2011 English Premier League Season Preview

Our resident football expert Tom Allen casts his eye over the 2011 Premier League, makes his predictions and tips and suggests his pre-season best bets.

The 2011/12 Premier League season promises to be the most competitive for many a year with five teams considered genuine title challengers by the bookmakers and the standard looks strong to me from top to bottom.

With Liverpool fifth favourites at a top price of just 14/1, the odds reflect how close it is anticipated to be but I expect the Manchester clubs to dominate and believe there is excellent value to be had in the United-City straight forecast at 13/2.

The Red Devils have strengthened in all the right areas over the summer while I rate their near neighbours as the chief threat.

City boss Roberto Mancini clearly saw what he liked at the end of last season, when his men stormed to Champions League qualification and FA Cup glory, and they can continue on an upward curve with Sergio Aguero the only big name signing over the summer months to date.

Chelsea, under new manager Andre-Villas Boas, will do well to break the north-west duopoly with an ageing squad that is seemingly on the wane while it will be fascinating to see if Liverpool can re-establish themselves under Kenny Dalglish.

I think they can and it is Arsenal, not surprisingly, that looks most under threat of the top four.

While it looks relatively straightforward to anticipate what might happen at the summit, the waters are muddied the further down the Premier League we look and it appears wide open for any number of clubs to claim a top-10 finish.

Tottenham, who have been dormant in the transfer market despite experiencing Champions League football last season, look just about best of the rest but Spurs fans will be frustrated by Harry Redknapp's lack of activity, normally where the Englishman thrives, and they could be challenged by Everton for sixth place.

The Toffees, under David Moyes, have been notoriously slow starters in recent years but their first team is on par with the Londoners and Everton have kept hold of all their key men this summer.

I love the look of Everton at 7/4 with Bet 365 in their Without the Big 6 market and also couldn't put you off siding with the Goodison Park club in Stan James' 'Group B' where they are pitched against Spurs, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Newcastle. The 9/2 is value in what looks a two-horse race.

I don't see any of the last named trio being good enough to challenge for a place in Europe, Villa look in a period of transition with a change of manager and following the sales of Ashley Young and Steward Downing, and it promises to be very concentrated indeed from eighth downwards.

Fulham, under new boss Martin Jol, and Stoke, who continue to make shrewd acquisitions, look best equipped to claim top half finishes but one side who could just surprise a few is Wolves and I have them staying up with something to spare.

Mick McCarthy has added Roger Johnson to bolster his defence and Wolves showed just what they were capable of last term with wins over each of the top three.

Mick has them very well organised but Wolves have several individuals that can win any game, too, including the excellent Matt Jarvis, and look good value to finish higher than the trio of promoted clubs and Wigan at 9/4 with Coral.

Of the three newcomers it is QPR that I fear for most and they are tipped for relegation having spent virtually nothing under Neil Warnock in a bid for Premier League survival. Championship winners they may have been in May, but Rangers look undercooked and the 13/8 about them making a swift return to the second tier will do for me.

In addition to QPR, Blackburn must be value at 3/1 across the board to succumb having narrowly avoided the drop last term and it could also be the end of Wigan's extended and largely impressive stay in the top flight.

Roberto Martinez, the Latics boss, has won many friends but the loss off Charles N'Zogbia should not be underestimated and Wigan look very vulnerable. Blue Square's 2/1 is too good to turn down.

There are dozens of markets for punters to get stuck into as the big kick-off approaches and while I've already flagged up the chances of Robin van Persie in the top goal scorer market elsewhere, take the 10/1 before it goes, I can't help but think Bobby Zamora is overpriced in the same market.

Fulham's main man has an excellent strike rate and Martin Jol has always prefers his teams to play on the front foot. 66/1 is too big.

3pts Man Utd-Man City Straight Forecast @ 13/2 (Bet 365)
3pts Everton without the Big 6 @ 7/4 (Bet 365)
1pt Everton to win 'Group B' @ 9/2 (Stan James)
2pts Wolves to win 'Group D' @ 9/4 (Coral)
2pts QPR to be relegated @ 13/8 (Paddy Power)
1pt Blackburn to be relegated @ 3/1 (Bodog)
2pts Wigan to be relegated @ 2/1 (Blue Square)
1pt Each Way Bobby Zamora Top Goal Scorer @ 66/1 (Bodog)

 Posted by Tom Allen at 00:04 on 12 August 2011