Premier League preview: Arsenal primed to loosen Man City stranglehold

PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB-BY-CLUB PREVIEW

2024-2025

▪️ ARSENAL @Arsenal
Last season 2nd FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round Champions League Quarter finals
Last major trophy FA Cup 2020
Ownership Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (USA)
Head coach Mikel Arteta (since December 2019)
New signings David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori
Arsenal head into the campaign as the best-placed challenger to interrupt this period of Manchester City dominance in the Premier League after edging ever closer over the past two seasons. For, while it could be reasonably argued that the Gunners lost their bottle in 2022-23 with dropped points in the closing stages against West Ham United, Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest, 2023-24 was nothing like that. Instead, a free-scoring Arsenal outfit took 50 points out of the last 54 available - and the title was effectively decided by a tight tussle at Manchester City which finished 0-0. Mikel Arteta knows his existing squad really is not far away now, so the fact there is only one completely new face this summer so far - highly-rated centre-back Riccardo Calafiori - is no great surprise, and merely just a matter of fine-tuning ahead of another season-long assault on the title. 
▪️ Prediction Champions

▪️ ASTON VILLA @AVFCOfficial
Lamovesason 4th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Third round Conference League Semi final
Last major trophy League Cup 1996
Ownership Nasser Sawiris (EGY) and Wes Edens (USA)
Head coach Unai Emery (since November 2022)
New signings Lewis Dobbin, Ian Maatsen, Samuel Iling-Junior, Ross Barkley, Enzo Barrenechea, Jaden Philogene, Amadou Onana

Aston Villa achieved their highest Premier League finish since 1995-96 as Unai Emery impressively led the club into the premier European competition for the first time in 42 years in his first full season. Of course, with great achievement comes great responsibility to maintain the same level of performance - and, in anticipation of the extra games, Villa have filled out their squad with no fewer than seven first-team signings. Those arrivals have been funded by the sales of Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby to Juventus and Al-Ittihad for £42.3 million and £50.5 million respectively so the Villans should be in no danger of breaching the farcical profit and sustainability rules. However, the loss of Luiz and Diaby should not be underestimated - and there is huge pressure on main striker Ollie Watkins to avoid injury and remain as prolific as he was last season, despite the inevitable strain which additional games will bring.
▪️ Prediction 8th

▪️ BOURNEMOUTH @afcbournemouth
Last season 12th FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Fourth round
Last major trophy None
Ownership Bill Foley (USA)
Head coach Andoni Iraola (since June 2023)
New signings Enes Unal, Alex Paulsen, Daniel Jebbison, Dean Huijsen, Julian Araujo, Evanilson
Bournemouth comfortably retained their place at the top table for a eighth season out of the last 10, maintaining their role as the embodiment of support size meaning little given that their average attendance of 11,108 suggests there is no great need to extend the measly capacity of Dean Court. It means, though, that the Cherries will always have a much lower ceiling than their competitors - especially in this era where commercial income is vital to comply with profit and sustainability rules. As such, it was no surprise really that their main weapon Dominic Solanke, scorer of 19 league goals in 2023-24, had his head turned by the bright lights of the capital city and moved to Tottenham Hotspur, while talented out-of-contract centre-back Lloyd Kelly has journeyed north to Newcastle United. Last season, though, head coach Andoni Iraola produced a team last season which often played at a level exceeding the sum of its parts - so, while the goals of Solanke will be missed in particular, the south coast club can continue to punch well above its weight under the astute Spaniard.
▪️ Prediction 13th

▪️ BRENTFORD @BrentfordFC
Last season 16th FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round
Last major trophy None
Ownership Matthew Benham (ENG)
Head coach Thomas Frank (since October 2018)
New signings Benjamin Fredrick, Igor Thiago, Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg
Brentford failed to hit 40 points for the first time since their promotion to the Premier League as an unconvincing campaign required late wins over Sheffield United, Luton Town and Bournemouth to secure a fourth successive season in the top flight. The Bees actually coped well with the ban until January of main striker Ivan Toney for betting irregularities - and the 28-year-old responded to his reintroduction into the team with four goals in five games. Thereafter, though, Toney's goals dried up completely amid speculation that he was seeking new pastures, something which as of yet still remains unresolved. This spell is not the first time that there has been speculation surrounding Toney's future in a Brentford shirt - and, having seen his show better form without him in the team during 2022-23, head coach Thomas Frank may consider it is time for the west London club to cut its losses.
▪️ Prediction 17th

▪️ BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION @OfficialBHAFC
Last season 11th FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Third round Europa League Last 16
Last major trophy None
Ownership Tony Bloom (ENG)
Head coach Fabian Huerzeler (since July 2024)
New signings Ibrahim Osman, Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer, Brajan Gruda, Georginio Rutter

