GRADY DIANGANA
(West Ham)
Manager David Moyes has
often signed Championship
talent in the past, this time
one has been handed to
him. Diangana’s form on
loan at West Brom earned
him a spot in the England
U21s, and he is ready for
the Premier League.
JOSH BROWNHILL
(Burnley)
After arriving from Bristol
City inJanuary, the central
midfielder quietly became
a key cog in Burnley’s well-
oiled machine, improving
with every game. If the
Clarets are to improve on
last season’s tenth place,
he will play a big role.JACK GREALISH
(Aston Villa)
The clever playmaker is
established as an Aston
Villa legend and has proven
that he can compete in the
Premier League. His next
challenge is whether he
can perform in a side not
built around him and break
into the England team.CHE ADAMS
(Southampton)
Adams had to wait until
July for his first Premier
League goal, then added
three more before the end
of the season, suggesting
that he has found his feet
in the top flight. His strike
partnership with Danny
Ings could be lethal.FERRAN TORRES
(Manchester City)
City have an abundance
of stars able to perform on
the wing – Sterling, Mahrez,
Bernardo and Foden – but
Torres is a special talent.
One of the best players
of his generation, he has
outstanding ability on the
ball and an eye for goal.F
or large parts of the last
Premier League season,
it seemed certain that the
“Big Six’s” vice-like grip on the
Champions League places was to end.
Leicester City were flying high and
offering the closest challenge to the
top two; Wolverhampton Wanderers
were building on their impressive debut
season; new boys Sheffield United
were breathing down everybody’s neck.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, Tottenham and
Manchester United all had problems
of their own, and when Manchester
City were banned from European
football, it seemed that a thorough
shake-up was on the way.
In the end of course, it was normal
service resumed. CAS overturned
Manchester City’s ban, and they and
Liverpool were joined in the top four
by Chelsea and Manchester United,
who capitalised on Leicester’s post-
lockdown implosion. Tottenham
completed the top six, while Arsenal,
the one side to miss out, leapfrogged
Wolves into the Europa League by
virtue of winning the FA Cup. The top
six’s dominance was re-established.How they will stack up in 2020-21
will be intriguing. As it stands, there is
an almost rock-paper-scissors quality to
them: all just as capable of beating one
as they are losing to another.
In the FA Cup final, Arsenal manager
Mikel Arteta outthought Chelsea’s Frank
Lampard, who in turn has outfoxed
his old mentor, Tottenham bossJose
Mourinho, twice. Spurs themselvespulled off a counter-attacking
masterclass inJuly’s North London
derby, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also
countered his way to a Manchester
derby double. AsJonathan Wilson
points out in his column (page16),
City often came unstuck against fast,
direct counters, though they may
take encouragement from their 4-0
thrashing of Liverpool – even if the
Reds had already won the league at
that point. In the same period, the
champions also came unstuck against
Guardiola’s former understudy, Arteta.
Nevertheless, it is fair to say that
Jurgen Klopp’s side are an exception to
this rule, on the evidence of last season.
They lost just once before the title was
sealed – a rare off day away at Watford- and won11 out of14 games against
their top eight rivals. Undoubtedly, they
are still the team to beat.
If they have a weakness, it is that they
thrive so much on momentum. In the
relentless nature of the Premier League
where the games come thick and fast,
this is usually a positive, particularly in a
season where the games will need to be
E N G L A N D P R E M
IE
R L E A G U E 2 0 2 0- 2
1
The team to
beat...LiverpoolOne to watch...it’s
a big season for
City’s Phil FodenThere is an almost rock-paper-scissors quality
to the top six: all just as capable of beating one
as they are losing to another