Premier League: best moments of the season so far and 2018 predictions

The first 18 matches of the 2017-2018 Premier League season has seen Manchester City break records with 16 victories in a row and remain unbeaten at the top of the table.

Pep Guardiola’s side look unstoppable in their charge towards the 2017-2018 Premier League title, but who will finish in the Champions League places and who will get relegated?

We look at the major talking points so far this season and also predict what will happen in 2018.

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Best team: Manchester City

After 18 games City are top of the Premier League table with 17 wins and one draw. A run of 16 victories in succession sees Guardiola’s team sit 11 points clear of rivals Manchester United and still in contention for four trophies - the league, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Can anyone stop them from winning the lot? Guardiola has played down talk of a quadruple by telling Sky Sports it will be “impossible”, but don’t bet against them. They are 33/1 with Betway if you fancy a flutter on City winning four trophies in 2018.

Best player: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

A host of City players have starred in their domination of the Premier League so far this season, but Belgian ace Kevin De Bruyne has scored goals in the big games, is the league’s best passer and crosser and is odds-on to be named the PFA Player of the Year says FourFourTwo.

Best signing: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

The Egyptian star signed for Liverpool from Roma for an initial £36.9million in the summer and he has set the Premier League alight with his pace and goals. Part of Liverpool’s ‘fab four’ strikeforce alongside Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, Salah has scored 20 goals since signing for Jurgen Klopp’s side. On the international stage, Salah scored the winning goal to send Egypt to next year’s World Cup finals and spark huge celebrations in Cairo.

Best goal: Wayne Rooney (Everton vs. West Ham)

Since returning to boyhood club Everton from Manchester United, Wayne Rooney has rolled back the years with ten Premier League goals this season. His strike against West Ham United on 29 November is the number one contender for goal of the season so far. Hit from inside his own half, the wonder strike completed Rooney’s first hat-trick for Everton and won the November goal of the month award. Rooney’s goal has been picked out by Sky Sports in its top ten of 2017.

Best match: Manchester United 1 Manchester City 2

City’s 2-1 victory at Old Trafford on 10 December won’t be remembered for the action on the pitch but for the “brawl” in the tunnel after the game. The Manchester derby battle made headline news on the front and back pages of the papers, but the BBC reports that neither club will face any action from the Football Association.

Premier League predictions for the 2017-18 season

Champions: Manchester City

It’s not a question of can anyone catch Manchester City, but more a case of can anyone even beat them? It will take some going for City to remain unbeaten and emulate the Arsenal “Invincibles”, but with the way they are steamrolling teams it may happen.

Who will qualify for the Champions League and Europa League?

Unless there’s a huge turnaround in fortunes and City slip up badly, Manchester United’s best hope is to finish second in the Premier League this season.

With the top two taken by the Manchester rivals it will be a battle for the other Champions League spots between Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and… Burnley. Chelsea and Liverpool have goals in them so expect them to qualify for the Champions League in third and fourth.

Fifth place and Europa League qualification is harder to call though… we think Spurs will edge it, just.

Premier League top-five predictions:

• 1. Manchester City
• 2. Manchester United
• 3. Chelsea
• 4. Liverpool
• 5. Tottenham

Who will get relegated from the Premier League?

Swansea City currently sit bottom of the table with only 12 points from 18 games. This week they sacked manager Paul Clement, but whoever replaces him will struggle to save the Swans from the drop. Not enough goals (only ten scored in the league) will be the reason why Swansea get relegated.

But what about the other two relegation spots? Only four points separate Southampton in 12th place and West Brom in 19th. The Saints, Crystal Palace and West Ham should be safe, so Brighton, Bournemouth, Stoke City, Newcastle and West Brom will battle it out for Premier League survival.

The league table should be clearer after the festive fixtures but for now, we predict the Baggies and Stoke will get relegated in 2018.

Premier League bottom three:

• 18. Stoke City
• 19. West Bromwich Albion
• 20. Swansea City