A Look Ahead to the 2022/23 EPL Season
Posted by Harry Kane on Friday, April 22, 2022
The Premier League season is now less than a month away, with Crystal Palace hosting Arsenal to kick-start the new campaign on Friday 5th August. The new season threatens to be particularly thrilling too, as Manchester City and Liverpool resume their rivalry while EPL newcomers look to cement their status as top-flight teams.
Many will also be following the fortunes of fallen giant Manchester United with great interest, with the Red Devils having undergone a torrid 2021/22 campaign and so far failed to sign a single player during the pre-season. In this guide, we’ll look ahead to the brand-new season, while appraising the key EPL favourites and leading betting markets!
Who are the Favourites for Next Season?
While two sides stand head and shoulders above their rivals in the EPL (we’re looking at you, Manchester City and Liverpool), at least one or two other teams will be hoping to compete more aggressively next season. We’ll explore the chances of these teams prevailing and their live odds below, so that you can hopefully make some informed decisions when placing your wagers.
1. Manchester City
When Manchester City trailed Aston Villa 2-0 with just 20 minutes to go in their final EPL game last season, they faced the very real prospect of losing their title to Liverpool and ending the campaign trophyless.
However, a stirring comeback saw the Citizens score three goals in just five minutes to claim a fourth league title in five years, and it should come as no surprise that Pep Guardiola’s side are currently the 4/6 favourites to retain their crown next season.
The standards set by City have been incredible during Guardiola’s time at the club, with the number of points required to win the EPL having surpassed 91 in five of the last six years. City broke the longstanding points record for a 38-game season by registering 100 in 2017/18, while they recorded 98 when winning the title the following season.
What’s more, City have tackled one of their primary issues in the summer by boosting a depleted forward line. Firstly, they’ve signed the highly sought-after Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £51 million, with the brilliant Norwegian having scored an impressive 86 goals in just 89 appearances during his time in Germany.
The precocious 22-year-old for Julián Álvarez will also join up with his teammates this summer, while the addition of Kalvin Phillip and potential acquisition of stylish fullback Marc Cucurella from Brighton would also add some much-needed depth an already outstanding squad.
2. Liverpool
You can make an argument for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool being one of the unluckiest EPL sides in history, having reached incredibly high standards of their own in recent times only to continue to fall agonisingly short of their northwest rivals.
To provide some context, Liverpool have won more than 90 points in three of the last four EPL seasons, only managing to win one title during this period. This included the 2018/19 season, when they won 30 league games, were beaten only once (by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium) and achieved a staggering 97 points only to claim second place.
Even more astonishingly, the Reds’ haul of 92 points last season would have been enough to win 19 of the 20 38-game campaigns prior to the arrival of Pep Guardiola in 2016. However, it would only have been enough to win one of the six titles contested since then, with Antonio Conte having also helped to raise the bar during this time at Chelsea.
Still, Liverpool remain the best placed to tackle City once again next season, and are priced at an average of 9/4 to achieve this objective. This reflects the quality of the Reds’ squad and their incredible consistency, while we should note that Liverpool also won both domestic cups last year while finishing second and losing the UCL final.
Klopp’s men have also improved their squad impressively during the pre-season, despite losing Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich. Fabio Carvalho ($8 million), Darwin Nunez ($84 million) and full back Calvin Ramsay ($6 million) have all signed for a combined $98 million, for example, while talisman Mohamed Salah has also signed a new three-year deal.
3. Tottenham Hotspur
While Spurs are only fifth favourites with the bookies at an average price of 33/1, we reckon that this offers exceptional value given the pedigree of manager Antonio Conte and the transfer business done so far by the North London club. Certainly, Spurs finished last season strongly to pip rivals Arsenal to fourth place and the final Champions League place, with talisman Harry Kane and the outstanding Son Heung-min (who shared the EPL Golden Boat) maintaining their lethal partnership in attack.
Since the start of the summer break, Spurs have added the experienced wide man Ivan Perišić and goalkeeper Fraser Forster on free transfers, while also signing the talented and combative midfielder Yves Bissouma for just £25 million from Brighton. With the fiery Everton striker Richarlison having also joined Spurs for an initial fee of £50 million (potentially rising to £60 million with add-ons), Antonio Conte has completed some proactive and efficient business that will make Tottenham a force to be reckoned with next season.
Conte himself remains the X-factor, of course, with the disciplined and fiery Italian having imposed his mentality on Spurs and created an effective (and distinctive) way of playing that blends steel and dynamism to excellent effect. He has the same sort of impact at Chelsea, of course, winning the EPL title with a 93-point haul as recently as 2017.
Conte’s immense impact was borne out by some outstanding results towards the end of last season, while it should be noted that Spurs also took eight points from 12 in their matches against Manchester City and Liverpool while remaining unbeaten throughout.
4. Chelsea
Chelsea stuttered to third place last season in the end, as the promise of an early-season title charge faded while the trials and tribulations of former owner Roman Abramovich put the entire future of the club in jeopardy.
While the near-term future has been settled following a £4.25 billion takeover by the Todd Boehly-led consortium, the Blues are still to complete any business this pre-season, other than the acquisition of 18-year-old Welsh goalkeeper Eddie Beech from Southampton on a free transfer.
