Premier League, soft on paper debut for Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton. West Ham also on the field: predictions
The Premier League is once again ready to provide excitement and spectacle. Among the most watched teams this year is Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton, one of the great revelations of last season.
The Seagulls seemed destined for an anonymous championship after Graham Potter’s sudden farewell, which came like a bolt out of the blue at the start of the tournament, but the former Sassuolo coach has not been missed. Far from it. The players immediately embraced the Italian coach’s ideas, racking up victory after victory thanks to scintillating play that surprised English insiders. Brighton finished in sixth place – the best finish in the club’s history – securing qualification for the next Europa League. The club failed to retain jewels Mac Allister and Sanchez but the squad remains quite competitive. De Zerbi will make his Premier League 2023-24 debut with newly promoted Luton, back in the top flight after an absence of more than 30 years. Coached by Welshman Rob Edwards, the Hatters will struggle to contain the asphyxiating dribbling and intensity of Brighton, who should have the better of a match with at least three total goals. The challenge between Bournemouth and West Ham also promises to be prolific: David Moyes’ team has conceded goals in an avalanche in preseason friendlies, and even the Cherries will be able to pierce a defense that has yet to be registered.
The predictions on the other matches
Sean Dyche’s Everton, who avoided relegation by a whisker for the second season in a row, are also in the running. The Toffees’ goal is to win a quiet salvation but the market so far is basically disappointing.
Bowen and Ings of West Ham
Infusing confidence, however, is the fact that in pre-season friendlies the Liverpool club remained unbeaten, conceding only one goal in five games. Playing against Dyche-coached teams is never easy, and a tricky afternoon from a goal-scoring perspective is on the horizon for Fulham. Also uneventful is the match between Sheffield United, which has regained the Premier League after two seasons, and Crystal Palace: the men coached by Dean Hodgson should avoid defeat on the Blades’ pitch.
Premier League: possible winners
- Brighton (in Brighton-Luton).
- Everton or draw (in Everton-Fulham)
- West Ham or draw (in Bournemouth-West Ham)
- Crystal Palace or draw (in Sheffield United-Crystal Palace)
The match by at least one goal per team
- Bournemouth-West Ham
