Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
With the new Premier League Season set to kick off, there are already a multitude of headlines floating around even before the first ball has been kicked. Many new transfers are starting to settle in at their new clubs and preseason games are being wrapped up. It has never been easy to predict which players will emerge as new talents and which transfers will have the biggest impacts. Especially because this year we had an action filled summer where many players played in the World Cup.
So, in honor of the fast approaching new season we present you the top ten players to watch in the Premier League this season.
Alexis Sánchez – Arsenal
After a brilliant World Cup run with Chile, Sánchez was quickly signed by Arsene Wenger. His tenacity, trickery, and flair has already excited supporters of Arsenal. It is likely that he will be the star play maker this season, and that is saying something considering he will be placed in the midfield alongside the likes of Mesut Özil, Arteta, Wilshere, Rosický, Ramsey, Cazorla, Flamini and more.
Danny Ings – Burnley
As always, the newcomers to the Premier League will be fighting for survival. Burnley will be one of those new teams after their promotion from the Championship. So as always it is shaping up to be a tough road ahead, but thankfully they have last seasons Championship’s Player of the Year Danny Ings to help them through. Ings is heralded as a raw talent with plenty of ability. He will lead the charge up front, especially after forward Charlie Austin transferred to QPR. During the league season he scored 21 goals in 40 games, so he will hope to carry that momentum into the top flight.
Diego Costa – Chelsea
Costa is another forward who will be trying his luck in the EPL for the first time. And similar to Ings, he is coming off a terrific club season with Atletico Madrid. However, he had an absolute nightmare in the World Cup with Spain so it will be hard to tell where his form and confidence is at for the start of the season. Hopefully he will be prepared as he will face stiff competition from Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba for playing time. If he can find the same form from last season though, he should have no problem notching goals and leading Chelsea to a top finish in the league.
Remy Cabella – Newcastle
Cabella will look to fill the play making void left after Yohan Cabaye’s PSG departure. He has had a successful preseason with a couple of goals against Schalke 04 and Huddersfield. It seems as if he has already won the support of Newcastle supporters so the big question is whether or not he can deliver in the upcoming season.
Joey Barton – QPR
His last Premier League memory was one of suspensions and poor decisions. But Joey Barton will be looking to put that aside as he will be one of the leaders for QPR in their new campaign. QPR will need a vocal leader and they won’t need to bring one in through a transfer as they have Barton. He also had a successful last season with QPR in the Championship.
Ander Herrera – Manchester United
Herrera has already been heralded as the next Paul Scholes, and rightly so because of his talent and vision. He has quietly impressed under new manager Luis Van Gaal and seems to add a new dimension to United’s midfield. He can keep possession, inflict hard tackles, and find the killer through ball. Herrera has already settled in at United and won over the fans after earning Man of the Match against the LA Galaxy during United’s U.S. preseason tour.
Bafetembi Gomis – Swansea City
Bafetimbi Gomis will be partnering up with Wilfried Bony to form one of the more lethal strike forces in the league this season. Already nicknamed the B&B strikeforce, the pair feature similar qualities in strength, power, and goals. They each boast prolific scoring records so it will be interesting to see what their return will be by the end of the season.
Rickie Lambert – Liverpool
Nope, it will no longer be Suarez and Sturridge. With the Uruguayan out and at Barcelona, it will be the 32 year old Lambert that needs to step up and fill the void. And its not shaping up to be easy, as Lambert has been rumored to look “uncomfortable” playing in a Liverpool shirt. If he expects to make an impact in the league and in the Champions League, he will have to find a way to make a big impact.
Ross Barkley – Everton
Barkley has signed a four year contract extension to keep him at Everton until the 2017/18 season and also featured in England’s disastrous World Cup campaign. Last season he made an excellent impact and was fourth highest in competed dribbles and was also on the shortlist for the PFA player of the year. Backed by Roberto Martinez and all of Everton, look forward to hearing much more about Barkley in the upcoming season.
Erik Lamela – Spurs
You probably didn’t hear much about Erik Lamela last season. That’s because he had one of the worst opening seasons in recent history. He struggled to find form early on before his season was ended by a back injury. Considering he only had 9 appearances, he didn’t justify his 30 Million Euro price tag. However, he has been looking sharp in training and preseason and has been backed to succeed this season by new boss Mauricio Pochettino. Keep an eye out for the Argentine as he battles for playing time with Andros Townsend and Aaron Lennon.
What other players will you look forward to seeing in this upcoming season? Let us know in the comments below!
The whole new Southampton squad and Leicester City. Van Gaal is always provides me with some good humor.