20 Bold Predictions for the Rest of the Premier League Season
Having surpassed the quarter mark of the 2013/14 Premier League season, audiences have already borne witness to a raft of surprises, but the drama is far from finished.
Using our proficient powers in premonition, we've considered exactly what some of those shocks may be over the next six months, as well as some outcomes more expected.
Winners, losers, managers exiting clubs and teams breaking new boundaries all feature ahead as we predict exactly how things will unfold before May's conclusion.
It's near impossible to make a call on all that's to come, never mind get it all right, so if you disagree with the following pieces of future insight or have a different spin on events, let us know in the forum below.
1. Liverpool Re-Establish Merseyside Dominance
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Last season, Liverpool and Everton were forced to share the spoils of their meetings following draws at both Anfield and Goodison Park.
In their last November league match, the Reds once again face the short trip to their Merseyside rivals and will reclaim Merseyside's throne, just as they did during the 2011/12 season.
The Toffees have come unstuck in their last two outings and have failed to find the back of the net in those matches, while Brendan Rodgers' side have scored 10 goals in their last four games.
Roberto Martinez's side are yet to lose a league match at home this term, but an in-form partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have grabbed 16 goals between them so far and will continue that run against Everton.
2. Manchester Will Prove a Cruel Mistress for the Gunners
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Although Manchester United brought an end to their nine-match unbeaten streak this weekend, Arsenal still have a good chance of heading into the Christmas period at the summit of the English top flight.
However, one game on their radar that even the in-form Gunners can't be considered as favourites for is the mid-December trip to Manchester City.
There, Arsene Wenger's men will fall victim to a Citizens side boasting the most prolific attacking record in the entire division, Sergio Aguero leading the assault and hoping once again to repel the Premier League leaders from Manchester without so much as a point in hand.
The Gunners are completely deserving of their top-of-the-table form, but regardless of how the result affects their respective league positions, Manuel Pellegrini's side will emerge as victors at the Etihad Stadium.
The away trip to Sunderland will have been a crushing blow for Pellegrini, but City look like a different outfit when playing on home soil and have the offensive strength needed to make the difference.
3. Sunderland Get Out of Jail for Christmas
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With another dramatic win over Manchester City in the bag, Sunderland are now unbeaten in their last four home fixtures and have seen Gus Poyet get the side doing something the've struggled with for a lengthy period—playing football.
The Uruguayan looks to be enacting some of the same principles that made him such a hit initially at Brighton, which will again lay the foundations for another Sunderland Christmas escape.
The Black Cats have a tough ask on their hands as they prepare to welcome Chelsea, Tottenham and Norwich City to the Stadium of Light before December 25, but all three of those teams have been on the ropes of late and are susceptible to dropping points in the Northeast.
What's more, trips to Stoke City, Aston Villa and West Ham are far from unfavourable away fixtures for the next month or so, and all look like games that a resurgent Sunderland side could take points from.
Come Christmas, a tally of 13 points will be enough to ease them just outside of the relegation zone, and Sunderland can make up the six-point difference, if not more, given that they've claimed six from a last possible nine.
4. Martin Jol Becomes 3rd Sacked Manager of the Season
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Ian Holloway's exit from Crystal Palace and Paolo Di Canio being axed from Sunderland may have got the ride started, but the Premier League managerial carousel is yet to get into motion. Yet.
Martin Jol is the next manager with his head on the chopping block after spending the last two years as Fulham boss, not all of which have been as secure as Craven Cottage would have liked.
Having lost seven of their last 10 games, the West Londoners are just a point away from the relegation places and have conceded two or more goals in six of their 11 matches thus far.
Tough fixtures against Swansea City, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Everton and Manchester City all await before Christmas, and owner Shahid Khan will see his hand forced before those fixtures are through.
5. Saints March into Christmas in the Top 4
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It's no secret that there's a great movement happening at Southampton this season, Mauricio Pochettino enacting change at the South Coast club the likes of which have never been seen before.
Conceding just five goals in the opening 11 encounters, it's the defence that will continue to be a rock for the Saints as they head into the cold winter months and keep Europe firmly within their sights.
In their six matches before Christmas, Southampton will travel to Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United, from whom they will take four points, as well as another seven points from their home meetings against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham.
With those 11 points in tow, Southampton will have 33 points leading into their Boxing Day outing against Cardiff City, good enough for a place in the top four at that stage of the campaign for the last three seasons.
6. Arsenal End 2013 Top of the Premier League
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Despite suffering a shake against the reigning league champions Manchester United, Arsene Wenger's side will recover to make a strong run of things as the calendar year comes to its close.
After all, it's not every day that one has to travel to a ground like Old Trafford, and with Per Mertesacker returning to the squad after illness, things will only get better from here.
