In late June Liverpool Football Club ended a 30-year wait to win the Premier League title. It formally became theirs when Chelsea beat nearest chasers Manchester City 2-1, giving Liverpool an unassailable lead with seven games remaining. It was the earliest title win in terms of games remaining, and the latest in terms of date due to three months of Covid-19 lockdown.

 The tail end of last season was crammed into five frantic weeks with most teams playing nine games. Because of the compression the 2020/21 season has arrived with barely a breath taken. Throw in the conclusion of European club competitions and the UEFA Nations League international matches that took place over the past two weeks, and it’s clear the new season will be a war of attrition.

There are so many variables ahead as well. Will crowds return? Will Covid-19 rear up significantly again, causing another suspension to an already compressed calendar given the events of the past six months?

The continued lack of crowds in stadiums will detract from the spectacle while the constant pressure of Covid-19 testing and bio-bubble protocols is likely to take a toll on players’ mental health as much as anything.

Also, it was clear that in the finale of last season, after the Covid-19 lockdown, teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were more settled under their new managers who were all still finding their way at new clubs. Liverpool stuttered slightly and Manchester City remained inconsistent. Were those portents of things to come?

Teams with deep squads and massive playing resources are going to survive better than those with fewer riches, which adds a level of difficulty when assessing possible winners.

Leeds United’s manager Marcelo Bielsa reacts during the English Emirates FA cup third round soccer match between Arsenal FC and Leeds United held at the Emirates stadium in London, Britain, 06 January 2020. EPA-EFE.

Liverpool, who have amassed 196 league points in the past two seasons and are undefeated in the Premier League at their Anfield home for three seasons, naturally start as favourites. But they have been miserly in the transfer market, only adding Greek left back Kostas Tsimikas while they are still pursuing Bayern Munich’s Spain international Thiago Alcântara.

Can Liverpool’s relatively small squad maintain the Himalayan standards they have set for two seasons under the pressure that comes with being champions? It’s one of the reasons Thiago’s arrival is vital. He would bring great class and a fresh injection of star power to the midfield.

Liverpool meet newly promoted Leeds United in an intriguing opening fixture. Leeds are back in the top flight for the first time in 16 years, having been brilliantly steered into the Premier League by the renowned Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentinean coach is seen as something of a football guru, and his disciples include Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone. Coming up against Jürgen Klopp is certainly the biggest managerial clash of the opening weekend.

Guardiola’s team, given its depth, is clearly going to be a threat again while free-spending Chelsea, under former star player Frank Lampard, are a real danger. In the short off-season Chelsea have brought in some big names, including wings Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz and free-scoring centre forward Timo Werner. They have goal-scoring options everywhere but has Lampard done enough to shore up the defence?

Manchester United ended the post-lockdown period undefeated in their nine games and have certainly come into their own under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Manchester City’s head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16-second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid in Manchester, Britain, 07 August 2020. EPA-EFE/Oli Scarff

Jose Mourinho, who used the fact that he was appointed 10 games into last season as a reason for Tottenham Hotspurs’ failure to finish in the top four, now has to show his worth. There are no more excuses. 

Arsenal are still a work in progress under Mikel Arteta, but winning last season’s FA Cup has certainly hinted at more to come from the Gunners. Arteta, who learned under Guardiola, is building a team that is easy on the eye and ruthless.

Leicester City should kick on from last season’s fifth-place finish while Wolves, who were close to Champions League qualification last season, are well settled. Unlike last season when Liverpool romped away, this season could have an actual title race involving five or six teams. DM

Key Transfers

The summer transfer window started on 27 July, and ends on 5 October, running for a total duration of 10 weeks.

*Netspend is the difference between how much a football club has spent on arrivals compared to how much they have received from departures. The five clubs listed below have the best recorded netspend figures. In other words, the top five listed have achieved the lowest figure against other clubs.

 There was a total of 19 domestic transfers completed within English Premier League for the summer 2020 window. Regarding international signings, three players join the Premier League from Spain’s La Liga. Two players from both the German Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A will join Premier League teams. Similarly, two players from the Netherlands’ Eredivisie have been signed also to start.

Finally, there was one completed transfer from the French Ligue 1 to Premier League, also with one completed transfer from Portugal’s Primeira Liga.

International Signings Completed for Summer 2020 Transfer Window

Names listed according to purchase value

 DM