English Premier League Preview

Football is back! No, I'm not talking about the NFL preseason. I'm talking about (arguably) the best football league in the world. That's right, the English Premier League starts this weekend (the first match of the season was Friday at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time). Although my beloved Swans got relegated to the English Championship, I am still excited for a new season of EPL soccer. Liverpool backer Troy Lehman and I have decided to provide a brief preview of the season, complete with our favorite team crests and kits, our predictions for who will finish top four and who will be relegated, and more. Let's get this started.




Best Crest

Grant: In my opinion, there are two basic ways to approach creating a crest. Oftentimes, a crest can be beautiful in its simplicity. However, an intricate and elaborate crest can be a masterpiece. For my favorite EPL crest, I've chosen the latter. Liverpool's busy crest is a marvel to look at. The sharp red and regal green go very well together, and the intricate pattern on the top and torches on the sides are nice touches.

Troy: You know what Grant when you're right you're right. The Liverpool crest is great for all the reasons Grant mentioned but also for all the symbolism featured in the design.

Best Primary Kit

Grant: Red and black is a sharp color combination, and Manchester United was smart to incorporate both colors into its home kit this year. Man United's red home kits already looked pretty good (while sponsors often detract from the overall aesthetic of a uniform, the Chevrolet logo works well in the middle of a jersey), and now they've added some black at the bottom (and on the shoulders), along with black shorts.

Troy: While a small part of me wants to select Huddersfield Town's simply because it adorns the common catchphrase of any Midwestern who bumps into another person/pet/coffee table. The larger part of me, however, is going to pick Wolverhampton's primary kits. They are fairly simple with an orangish gold main color and straight black on the sleeves and shoulders that make them very appealing.

Best Secondary Kit

Grant: Purple is a sexy color. In fact, I think purple is the sexiest color. So naturally, when a team incorporates purple in its uniform, it has the potential to be a sexy-looking uniform. Arsenal's new away jerseys have a splash of purple across the middle, and that, coupled with sleek purple shorts, makes for a sexy kit.

Troy: I agree that purple is a sexy color but Grant just didn't go purple enough for my liking. That's why I am selecting Liverpool's secondary kits. The vibrant purple with even darker purple on the sleeves and wonderful orange accents that leave you asking, "Why would you wear something so controversial yet so brave.

Big Club That Might Struggle

Grant: I really don't know which big club will struggle, but I'm sure at least one will fail to live up to expectations. I'll go with Chelsea because a lot has changed for last season's fifth-place finisher, a new goalkeeper and new manager among those changes. Adapting to a completely new style could take some time for the Blues.

Troy: This might not come as the most surprising of the bigger clubs but I feel Arsenal will struggle at times under new management. They finished sixth last campaign and they probably won't get too much higher than that. 

Golden Boot Winner

Grant: For those not familiar, the Premier League Golden Boot is given to the player who scores the most goals in English Premier League play. Last year's winner, Mohamed Salah, is a solid bet to repeat, but I'll go with Man United's Romelu Lukaku. The talented Belgian striker has a lethal combination of size, skill, and awareness.

Troy: Last season Harry Kane finished second in the Golden Boot race by two goals with a grand total of 30 goals. Coming off of a very successful World Cup he should have plenty of momentum heading into the season to win the crown of the foot.

Most Likely To Be Relegated

Grant: The team most likely to be relegated will probably be a team that got promoted in the last two seasons, and out of those, I'll go with Huddersfields Town, because I think the other newbies, especially Wolves, will perform better.

Troy: I have a strong suspicion that Southampton will end up being relegated this season. The Saints only finished 3 points clear of the relegation line last season and have not gotten too much better since.

Top Four

Grant: I have a good feeling about Man United this year. They always have the talent to win the league, the question is just putting it all together. For my top four, I'll go with United, City, Liverpool, and Arsenal. 

Troy: This season will definitely be closer than the previous one yet I still see the top four staying with the same teams only this time mixed up in order. In order, the final standings will be Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester United.

To stay up to date on the newest Head in the Game articles (and general sports commentary), follow @headingameblog on Twitter. You can also find us on Twitter @T_RoyStory (Troy) and @G_Tingley (Grant)