Glen Harrington – Writer for Empire of the Kop – @GlenH1292
The start of the new Premier League season is just days away, but most Liverpool fans are still trying to work out what to expect. After two such contrasting years – finishing second in 2014 and sixth earlier this year – it’s hard to guess what position we could be in as a football club in nine months time.
Brendan Rodgers has, on paper, bought well – bringing in seven new faces that were all very much required and freshening up his coaching staff – signifying a change of approach after three years without a trophy.
One of those new signings, full-back Nathaniel Clyne, recently told the Liverpool Echo that he thought we could actually win the title this year… we can only hope that such lofty predictions come good by the end of the season.
SEE MORE:
Ranking Liverpool’s squad from 24-1 based on pre-season: Milner 2nd, Teixeira 8th
Daniel Sturridge ahead of schedule and aiming for sensational return date
Either way, it’s hard to remember a new season that was so eagerly anticipated, with players and fans alike eager to see a response to our lost top flight outing – that humiliating 6-1 mauling at the hands of Stoke City.
So, in the list below, we’ve taken a look at every opponent that we’re going to be facing in the league this season – coming up with a set of strengths and weaknesses for each side. We’ve then tried to outline how we can use what’s currently at our disposal to overcome each of these teams. Just call me the new Brendan Rodgers!
Can Liverpool win the league this season? Perhaps this will give you a better idea:
Arsenal
Fixtures – August 24 (A), January 12 (H)
Strengths – The Gunners have plenty of attacking talent, particularly in midfield, where they are truly spoilt for options. They’ve always kept the ball well and have passed teams into submission in the past. They’ve also finally addressed their problems in goal by bringing in Petr Cech, who has bags of experience of playing at the top level.
Weaknesses – They lack a top quality centre-forward, where Olivier Giroud remains the only recognised name on their books. Theo Walcott could well be treated as a number nine this season, but he proved in the Community Shield last weekend that he lacks the quality of movement and final touch to lead the line on a consistent basis.
Danger man – Alexis Sanchez’s start to the new season will be delayed by his participation in the Copa America. However, the Chilean is back in training and is unlikely to take long to get back up to speed. He scored 25 goals in all competitions last season, with his scintillating pace and killer instinct often too hot to handle.
How to beat them – The addition of defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin has made Arsenal far more difficult to get at through the middle. However, they can be attacked down the flanks, where they lack serious options. If you can pin back the likes of Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal then they’d struggle to deal with a flying Jordon Ibe.
Aston Villa
Fixtures – September 26 (H), February 13 (A)
Strengths – Tim Sherwood has recruited heavily with the money garnered from the sales of Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph, bringing some much needed fresh blood into an ailing Villa squad. Rudy Gestede and Jordan Ayew look like an intriguing front line, while Jordan Veretout is a very talented young midfielder from France.
Weaknesses – They lack options in the centre of defence. Micah Richards has come in but his injury record suggests that they shouldn’t be relying on him too heavily. With Ron Vlaar having gone, following the expiration of his contract, they’re going to be relying on names such as Ciaran Clark and Philippe Senderos to step up.
Danger man – Isn’t it nice not to have to worry about Benteke any more? If you can’t beat him, buy him… Gabriel Agbonlahor has always caused us problems and is one of those players who can have a couple of games where he looks like a world beater before disappearing back into obscurity. Gestede has also done well against us in the past.
How to beat them – Losing Vlaar, Delph and Benteke is going to have hit them hard. The core of their team has literally been ripped out. With so many new signings, communication could be their biggest issue. We need to keep the ball moving and not give them time to think, while Henderson and Milner must dominate the midfield.
Bournemouth
Fixtures – August 17 (H), April 16 (A)
Strengths – They’re going to be very much like Burnley were last season – pleased just to be here and ready to fight and scrap for every point they can possibly get their hands on. While they lack a little bit of quality, they have more than enough determination and togetherness to cause even the best teams problems.
Weaknesses – They haven’t had a lot of money to spend and their squad, on paper, still looks very much like a Championship one. They are particularly short on striking talent, with the likes of Callum Wilson and Joshua King needing to play out of their skin if they are to have any hope of survival this season.
Danger man – Harry Arter is a dynamic midfielder who is worth a watch. He’s worked his way up from non-league, where he was once playing in Conference South with Woking, and he’s now a Republic of Ireland international. He will put himself about and won’t take any prisoners with his tackles.
