Five EPL predictions for 2020: Sheffield to finish in the top 10 & West Ham get relegated
By Durim Halimi
The first half of the Premier League season is in the books and the battles for the top six and securing survival will be wide open between January and May.
The festive period in 2019 is coming to an end and Premier League clubs are ready for the second half of the season to kick off. The most shocking observations one would make thus far is that Arsenal have struggled to stay in the top ten, Sheffield United’s unique tactics are working to perfection, and the back-to-back Premier League champions have already dropped 19 points.
At the bottom of the table, Norwich City and Aston Villa are right where most pundits predicted them to be, but Watford’s struggles come as a major surprise. In terms of player performances, Jamie Vardy has taken the top flight by storm with 17 goals in 19 games, but Kevin De Bruyne has been the best overall playmaker in the league, so who deserves the Player of the Year award?
There are so many different scenarios for fans and pundits to keep an eye on during the second half of the season. Will any other managers get sacked before the end of the season? Will Arsenal bounce back with Mike Arteta in charge? Who will be relegated? I address these questions and more below as I present you with what I consider to be five bold predictions for the remainder of the season.
5. Sheffield United will finish in the Top 10
Sheffield United are flying high at the moment and they will not be coming down any time soon. There are cases when newly-promoted sides exceed expectations for a month or two and then snap back to reality, but the Blades are the real deal. They are not an entertaining team to watch, but they get the job done.
Chris Wilder’s use of overlapping center-backs has worked wonders in the Premier League. Every player on that squad understands their role, they know who to get the ball to when they need instant offense, and the players’ movement off the ball is phenomenal. The Blades have only conceded 17 goals as a result of their compact defending and that stability in the back will see them finish the 2019-20 Premier League campaign in the top ten.