The few seconds between triumph and disaster we became used to at London 2012 is something we’ll always remember. The individual moments which would have been missed by the blink of an eye often denied an athlete a higher place on the podium. Whether it was the length of a finger outstretched towards the edge of the pool, or the duck of a head across the finish line on the athletics track, everything could change in seconds. Football is not always privileged to these instances but last season’s culmination is something I am certain football fans of any club will not soon forget. The enthusiastic proclamation of Aguero’s name will long live in the memory of football fans everywhere.
Manchester City will look to defend their Premier League crown this year and the new season begins in a matter of days. Having already shown an encouraging display against Chelsea in the Community Shield during pre-season, the odds are certainly still in their favour. However, in football anything is possible. Last season showed us that on multiple occasions and this year, I hope, will be no different.
Manchester United will be looking to regain the trophy they feel is rightfully theirs, Arsenal are out to prove they are still title contenders, Tottenham once again will be searching for an elusive Champions League place and Wigan will inevitably aim to beat the drop once more. The glory of a late winner, the heartbreak of conceding a penalty and the agony of seeing your favourite player sent off. All this and so much more will occur over the next nine months, bringing the country to a standstill 90 minutes at a time as each game is played out.
As far as predictions go, I think it would be fair to expect the title to stay in Manchester. What colour the ribbons on it are at the end of the season is too close to call. The talking points which should take our interest are whether or not Villas-Boas is out of his depth in the Premier League or was his stint at Chelsea just a fluke? Will Eden Hazard live up to his price tag? How will the former Rangers players settle into the Premier League? Can Norwich, Swansea and QPR endure second season syndrome? Will any of the newly promoted teams be able to make an impact? And what will Van Persie do?
Of course it is impossible to say what will happen in the Premier League this year (who could have predicted last season’s racism scandal, the amount of goals in the big games and the unfortunate case of Fabrice Muamba?) but that is the excitement of it all. The unpredictability of sport is something as magnificent as it is frustrating. Between the first and final whistle anything can happen and while it is frustrating, it is unbelievably exciting. Game on!