Final League Table

  1. Arsenal
  2. Manchester City
  3. Manchester United
  4. Newcastle
  5. Tottenham Hotspur
  6. Brighton and Hove Albion
  7. Liverpool
  8. Brentford
  9. Chelsea
  10. Fulham
  11. Aston Villa
  12. Crystal Palace
  13. Leeds United
  14. Wolverhampton Wanderers
  15. Nottingham Forest
  16. Leicester
  17. West Ham United
  18. Everton
  19. Bournemouth
  20. Southampton

Golden Boot: Erling Haaland. At this point in the season with the incredible goal tally he has, even Harry Kane cannot catch up.

Golden Glove: Nick Pope. While it may be an extremely close contest with fellow Englishman Aaron Ramsdale and United keeper David de Gea, the Newcastle defense as a whole has been a highlight of the season. 

Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta. No explanation necessary, but even if Arsenal do not win the league this season, he has still managed a remarkable feat with an incredibly young team. 

A Response to Maia’s Premier League Picks

Mandy Adams ’24

I share Maia’s opinion about the top five on her end-of-season prediction list. Arsenal is eight points clear of Manchester City, and they have been eliminated from all European Cup competitions so the players will stay fit and focused on the team’s Premier League matches. Manchester City could be title challengers given that they are already in a good position. They have easier PL fixtures approaching; however, the team is competing in the UEFA Champions League and Emirates FA Cup, which will mean intensive matches for the team on top of their usual schedule. Although, City’s depth could mitigate some of the potential concerns regarding their schedule. Manchester United has a relatively easy schedule moving forward, but they are missing some key players due to injuries including Marcus Rashford. However, with players such as Erikson and Casemiro returning to the squad, the team is overall in a strong position. 

Newcastle United is in a prime position to finish in the top four on the table because of the quality of their players and incredible defense. Tottenham Hotspur has the potential to finish four, but recent managerial changes have left the club in a transition period, which makes it unlikely that they will finish above Newcastle.  

I believe that Liverpool will finish above Brighton and Hove Albion because the team has talented players that are reemerging after an injury. Luiz Diaz, the team's best-left winger, is returning to the squad after a four-month absence due to a torn knee tendon. Brighton has retained consistency but lacks the depth to compete with the Big Six teams. Liverpool has begun to find its rhythm despite leadership changes over the past years in the club. 

Additionally, I predict that Chelsea will finish in eighth position, above Brentford. The team has acquired much talent after spending £500 million on new signings during the January transfer window. The changes within the team did not stop there; Chelsea recently announced that they sacked their manager, Graham Potter. Leadership changes could mean introducing a new attacking style for the players. Scoring goals is something the team has been struggling with, but players like João Félix, who is on loan from Atletico Madrid, show incredible promise. With Brentford’s analytical approach to scouting players, the team has great young strength. They have performed well despite their inadequate funding compared to larger teams. 

Aston Villa has the potential to finish in the top ten, given the team’s recent re-emergence to great form. They have a strong attacking lineup, and their new manager, Unai Emery, has pushed the team to be more competitive. Additionally, the team had spent money on acquiring talented players like Philippe Coutinho and Emi Marinez. Fulham has performed inconsistently and will be missing key players in forthcoming games due to suspensions. I agree that Crystal Palace will finish the season in twelfth place because they have quality players like Wilfried Zaha, Marc Guehi, and Jean-Phillipe Mateta. I think Wolverhampton Wanderers will move up to thirteenth. They have a handful of great players but lack real depth, and are struggling to score. 

I believe that Leicester City will finish fourteenth because the team has a strong attack and midfield, despite an extremely weak defense. Players like James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, and Youri Tielemans will be key to the team’s success in the latter half of the season. Everton has been struggling in the attacking half, but their defense has kept them alive. West Ham has quality players and made it to the Europa League last year, and spent copious amounts of money on players over the summer. The team has suffered injuries as of late, but stars on the team like Declan Rice will help the team stay afloat. I think Leeds will finish in the 17th position. Though they have talented young players and experienced veterans, they have too many holes in their defensive lineup to stay so far up in the standings. 

I see Nottingham Forest finishing in 18th because they have individually talented players like Kaylor Navas and Jesse Lingard but lack a team identity. Without any attacking talent, they will have trouble moving up in the standings. I would switch the standings of Southampton and Bournemouth. Southampton has underperformed this season and conceded too many goals. Though they have strong players like James Ward Prouce, the team has fallen a long way from where they finished in 2017, when they made the Europa League and beat every Big Six team. Bournemouth has hardly any talent across the team, and having been recently promoted from the Championship, they have hardly any players up to Premier League standard.  

I agree that Haaland will win the Golden Boot and Nick Pope will win the Golden Glove. I think Arteta has a strong shot at Manager of the Season, but Eric Tan Hag, who has taken a dysfunctional Manchester United and turned the team into one of the best teams in Europe, also has a strong shot at winning the award.