The most watched league in the world of football – the English Premier League – is a week away from the start of its yet another edition and the fans are buzzing with excitement. This nine-month footballing extravaganza is a roller coaster ride of emotions, passion and a desire to succeed. There is a reason you have to be the best over a consistent period of time to win the title in the top tier of English football as there are no free passes. Each team can beat the other on their day and it is rare to have a one horse title race. Sir Alex Ferguson came close to it during his days with Manchester United while Pep Guardiola is trying to create his supremacy in the last few years as the manager of Manchester City.  Chelsea and Liverpool look solid ahead of the new campaign with two master German tacticians at helm in Thomas Tuchel and Jorgen Klopp. The 2021/22 season is primed to be a mega hit.

Ahead of the new campaign, we predict who has the edge in the title race while also taking a look at the potential relegation candidates and the Golden Boot winner.  EPL 2021-22 Schedule in IST, Free PDF Download: Get Premier League Fixtures, Time Table With Match Timings of England's Top-Tier Football Division.

Predicted Winners – Chelsea

European champions Chelsea must thank their stars as they were able to snap up Thomas Tuchel after getting rid of the mediocre Frank Lampard. The former PSG manager is a brilliant reader of the game and he knows how to nullify his opposition team. Chelsea are the favourites to lift the title as they have probably the best attack in the country. The arrival of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan more or less completes the team as they now have a genuine world class no 9 who can compliment the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz. The Blues will be given a run for their money though by Manchester City as they are a very consistent team and boast a plethora of stars in the squad. Expect the title race to go down to the wire.

Predicted Relegation – Watford, Norwich City and Crystal Palace

Watford and Norwich City should not surprise anyone as they will struggle to maintain any consistency of form this season. Watford do have Ismaila Sarr, who is certainly a genuine world class talent, but Xisco Munoz may already struggle for points come the winter. Daniel Farke comes straight back to EPL after winning the championship with Norwich City but old issues with defence could bother him and his team. Crystal Palace have been around the coveted league for some year now but they have gambled with Patrick Vieira in charge. They could very well be the whipping boys of the league. Premier League 2021–22 Fixtures & Live Matches Time Table Alerts: How To Sync Your Google, Apple Calendar With EPL Matchday Schedule?

Predicted Golden Boot Winner – Romelu Lukaku

The Belgian international is one player that divides opinion like no other. Devoid of those silky first touches nor being the best technically but big Rom is a beast when in the opposition box. He can easily get Chelsea 20 plus goals this season and play a huge role in their title race. His ability to shield the ball has improved considerably in his short stint at Inter Milan, something that was a huge cause of concern when he played for Manchester United. Lionel Messi Agrees PSG Move: Is the Paris Saint-Germain Starting XI One of the Best-Ever?

The English Premier League 2021/22 season kicks off with Arsenal playing away against Brentford on the 14th August at 12:30 AM IST.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 10, 2021 10:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).