We are already seven games into the new Premier League season and clubs have already shown their intent to compete for the Premier League title and top four.
Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League with 18 points, followed by Manchester City and Tottenham with 17 points each, and Brighton with 13 points making the top four.
Liverpool are struggling after injuries to some key players and are eighth on the league table with 9 points. Chelsea has sacked Thomas Tuchel after a poor start to the season, and Chelsea has appointed Graham Potter.
Manchester United are has won four games in a row after defeat to Brighton and Brentford.
However, Premier League winner Robert Huth has tipped Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham to make the top four and he does not expect Chelsea to make the top four after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
What did Robert Huth say?
The former Leicester City defender revealed via Ladbrokes: “My opinion on this year’s top four has all changed with the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
“I was expecting Chelsea to be right up there, especially after the recruitment they did in the summer. But now I just don’t see them doing it.
“I think Arsenal needs to finish in the top four. With the money, they’ve invested in the team and the time they’ve given Mikel Arteta, you’d have to say it would be a bit of a failure if they didn’t make it this season.
“It’s really now or never, for me; it’s Arteta’s third year. He’s brought in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who have massively improved the team.
“In the past, they’ve fallen short with a few games to go, but this year I think they’ll sneak in. They’ve got that real grit, the kind of grit I’ve not seen at that club for a while now.
“It’s great to see. Arteta’s always on the touchline, fighting every ball, and it really translates to the team.
“When it’s been tough, they’ve dug each other out, and of course, it’s going to get tougher and they’re going to have down days; no one is expecting them to play the perfect season. But so far in the aftermath of those downs, they’ve performed to a really good standard.
“You can only go off what we’ve seen so far, and for me, I think Arsenal will sneak into that top four with Tottenham, Liverpool, and obviously Manchester City.”
Robert Huth was part of the Leicester City team that won the Premier League in 2016 under Claudio Ranieri.
The German added: “How many times do we see these kinds of decisions being made, where a manager is losing their job a couple of days after the transfer window closing?
“It’s such a vital time for players and managers, so it just doesn’t make sense to me. Whether or not something has gone on behind the scenes, I don’t know.
‘If you’re Aubameyang, you’re obviously looking forward to working with Tuchel again, and now it’s gone out of the window and you’re playing for a new guy.
‘I can’t make sense of it at all; it would have made much more sense if it happened before the season started, or if they gave him more time with this new group of players.
“We hear managers all the time talking about wanting their own players, and Graham Potter hasn’t been afforded that luxury, so it’ll be interesting to see how he gets them going. Nevertheless, it’s still a fantastic squad, so there are no excuses on that front.
“Chelsea should really be close to the top four, but I just think in terms of the other managers at the top end of the table—without being disrespectful to Potter whatsoever – the likes of Pep [Guardiola], [Jurgen] Klopp, [Antonio] Conte and [Mikel] Arteta, I think they’re all ahead of him in terms of experience at this level.
“I fear that Chelsea will miss out on the top four. Potter’s not had to compete for prizes, trophies, and for Champions League football before—not at this level.
“The top five or six teams in the division are very close in terms of quality on the pitch, but when it comes to the dugout, there are at least four other sides with more experienced managers which will be a massive advantage over the course of the season.”
Graham Potter will manage his first Premier League game for Chelsea today against Crystal Palace.
