston Villa wants to play for at least a spot in the Europa League, they are going to need those three to keep their form. I would like to apologize to Aston Villa for the disrespect that I gave them at the beginning of the season, and I am looking forward to seeing how they finish the year out.
Biggest Surprise:
West Ham United is currently sitting at fourth in the table. This team is currently ninth in the league in goals for, and they are tied for fifth in the league in clean sheets as well. This team has been my biggest surprise so far in the 2020-2021 season. Don’t get me wrong I thought that they were going to be in the middle of the pack. This team though has taken my thoughts about them and gone above and beyond with them. If this team can keep up their current form, they have a shot at remaining in the loop for a potential Europa League spot.
Predictions For The Rest Of The Season:
Goal Leaders:
1.) Mo Salah
2.) Son Heung-Min
3.) Bruno Fernandes
4.) Jamie Vardy
5.) Harry Kane
Assists Leaders:
1.) Kevin De Bruyne
2.) Bruno Fernandes
3.) Jack Grealish
4.) Harry Kane
5.) Son Heung-Min
Clean Sheets:
1.) Ederson Santana de Moraes
2.) Emiliano Martinez
3.) Bernd Leno
4.) Edouard Mendy
5.) Hugo Lloris
Manager Of The Year:
1.) Carlo Ancelotti
2.) Brendan Rogers
3.) David Moyes
Mid-Season Table Predictions
1.) Manchester City
2.) Liverpool
3.) Manchester United
4.) Chelsea
5.) Tottenham
6.) Leicester City
7.) Arsenal
8.) Everton
9.) West Ham
10.) Aston Villa
11.) Leeds
12.) Southampton
13.) Burnley
14.) Wolves
15.) Crystal Palace
16.) Newcastle
17.) Brighton
18.) West Bromwich
19.) Fulham
20.) Sheffield
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-Chris Jones (@cjoneswho1212)