The Premier League is the most exciting football league in the world, and the new season has shown some early surprises already. We are only done with a small portion of the season so far, but the speculation about the end of the season has already started. Towards that end, here are some of the unexpected candidates to finish higher than expected.
5. Brentford
The Bees are competing in the Premier League for the first time ever and have shown some great performances against top teams so far. They have won against the likes of Arsenal and have taken the game to Liverpool. We might not be surprised if they end up finishing in the top half of the table.
4. Everton
Everton are always in discussion for a European spot, but seem to fall short of the mark quite often. Under Rafa Benitez, they might just end up returning to the Europa League next season. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager has a lot of experience in Europe and can certainly guide the Toffees towards the Europa League.
3. Brighton
Graham Potter has managed to guide his team to a successful start to the season. The Seagulls are currently with 15 points from nine games, well into the top half. While the Champions League might be too ambitious, we can certainly see them competing for the Europa or Europa Conference League spots.
2. Leicester City
Leicester City have established themselves as a good team in the Premier League and have consistently finished in the European spots. The challenge for them now is to return to the Champions League, and with some consistency, they can surely achieve that feat at the end of the season.
1. West Ham United
David Moyes has guided the Hammers into continental football for the first time ever. And for their first ever European campaign, they are doing a pretty good job. The challenge now will be for the London club to retain their position as Europa League favourites and challenge for the top four since they have the ability to do so.
