Like fans elsewhere, football lovers in the Cayman Islands will rejoice with the return of the English Premier League.
The 2014-2015 season officially starts this weekend with most of the big clubs in action. On Aug. 16, Manchester United stars in the opener against Swansea at 6:45 a.m. Cayman time, before Tottenham Hot Spur tackle West Ham United at 9 a.m., with Arsenal battling Crystal Palace at 12:30 p.m. On Aug. 17, Liverpool contends with Southampton at 7:30 a.m. with Manchester City hosting Newcastle United at 10 a.m. On Aug. 18, Chelsea challenge Burnley at 2 p.m.
Last year’s campaign was very dramatic with a wide-open title race. Four clubs battled all season to host the trophy, with Man City coming out on top for the second time in three seasons. City triumphed on the back of a dynamic attack, which scored a league-best 102 goals, highlighted by the likes of Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero. Heading into this season, City are the frontrunners for simply not messing too much with what has worked.
All of the big names – from Yaya Toure to Vincent Kompany – remain in the fold, and manager Manuel Pellegrini has found the right balance on the field while keeping stars happy with their playing time. Their defense, which was seen as a weak point, got a boost from the likes of Bacary Sagna coming over from Arsenal.
The biggest challenger to City’s repeat title bid should be Chelsea. Manager Jose Mourinho has made a number of major moves, getting striker Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid, midfielder Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona and bringing back striker Didier Drogba. David Luiz was the biggest departure, going to Paris Saint Germain in France, but Atletico’s Filipe Luis was brought in as a replacement in the back. The Blues already had the Premiership’s best defense, allowing a league-low 27 goals, and now boast added offensive firepower.
Another club that figures to be a contender is Arsenal. Every year, the Gunners manage to keep themselves in the top four though this year, expectations should be sky high. Forward Alexis Sanchez, formerly of Barcelona, looks to be a perfect fit for an offense that lacked production in 2013. Add in Costa Rican talent Joel Campbell and Yaya Sanogo and the Gunners could enjoy regular goal-scoring feasts. Injuries and a reworked defense will be the key factors but odds are manager Arsene Wenger will have plenty to smile about.
The big change should come from Manchester United, who look primed to return to winning ways under new manager Louis van Gaal. The Dutchman has brought an authoritarian style reminiscent of Sir Alex Ferguson and made the kind of bold moves – spending heavily on midfielder Ander Herrera and defender Luke Shaw – that has United fans feeling a Champions League berth is very real.
The picture is not as rosy for last year’s runners-up, Liverpool. The loss of star forward Luis Suarez to Barcelona means huge pressure on Raheem Sterling and company to produce goals. While Adam Lallana is a big signing, odds are the Reds will have to settle for a fifth place finish. A number of teams can challenge Liverpool for that spot, including Romelu Lukaku and Everton, Hugo Lloris and Tottenham and maybe Bojan Krkic and Stoke City.
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