Which Club Really Has the Strongest Squad in the Premier League?
Armchair experts around the world can finally say who's best equipped to pick up the Premier League title next May.
Image via Lineup Builder / Wikimedia
With the transfer window finally shut until the turn of the year, Ed Woodward can slip back into the shadows, Saido Berahino can lock himself in his bedroom and armchair experts around the world can finally say who's best equipped to pick up the Premier League title next May.
In total, almost £1 billion was spent by English clubs in the summer window with Manchester City the biggest spenders having found £150 million down the back of Sheikh Mansour's sofa. Meanwhile, their derby rivals drew attention with six high-profile arrivals (and one will-he-won't-he departure saga) but the chequebooks at Chelsea and Arsenal, many people's favourites for the title at the start of the season, stayed mostly shut.
£859 million later, who's made the biggest improvement? Did Arsene Wenger really need another striker? Is Alan Pardew Croydon's answer to the Wolf of Wall Street? We've ranked the ten strongest squads in the Premier League from worst to best.
10. Stoke City
Key Player: Xherdan Shaqiri
Weakest link: Glenn Whelan
Welcome to Stokealona. Mark Hughes' mission of turning Stoke-on-Trent into England's answer to La Masia moved another step in the right direction this summer with the arrivals of ex-Barca star Ibrahim Affelay and brilliant Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, who's style of play is so slick that his nickname of the 'Alpine Messi' isn't totally undeserved.
Going forward, Stoke have an abundance of talent but could do with more goals – Mame Biram Diouf will want to improve on his 11 league goals last year because there's no guarantee either of his back-ups, Joselu or Peter Crouch, will do more than be a handful for opposing centre backs. Stoke's defence, led by Ryan Shawcross, is experienced if unspectacular but it's the trio of players infront of them who will cause Mark Hughes the most concern. Marco Van Ginkel has yet to set the world alight in spells at Chelsea or Milan, while the duo competing for a spot alongside him in central midfield – Steve Sidwell and Glenn Whelan – have seen better days.
9. Swansea City
Key player: Bafetimbi Gomis
Weakest link: Jefferson Montero / Marvin Emnes
The only thing to concern Swansea fans right now is just how well Garry Monk has done in assembling a competitive Premier League squad. He's one of the only realistic contenders to replace Roy Hodgson when if England fall short at Euro 2016 next summer. Monk's hunger for attractive football drives his strategy in the transfer market and there's good competition for places throughout the Swansea squad, which means the team isn't too damaged should one or two players miss a game through injury.
The spine in Swansea's first XI is remarkable. Fabianski is a better goalkeeper than many give him credit for, keeping 13 clean sheets last season, while Ashley Williams controls the back four and has really done enough to earn a move to one of the Premier League's bigger clubs. Bafetimbi Gomis has started the season spectacularly (filling the gap left by Wilfried Bony) and Eder should prove an able deputy if injury strikes. After a sparkling start last season, Jefferson Monetro flatters to deceive and finished 2014/15 with only one goal and seven assists from 31 games. He needs to find more consistency because behind him, Marvin Emnes is untested at the top level.
8. Everton
Key player: Ross Barkley
Weakest link: Defence
This is a defining season for the Roberto Martinez project at Everton. Fans are losing patience with the club's ownership and a poor showing on the pitch this season means the buck is far more likely to stop with the club's manager than the chairman. The squad that finished with record points in 2013/14 is starting to show signs of wear and tear and the club feels in need of high-quality fresh faces.
Tim Howard, Phil Jagielka and Gareth Barry are all over the age of 33 and the club's crop of young players – including Brendan Galloway, Muhamed Besic, Brian Oviedo and Joel Robles – haven't shown enough to suggest they're ready to take centre stage when the inevitable transition period starts. At the top of the pitch, Everton are a mix of inconsistency and forgotten potential. Aidan McGeady, Tom Cleverley, Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku all need to perform to the best of their ability and when they do, this side are a match for anyone in the league. Unfortunately, those days don't come around often enough. Under the first XI, there's little to give Everton fans too much hope of breaking into the top six.
7. Crystal Palace
Key player: Yohan Cabaye
Weakest link: Connor Wickham
It's time to face facts, Alan Pardew is doing a better job at reinventing Crystal Palace than Mark Hughes is at reinventing Stoke. The Premier League anti-hero has created such a vibe around Selhurst Park that YohanCabaye wanted to swap Paris for Croydon.
Cabaye is the undoubted gem of a Palace XI that boasts power, pace and control via the likes of Scott Dann, Wilfried Zaha and another new arrival, Connor Wickham. What's most impressive is the strength-in-depth of this Eagles' squad. The midfield is particularly well filled out with Yannick Bolasie, Mile Jedinak and Joe Ledley all struggling to even get game time. Goals might be a problem for Pardew, though. Wickham – who arrived this summer for £6 million – only has 11 Premier League goals to his name. Dwight Gayle is probably the most natural goalscorer in the squad, while 21-year-old Patrick Bamford, one of Chelsea's brightest prospects, will want to make a massive impression on his loan spell. Crystal Palace are this season's surprise package.
6. Tottenham Hotspur
Key player: Christian Eriksen
Weakest link: Nacer Chadli
If Tottenham fans are expecting their team to mount a challenge for the Champions League places this year, they're probably going to end up quite disappointed. Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy only made a net spend of £5.7m this summer and their first XI hasn't made any great strides since last season. In fact, if Harry Kane fails to dispel myths of him being a one season wonder, Spurs are in serious trouble.
