MANCHESTER City – it’s their title to lose as they wow everybody with their brand and philosophy of football. Yes, Pep has practically had a blank cheque but I must say he has addressed the deficiencies that derailed their title charge last season.

The style of football they play is like a breath of fresh air to the Premier League and I’m sure most neutrals will want them to win the League. Kevin De Bruyne has been a joy to watch as he orchestrates how the whole team plays but let’s not forget Fernandinho and also Emerson who provide the backbone for every City attack. 

Manchester United – expected more from them this season and with the amount of money they spent they should be pushing Manchester City a lot of closer for the title. United were my pick for the title this year and with Jose second season syndrome, a lot of the betting money would have been on them pre-season.

Jose should quit moaning about other teams spending when he spends close to $250 million and yet the majority of players starting are from Fergie’s era. Pogba has come good this season and so had the always dependable David DecGea. Nemanja Matic another one who has fit right in and the jury is still out on Lukaku though. They might still surprise everyone but the best bet is the Champions League and I suspect Jose knows that too. 

Chelsea – a very inconsistent team compared to last season but that is to be expected given the Diego Costa and David Luiz saga plus the shenanigans behind the scenes with the board failing to match the managers ambitions in the transfer market. Conte seems like a different manager this season and with the added Champions League schedule, it’s no surprise to see them fall short against the likes of West Ham and Crystal Palace. January might be an interesting time for them as they need to beef up the squad especially if Kante or Hazard gets injured. 

Liverpool – a season of starts and stops. Some really good games and some real shockers. I think everyone in town can see that the defence of Liverpool is one of the key areas of their downfall. The “Fab Four ” that define their attack on their day is one of the best in Europe but yet they are consistently poor in midfield and defence.

Klopp needs to sort this out for them to play any part in the Champions League or even the title. The similarities to City from last season are quite remarkable. Salah has been the key player of course and a revelation but Firminho also has done some good work this season so far. 

Spurs – One of the biggest disappointments of the season so far. I thought they would be up there challenging for the title and especially with their brand of football. Coming up short in the big games has showed the lack of depth in the squad and it’s only a matter of time before some their stars leave for a bigger pay check.

Harry Kane is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the league and yet he is massively under paid thanks to Levy and his method of running the club. Son and Sanchez have been a revelation this season but they must but cleverly in January. The Champions League has been a bright spark and their schooling of Real Madrid was one of the highlights of the season, it also was an audition for Mauricio Pocchetino in front of the watching Real Madrid president. – December 30, 2017.

* Gogulan Dorairajoo is manager of KL Galaxy FC and an all-round football pundit with a passion for the world’s greatest sport. He also happens to be a long suffering fan of Aston Villa FC.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.