7. Gunners Hit 2014 Stride with January Streak
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And after New Year's, the start of 2014 holds great promise for Wenger and his men.
By then we should see Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain return to fitness, giving the Frenchman even more options in attack, and the early calendar fixtures aren't bad at all.
In fact, an away trip to Southampton at the end of January looks like the only debatable result, with results against Cardiff City, Aston Villa and Fulham all quite possible, in that order.
That being said, Arsenal are as capable as any other in overcoming Pochettino's side on their day, meaning it's not absurd to think the North Londoners can claim a 100 percent January winning record to get 2014 started the right way.
8. Chris Hughton Doesn't Make It to Mid-February
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This season has been a roller-coaster journey for Chris Hughton and Norwich City as a whole.
Yet to put back-to-back wins together in their 11 games thus far in the campaign, one unsavoury patch of results could do it for the Canaries boss, tipped for the ax by some for a while now.
The run could come in January/early February, where despite the fact that his side face all three promoted sides, it's as much of a burden as it is an advantage for the Norfolk outfit.
In the first five weeks of 2014, Norwich face Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Newcastle United and Cardiff City in that order. Providing Hughton hasn't got the ax already by then, anything less than six points from that run of fixtures and the club's hierarchy will take their hunt for new management to a much more literal level.
9. Vincent Tan Celebrates January with a Splurge
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Vincent Tan's extravagant spending patterns over the summer will have been frowned upon by some, considering £25 million is a lot to spend for a club making their first appearance in the Premier League.
However, the Bluebirds currently sit 13th in the standings and have shown some of their star signings to be of great use, Steven Caulker and Gary Medel in particular.
Without going overboard on his outgoings, the club's Malaysian owner will bounce on from that investment and plug further squad renovations into the South Wales side this winter, obviously very enthusiastic about seeing the club succeed.
His motives may not agree with all, but Tan has shown nothing if not a thirst to see Cardiff City compete with the Premier League's elite financially if nothing else.
10. Manuel Pellegrini Books Back-to-Back Derby Triumphs
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Both Manuel Pellegrini and David Moyes are walking their first footsteps as managers of the two Manchester derby participants, but it was the former who began this fixture the better of the two, triumphing 4-1 over Manchester United in September.
The reverse fixture is set to be played in March next year, where the Citizens will win for the second time in consecutive league outings, just as they did under Roberto Mancini last term.
This January will play a major part in how the season run-in plays out in terms of squad renovations, and it's City who are bound to reach further into their pockets during the winter period.
It's easy to forget that the Citizens are still a side piecing together their best team, and Pellegrini will have acclimated to life in England in four months' time.
The Citizens are bound to maintain their attacking momentum given the wealth of options at their disposal, but the Chilean boss will also have had a chance to repair any defensive frailties by the time his next encounter with United comes about.
11. Sergio Aguero 1st Player to Reach 20 Goals
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As things stand, Sergio Aguero is tied at the top of the Premier League's scoring charts alongside Liverpool's pair of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, each with eight goals thus far.
Leaving all arguments aside of who the most talented player is, Liverpool are going through a patch of attacking form right now that, while admirable, isn't assured to last.
Manchester City's is.
It's simply become a trait at the Etihad Stadium that goals will be scored, and with Aguero being the most reliable asset under Pellegrini's command, the Argentine is most likely to benefit.
City have already netted 28 goals this term, Liverpool being second-highest on 21, but it's the 2011/12 league champions who will keep that record going throughout the winter months.
12. Arsenal Re-Establish North London Dominance
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Arsenal haven't staged home and away wins over Tottenham in a Premier League campaign since the 2007/08 season but will break the six-year drought with a statement of dominance at White Hart Lane in March.
Wenger got the North London derby ball rolling in September with a 1-0 win over his club's foes at the Emirates Stadium, but it's winning away from home that has proven tricky for the Gunners in recent seasons.
Having made the best of their summer transfer business, Arsenal also have the benefit of seeing some long-term club assets improving their standards in recent months and are looking an altogether more dangerous outfit, while Andre Villas Boas is still missing a certain Welshman.
13. Brendan Rodgers Ends Liverpool's Champions League Drought
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Having seen his club go without Champions League football since the 2009/10 campaign, it looks like this could be the year that Brendan Rodgers turns it all around.
If not, an awful lot of Liverpool fans are going to be wondering just what they need to do in order to make a return.
The Reds opened their campaign with some close, vital wins but expanded with a free-flowing and attacking flair as soon as Luis Suarez returned from his 10-match ban.
We'll discuss the Uruguayan's influence in more detail soon.
14. Jose Mourinho Maintains His Stamford Bridge Record
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Jose Mourinho has never lost a Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge, and while the Special One's return to Chelsea hasn't been as indomitable as he might have liked, it's not a record he's going to give up.
Or at least not this season.