How to beat them – Unlike many promoted teams, Bournemouth won’t sit back and soak up pressure. They’re going to come out and try and have a go. Getting the ball from back to front in as quick a time as possible could be key here, so the quality of distribution from both goalkeeper and defence must be as high.
Chelsea
Fixtures – October 31 (A), March 12 (H)
Strengths – The Premier League champions have strength in depth in virtually every position. They weren’t always the prettiest team to watch last season, but they know how to get games won. They have, arguably, the best tactical manager in the world – as much as we consider him a complete pain – and they’ll be there or thereabouts yet again.
Weaknesses – The one position that might concern Mourinho is up front. He only as Loic Remy – who drifts offside more times that your average Sunday league player – and the shell of Radamel Falco as back-up the mercurial Diego Costa. If the Spanish international’s recent injury problems continue then they might struggle a little.
Danger man – Eden Hazard was the PFA Player of the Year last season and will always be the one to watch. All of their attacking play should run through the Belgian star who, if he truly has aspirations of matching the Ronaldo’s and Messi’s of this world, needs to have a very big season to prove he can live up to the hype.
How to beat them – The element of surprise is all that is going to work in your favour against Mourinho, who has caught Rodgers out more times than he’d likely to care to remember over the last couple of years. Arsenal changed their style and beat them on the counter attack in the Community Shield, so that could be our best chance.
Crystal Palace
Fixtures – November 8 (H), March 5 (A)
Strengths – They’re big, they’re physical and they have a very decent record going against us. Their team is build on a very solid defence that have found it too easy to bully us in the past. The addition of Yohan Cabaye to their midfield will give them an extra option going forward as well and they’ll be looking to him to play the killer passes.
Weaknesses – Do they have enough players who can put the ball in the net? This is a problem for so many teams after all. Alan Pardew has gone out and brought in both Connor Wickham and Patrick Bamford this summer, but are they going to guarantee the Eagles more than a handful of goals? Time will tell.
Danger man – Yannick Bolasie must wish he could play against Liverpool every week. The skilful winger has caused us no end of problems over the last couple of years and must be looking forward to the possibility of tormenting us again. We must eliminate his threat if we’re to better our recent results against them.
How to beat them – We’ve alluded to it above. If you can cut off Bolasie and Cabaye then we’ll stop the service to their front men. The likes of Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen are key to this. The little Welshman was everywhere when Wales stunned Belgium in a Euro 2016 qualifier earlier this year and it’s that sort of performance which is needed.
Everton
Fixtures – October 4 (A), February 27 (H)
Strengths – They have a strong starting eleven which, if fit, is more than capable of challenging towards the top end of the table. The core of their team: Howard-Jagielka-McCarthy-Barkley-Lukaku is very strong and if they all perform to the level which they can then we’re going to get some very interesting Merseyside derbies this season.
Weaknesses – They lack the strength in depth to sustain a top four challenge. Their summer spending has, again, been extremely limited. They’ve signed Tom Cleverley from Manchester United and Gerard Deulofeu is back from Barcelona, which should help them, but otherwise their options across the pitch are a little under-par.
Danger man – Romelu Lukaku had a disappointing season last time around, netting just ten Premier League goals. he must do better than that if he’s to prove value for money and start working his way back up towards the big time, which is clearly where he wants to be. His top flight goal record is still good and he can be a real danger.
How to beat them – Their ageing back-line can really be got at. Sylvain Distin has gone, but the likes of Jagielka and Baines have surely only got a couple more good years left in them. There isn’t a tremendous amount of pace in that team and if you can attack them at speed then you’re going to reap the rewards.
Leicester City
Fixtures – December 26 (H), February 2 (A)
Strengths – It will be interesting to see whether that fighting spirit that saw them to safety last season still remains following the exit of manager Nigel Pearson. They’ve freshened up their defensive options during the summer break and that should make them harder to play against, while Andrej Kramaric has huge potential up front.
Weaknesses – There aren’t many star names in their team that are going to get them out of trouble. Esteban Cambiasso will be a big miss for them and new manager Claudio Ranieri must find someone else to solidify that midfield. If Leonardo Ulloa doesn’t fire for them, as he did at the start of last season, they might struggle.
