EPL will restart 26/12 and I thought we could have a thread about basically anything that has to do with this season. Something similar to Emobots world cup thread.

I’ll start with a poll…

Which team will most likely fail to reach top 4:

Liverpool are in their decline. But its harder to predict anything after we just had a world cup halfway in the season.

If you compare to winning EPL it’s a decline. But I don’t think they have declined in such a way to become a mid-table team. They’ll be a top 4 imo.

What’s interesting is what Newcastle is going to become. No one has a bigger sugardaddy and yet, they haven’t been splashing cash on big stars.

I wonder if they’ll try to lure Mbappe to their club if he’s to whine again.

Chelsea with Abramovic gone could become the Chelsea it was pre-Abramovic money.

Everton lost… West Ham lost… Leicester lost… again.

I have a strong feeling one the managers of these teams is soon getting sacked. The question is who is getting sacked the first:

I'd say Moyes, they added likes of Paqueta and their football is absolutely terrible. Rodgers would probably follow, but I'm not surprised as Vardy is getting older, Maddison is constantly injured and management didn't sign anyone..

Good initiative on this thread! Good re-start to the season, Tottenham with a draw at first is a bit dissapointing for me, they are by far one of the team that convince me the less amid those currently in top 4 position.

As for team missing the top four, it has to be Liverpool, their attack can be very good on a good day but they're defense look ever so shaky even against Aston Villa. Chelsea are underwhelming but surely that they when their new signings glue together, they will go on a great run. Right?

As for the next manager to get sacked, I'm gonna gamble on Lampard, they are a in a worse position than Leicester and Lampard has much less attachement to Everton than Moyes has with West Ham. He also have some tough game ahead. Games against Southampton and West Ham after the FA Cup games might be the difference between keeping his job and getting the sack.

@Emobot7: If Lampard were to be sacked… I wonder if he’s done as a premier league manager.

@Pelle Surely, he'd be given one last chance at least right? With a mid-table tier team maybe? I mean, the man used to be considered to have a IQ of 150 so he should be smarter than the next guy. Maybe he just need a squad that is easier to manage in term of personality?

Obvious after Brentford loss Liverpool is not getting a top 4 place.

@Algerino Seeing Liverpool getting bullied physically by Brentford was both funny and unfunny. For sure, unless there some massive change in their midfield and defense and a general improvement in their consistency, I agree with you.

Also worth noting Chelsea and Tottenham are a lot more dissapointing than expected before the season started. I mean, Chelsea, to certain level, has a lots of new key players, new management in lots of area, I get it, its hard. They'll need time to glue together.

But Tottenham went from playing great and Conte utilizing Son and Kane so well to be one of the most limited team in the "top six". I like Conte but I'm starting to think the comparison with Mourinho make a lot of sense because he already look like he reached the limit of what he can do with this Spurs team. And honestly, I don't care what their position say, the manner in which they managed to rake up so many point also been very unconvincing. Their last few performance is kind of a results from that as well.

But Tottenham went from playing great and Conte utilizing Son and Kane so well to be one of the most limited team in the "top six". I like Conte but I'm starting to think the comparison with Mourinho make a lot of sense because he already look like he reached the limit of what he can do with this Spurs team. And honestly, I don't care what their position say, the manner in which they managed to rake up so many point also been very unconvincing. Their last few performance is kind of a results from that as well.

Well obviously, I say this and Tottenham start playing as good as they did toward the end of last season. XD

They are very inconsistent and have always been. That might be the main reason they haven’t won any silverware

@Pelle Well, they are really a bizarre team, they can have a run of good or very games for a while, being completely inconsistent or grind out results despite not playing all that well. Honestly, Tottenham is like the Kinder Surprise of English football, you never know what you getting when they play.

Anyway, the one top team I'm worried about is Chelsea. They were pretty close of getting a results against City, thought Kepa was 100% responsable for the defeat, should have cut out that pass by Grealish.

The keeper situation at Chelsea is truly weird as well. Mendy was so good in his first season and an half at Chelsea but now Kepa took his place as a starter. And the problem is while he is better nowaday, Kepa can still commit some big mistake as shown against City.

Ok, I know its league cup but City to being eliminated by relagation fight level Southampton was a shock. Surely, despite City doing much better than Liverpool, they must have something hurting them as well. Considering the amazing quality they have, to have that kind of performance, surely they have some kind of issue? Like, not a bad one because they are still doing well enough in the league despite being behind Arsenal. What do you guys think?

Unless they manage to reach like a semi final… League cup is, simply put, not prioritized. Especially by the biggest and title contending teams. This is a chance for their bench players to get some minutes, so usually they put up squads that are not well meshed.

The other teams see it more like an occasion to win at least something, get prize money and qualify(?) for European football. They take it therefore more seriously… I think

@Pelle I mean, it was their B team at worse against Southampton, not even their C team. You'd expect their C team to beat Southampton. I know league cup isn't that important but a trophy is alway nice. Anyway, here hoping for a Newcastle vs United final, that would be sick.

To me it's another example of why City wont win the league. Its out of the ordinary for city to get knocked out of the league cup easily. I expect us to win the Premier League without any issues now.

Southampton to win the EFL cup and get relegated would be fun

I never rated Potter as an elite manager. Never will. Wrong man for the job. Too much of a 'yes' man like Southgate. Chelsea don't work with yes-men.

@Footy_watch Yeah, it does feel like the constant fighting in recent years with Liverpool has dulled both team. To different level obviously, maybe the fact City has the absolute machine that is Haaland also help hide this a bit for them. This might be Arsenal best chance in a lot of time.

@quikzyyy Man, why can't I ever come up with fun scenario like those. This would be quite perfect tbh.

@iHEARTfootball This a mistake even we do, whenever a club is doing better than expected, we tend to say its thank to the manager. Well, considering Brighton haven't been all that bad even without Potter, I'd argue its not a proof he might have not been the key factor there.

As for Potter being a yes man, this make a lot of sense because its exactly because Tuchel wasn't a yes man that he was fired.

Boehly wanted someone cooperative as manager and he got one, yet I'm not convinced he's happy with the situation either.

As for Potter, I don't blame him, the potential of managing Chelsea, in term of wage for yourself and of budget to build a team and win stuff is just too rare and too good.

Sadly, I doubt he'll be given time to build anything at Chelsea if he doesn't get an European spot of some sort.