Five pre-season predictions that already look wrong

The Premier League season is about to pause for the winter World Cup. The current campaign has been full of surprises. Some of the pre-season predictions have already turned out to be wrong.

Five pre-season predictions that already look wrong.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 81 goals in 101 Championship appearances for Fulham. He has nine goals already this season. He started the new campaign with a bulldozing performance as Fulcat held Liverpool at Craven Cottage. Virgil van Dijk has struggled against him. Mitrovic's fine form has led the Cottagers into the top half.

Liverpool finished second in the Champions League last season. They won the Community Shield and the domestic cup double. Since then they have struggled to gain momentum and are currently eighth in Premier League. Liverpool are 15 points behind the leaders heading into the World Cup break. They have lost on four occasions this season and have only won twice.

Erling Haaland has been a revelation since his arrival at Manchester City. Haanand scored 18 goals in 12 league games last season. He is the first player to score a treble against Manchester United in 52 years. He scored more goals than Golden Boot winners Son Heung-min and Mohamed Salah in the Premier League last year.

Eddie Howe has transformed Newcastle into a successful club. Newcastle are third in the Premier League table heading towards the break. Howe is now longer odds than Pep Guardiola to be sacked.  

Arsenal's last season they fell out of the top four and missed out on Champions League football. This season, they have won all their games and are on a run of good form. They are now considered Manchester City's leading contenders. They have already won over Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea. The club's young players have taken almost every challenge in their stride this season.