If ever there were an opportunity to usurp one of the Premier League’s top six sides, then the coming campaign is the ideal chance. Manchester United ended last season abysmally, while Arsenal boss Unai Emery has his hands tied in regards to summer investment. Chelsea, meanwhile, enter yet another phase of their history with the appointment of Frank Lampard as manager, and yet a transfer ban has restricted the Blues.
Lampard may have brought Jody Morris back to Chelsea with him following his Derby departure, the latter familiar with the Blues’ youth team players, however the former’s emotionally charged return to Stamford Bridge comes with a risk. Player of the season Eden Hazard has departed for Real Madrid and while his replacement has already been acquired in Christian Pulisic, Chelsea are weaker coming into the new season.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham should feel confident of retaining their spots, but with the likes of Wolves, Leicester, Everton and West Ham all spending big to improve their respective squads, those above them in the table need to fear the best of the rest or risk being leapfrogged in the table.
West Ham especially will be confident of bettering their 10th placed finish last season. The Hammers have wasted no time in bringing in new faces in the off season as Manuel Pellegrini gears up for an important second campaign at the London Stadium helm. While previously reluctant to loosen the purse strings, the West Ham board have handed the Chilean ample funds to invest this summer and he has worked to add two key components to the attacking side of the squad.
Can big-money arrival Haller fire West Ham to Europe?
The Hammers bagged 52 Premier League goals last season, not the worst return by any stretch, but taking into account Marko Arnautovic was the only player to reach double figures for Premier League goals scored (10) of all West Ham players, then there is clearly a problem in the final third. Indeed, it was worsened when the Austrian’s move to China was confirmed, though West Ham more or less forced into cashing in on their top scorer.
His replacement, however, is without a doubt an upgrade on Arnautovic. That’s not to say Arnautovic is a poor striker, but in Sebastien Haller, West Ham have a forward who’d improve any top English side. For the third summer running, the Hammers broke their club-record signing with the capture of Haller, whose style of play is suited to English football.
The Frenchman isn’t one to shirk from a physical battle having won more aerial duels (201) than any other player in the Bundesliga last season, this coming despite injury restricting him to 23 starts. It was a successful campaign for Haller too as he netted 15 and registered nine assists for Eintracht Frankfurt, who have lost their two star strikers in the same window.
Only two players scored more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities than Haller (14) in Germany’s top tier last term to reinforce his goal getting capability, while a selflessness on the frontline is an added bonus for a striker who’ll have the likes of Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals making runs in beyond the forward.
Fornals to provide the ammo in the final third
The latter is a fellow new arrival, joining from Villarreal. He, too, is a fine capture, with Fornals registering 15 assists since the start of the 2017/18 La Liga season, a return only one midfielder can better in that period. While his capture didn’t attract the same fanfare as Haller, the 23-year-old’s ability to unlock defences on a whim is precisely why West Ham brought him to London. West Ham ranked 14th for goalscoring chances created in the Premier League last season (326) so a player to provide the ammunition for Haller to maximise his goalscoring capability was essential.
That isn’t to say West Ham’s issues are rectified immediately in the arrivals of Haller and Fornals, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction in their bid to secure a top six finish, which the Hammers are at [12.5] to do on the Exchange. With the full backing of the board, noted in the club-record signing of Haller, Pellegrini is certainly putting the pieces together to assemble a squad capable of challenging for a top-six finish, though the Hammers are certainly not a finished article quite yet.
It is a similar case for Everton, who finished just two points above West Ham in the Premier League last season. Like West Ham and Pellegrini, the Toffees board have again thrown their financial backing behind head coach Marco Silva. Having spent big to sign Richarlison last summer, Everton have retained Andre Gomes’ services permanently and brought Fabian Delph to Goodison Park from Manchester City to strengthen the midfield.
The impending departure of Idrissa Gueye is a blow for Everton, with the Senegalese ball winner on the cusp of a switch to PSG. Indeed, Gueye has made more tackles (395) than any other player in the last three Premier League seasons and the Toffees will miss his all-action defensive displays in the middle of the park, but Delph’s move to Merseyside will certainly ease his exit to France.
And between now and the close of the transfer window, Everton may yet, like West Ham, smash their club-record transfer. Silva’s side are keen on landing Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace, even taking into account the Eagles’ massive asking price for the Ivorian. Ademola Lookman’s sale to RB Leipzig leaves Everton short of wide attacking options and the capture of Zaha, to some the best player outside of the Premier League’s top six, would signal the club’s intentions to really make a push for a European finish.
Will Everton beat Arsenal to Zaha?
Arsenal lead the way for Zaha and would jump at the chance to secure his services if Palace sell for below their monster asking price and are the current favourites to sign the winger at 10/11 on the Sportsbook, but with the Gunners possibly needing to sell before they can buy, it’s impossible to rule Everton out of the running for Zaha.
The Toffees are currently at 2/1 to be Zaha’s next club and will hold talks with Palace this week over a possible deal. Arsenal have already lodged a £40m bid for the wing-wizard, which was rebuffed by Palace, who are refusing to sell for anything less than £80m. If Everton can strike a deal to sign the 26-year-old this window, then it’ll be a coup for Silva and his side and lay down a real marker for Everton’s rivals pushing to leapfrog the Premier League’s best sides into a top six finish.
Of the best of the rest aiming to finish in the European spots, Everton are the second favourites at [5.1] on the Exchange, though those will shorten if they manage to get a deal for Zaha over the finish line.
What’s clear, however, if that those in the top six who flattered to deceive last season need to keep a watchful eye over their shoulder. There may have been a nine-point gap from sixth to seventh in the Premier League, but with the likes of West Ham and Everton spending impressively on strengthening this summer, those above them can’t simply rest on their laurels to finish in the top six next term.
Source: Betfair Premier League