Danger man – Jamie Vardy is now an England international – although we’re not quite sure how or why – so he will naturally be the one they look to in their moments of need. He only scored five goals last season and will probably need to do better than that this time around if they’re going to have a shot at staying up.
How to beat them – Without Cambiasso breaking up the play, the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino should have a field day here. If they can get in between the defence and the midfield then they can cause plenty of problems, while also creating chances for those ahead of them.
Manchester City
Fixtures – November 21 (A), March 1 (H)
Strengths – Up front. Sergio Aguero is, when fit, comfortably the best striker in the Premier League. He also has Wilfried Bony and the newly acquired Raheem Sterling to help him out top, while having the likes of David Silva and Yaya Toure playing just behind you will always ensure that plenty of chances are coming your way.
Weaknesses – They look a little unsure of themselves at the back. Vincent Kompany finished last season poorly while last year’s major acquisition, Eliaquim Mangala, has struggled to live up to expectations. There isn’t much in the way of back-up for them either, so a major injury to either player could leave them with a mountain to climb.
Danger man – Sergio Aguero is almost impossible to contain when he’s on top form. Watching him run at Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren is certainly going to make the average Liverpool fan feel very uncomfortable.
How to beat them – They can definitely be got at down the flanks and particularly on left, where neither Gael Clichy nor Aleksandar Kolarov have ever filled many with confidence. That central partnership also needs to be tested, so if Coutinho or Sturridge can pick up the ball and run at them, then they should start to crumble.
Manchester United
Fixtures – September 12 (A), January 16 (H)
Strengths – They’ve spent a lot of money under Louis van Gaal and have put together a star-studded line-up full of big names. Juan Mata, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay are all going to create them plenty of chances, while Wayne Rooney is still up top waiting to tuck away what comes his way.
Weaknesses – A group of individuals doesn’t necessarily make a team. Can all these players work together? That remains to be seen. Add in a lack of depth up front, where Rooney is pretty much on his own following the departures of Robin van Persie and Rademel Falcao, and you can start to see where they might come unstuck.
Danger man – Juan Mata will be playing in that number ten role next season and he will the point through which everything else flows. If you can try and eliminate his threat then you’ll greatly reduce United’s chances of getting the better of you. That’s easier said than done of course, but his movement has been suspect in the past.
How to beat them – Winning the midfield battle will be crucial here. That’s where United are, at least on paper, strongest. We need a big physical presence in there – Emre Can is probably the only one that fits the bill – while we’d be tempted to include Henderson, Milner and Lucas as well. Pack the midfield, win the battle, win the war.
Newcastle United
Fixtures – December 5 (A), April 23 (H)
Strengths – Steve McLaren has brought in some exciting talents this summer, including Aleksandar Mitrovic and Georginio Wijnaldum. How those two take to the Premier League could be crucial for the Magpies success. They just about avoided relegation last season but they really shouldn’t be near there again this time around.
Weaknesses – They still look a little suspect at the back. They’ve been overly reliant on Fabricio Coloccini for far too long and the performances of the Argentine is key to their potential success. They’re also a little light up front, especially in terms of proven quality, with Papiss Cisse arguably still their best option through the middle.
Danger man – Georginio Wijnaldum is a Dutch international and comes over with a brilliant record from his time at PSV. He’s an attacking minded midfielder and is going to cause problems for many a defensive midfielder next season if he finds his best form. He could be the missing link that their build-up play was missing last year.
How to beat them – They lack a player who is going to sit alongside Colback and do the dirty work in midfield. If Milner can take him out of the game then that should allow some of our more attacking minded players to do their best work. However, this is going to be a very different Newcastle, so who knows where they’ll be by December.
Norwich City
Fixtures – September 20 (H), January 23 (A)
Strengths – They have an exciting young manager who knows how to get the best out of his group of players. Alex Neil did an incredible job to lead the Canaries straight back into the top flight at the first attempt and he’s definitely going to ensure that they’re competitive this time around. On loan Andre Wisdom could be key for them.
Weaknesses – As with any promoted team, we have to ask whether they’re going to score enough goals. Gary Hooper and Cameron Jerome scored for fun in the Championship but have not previously had as much luck in the top flight. They’ve not spent much this summer and they might lack that little bit of quality at the top level.