All change again at Brighton and Hove Albion as the Seagulls begin the season with another new man at the helm. Following in the recent footsteps of Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, Fabian Huerzeler is the latest left-field appointment on the south coast - and undoubtedly the biggest risk yet. The 31-year-old American-born German arrives in English football without any top-flight experience - and, although he led St Pauli into the Bundesliga in May in his first full season there, it is difficult to tell if he knows exactly what awaits him. For his part, Huerzeler - the youngest manager in Premier League history - has set his sights on producing a "season to remember", but that will be no mean feat considering Brighton have already had plenty of memorable days in recent years. 
▪️ Prediction 9th

▪️ CHELSEA @ChelseaFC
Last season 6th FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Runners-up
Last major trophy Champions League 2021
Ownership Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital (USA)
Head coach Enzo Maresca (since July 2024)
New signings Omari Kellyman, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Filip Jorgensen, Aaron Anselmino, 

Billion Pound Bottlejobs - it is going to be a difficult tag for Chelsea to shrug off especially after another summer splurge has resulted in the signing of nine new faces at a cost of over £200 million so far. Remarkably, at the time of writing, the Blues have 42 first-team players vying for a squad place - an eye-watering number and a clear result of a revolving door approach to the head coach role. On 1 July, Enzo Maresca became the fourth new man in the role in under three-and-a-half years, excluding caretakers and interim appointments - but there are already doubts over just how long he will last in the Stamford Bridge hot-seat. After all, despite the Championship title win, the Italian's reputation at Leicester City suffered some damage after the Foxes squandered a lead which had stood at 14 points - and yet chairman Todd Boehly still saw fit to bring him in.
▪️ Prediction 7th

▪️ CRYSTAL PALACE @CPFC
Last season 10th FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round
Last major trophy None
Ownership John Textor (USA), David Blitzer (USA), Josh Harris (USA), Steve Parish (ENG)
Head coach Oliver Glasner (since February 2024)
New signings Chadi Riad, Daichi Kamada, Ismaila Sarr, Louie Moulden

Crystal Palace continue to battle to keep their squad together after new head coach Oliver Glasner perhaps revealed too much of his hand during the south London club's fine late recovery last season. Glasner led Palace to six wins out of seven at the back end of 2023-24 as the Eagles eventually soared into a finishing position of 10th, only weeks after being on the fringe of the relegation battle, as the second Roy Hodgson era came to the sad conclusion that the 77-year-old was simply too frail to continue in the role. So far, following the sale of Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, Palace owner Steve Parish has rejected no fewer than four bids by Newcastle United for Marc Guehi while Eberechi Eze also has his suitors. At this point, though, it is difficult to see more than one other major player at most leaving Selhurst Park - and, as such, Glasner's men should bounce around midtable all season with little drama.
▪️ Prediction 14th

▪️ EVERTON @Everton

Last season 15th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Quarter finals 

Last major trophy FA Cup 1995 

Ownership Farhad Moshiri (IRN)

Head coach Sean Dyche (since January 2023) 

New signings Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye, Jake O'Brien, Jack Harrison*, Jesper Lindstrom* 

It was a slightly long and winding road - but Sean Dyche restored some stability at Everton last season as the Toffees survived fairly comfortably despite taking deductions of six and two points respectively. Of course, much of that was down to the desperately poor quality of the chasing pack as, for only the second time in the Premier League era, all three promoted sides made an immediate return to the Championship. However, the Merseysiders also deserve credit for their solid defensive record which brought 13 clean sheets including nine at Goodison Park, something which lessened the impact of the goal drought suffered by main striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Ideally, Dyche would have liked to have used this summer as a platform to build on - but, ahead of the delayed relocation to the new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock next season, finances remain perilously tight.
▪️ Prediction 15th

▪️ FULHAM @FulhamFC 

Last season 13th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Semi finals 

Last major trophy None 

Ownership Shahid Khan (USA) 

Head coach Marco Silva (since July 2021) 

New signings Ryan Sessegnon, Emile Smith Rowe, Jorge Cuenca, Sander Berge, Joachim Andersen

For Fulham, the first stage of the recovery is close to completion. Having yoyoed wildly between the Premier League and the Championship in five consecutive seasons between 2017-18 and 2021-22, the Cottagers have begun to re-establish themselves in the top flight again with trouble-free finishes of 10th and 13th in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Head coach Marco Silva also appears to have settled down and, having failed to stay for longer than a year in his four previous jobs, the Portuguese moves into a fourth full season at the west London outfit. Fulham struggled in front of goal last season at times, failing to score in 13 of their 38 league games - but if new signing Emile Smith-Rowe can overcome his recent injury woes, Fulham will re-establish themselves as part of the Premier League furniture once again.
▪️ Prediction 10th

▪️ IPSWICH TOWN @IpswichTown

Last season 2nd in the Championship (promoted) FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Fourth round 

Last major trophy UEFA Cup 1981 

Ownership Gamechanger 20 Ltd (USA)

Head coach Kieran McKenna (since December 2021) 

New signings Omari Hutchinson, Ben Johnson, