5 Premier League teams that can threaten the Top 6 in the 2018/19 season
Since the arrival of Jose Mourinho in England and the subsequent transformation of Chelsea, the Premier League has transformed into a world of haves and have-nots. For half a decade from 2004 to 2009, the ‘Big Four’ dominated as Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool made the top four every year.
Over the past decade, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have been added to that group, making the Premier League a ‘Top Six’ heavy league with these players dominating the division.
However almost every year, one of the Premier League Top Six slip thus providing an opportunity to the remaining fourteen teams of the division. Last year, a resurgent Burnley team were tied with Arsenal with two games to go before the Gunners got their act together.
Other teams have been more successful in breaking into the top six over the recent past, as Everton snuck in during the 2013-14 season and Southampton finished sixth in 2015-16. And of course, how can one forget the tale of Leicester City, who overcame all the odds to become champions in that very season.
So who are some teams that can repeat these achievements and shock the traditional Top Six of the Premier League.
Note- All Statistics are from WhoScored unless otherwise noted
#5 West Ham United
Very few teams have had a transfer window as impressive as that of West Ham United. After a torturous season in which they sacked manager Slaven Bilic (who had led them to 7th in 2015-16) and had to resort to David Moyes to drag them out of the relegation zone.
However, after the season, Moyes was fired and replaced by former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini.
While Moyes’ sacking was indeed harsh, the hiring of Pellegrini is a shrewd one. The Argentine manager has experience breaking hierarchies, having finished in the top four of La Liga with the likes of Villareal (who finished second) and Malaga.
Moreover, Pellegrini’s teams play relatively attacking football, a welcome change from West Ham’s past decade (with the exception of Bilic’s tenure).
Pellegrini has proven his managerial acumen with his transfer signings, as he tried to shore up some of the Hammers’ weaknesses.
The most prominent signing has of course been Felipe Anderson, the former Lazio winger who was brilliant in Serie A last season- providing four goals and seven assists in only nine starts. Anderson led the Italian league in successful dribbles per game, which could make West Ham’s attack far more potent.
Meanwhile, Pellegrini also managed to bag Andriy Yarmelenko, once one of the most wanted wingers in all of Europe. While the Ukranian struggled at Borussia Dortmund, his skills are obvious as he has the ability to break down defences with his dribbling and passing.
The quartet of Anderson, Yarmelenko, Manuel Lazini and Marko Arnautovic could help make West Ham one of the best attacking teams in England after the Top Six (they ranked 8th last season).
Meanwhile, Jack Wilshire showed signs of his talent last season and his signing could also be a game-changer. Moreover, the signings of Issa Diop and Fabien Balbuena bode well for their leaky defence. Pellegrini is ready to show the world why he used to be regarded as a brilliant manager.