The Premier League 2020/21 season has come around already and every major question once more requires an answer.
Will Liverpool retain their title? Can Manchester City regain it? The pressure is on Frank Lampard after a summer of splurging, could Chelsea genuinely challenge and how will Ole Gunnar Solsjaer fare in his second full season at Old Trafford? The Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur love affair; will it survive the campaign?
How about Leeds United, returning to the top flight for the first time in 16 years under the iconic Marcelo Bielsa? And Slaven Bilic, back in the big league, this time leading the West Bromwich Albion charge, while Scott Parker will head Fulham's battle against the drop.
The potential storylines are plentiful in supply on the eve of what will be a star-studded Premier League season, both on the pitch and in the dugout.
With that in mind, members of Team OTB have each cast their Premier League predictions under the following categories:
- the final top four, in descending order;
- the final bottom three;
- the league's top goalscorer;
- the league's player of season, and;
- the first manager to be sacked/leave.
Firstly, here are Eoin Sheahan, Ger Gilroy, Nathan Murphy and Stephen Doyle (who has subsequently opted for Trent Alexander-Arnold as his Player of the Year) predicting events ahead of the Premier League 2020/21 season on OTB AM:
Following the lads' chat above on OTB AM, we extended the debate to the rest of Team OTB.
So, in no particular order, here are our predictions ahead of the 2020/21 season...
Arthur O'Dea
Top 4: 1st) Manchester City, 2nd) Liverpool, 3rd) Manchester United, 4th) Chelsea.
Relegated: Aston Villa, Fulham, Crystal Palace.
Golden Boot: Mo Salah.
Player of the Season: Raheem Sterling.
First Managerial Casualty: David Moyes (West Ham United).
Cian Fahey
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Manchester City, 3rd) Chelsea, 4th) Manchester United.
Relegated: Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United.
Golden Boot: Mo Salah.
Player of the Season: Mo Salah.
First Managerial Casualty: Dean Smith (Aston Villa).
Joseph Conroy
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Chelsea, 3rd) Manchester City, 4th) Manchester United.
Relegated: Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United.
Golden Boot: Timo Werner.
Player of the Season: Virgil van Dijk.
First Managerial Casualty: David Moyes (West Ham United).
Phil Egan
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Manchester City, 3rd) Chelsea, 4th) Manchester United.
Relegated: Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham.
Golden Boot: Harry Kane.
Player of the Season: Kevin De Bruyne.
First Managerial Casualty: Brendan Rodgers (Leicester City).
Calum Atkinson
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Manchester City, 3rd) Chelsea, 4th) Tottenham Hostpur.
Relegated: Fulham, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion.
Golden Boot: Mo Salah.
Player of the Season: Virgil van Dijk.
First Managerial Casualty: David Moyes (West Ham United).
Enda Coll
Top 4: 1st) Manchester City, 2nd) Liverpool, 3rd) Chelsea, 4th) Manchester United.
Relegated: Fulham, West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion.
Golden Boot: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Player of the Season: Bruno Fernandes.
First Managerial Casualty: David Moyes (West Ham United).
Shane Hannon
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Manchester United, 3rd) Manchester City, 4th) Chelsea.
Relegated: Aston Villa, Fulham, Burnley.
Golden Boot: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Player of the Season: Bruno Fernandes.
First Managerial Casualty: Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur).
Ruairi Carberry
Top 4: 1st) Manchester City, 2nd) Liverpool, 3rd) Manchester United, 4th) Chelsea.
Relegated: West Bromwich Albion, Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion.
Golden Boot: Timo Werner.
Player of the Season: Raheem Sterling.
First Managerial Casualty: Slaven Bilic (West Bromwich Albion).
Ciaran Bradley
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Manchester City, 3rd) Manchester United, 4th) Chelsea.
Relegated: West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United and Fulham.
Golden Boot: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Player of the Season: Bruno Fernandes.
First Managerial Casualty: Dean Smith (Aston Villa).
Colm Boohig
Top 4: 1st) Manchester City, 2nd) Manchester United, 3rd) Liverpool, 4th) Chelsea.
Relegated: Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace.
Golden Boot: Sergio Aguero.
Player of the Season: Sadio Mane.
First Managerial Casualty: Steve Bruce (Newcastle United).
Emma Carroll
Top 4: 1st) Manchester City, 2nd) Liverpool, 3rd) Chelsea, 4th) Manchester United.
Relegated: Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham.
Golden Boot: Mo Salah & Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Player of the Season: Sadio Mane.
First Managerial Casualty: Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace).
Jake O'Donnell
Top 4: 1st) Manchester City, 2nd) Manchester United, 3rd) Liverpool, 4th) Chelsea.
Relegated: Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United.
Golden Boot: Raheem Sterling.
Player of the Season: Bruno Fernandes.
First Managerial Casualty: David Moyes (West Ham United).
Stephen Kisbey-Green
Top 4: 1st) Manchester United, 2nd) Liverpool, 3rd) Manchester City, 4th) Tottenham Hotspur.
Relegated: Leeds United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa.
Golden Boot: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Player of the Season: Kevin De Bruyne.
First Managerial Casualty: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal).
John Duggan
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Manchester City, 3rd) Chelsea, 4th) Manchester United.
Relegated: Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion.
Golden Boot: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Player of the Season: Sadio Mane.
First Managerial Casualty: Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace).
Tommy Rooney
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Chelsea, 3rd) Manchester City, 4th) Manchester United.
Relegated: Brighton & Hove Albion, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham.
Golden Boot: Mo Salah.
Player of the Season: Mo Salah.
First Managerial Casualty: David Moyes (West Ham United).
Adrian Barry
Top 4: 1st) Liverpool, 2nd) Manchester United, 3rd) Manchester City, 4th) Chelsea.
Relegated: Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace.
Golden Boot: Mo Salah.
Player of the Season: Bruno Fernandes.
First Managerial Casualty: Steve Bruce (Newcastle United).
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