The draw against West Brom this weekend was the first time that the Blues had dropped points at home so far in the 2013/14 campaign, but Mourinho isn't the type of manager who'll simply let those mishaps slip past.
It's already assured that Chelsea will challenge any of the big guns that happen to come to their ground, but the Portuguese will have a new sense of awareness when it comes to the "smaller" teams of the English top flight, needing some time to get reacquainted with life in England.
15. Fulham, Hull City and Crystal Palace See the Drop
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An almighty prediction to make at this stage of the season, but a necessary one.
Crystal Palace are already looking like odds-on favourites to remain glued to the bottom of the English top flight. Managerless within two months of their return to the top flight and a lack of squad talent all point to a dismal ending.
Hull City aren't in bad shape right now and have some talent in their squad, but their wins have all come against out-of-shape teams who have been hit at opportune moments—Norwich City, Newcastle United, West Ham and Sunderland in that order. It will become increasingly harder for the Tigers to string results together.
Finally, Fulham have an ageing squad with a manager who seems unwilling to change his approach to things despite a wealth of signs telling him it's needed. Dimitar Berbatov, Adel Taarabt, Bryan Ruiz and others make up what's been a fairly lacklustre attack, currently one of the worst in the division.
Sunderland, Norwich City, West Ham and Stoke City will all be in the reckoning come May, too, but those are the three destined for Championship football in 2014/15.
16. Arsenal Win the 2013/14 Premier League
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That's right; it happened. Or at least it will.
For some time now, Arsenal's eight-year streak without a trophy in sight has seen them become the butt of many a joke, but 2014 is the year it comes to a halt.
Nobody needs to profess how delightful the club have been to watch so far this season, but with the Premier League platform as open as ever, it's the division's most experienced boss who will get his comeuppance.
Wenger has always cited the league title as being the biggest achievement, more prestigious even than the Champions League, noting the ability to sustain dominance over 38 games as being superior to the European tournament.
More than just the individual talents of Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Co., however, the Gunners have assembled one of their best squads ever this term, and it's that infusion of balance, experienced leadership and longevity that will secure them their first Premier League title for a decade.
17. And the Top 4 Is...
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Manchester United put up a valiant effort in attempting to defend their domestic honours but will get pipped to the post by an Arsenal side who have had more time playing alongside one another, the Red Devils settling for second place.
Chelsea were tipped by many as a favourite for first place at the start of the season, but Mourinho is another new manager to fall victim to the experienced Wenger, despite coming back to his former stomping grounds. In the end, it will be a lack of attacking firepower that proves to be the Portuguese's undoing.
And, as discussed earlier, it's Liverpool who get the honour of fourth place, with both Manchester City and Tottenham missing out on qualification to Europe's elite.
18. Luis Suarez Wins the Golden Boot
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Even if only temporarily, Luis Suarez will put all controversies behind him and go on to win the award that just about escaped his grasp last season: the Premier League's Golden Boot.
Before the biting incident with Branislav Ivanovic and the suspension that followed, the South American poacher was locked on to beat Robin van Persie as the top scorer in England, but it's well-known how that eventually petered out.
While Aguero may have been a firm competitor all season long, Liverpool will once again rise to record a strong finish to the campaign and have a favourable campaign run-in, featuring the defences of West Ham, Norwich City, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United in their last six fixtures.
19. Luis Suarez Wins PFA Player of the Year
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The good times won't stop there for the Uruguayan, however, and the media that once hounded Suarez for his on-pitch antics will have little choice but to laud him for the same this term as he leads the Reds back to the Promised Land.
Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie have all won both the PFA Player of the Year and the Premier League Golden Boot in the last 10 years, ensuring Suarez joins hallowed company as a result of his Anfield commitments.
Both an asset in the scoring of goals as well as setting them up, his one-man-army quality is a throwback to that of the aforementioned attackers, too, all of whom led their sides to great respective success in their own way.
20. Aaron Ramsey Wins PFA Young Player of the Year
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In the end, the Welshman's contributions weren't enough to earn him the top prize as many suspected he might in the campaign's early months, but settling for second best isn't anything to be ashamed of in Aaron Ramsey's case.
The 22-year-old (who turns 23 in December) would eventually go on to score 20 goals across all competitions for his side, and while only Premier League input is taken into account, it's something that couldn't stop Ramsey-mania from taking over.
Although Ramsey will be unable to keep his early-season standards up to quite the same levels of consistency throughout, he's sure to continue leading Wenger's midfield on their run to the title.
Not just his superb double-digit goal tally, but the well-rounded manner in which the youngster goes about his business will ensure Ramsey makes himself and countryman Gareth Bale the first players to win successive PFA Young Player of the Year titles for Wales. Ryan Giggs won the title in consecutive years himself in 1992 and 1993.
