26.08.2021 - The Premier League is back and promises to be one of the most enthralling seasons so far. The dominance of Manchester City in recent years has only been interrupted by an effervescent Liverpool team, who unfortunately dipped in form last season. Nevertheless, the top dogs are only the tip of the iceberg, with many groups offering mercurial football or compelling storylines throughout the league. Here are some of the most dynamic teams to watch.
Leicester
Leicester was a well-oiled machine throughout the early and mid-stages of the campaign last year before the wheels came off. Brendan Rodgers combined what he learned from his time with Liverpool and Celtic to ignite a dynamic side. Fresh off winning the FA Cup last season, they are one of the dark horses in this year's title race: the English Premier League odds currently have them as the sixth-favorite to win the title at 25/1, which is pretty impressive given that they were once at 5000/1 to win the EPL back in 2016. Of course, they achieved this miraculous feat much to the surprise of pretty much everybody, so who's to say what could happen this time around?
With the shrewd signings of Ryan Bertrand, Patson Daka, Jannik Vestergaard, and Boubakary Soumare, they have strengthened in critical areas throughout the pitch. Coupled with the development of James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Wilfred Ndidi, Leicester has a sturdy backbone and electric flair for anchoring a surprising title challenge.
Brentford
Of the teams coming up from the EFL Championship, Brentford is the pick to keep an eye on. They weathered a turbulent season before coming to life in the latter stage of the last campaign, going unbeaten in 15 games as they romped to the playoff championship. They go into the season as underdogs to stay up, but they have an appetite to succeed, shown through their wise investment in the club and an enthusiastic fan base.
Manager Thomas Frank appears to have become football's next big sensation as the Danish manager has taken them from obscurity to the Premier League, and all since being appointed in 2019. Brentford traditionally plays with a 4-3-3 but has also been spotted adopting a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Nevertheless, it's their style of play that has garnered admiration. It'll be interesting to see if they can still employ their high-intensity tempo and attack-minded football into the Premier League or if teams will punish them for issuing a high line with positional play.
Leeds
Leeds was the Brentford of last season. Finally gaining promotion after being cast out years ago, Marcelo Bielsa is revered by the likes of Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, and Diego Simeone. His high-intensity training sessions bear fruition on the pitch, as his Leeds side covers the most distance and constantly rack up pressures on the ball throughout the game. It'll be interesting to see how Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford, and Rodrigo adapt and prosper in another Premier League season.
The Premier League is often hailed as the best soccer league in the world, and it's not difficult to see why. The intensity and unpredictability make most games unmissable. It'll be sure to produce some unexpected outcomes as the season unfolds.
