Nick Henninger, Contributing Writer
This season of the English Premier League comes packed with big transfers and new hopes to top the table for every team. With the transfer window over and the season underway, each team is hoping to see big things from their new pickups. Some of the biggest transfers, such as Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United, Granit Xhaka to Arsenal, and Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City, are sure to make an impact out on the pitch, or so each team would hope.
Leicester City is off to a rocky start, but last season they came from the lower ranks of the Premier League to then have a historic season and top the table. The reigning champions have started off the season at a slow pace to say the least, only winning two games with one draw and three losses. However, with the defending champions not posing much of a threat this year, who will take the top spot? With the top four spots leading teams to international play, let’s run through the top four teams who will most likely lead the table of the 2016-2017 English Premier League.
In fourth, coming off of one of the team’s better years in the league, are the Tottenham Hotspurs. The team, led by Harry Kane up front and new transfer Victor Wanyama, previously at Southhampton, is sure to once again take a spot in the top four. Harry Kane, coming off of one of his most impressive seasons yet and winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot, the young striker is sure to take the league by storm again. This season will be another run for the Hotspurs with Kane up top and a host of good players behind him including Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, and the crafty veteran Hugo Lloris between the sticks.
The team coming back to claim third in our list this season is Arsenal. With a start to the season placing them in third after six games, Arsenal seems to be on par with their last year’s form. Finishing second last season, the Gunners look to create another season atop the table after finishing in the top four every year since the 1995-1996 season. Leading the way for the Gunners is Alexis Sanchez, one of the best players in the league and a dominant threat for the team ever since his transfer from Barcelona. With the new signing of an outstanding talent in Granit Xhaka and a team very similar to last season’s, Arsene Wenger and the Gunners will look to repeat last year’s form.
Coming in second this season with a new powerhouse team after the transfer window is Jose Mourinho and Manchester United. Starting his first year for the club, Mourinho has made his mark on the team, bringing in some of the biggest transfers for the league this year. With the signing of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and the youngster Eric Bailly, the team itself ranks among the best in the world. With a slower start to the season standing in sixth place at the moment, the United boys need their bigger names to pick it up, but with veterans of the team like Wayne Rooney and keeper David De Gea in the mix, its hard to see the team go anywhere but up now that they are getting games in together after changing most of their central field.
Finally, the team who will be hoisting the trophy at the end of the season will be Manchester City. With the new signing of Pep Guardiola as the manager, previously the Bayern Munich and Barcelona manager, the club has come into form early in their season with a six-out-of-six-game win streak. With new signings like Claudio Bravo, Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito, and Leroy Sane, the team has grown and become even better than last season after taking the fourth place spot. With the new players and crafty veteran Sergio Aguero, who is one of the top strikers in the world at this point in his career, it seems like this may be the year for the Manchester City boys to reclaim the top spot in the English Premier League.
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