Even before the season kicks off, Chelsea have been tipped as top favourites to win the 2013-2014 English Premiership while Manchester City are tipped to pip United to second and Arsenal to beat Tottenham to the Champions League spot. At the other end of the table Cardiff, Hull and Crystal Palace will go straight back down.

These are the forecasts of Bloomberg Sport, the analytics company who have used seasons’ worth of data and complex algorithms to predict the final standings of the new season.

As reported by UK’s Daily Mail yesterday: “Liverpool will finish above Everton to claim the bragging rights of Merseyside, although they will still be well off the mark to qualify for top European football.

“Before we get carried away, let’s remember that unpredictablilty is one of the things that makes the Premier League so exciting.

“No one can account for a rogue beach ball or a scandalous injury-time penalty but Bloomberg have given it their best shot.

“As well as old data, they have factored in the importance of new players and managers to construct their end-of-season scenario.

“City have been busy in the transfer market, signing Fernandinho, Stevan Jovetic, Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas, so they have been tipped to beat David Moyes’ side in his first season at Old Trafford

“The report looks at defensive and attacking stats such as tackles, interceptions, pass completion and shooting accuracy.

“The final standings are all based on the most likely outcomes, although there could still be some major changes before the season has even begun.

“Gareth Bale has been the big talking point this summer, linked with a record-breaking move to Real Madrid, and Spurs have a 13 per cent better chance of finishing in the top four if they keep hold of the Welshman.

“According the the study, the league winners must pick up at least 88.9 points and the strugglers need a minimum of 36.4 points to beat the drop.

“As fans around the world debate the 2013-2014 Premier League season from a purely subjective standpoint, we are adding our mathematically-derived predictions to the debate,” said Bill Squadron, President of Bloomberg Sports.

“So if you’re a true believer in statistics, then this could be your way of beating the bookies.”

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