EPL: 5 Bold Predictions for the Premier League in 2012

With the New Year looming on the horizon, the Barclays Premier League is ever-approaching the halfway mark of the season.

After an entertaining first half of the year, even more excitement is just around the corner in 2012.

With the vital moments looming in the coming months, here are five bold predictions for how the rest of the Premier League season will play out. 

All Three Newly Promoted Teams Will Avoid the Drop

For the first season in recent history, the three teams new to the Premier League this year all appear to be in little danger of falling into the drop zone.

Championship winners Queens Park Rangers have perhaps been the most inconsistent of the new teams, amassing four wins, four draws and nine losses. The highlight of their season so far is undoubtedly their 1-0 win over Chelsea in October. 

With QPR expected to significantly strengthen the squad in January, it’s unlikely they will drop.

Meanwhile, Norwich and Swansea have performed slightly better than QPR, sitting in eighth and fourteenth respectively as the season nears the midway point.

Both clubs have relied heavily upon their strong play at home. If that continues in the new year, they should easily avoid the relegation zone.

Fernando Torres Will Score 10 League Goals Before the End of the Seasonh

Torres' struggles since making the move to Chelsea have been well documented. In the Premier League this year, he has only managed two goals from his 12 games for the club. Furthermore, he has only managed 20 shots on goal. 

Yet, with Nicolas Anelka set to leave Chelsea in January and Didier Drogba away on African Cup duties, expect Torres' influence to increase greatly in the early stages of 2012.

With the Spaniard set to consistently feature in the Chelsea starting lineup, Blues fans will be hoping that will lead to an increase in his scoring output.

If not, he could find himself on the way out come July.

Tottenham Will End the Season the Highest Placed London Club

London’s traditional high-finishing duo of Chelsea and Arsenal has both endured tumultuous periods at times in the opening half of the Premier League season. 

Yet, while they have struggled, Tottenham have prospered. 

Spurs currently sit third in the Premier League table, driven by a great run of form that has seen them win eight of their past 11 Premier League matches. 

Loanee Emmanuel Adebayor has been the most prolific of Spurs' strikers so far, having netted nine times in league play so far. 

Combined with the ever-impressive play of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael Van der Vaart, Spurs should be able to maintain their position in the top three of the Premier League for the remainder of the season.

The Current Bottom Three Will Be Relegated

It may not seem like much of a prediction to say that the bottom three will remain the same, but considering the often-volatile nature of the relegation zone, it is. 

Blackburn seem doomed to remain rooted to the bottom of the table, not only due to poor performances, but the seeming disillusion the players and fans harbor towards manager Steve Kean. Even though Kean will definitely be sacked by the end of the season (more like the middle of January) Blackburn have dug themselves too deep a hole to escape from. 

Meanwhile, both Wigan and Bolton seem doomed by their failure to pick up any points at home. They have both won just one game at home. 

Winning games (or even just picking up points) is often the saving grace for teams around the drop zone. With neither team's home ground becoming a "fortress," those points won’t be there to save the Wanderers or Wigan.

Manchester City Will Romp to the Premier League Title

Manchester City has been sensational for the most part of the season so far, resulting in the Citizens sitting atop the table with 44 points. 

The closest challengers to the crown are Manchester United, with many pundits believing that the proven title winning credentials of the Red Devils will result in their overtaking of the current league leaders.

However, Manchester City will not let slip their first league crown since 1968. 

Expect David Silva, Yaya Toure, Mario Balotelli and Sergio Aguero to continue to dominate for City in the process of claiming legendary status in the hearts of City fans across the world.

Conclusion

There you have it.

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