13th: Stoke
I'm against the argument that Stoke are a long-ball team, and that they only win by fighting dirty, and in fact, I've found that these arguments often come from embittered fans after a result hasn't gone their way against Stoke. In an ideal world, people would acknowledge that when the Potters were initially promoted, they won by any means necessary, but that now, they really are so much more than that. Summer signings such as Charlie Adam have injected a new lease of creativity into the side. Every goal no longer comes from a Rory Delap throw. Stoke won't get dragged into a relegation battle, but I also can't see them pushing for a spot in Europe. They need to score more if they're to beat their finish last season of 14th, but ultimately, I think their plethora of clean sheets come the end of the season will be pivotal.