2018 will forever be remembered as the year football should have come home.
It was an unforgettable summer watching Gareth Southgate and the Three Lions, the nucleus around a crazy year in football. Manchester City broke Premier League records for goals and points on their way to the title, France were crowned the World’s finest with a triumphant tune to go with it. Cristiano Ronaldo departed Real Madrid, creating a crisis at Los Blancos, Lionel Messi was judged as the 5th best footballer in the world, and Arsene Wenger didn’t lead Arsenal into a new season for the first time in 22 years.
Although, that’s just a normal year in the football hemisphere, this piece will target the Premier League and Championship and what I believe is in-store. Inevitably this will go horribly wrong, but maybe just maybe this is the year I get it all right…
A FINAL DAY TITLE RACE, AT LAST
The final Match of the Day of the season hasn’t been a spectacle over the last few years with a battle for fourth spot being the storyline on game 38. However, I think this year it’ll be unmissable with a title-showdown for the first time since 2014, ironically which was between the same two teams. Liverpool have had their best ever start to a Premier League season, winning 17 of 20 games and seven points clear of champions City.
Pep Guardiola’s side have had the festive flu, losing three in five including shock defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester City. Many have been jumping ship declaring there’s a ‘special feeling’ around Anfield and that City are in do-or-die territory already as they take on the Reds this Thursday at the Etihad. Liverpool have one win in their last eight league visits to the Etihad, it’ll show a lot about both team’s mentality and the tactical battle between famous foes Jurgen Klopp and Guardiola.
A draw leaves an eight-point gap with 17 games to go, absolutely catchable. With Champions League and cup competitions to juggle, I don’t think it will be as straight forward for the Reds this term. City’s squad have been there and done it, some are three-time league winners, whilst in a run-in, this Liverpool team haven’t been tested under extreme pressures.
A rejuvenated Manchester United could play a part when Liverpool visit on the 24th February, around the same time they play Bayern Munich in the Champions League. City need to be near faultless but if anyone can do that, it’s Guardiola’s team as I believe they are still this year’s winners of the Premier League.
FULHAM’S GREAT ESCAPE V2
Christmas can be a joyful period, full of love and laughter. But if you’re a Fulham fan you’ll know that only three teams have escaped relegation since 1992 after being bottom on Christmas Day. I think there will be a fourth this year.
Claudio Ranieri was the ‘tinker man’ at Chelsea, then became a ‘doubted genius’ at Leicester City. Now, he can be the ‘miracle magician’, guiding Fulham to safety. It is no doubt that the lower half of the Premier League has declined in quality over the years, so much so that seven teams have lower than 20 points after 20 games.
Fulham have produced a ‘Great Escape’ before, under Roy Hodgson to secure safety on the final day. I think it will come down to the last game once more, in a three-way face-off with Cardiff and Burnley. Huddersfield look out of their depth in second-season syndrome, destined for relegation.
The fight and determination of Cardiff and Burnley cannot be questioned, Neil Warnock doing an outstanding job just to keep City competitive and outside the relegation zone. As for Burnley, to carry the weight of last year’s unbelievable feat of seventh was always difficult, but they’ve already conceded two more goals this season than they did in the entirety of their last campaign.
The major factor I put in Fulham’s favour to avoid the drop, is Aleksander Mitrovic. A proven poacher who is hard for defenders to handle. His strike rate is poor, 74 shots and only 8 goals but he creates lots of chances and more will come his way over the next few months with Sessegnon and Schurle as supporting cast. Cardiff have been opting for right-back turn striker Calum Paterson to lead the line, James Tarkowski is joint top scorer for Burnley with just three, highlighting their struggle.
So my prediction’s on this first day of 2019 are that the Premier League will go down to the wire at both ends of the table, but who doesn’t enjoy drama, well maybe not Liverpool fans….for me it’s going to be
Top 4: Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs
Bottom Three: Burnley, Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town
Disagree? Comment your thoughts down below!
Sam Tonks 