The long wait is finally over. In less than a week, the most-watched soccer league in the world, the English Premier League, returns as the top English clubs wage battle once again. Manchester City arrive as the defending champions but a host of other clubs are desperate to wrestle the title away from the blue half of Manchester.
Read on for a breakdown of the teams contending for the Premier League trophy and analysis of the teams that may serve you well as high-value sleepers. For more on this soccer tournament, check out our complete Premier League preview and predictions here.
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Three 2014/15 English Premier League High-Value Sleeper Picks
Manchester United
In his short stint as manager of Manchester United, Dutchman Louis Van Gaal has surely brought back the winning mentality that was sorely missing from the club last season under the guidance of David Moyes. Manchester United went undefeated in their preseason tour of the United States, winning all five of their matches as they defeated LA Galaxy, AS Roma, Internazionale, Real Madrid and Liverpool on their way to winning the International Champions Cup.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]It may just be a preseason tournament but their victory over top European clubs has instilled belief once again among the United squad members that they can compete at the highest level. Van Gaal has adopted the 3-4-3 formation to accommodate the vast number of attacking players at his disposal particularly Spanish international Juan Mata who was misused last year under Moyes.
United’s club-record signing has flourished in the number 10 role that Van Gaal has devised this preseason and will be looking to bang in more goals and help United regain the Premier League trophy where they are pegged at +500 to do so.
Arsenal
Morale is definitely high in the Arsenal camp days before the start of the Premier League season after thumping defending champions Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield last Sunday. Goals from Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud ensured the Gunners of their second piece of silverware in three months following their emotional FA Cup triumph last May, which was Arsenal’s first major trophy in nine long years.
Manager Arsene Wenger has invested further in his squad this past offseason with the signing of Chilean World Cup star Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a whopping 38 million euros. The once-frugal Frenchman, who had been so reluctant to sign big names in the transfer market much to the chagrin of Arsenal supporters, has now splashed the cash in consecutive summer transfer windows. Sanchez joins last year’s record signing, World Cup winner Mesut Ozil, to form a very formidable attack.
In fact, Wenger has stated that Arsenal now boasts of its most dangerous attacking unit in years. With that being said, they are priced at +650 to win their first Premier League title in 11 years. If Sanchez can maintain the form he displayed in Brazil, and connect his explosiveness with Ozil’s creative play, the two could power Arsenal to an impressive season.
Create a betting account now and cash in on the English Premier League with the start of the season drawing ever closer.
Liverpool
Last season was a bittersweet moment for manager Brendan Rodgers, captain Steven Gerrard and the rest of the Liverpool players and supporters. They had the title in their grasp and their long 24-year wait for the English league crown looked to finally be over, but an untimely slip caused all those dreams to go up in smoke once again.
When Liverpool faced Chelsea last April 28, their fate was in their hands as a win would have ensured that the Anfield side would win their 19th league title. Gerrard, however, slipped near his own goal, resulting in a Demba Ba goal that gave Chelsea a vital 1-0 away win. They then imploded against Crystal Palace allowing three goals in the last nine minutes for a disappointing 3-3 draw that all but ensured Manchester City’s second league title in three years.
This year, the hunt for that elusive Premier League title resumes once again for Gerrard and Co. But things will be more difficult now with last season’s leading goal-scorer Luis Suarez now strutting his stuff for FC Barcelona after Liverpool agreed a mammoth 88-million euro deal with the Catalan giants.
Liverpool have bolstered their lineup, though, after signing the Southampton trio of Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana as well as adding the services of Emre Can, Lazar Markovic and World Cup star Divock Origi for an imposing outlay of 87 million pounds. The Reds are listed at +1,000 to win their first league title in 25 years.
Writer’s Prediction
Manchester United (+500), with no European games this season, will have an easier ride compared to their other rivals, and will utilize that to great effect to win their 21st league title.