Danger man – Nathan Redmond has been very impressive for them on a regular player. He’s a tricky little winger and definitely has a future at a higher level. The England Under-21 international, who started his career with Birmingham, scored six goals in all competitions last season.
How to beat them – Norwich are likely to be organised and disciplined. Patience will be the key here, as it was with our pre-season fixtures. We can’t get carried away with having all of the possession. We must bide our time and make the most of our chances when they do eventually come our way. If we don’t, then we’ll get caught out.
Southampton
Fixtures – October 25 (H), March 19 (A)
Strengths – Ronald Koeman has put together a very good side who play nice football and can hold their own against anyone. They’ve lost another couple of big names this summer, with Schneiderlin and Clyne moving on, but they’ve already found more than adequate replacements in the form of Jordy Clasie and Cedric Soares.
Weaknesses – Losing Toby Alderweireld to Tottenham will have come as a big blow. They’ve replaced him with Steven Caulker, who is on loan from QPR, and that might just leave them a little weak in the centre of defence. Jose Fonte will need to have another big season if they’re to maintain their recent high standards.
Danger man – Sadio Mane was an increasingly important figure for the Saints last season. He’s got pace and power down the wing and will score his fair share of goals. Considering our recent, although now hopefully corrected issues at full-back, this could be a big test for the likes of Clyne, Alberto Moreno and Joe Gomez.
How to beat them – We must disrupt Southampton’s passing game and force them to play the ball long towards Graziano Pelle, rather than working it forwards. The likes of Roberto Firmino, who loves to chase and harry everything, will be vital to our success here. Our full-backs must be on form to contain the threat down the flanks.
Stoke City
Fixtures – August 9 (A), April 9 (H)
Strengths – We all know that Stoke are big, physical and won’t take any prisoners. However, under Mark Hughes, they have become more adaptable and there is now a lot more to their game. The summer additions of Ibrahim Afellay and Marco van Ginkel further prove what type of team they are trying to become.
Weaknesses – They don’t have much at the back. If Ryan Shawcross is missing then you’re instantly thinking that they can bet got at. The addition of Glen Johnson to their squad is unlikely to get rid of many of those fears either.
Danger man – Mame Biram Diouf is an excellent forward for them to have leading their line. Considering the amount of work that’s gone in to tuning up their midfield, he could have more chances to feed off than ever this season and we know better than anyone that he can put them away.
How to beat them – You need to outplay them. Get the ball on the deck and pass it quickly, make them chase the game. They might steadily be changing the way they play, but they’re still Stoke, and they’re not going to be able to live with a team that plays fast-paced possession football. Coutinho and co need to be at their best.
Sunderland
Fixtures – December 28 (A), February 6 (H)
Strengths – Their biggest coup of the summer was convincing manager Dick Advocaat to stay for another year. Now, he must try and work out how to get the best out of a pretty limited squad. Younes Kaboul should help make them a little bit more solid at the back Jeremain Lens looks like an exciting player going forward.
Weaknesses – Lots of experience but very little else at the back. The likes of John O’Shea and Wes Brown aren’t going to be able to keep going forever and they could really do with a bit of youth to freshen up an ageing squad. They’re also going to be pretty reliant on Jermain Defoe for goals, unless someone else comes in soon.
Danger man – Adam Johnson is capable of brilliance on his day. Whether he’ll be in the right mindset to play is another question entirely. He’s an England international and a Premier League winner with Manchester City – will we ever see that player run out for Sunderland? It seems unlikely at this stage.
How to beat them – Other than Lee Cattermole, they haven’t got much to hold their midfield together. The battle can be won there and then you really need to stretch the legs of that ageing defence. Get the balls over the top of the back four going and just let Benteke and co start running. There are going to be plenty of chances.
Swansea City
Fixtures – November 29 (H), April 30 (A)
Strengths – Garry Monk has made the Swans very hard to beat, whilst retaining their attacking style and flair. They’ve lost Wilfried Bony but still have plenty to offer going forward. It will be interesting to see whether new signings Eder and Andre Ayew can help supply the goals they might otherwise be lacking.
Weaknesses – They’re still a little set in their ways. If they can’t play the Swansea-way then they’ll start to get frustrated and this is where other teams can take advantage. They aren’t quite as regimented as they were under Brendan Rodgers but you still largely know what you’re going to get.
Danger man – Gylfi Sigurdsson was excellent last season, controlling the tempo of games from midfield and really driving his teammates forward. If you want to beat the Swans then you have to put a top to his Icelandic star.
