The 2015-16 English Premier League season would possibly be much different from the 2014-15 season. Last season we saw Chelsea easily winning the EPL title without getting much fight from other top clubs. Manchester City were neck to neck with the Blues at the start of the season but later they couldn't maintain the momentum and finished second, eight points behind the champions. Arsenal were never in contention for the title but maintained their position in the top four all the time and finished at the third place. Manchester United were going through a transition phase but they achieved a top four finish to keep themselves in the Champions League.
The top four was not a surprise but the next four places saw a more exciting contest. Tottenham Hotspur finished above Liverpool at fifth place to surprise the 2013-14 runners-up.
The smaller teams showcased better football last season than the big English clubs, and with the Premier League 2015-16 season just two days away from kick-off, we look at what to expect from the minnows, who could be the dark horses, the battle in the relegation zone and much more.
Top four finish by Tottenham and Southampton?
It is highly unlikely that either of these two teams will finish in the top four but it's not impossible.
Southampton were in the top four last year for a long time but couldn't maintain their momentum at the end of the season and finished seventh after a sudden slump in their form. Losing their star midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin to Manchester United will also be a big blow for the Saints.
Spurs, on the other hand, have been doing a great job under Mauricio Pochettino and Harry Kane has been sensational and was also given PFA's Young Player of the Year award after he scored the second highest number of goals in the EPL after Sergio Aguero.
Pochettino will have to find the right playing eleven and get the blend right because they can't be over dependent on Kane as we have seen many young players getting huge success one season and failing drastically in the next.
The Dark Horses
Liverpool had a disastrous season last year after almost winning the title in 2013-14. This season they could be the dark horses to win the title. They have spent a good amount of money to sign Danny Ings, Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Christian Benteke and Nathaniel Clyne; and Brendan Rodgers would give his best to finish in the top four and if they get a good start, they could turn out to be the surprise early leaders in the league.
AFC Bournemouth had a brilliant season in the second division. They play attacking football and they have got nothing to lose. Eddie Howe had been an inspiring manager for them and considering that this is their EPL debut, the Cherries will try to give their best in the tournament. Bournemouth is a very small club with a stadium capacity of less than 12,000 but they have shown massive improvement over the last few years.
Stoke City can upset big teams
Stoke City have the ability to beat the big teams and they could turn out to be the party spoilers for the top four clubs. Stoke, under Mark Hughes, have saw a massive transformation in their playing style in the last two years.
The Potters, who were known for their physical game which didn't involve much of goal scoring and relied mostly on blocking and playing long balls, have evolved with time. They now try to play attractive football which involves playing short passes. The focus is now to create more chances in the midfield and try to score goals on every opportunity they get.
Before Hughes was appointed, Stoke's average scoring rate was 36 goals per season. But in the last two seasons, Stoke have scored 45 and 48 goals respectively. They have got a strong defence and if they continue to improve their attack, they have a very good chance to upset the big teams this season.
What to expect from the promoted teams
As expressed earlier, Bournemouth will be a tough team to beat because of their 'play like it's your last game' kind of game style. They are an unpredictable side and could surprise if they are taken lightly. Most experts would predict them to go straight into the relegation zone but they are an ambitious club and could make a top 10 finish. Also, their first four home games are against Aston Villa, Leicester City, Sunderland and Watford - and this could give them a chance take an early lead.
We have seen Watford making some major upsets and playing a notch higher than their weight in the FA Cup over the last few years but Premier League is a different ball game altogether. The Hornets are going to have a tough season and considering that nine of their players are from eight different clubs, they will have to find the rhythm as quickly as possible because 3-4 bad games at the start could seriously hamper their chances.
Norwich City would probably be under highest amount of pressure among the promoted teams to perform. They were relegated from EPL after the end of 2013-14 season and they made a return to the league after their victory over Middlesbrough in the play-off final. Their manager Alex Neil is having a good run at Carrow Road. He would have to bring something special out of his players to retain their place in the league. The relegation was a wake-up call for the club and maybe this season they can amend the mistakes they made in 2013-14.
Battle of survival: Relegation zone
The battle to avoid the relegation zone, like last year, is going to be a close one. Thee three promoted clubs and the last six finishers in the league this year will probably have to fight it out from day one in the league.
Watford practically have a new team and if their players didn't gel together early, it would be very difficult for them to cope up with the pressure of staying alive in the league. Coach Quique Sanchez Flores, who is the club's sixth manager in two years, has a tough job ahead and the club fans would have to be patient because winning matches would not be an easy task for them.
Leicester, who had to give their best at the end of the season, might find it difficult to survive this time. They would also regret replacing Nigel Pearson - who helped them stay in the league - with Claudio Ranieri.
Sunderland have been avoiding relegation by a close margin in the last two seasons. Last season Dick Advocaat's side faced a huge wrath from the fans after they lost a series of matches and were on the verge of getting knocked out of EPL. We have seen a big dip in the quality of football from the club over the last few years. They need good midfielders in their team and there is also lack of pace in their playing style. They need to pull up their socks and would have to make some good signings, otherwise they would be struggling for the third straight year in a row.
The league this season will surely be much tougher in comparison to the last year as all the teams have improved and the relegation scramble can go to the last week just like in 2014-15 which saw Hull getting relegated on the final day of the season.
Time will definitely tell, but it could be a nervous season for the fans of Sunderland, Leicester City, Aston Villa and the newly promoted teams.
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