So, despite having a supposed war chest of £200 million to spend and maintaining links to talented players such as Matthijs de Ligt, Ousmane Dembele, Raheem Sterling and even want-away Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Chelsea have yet to make any official moves and have seen more stars depart Stamford Bridge.
The combative and marauding centre back Antonio Rudiger has left Real Madrid on a free transfer, for example, while fellow defender Andreas Christensen has also been released. Incredibly, £97 million striker Romelu Lukaku has also been allowed to re-join Inter Milan on a £5 million loan following a disappointing campaign, while doubts remain about whether the legendary Cesar Azpilicueta will remain at the Bridge next season.
With these points in mind, the Blues have arguably slipped behind Spurs as the main challengers to the so-called “big two”, although an average price of 12/1 is indicative of Chelsea’s remaining squad depth and the undeniable tactical nous of manager Thomas Tuchel.
5. Manchester United
It’s a testament to the indefatigable allure and power of the Manchester United name that the Red Devils are priced as short as 22/1 to win the Premier League with some sportsbooks after a truly torrid 2021/22 season. Incredibly, United recorded their lowest points tally in 31 years (59) last season, and not since the 1990/91 campaign (when the Red Devils finished sixth with 58 points) have the club endured such a difficult and inconsistent season.
What’s more, the quality and mentality of the playing squad was bought into question under the tutelage of interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who refused to indulge or soft soap his enigmatic stars in the manner of the previous coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Since the end of the season, Rangnick has left the club and former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has taken the reigns, while a number of first team players have left following the expiration of their contracts (including Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Edison Cavani, Juan Mata and the disappointing Paul Pogba). The talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo could also be poised to leave in the summer, deepening the crisis at the club and creating a pressing need for Ten Hag to complete some signings quickly.
Currently, Barcelona’s midfield playmaker (and former Ten Hag pupil) Frenkie de Jong is the club’s main target, while the creative Cristian Eriksen could also join the Reds on a free transfer after his Brentford contract expired. For the club to have any chance of success next season, however, they must conclude some business quickly and ensure that the Ten Hag era gets off to the best possible start.
A Look at the Best EPL Betting Markets for 2022/23
As we look to bring this guide to an end, it’s time to take a sneak peek at some of the best and most popular markets for the 2022/23 season. We’ve broken these down below, while offering some tips on how to leverage them to your advantage:
1. Outright Betting
We’ve already outlined some of the leading EPL favourites below, with Manchester City and Liverpool offering optimal value as the most likely winners. If you are going to wager on either of these sides (or both) to win next season, however, we’d recommend placing your bet early in order to access optimal pricing.
Typically, outright odds shorten as the start date draws near and the tournament gets underway, as sportsbook react to the influx of money that they receive on certain teams and tailor their odds as a way of minimising loss.
However, you may also want to place a wager on an outside selection such as Chelsea or Tottenham. Both of these sides offer value with respective odds of 12/1 and 33/1, especially when you consider the pedigree of the clubs‘ managers and the potential returns on offer. Once again, we’d recommend that you wager early and before the prices shorten, while reducing your stake in order to reflect the increased risk and optimised returns.
2. The Top Scorer
Another popular market, betting on the next season’s EPL top scorer can be highly rewarding for punters who have knowledge of the sport, the competing teams and the qualities of individual players. Some familiar names will be in the running here, including last years’ joint winners Mohamed Salah and Son Heung Min.
Interestingly, Son is priced at a competitive 9/1 at present compared to Salah’s odds of 9/2), with this offering exceptional value given the Korean’s performances last season and his compatibility with Antonio Conte’s counter-attacking 3-4-3 formation. There’s a new kid in town in the form of Erling Haaland, with the prolific Norwegian having been made the early 3/1 favourite to win the Golden Boat in his first EPL season.
He may need some time to adapt to the sheer pace and ferocity of the Premier League, however, while the uncertainty surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s immediate future at Old Trafford means that the exceptional Son should be given serious consideration ahead of the new season.
3. Match Betting
We’ll close with match betting, which remains incredibly popular among punters both as ante-post and in-play wagering market. Obviously, all Premier League fixtures have been drawn in advance ahead of the 2022/23 season, enabling you to plan your betting schedule ahead of time and identify the games that may offer you the best potential return.
Ante-post match bets should be placed as close to the kick-off time as possible, as this enables you to make an informed selection in relation to the live odds (which indicate value) and take into account any breaking team news, injuries or suspensions. This helps you to cultivate informed betting selections, which hopefully optimise your chances of success and enable you to achieve a viable return on your bankroll.
Despite an awful season for Manchester United, which fittingly came to a close with a whimper at Crystal Palace, Erik ten Hag’s side will go into the new season as fourth favourites (22/1) for the title, ahead of this year’s fourth and fifth placed finishers Spurs (33/1) and Arsenal (50/1).
Newcastle, meanwhile, stand out as seventh favourites (best price 100/1) having rallied in recent months and secured an 11th place finish with a win at Burnley on Sunday. Of course, they are now armed with a huge transfer chest to make their assault at the top end of the Premier League table.