The perfection of Chelsea, the heroism of Leicester and the Mancunian power shift of the early 2010’s. The Premier League title race has long been a source of entertainment, engulfing viewers with its tense, unpredictable nature.
Often a cliche, though the Premier League and its member clubs can be considered providers of world-class entertainment – £5.1bn television rights deals suggesting this is a product that more than a few are willing to watch, and further willing to pay to watch at a premium.
Chelsea ran a tight ship in 2016/17, Antonio Conte in his maiden season with the Blues outlining defensive organisation as a key to success. Conte got it spot on. The acquisition of Ngolo Kante shored up Chelsea’s defensive back-line, Kante picking up the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award whilst achieving an immense feat of winning back-to-back league titles – telling of the pedigree Kante holds and will likely continue to hold in the Premier League.
Hazard, Costa and Pedro were lethal and clinical in attack, whilst Moses shone in his coveted wing-back role. Conte was willing to try and test alternative methods, fortune favours the brave rings an earnest truth in its application to Chelsea under Conte. A league title win was immensely deserved for Chelsea, though the Blues arrived in August as outsiders within the relativity of the Premier League’s closeness. An outsider for the Premier League title race? Surely not.
Speaking of outsiders, Leicester’s title win in 2015/16 was in many ways poetic. A fairytale of talent combining under the stewardship of Claudio Ranieri – Vardy, Mahrez and Morgan worthy of mention in dispatches. Defensive solidity was less mandatory with Leicester, the ability to counter-attack and beat teams with trickery, outrageous pace and 11-game record scoring streaks stood out to be Ranieri’s key asset in the Leicester armoury. A nation; and a planet, were captured by Leicester’s story. Worthy title-winners and a consequent quarter-final run in Europe – Leicester City can consider themselves worthy ambassadors of the Premier League.
Though 2017/18 looks set to offer a new complexion of closeness – a once established ‘Big Four’; Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, has increased to tier of 7 teams further including Manchester City, Tottenham and Everton. Any seven of those teams could win the Premier League title come May 2018, and with Everton’s spending under majority shareholder Moshiri reaching £70m this window so far, could we be looking an Evertonian challenge nearer the top of the table?
Though perhaps the closeness and competitiveness of the current Premier League lies nearer the bottom of the table: in this window alone Bournemouth have acquired Asmir Begovic, Jermain Defoe and Nathan Ake. A team once considered merely part-time competitors of the Premier League before dropping back to the Championship have defied all odds, Eddie Howe’s work mesmeric to say the least.
Though in addition to this, the teams entering the Premier League from Championship promotion are not typically ‘small’ teams. The return of Newcastle United this season exemplifying this point, whilst Sunderland, Aston Villa and Leeds remain tier two teams. What could have been once considered ‘an easy three points’ is a phrase growing less and less applicable to any Premier League fixture. The top-seven know this, and sparked by Leicester’s 2016 title win, they have invested and will continue to invest in vast quantities.
The Premier League looks set to remain one of the most financially lucrative British exports our shores are able to offer, its competitiveness will remain, its unpredictability will too – though amidst the uncertainty one guarantee does indeed remain. The Premier League and its member clubs will continue to offer up a footballing product of unparalleled excitement for its viewers – I guess we are just lucky to be some of them.
Written by Tom Newman.