Tottenham's midfield is pretty stacked but – Christian Eriksen aside – there's a distinct lack of match winners. Heung-min Son – the big money arrival at White Hart Lane this summer – is likely to play on the wing and end Lamela and Townsend's underachievements on Spurs' right side of the pitch, but his record of just two assists in the Bundesliga last season doesn't offer encouragement that he brings creativity as well as industry. On the other side of the wing, Nacer Chadli, who improved greatly last season, is being forced to go it alone. Tottenham boast a very strong first XI when everyone's on form – and their defence looks particularly solid – but there's a feeling that, yet again, they're a handful of players away from doing anything truly meaningful.
5. Liverpool
Key player: Philippe Coutinho
Weakest link: Dejan Lovren
On paper, Liverpool had a very good transfer window. Brendan Rodgers may have lost Raheem Sterling but he used the money to (hopefully) solve Liverpool's problems up front with the arrival of Christian Benteke and poached one of the brightest young defenders in English football away from Charlton, Joe Gomez.
There's a good balance to this Liverpool squad and everyone believed enough money has been thrown at the back four to eradicate the threat of them conceding three goals every game...until West Ham left Anfield with three points at the end of August. Dejan Lovren continues to be a liability at the heart of defence, which makes us wonder just how badly Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure have performed in training to still be on the bench every week. Although goals haven't flown in for Liverpool yet, they've got enough able bodies up front to cast the memories of Balotelli and Lambert to the shadows and – if anything – it's injuries to the three men just behind them that should get Liverpool fans most worried.
There's no one to replace Coutinho if anything bad happens (such as a phone call from Real Madrid in January) and the jury is still out on Adam Lallana and £30 million Roberto Firmino. This is a Liverpool squad with bags of potential, and the first XI looks pretty settled, but holes at the back will again be enough to stop Brendan Rodgers making an assault on the top four.
4. Manchester United
Key player: Wayne Rooney
Weak link: Wayne Rooney
Depending on your point of view, Ed Woodward is the greatest mind in the game today or the man responsible for Manchester United's inability to mount a serious title challenge. Woody may have secured a £700 million deal with adidas last year but his work in the transfer market has left a lot to be desired. In the last 24 months, Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale, Pedro and Neymar have all been targeted by United and their limitless funds, only to decide better things lie elsewhere.
It's not all bad, though. Man United have the best defensive record of any team in 2015 and – assuming David de Gea doesn't sulk too much – they'll still have the best goalkeeper in the world right now. Their midfield reinforcements this summer were shrewd, S&S will shield the back four brilliantly, and Memphis Depay could be a real threat if he can carry over the form that saw him end last season with 28 goals in 40 games in Holland.
United can compete with other title challengers in most areas of the pitch apart from one: scoring goals. LVG's men have scored just two goals in the opening four games and Wayne Rooney looks like the only record he wants to break is the Premier League's greatest goal drought. Manchester United should be challenging for the title this season but an out-of-sorts Rooney and a £40 million teenager from France with eight games to his name won't worry Jose too much.
3. Arsenal
Key player: Alexis Sanchez
Weak link: Nacho Monreal
Arsenal fans shouldn't be too upset with their club's dealings this summer because they still probably made the best signing of the summer in prying Petr Cech away from Stamford Bridge. One of the club's biggest problems since Patrick Vieira left the club was a lack of on-field leadership (evidenced by the fact that their captain is a fourth-choice central midfielder). Cech brings leadership, ability and a winning attitude to Arsenal's squad.
Just like Manchester United, Arsenal have been hit by a startling lack of top level strikers available in the summer transfer market. Arsenal can boast the best overall midfield in the league but that's no good when their first-choice striker has yet to score more than 16 league goals per season in the Premier League. News of Danny Welbeck's long-term injury hasn't made that crisis any easier. In defence, Per Mertesacker isn't as bad as the haters make out (he made fewer defensive errors than John Terry last season) but Nacho Monreal isn't quick enough to make an offensive impact at left back. As usual, Arsenal are ALMOST a title-winning team.
2. Chelsea
Key player: Pedro
Weakest link: Branislav Ivanovic
It seems a long time ago since everyone thought Chelsea were going to retain their Premier League title at a canter this season. The first four games of the campaign have been a disaster for Jose Mourinho's reigning champions but the team who won the league by eight points last season haven't become a bad team overnight – they've just got a little bit older.
Father time looks to have finally caught up with John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic. Chelsea have already conceded nine goals this season, which is only six less than they gave away all season when Mourinho won his first Premier League title ten years ago. The bad news for Chelsea is that they can't even claim to have an entire defence in reserve, with just three defenders existing outside the first XI. Ivanovic really is all alone, while new arrivals Rahman and Djilobodji are wildcards waiting in the wings.
Diego Costa's injury problems continue to be a point of persistent trouble for Chelsea but thankfully, Eden Hazard and Pedro have the guile and predatory instincts to weigh in with a dozen goals each should the going get tough. Nemanja Matic remains the league's best holding midfielder and he'll need to cover for the back four's shortcomings during the Blues' title challenge.
1. Manchester City
Key player: Sergio Aguero
Weakest link: Eliaquim Mangala
Manchester City did what no other team did in this transfer window and that's to fully address their shortcomings. It's hard to find a weakness in this City team, which leaves them with the strongest squad in the Premier League as the 2015/16 season gets into full swing.
Championships are built on solid defences and Manuel Pellegrini has got competition for places right across his back four. Nicolas Otamendi will challenge Mangala for a place alongside a rejuvinated Vincent Kompany in City's defence, which has looked very assured in the season's opening four games. City can also boast excellent defensive cover in midfield with the trio of Fernandinho, Fernando and Delph – while Yaya Toure provides the type of explosion from midfield that is lacking amongst other title challengers.
Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne will ensure that the sometimes wayward Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas are no longer automatic selections and City can also boast the most threatening frontline in the Premier League. Between them, Aguero and Bony scored 37 goals last season, more than any other strikeforce. The Premier League title this season is already City's to lose.