How to beat them – Draw them out of their shell and then hit them on the counter attack. You never want to invite a team to come and attack you, but Swansea will want to come and try and play football, so don’t panic if they have a lot of the ball. When we get, we need to retain it well and frustrate them. They take our chances when they come.
Tottenham Hotspur
Fixtures – October 17 (A), April 2 (H)
Strengths – In Harry Kane, they’ve got one of the finest young strikers in the Premier League – although it remains to be seen whether or not he can continue the unbelievable form he showed last season. Christian Eriksen is the other man that they’re always going to be hoping produces something special, with the duo crucial to any success.
Weaknesses – They’re still recovering from the mistake of their Gareth Bale funded splurge two summers ago. The likes of Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela have massively disappointed and there’s just not enough goals or creativity in their team. They’ve not spent much this summer and they could struggle again this year.
Danger man – Harry Kane must score goals, or Tottenham are really going to struggle. Will another striker be coming in before the end of the window to help him out? That remains to be seen. For now, it’s going to be down to Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor.
How to beat them – We’ve had this one down for a couple of years. Mark Eriksen closely and cut off the supply to Kane, who will preferably have one of the two centre-backs on his case at all times. They are vulnerable down the flanks, with uncertainty still surrounding their full-back positions, and they lack a quality holding player.
Watford
Fixtures – December 19 (A), May 7 (H)
Strengths – They scored goals for fun in the Championship and that’s always an encouraging sign for a newly promoted team. They have a big squad and plenty of options to utilise, so it will be interesting to see how they take to the top flight after a lengthy absence. Troy Deeney is surely guaranteed to get them at least a few points.
Weaknesses – An inexperienced manager and a squad overwhelmed with new players from all around Europe. It’s going to be a massive learning curve for them and it’s hard to know where they might be or who might be in charge come December. They could have got it together by then or they could be all but down and out already.
Danger man – Troy Deeney has scored 66 goals over the last three seasons and any success they do have at the top level is going to have a lot to do with him. If he doesn’t deliver then there’s only one way they’re going to be heading.
How to beat them – Make the most of our quality. Push them back and make them put everyone behind the ball. We should have more than enough at our disposal to get the better of Watford, so as long as that fact doesn’t breed complacency in the rest of our squad, then we should be fine.
West Bromwich Albion
Fixtures – December 12 (H), May 15 (A)
Strengths – Tony Pulis is a clever manager who is always going to deliver a physical and fiercely competitive team. The additions of summer signings James McClean and Rickie Lambert should serve them well and produce a few more goals, while Saido Berahino is continuing to improve and will want another big year.
Weaknesses – They’re a little short in midfield, where former Manchester United star Darren Fletcher will be the main source of inspiration. It doesn’t matter how much talent you have up front if you don’t have the players behind them to back it up.
Danger man – How ironic would it be if Lambert scored against us? He’s done it before, for Southampton. He netted twice on his debut, during a pre-season friendly against another of his former clubs, Bristol Rovers, and he’s going to be really up for our match come December.
How to beat them – Milner and Henderson need to get the better of the midfield battle, while Skrtel and Lovren need to be on their toes and ensure that we don’t gift a talented attacking line-up more chances than they deserve.
West Ham United
Fixtures – August 29 (H), January 2 (A)
Strengths – The arrival of Angelo Ogbonna from Juventus has given them a very solid looking defence. With the Italian playing alongside the likes of Winston Reid and Aaron Cresswell they should prove hard to beat. French international Dimitri Payet also looks like a good addition who will cause problems out wide.
Weaknesses – An injury to Enner Valencia has arguably left them a little short up front, with Diafra Sakho now their only regular option. They’re also lacking a central midfielder – having lost Alex Song following his loan spell – with Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble still their first choice pairing at this stage.
Danger man – If Andy Carroll plays then his potential link-up play with Payet could be something special. Unfortunately, the former Liverpool man has only managed to feature in 27 Premier League games over the last two years, scoring just seven goals in the process.
How to beat them – They’re a big and powerful team but they lack pace. The likes of Coutinho, Ibe and Clyne can get at them and cause real problems for them in all areas of the pitch. Good movement will be key, particularly up front, where any attempt to hold the ball up is going to be quickly worked out.
