Soccer as a sport has never been more popular than at present. It is thought that around 4 billion people globally follow their favorite teams and keep up to date with the latest soccer news. One of the major leagues that many take an interest in is the fast-paced English Premier League.
Although the 2018/19 season is almost done, fans are already starting to look ahead to the new one, which is set to be even more exciting than the last. With the quasi-recent legalization of sports betting in some U.S states, top NJ online casino and sportsbooks can now be accessed by the public for a better idea of the betting odds going into the upcoming seasons.
When you are ready to dive back into soccer, it can be interesting now to predict what could happen in the future.
Title race to be close again
The title race in the 18/19 EPL season has been very close to say the least. Looking at the teams this year and how they may fare next year, it seems likely that this will happen once more. Liverpool will look to push on and have another strong season, while Manchester City will also be right up there as usual under Pep Guardiola.
There are also another three or four teams underneath them who will be doing their best to finish top. Of those, it is maybe Tottenham who are worth keeping an eye on. Full of confidence after their Champions League exploits in 18/19, they could challenge for the title if they keep hold of all their key players – and the manager!
Promoted teams to have a tough time
Promoted teams usually have a hard time when they come up into the EPL, as Fulham and Cardiff showed in 18/19. For the new season, this trend looks set to continue. Although the final team to come up is not known as yet, both Norwich and Sheffield United may struggle in the 19/20 EPL campaign.
To avoid this, they need to solve the age-old problem that plagues many promoted teams – to find a way to score goals while also keeping it tight at the back. Whether either will do this remains to be seen.
VAR chaos
VAR will be used in the EPL for the first time in the coming season. Although it is a good idea in principle, many fear that the lack of understanding from referees on how to use it properly and the technology involved being in its infancy could cause issues.
The crazy thing is that it will still create talking points and involve a human judgment call anyway. After all, VAR is only used when the referee asks for it or the VAR referee thinks that there is something to report.
Everton to flourish under Silva
The 18/19 season has been something of a strange one for Everton and boss Marco Silva. At one point during their poor run around Christmas, it did look like he may be on his way out. However, they have really rallied since then and finished the season very strongly.
The verve and style in which they have been playing recently suggests that things are finally clicking under Silva at Goodison Park. This seems to suggest a great season ahead for the Toffees with maybe a Champions League spot in their sights.
Manchester United to have a better year
Manchester United fans thought that getting rid of José Mourinho and letting Ole Gunnar Solskjær take over had solved their problems. However, a pretty dire run of results since he became permanent manager has somewhat dented this.
What will happen over the summer in terms of player recruitment will be very telling, but many think that Solskjær will finally have time to get the people he wants in and build a much better team. For some of the flops he has there at the moment, some expert soccer training may be needed!
EPL will be full of twists and turns
Whatever ends up happening in the new EPL season, it is sure to be full of drama and shock results. This is, after all, what makes it one of the most-watched leagues on the planet! With so much to play for and so many top players on show, we are sure to see some classic games and amazing goals.
