Clubs in the English top flight have been busy in both the transfer and the managerial market. Arsenal come out on top against Manchester City in the Community Shield to claim the first piece of silverware of the new campaign and the Gunners will be hopeful that it isn’t their last.
However, if you aren’t familiar with what has gone on throughout the summer, we’ve got you covered with individual previews for each club. We’ve also predicted where each team will finish in the Premier League and we’re going to detail exactly why in this piece.
For your team’s preview, click on the link when you see the club mentioned below.
The title challengers
The usual suspects make up this category.
Despite defeat in the Community Shield, Manchester City remain favourites for the Premier League title this term. The treble winners may have lost İlkay Gündoğan and Riyad Mahrez, while Aymeric Laporte looks set to depart the Etihad following the arrival of Joško Gvardiol, but Pep Guardiola’s men have a cheat code in Erling Haaland. The champions are also expected to strengthen their attacking options before the window closes. They had the joint-best defence in the league last term and they score a lot of goals, it is difficult to see anyone pipping them to the post.
Arsenal are best placed to do that though. Mikel Arteta has invested heavily this summer to bring in Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and David Raya. They now have the depth they lacked last season and this might be enough to push City all the way.
Liverpool are the dark horse here. The Reds have looked defensively fragile during pre-season but they possess enough firepower to beat most teams in the Premier League. Combine that with the exploits of Alisson Becker between the sticks and you could see Jürgen Klopp’s side at the top end of the table once again, if luck is on their side.
The race for Europe
Manchester United should qualify for the Champions League again. Erik Ten Hag has added Mason Mount, André Onana and Rasmus Højlund to his squad and the expectation is a midfielder will come in once Fred and Scott McTominay are sold. The reason they might not compete for the title is that they’re currently without a reliable goalscoring centre-forward.
Chelsea are something of an unknown heading into the season but, like with Liverpool, there’s enough quality within their squad to beat most teams, especially now that Mauricio Pochettino is at the helm. Yes, a midfielder is needed to partner Enzo Fernández especially now that they’ve been outbid by Liverpool in the race to sign Moises Caicedo.
Brighton, despite having to contend with European football this season, should be in the mix again. They have strengthened their squad and retained a number of key players, as well as their manager. There’s no reason they can’t have another impressive campaign.
Spurs, under new manager Ange Postecoglou, should be in with a shot at qualifying for the Europa League. He’s been backed in the market and allowed to put his stamp on things. They might just need a reliable replacement for outgoing talisman, Harry Kane.
Aston Villa will be there or thereabouts. Unai Emery has made some shrewd signings this summer and the Villans had one of the best records in the league following his appointment. They have strengthened during the window and could be one of the surprise packages of the season.
Newcastle United may fall off a little this season after an impressive fourth-place showing last term. They’ve added to their squad but with European football to contend with, coupled with teams being much more familiar with their approach, they might struggle to hit the highs of last season. They should be battling for a European spot though.
The middle of the road
Burnley have been tipped by a few to go down but they’ve made some positive signings this summer and are a different prospect entirely under Vincent Kompany. They should be one of a handful of clubs in the mid-table mix come the end of the campaign.
Expect them to be joined by Brentford, Nottingham Forest and West Ham. The latter are yet to make any real moves in the market but reports suggest they’re close to a number of signings who should help solidify them following the sale of Rice.
Brentford are a stable club that could push higher up the table if they bring in a striker to replace the suspended Ivan Toney. Nottingham Forest haven’t been as chaotic this summer and have managed to keep hold of star names. There should be more than enough within their squad to avoid a relegation battle this season.
The strugglers
Bournemouth made the brave decision to get rid of Gary O’Neil and hire Andoni Iraola. If he’s able to immediately put his stamp on things, they might be ok but if there are teething problems, they could be in the mix again. Especially as they haven’t really done much in the transfer market this summer.
Fulham finished mid-table last season but their defensive numbers weren’t great and they definitely weren’t sustainable. With serious doubts over the future of Tosin Adarabioyo and Aleksandar Mitrović, Marco Silva’s men could struggle.
Crystal Palace have managed to keep hold of most of their star names but they did lose Zaha on a free transfer. There don’t appear to be many goals in their squad and it might be an uphill battle for them to put points on the board.
Wolves could well go down this season. They have lost a number of players and manager Julen Lopetegui left just a couple of days before their first Premier League game. They are yet to make any real moves in the market and are weaker than they were last season.
Everton improved under Sean Dyche but they haven’t made many changes to their squad yet. They are another team who looks like they might struggle for goals and that could see them involved in yet another relegation battle.
Sheffield United have sold two of their best players in Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge. The plan is to reinvest that money but it has hardly been ideal preparation for their return to the Premier League. Expect them to be in a relegation dogfight.
Luton have a Championship squad and they haven’t done much in the market. They are going to be relying on their team work ethic to pick up results but even that might not be enough to get enough points on the board to avoid the drop.
(Images from IMAGO)
Think you know better than our Premier League expert? Then play the FotMob Predictor Game and decide where your team will finish this season! Find the game in the More tab of the FotMob app, which you can download, for free, right here.