Ahead of the much-awaited 2016-17 season, football fans all around the world are making predictions for who they think should be crowned as champions of England next May.  As a big football fan myself, I want to make a prediction too.

The team I believe is best equipped to be proclaimed Premier League winners is Arsenal. Yes, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.  Here’s why…

Firstly, structure of squad.  Arsenal’s squad contains probably the best midfield in England. In the centre of midfield they have the right balance of steel and craft, with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey.

To complement the quality in midfield on the flanks, they have top wide men such as Alexis Sanchez and Alex Iwobi, both possessing immense pace which can be devastating on the counter attack.  Arsenal are often accused of being leaky in defense. However, they had the third best defensive record in the premier league last season, and with their latest acquisition of Rob Holding at the back, they may even be more secure next season.  

I must admit Man City, United and Chelsea also have very good midfielders and it is very difficult to place one’s midfield over the other.

The only problem Arsenal have is their firepower upfront. With Olivier Giroud, ChubaAkpom and YayaSanogo as the gunners only recognized strikers ahead of the campaign, it seems as though there might not be many goals upfront for Wenger’s men. However, if Arsenal completes the signings of Riyadh Mahrez from Leicester and Alexander Lacazette from Lyon we may see an unstoppable Arsenal side next season.

Secondly, squad depth: In midfield, Arsenal is blessed with many talents; they have Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Mohammed El Neny to call off the bench. On the wings, top players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell may find themselves on the bench.

Even in goal, Arsenal have a top goalkeeper in the form of David Ospina who finds himself on the bench. Arsenal’s squad depth is immense.  Squad depth is vital for a title push as the season is a long and tiring one.  Again I must concede that Arsenal’s rivals also have the squad depth to match theirs.

Man City possess the likes of Aguero and Iheanacho, Yaya Toure and Fernandinho, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne. Chelsea’s squad also contains top players such as Eden Hazard, Matic, Cesc Fabregas and Willian.   

Finally, the gaffer, Arsene Wenger: This is what places Arsenal a level ahead of their main rivals. Of course, there are other top coaches such as Pep Guardiola at Man City, Antonio Conte at Chelsea and Jose Mourinho at Man United.  

But amongst the quartet, I believe Wenger is the best for the job this season; he has the most experience in the Premier League and has won his share of titles in England, meaning he knows how to get the job done. On the other hand, Conte and Guardiola don’t have as yet the England experience required to be champions. 

So that leaves Jose Mourinho, the only other manager I believe who is ready to win the league. Note that I said Mourinho is ready to win the league and not Manchester United. I do think Mourinho has what it takes to win the league but I don’t believe his team is ready.

The squad is highly unsettled due to staff departures and player arrivals. Also, Manchester United have still not rediscovered themselves after the departure of Alex Ferguson and I believe Mourinho needs to go through that phase of self-discovery with his team before the Red Devils can be crowned as Kings of England again.

The only man standing is therefore Arsene, as he has the experience to get the job done.

Ahead of the 2016-17 campaign, I believe the structure of the Arsenal squad and its sheer depth, plus Arsene Wenger’s England experience placesthem ahead of their closest competitors as  the team most likely to be the Kings of England once again. 

And, yes, I’m an Arsenal fan!                                                                                        

--

The writer, Ohene Kofi Sakyi-Addo, 15 is a student of Tema International School.