EPL 2017/18 Pre-Season Predictions Review
After a long season of ups and downs, the summation
of a campaign after the final whistle has blown gives a brief period of time
for reflection and review of what has occurred over the past 9 months of
football. Every player and club went through a gruelling effort over the course
of the season, with some young players’ careers taking off, while other veteran
careers came to a close.
Did any of us believe that Manchester City would be
so dominant? Or that Burnley could somehow become a stable top half of the table
side, while last season’s champions Chelsea struggled to stay in touch with the
top 4 for the better part of the campaign?
Of course a review wouldn’t be complete without a
comparison to how we anticipated and predicted multiple aspects of the season to
play out.
A full guide of pre-season predictions can be found here - http://worldwidefantasyclub.blogspot.com.au/2017/07/epl-title-contenders-relegation.html
So here is the WFC review of our English Premier
League predictions made prior to the season kick-off (15th of July
2017) and how things turned out after the 2017/18 season has finished.
Team
|
Prediction
|
Reality
|
|
Arsenal
|
Key
Player
|
Mesut
Özil
|
Shkodran
Mustafi
|
Top
Scorer
|
Alexis
Sánchez
|
Alexandre
Lacazette (14)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
4th
|
6th
|
|
Bournemouth
|
Key
Player
|
Josh
King
|
Nathan
Akè
|
Top
Scorer
|
Jermain
Defoe
|
Josh
King/Callum Wilson (8)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
9th
|
12th
|
|
Brighton
|
Key
Player
|
Anthony
Knockaert
|
Pascal
Gross
|
Top
Scorer
|
Glenn
Murray
|
Glenn
Murray (12)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
18th
|
15th
|
|
Burnley
|
Key
Player
|
Robbie
Brady
|
James
Tarkowski
|
Top
Scorer
|
Sam
Vokes
|
Chris
Wood (10)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
19th
|
7th
|
|
Chelsea
|
Key
Player
|
Cesar
Azpilicueta
|
Cesar
Azpilicueta
|
Top
Scorer
|
Eden
Hazard
|
Eden
Hazard (12)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
1st
|
5th
|
|
Crystal
Palace
|
Key
Player
|
Patrick
Van Aanholt
|
Luka
Milivojević
|
Top
Scorer
|
Christian
Benteke
|
Luka
Milivojević (10)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
13th
|
11th
|
|
Everton
|
Key
Player
|
Ashley
Williams
|
Jordan
Pickford
|
Top
Scorer
|
Wayne
Rooney
|
Wayne
Rooney (10)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
7th
|
8th
|
|
Huddersfield
|
Key
Player
|
Aaron
Mooy
|
Jonas
Lössl
|
Top
Scorer
|
Laurent
Depoitre
|
Steve
Mounie (7)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
20th
|
16th
|
|
Leicester
|
Key
Player
|
Jamie
Vardy
|
Jamie
Vardy
|
Top
Scorer
|
Jamie
Vardy
|
Jamie
Vardy (20)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
14th
|
9th
|
|
Liverpool
|
Key
Player
|
Sadio
Manè
|
Roberto
Firmino
|
Top
Scorer
|
Roberto
Firmino
|
Mohamed
Salah (32)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
6th
|
4th
|
|
Manchester City
|
Key
Player
|
Vincent
Kompany
|
David
Silva
|
Top
Scorer
|
Sergio
Agüero
|
Sergio
Agüero (21)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
2nd
|
1st
|
|
Manchester
United
|
Key
Player
|
Paul
Pogba
|
David
De Gea
|
Top
Scorer
|
Romelu
Lukaku
|
Romelu
Lukaku (16)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
5th
|
2nd
|
|
Newcastle
|
Key
Player
|
Matt
Ritchie
|
Jamaal
Lascelles
|
Top
Scorer
|
Dwight
Gayle
|
Ayoze
Pèrez (8)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
10th
|
10th
|
|
Southampton
|
Key
Player
|
Dušan
Tadić
|
Dušan
Tadić
|
Top
Scorer
|
Manolo
Gabbiadini
|
Charlie
Austin (7)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
8th
|
17th
|
|
Stoke
|
Key
Player
|
Xerdan
Shaqiri
|
Xerdan
Shaqiri
|
Top
Scorer
|
Marko
Arnautovic
|
Xerdan
Shaqiri (8)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
15th
|
19th
|
|
Swansea
|
Key
Player
|
Gylfi
Sigurdsson
|
Alfie
Mawson
|
Top
Scorer
|
Fernando
Llorente
|
Jordan
Ayew (7)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
17th
|
18th
|
|
Tottenham
|
Key
Player
|
Moussa
Dembèlè
|
Christian
Eriksen
|
Top
Scorer
|
Harry
Kane
|
Harry
Kane (30)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
3rd
|
3rd
|
|
Watford
|
Key
Player
|
Heurelho
Gomes
|
Abdoulaye
Doucourè
|
Top
Scorer
|
Troy
Deeney
|
Abdoulaye
Doucourè (7)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
16th
|
14th
|
|
West Brom
|
Key
Player
|
Matt
Phillips
|
Ahmed
Hegazi
|
Top
Scorer
|
Salomón
Rondón
|
Salomón
Rondón/Jay Rodriguez (7)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
11th
|
20th
|
|
West
Ham
|
Key
Player
|
Manuel
Lanzini
|
Marko
Arnautovic
|
Top
Scorer
|
Michail
Antonio
|
Marko
Arnautovic (11)
|
|
Ladder
Finish
|
12th
|
13th
|
And here is how the table played out in comparison to
how we anticipated,
With all said and done, we congratulate Manchester City on a record breaking season, where they re-captured the EPL title – their 3rd league title in the Premier League era.
WFC would also like to congratulate Mohamed Salah
for an individual season to be amazed about where he won three player of the
month awards and the player of the season award for his 32 goals and 10 assists
over the course of the season.
We now shift our focus to the FIFA World Cup in
Russia, where we could see Germany create a dynasty after winning the 2014 tournament
and are going into Russia as one of the top favourites. Along with Germany
there are many other nations that have a chance of claiming the trophy, while
others could announce themselves as dark horses and future threats.
Stay in touch with the WFC accounts for World Cup
previews, line-ups and analysis of what we believe will occur in Russia 2018.
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