Paul Parker's Premier League predictions: The change which will win Arsenal the title
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Updated 04/08/2015 at 11:30 GMT
Paul Parker says Arsenal will win the Premier League trophy this season, but only if they drop one player and replace him with another....
Will one of these men lift the Premier League title - or finish top scorer?
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PREMIER LEAGUE WINNERS
I am going to surprise a few people and pick Arsenal. They have got themselves a top, top goalkeeper in Petr Cech and I think one more minor switch could be enough to deliver them the title: they need to drop Per Mertesacker and play Gabriel Paulista. If they can replace Mertesacker they will have a very good chance, because he is a liability with and without the ball. Even in the Community Shield, when they kept a clean sheet against Chelsea, he looked a bit unconvincing.
Arsenal are perceived as bottlers with a weak mentality but I don’t see it that way. I think Cech will have a huge impact and give them a lot of confidence and belief. If you believe you have quality players around you, who are making you better, it can lift the whole squad. They also have plenty of depth in midfield and although not everyone agrees, I am a fan of Olivier Giroud and think he will supply a lot of goals.
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Arsenal's Olivier Giroud congratulates Alex Oxlade-Chamberalin
Image credit: PA Photos
While Arsenal have improved, Chelsea have stood still this summer and allowed their rivals to catch them up. I think they are struggling to attract new players and even if they agree a fee for John Stones, I’m not convinced he would be best served by moving to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are struggling a bit in the market and they’ve lost momentum. That could be crucial.
[PAUL PARKER: Players won't want to join Chelsea]
I’ll be honest: I would like to see Arsenal win the league. I like what Arsene Wenger tries to do and the way he has stayed competitive over the years without having money to spend. He has also had to suffer a lot of criticism, notably from Mourinho, who constantly disrespects him and snipes at him. I think Wenger deserves the league this year.
TOP FOUR
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Manchester United forward Memphis DePay (9) kicks the ball against Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi (14) during the second half at Soldier Field. Paris Saint-Germain defeats Manchester United 2-0.
Image credit: Reuters
I don’t think it will change from last season: Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United will join Arsenal in the Champions League places. It’s a bit early for United to challenge for the title and I don’t think they can this season. They have issues at the back and in attack and they need to get more cohesion very quickly having brought in another collection of new signings.
Louis van Gaal is a very hard man to please and you wonder how quickly the new signings will pick up his style of play. There is also uncertainty over David De Gea and so there’s too many imponderables for United going into the new campaign. They should finish in the top four quite comfortably, but they don’t have enough to finish top of the table.
RELEGATION
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Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat before the match
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I’m tipping Sunderland, Watford and Norwich City for the drop this season. Of the promoted clubs, only Bournemouth have a good chance of staying up thanks to their brilliant manager Eddie Howe. He learned a lot from his season at Burnley and I really like what Bournemouth have done. They are going to be very difficult to beat at home as they are very well organised and they should have enough about them to survive. Norwich and Watford, however, will not.
Sunderland will join them in the Championship next season as they haven’t taken advantage of the summer window. Sebastian Coates, Younes Kaboul, Jeremain Lens and Adam Matthews are not signings to transform a squad which already struggled last season. Dick Advocaat did well to keep them up but I think he might fail to repeat the trick.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
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Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez had a busy summer of international duty with Chile
Image credit: PA Sport
It has to be Alexis Sanchez. He had a superb debut season for Arsenal and now he will have an even better grasp of English football. There could be fireworks. Lots of people are tipping Eden Hazard but I don’t know if he’s got it in him to win the individual prizes twice in two years. Consistent excellence is how you judge great players and I certainly wouldn’t rule it out completely, but I just feel Sanchez is ready to set a new standard.
Everything about Sanchez is correct: as a man and as a footballer he is an all-round credit to his club. You could ask him to play right-back and he wouldn’t moan. He plays in the same position as Hazard and beats him for goals. Players love playing with him and he gives absolutely everything on the pitch.
TOP SCORER
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Manchester City's Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring their fourth goal
Image credit: PA Photos
Sergio Aguero is my pick but, as with every season, the key is whether he can stay fit and play 38 games, or whether he will miss 10 or so due to fitness problems. City are going to need him because if he doesn’t score then they will probably finish in mid-table.
Rooney has been tipped because he will be Manchester United’s first choice centre-forward and won’t be asked to play in midfield this time around, but I don’t see it. Rooney is not that kind of prolific No. 9; he can’t play that role any more. Sir Alex Ferguson suggested as much and Rooney didn’t take it very well, but it’s the truth. Rooney is not the No. 9 that Van Gaal and United need. He doesn’t play as an out-and-out striker: he looks to drop off and come deep.
Maybe that will allow space for Memphis Depay to make runs beyond Rooney and score a lot of goals, but I don’t think the England captain will be troubling the top scorers’ chart. It’s just not his game. He doesn’t make runs in behind centre-backs like Diego Costa, Aguero or Harry Kane and gobble up goals.
- Paul Parker
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