The stats-based Sky Sports Predictor has thrown out some very interesting results ahead of the 2018-19 Premier League season.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have been tipped to retain the Premier League crown, while Chelsea and Arsenal are likely to miss out on a top four finish once again, as per the Sky Sports Predictor.
According to the predictive algorithm, reigning champions City are likely to go on to lift the league title once again, becoming the first team to retain the crown since 2008-09 when Manchester United completed a hat-trick of league triumphs.
The Predictor has picked Tottenham Hotspur as the surprise runners-up ahead of big-spending Liverpool and Manchester United, who will take the third and fourth spots respectively. Chelsea and Arsenal, however, have been tipped to finish in the fifth and sixth positions respectively, just like they did in the 2017-18 season.
The Sky Sports Predictor is based on a system called ELO, which was originally set up to rate chess players. It takes into consideration a team’s form, opponents the team still has left to play, and how well the team has done in previous seasons.
It doesn’t, however, factor in the transfer business done by teams during the off-season. So, the fact that Liverpool have spent a whopping £176.9 million to sign quality, game-changing players like Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker is not taken into account by the algorithm.
Liverpool’s spending this summer, has been the most by any club in the English top tier. In comparison, Tottenham Hotspur are the only team yet to make any signings in the ongoing transfer window.
CITY TO RETAIN TITLE? WOLVES BOTTOM?
The stats-based Sky Sports Predictor is back for the new season.
See where your team is predicted to finish ? https://t.co/FbfbhMBLXa pic.twitter.com/uiUdVOnzxU
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 8, 2018
Champions-elect Manchester City have shelled out the big bucks to sign Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City. Neighbours Manchester United have brought in three players in the form of Diogo Dalot, Fred and Lee Grant. More incomings are expected at the Old Trafford before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
Arsenal and Chelsea go into the brand new season with new managers at the helm. Unai Emery took over from Arsene Wenger, while Maurizio Sarri has replaced fellow Italian Antonio Conte at the Stamford Bridge. While the Gunners have gotten some impressive business done over the summer, the Blues haven’t had the same fortune.
However, with the impending arrivals of Mateo Kovacic on loan from Real Madrid and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in a world record deal, Sarri and his team will hope to break into the top four, after a disappointing last season.
The Predictor tips heavy spenders West Ham United to struggle to a seventeenth place finish, while two of the newly promoted clubs – Wolves and Cardiff City are tipped to go down, along with David Wagner’s Huddersfield Town.
Considering the unpredictable nature of the Premier League and the fact that the algorithm doesn’t take into account the transfers, these predictions definitely need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
The 2018-19 edition of the Premier League will kick off this Friday night when Manchester United face off against Leicester City at the Old Trafford.
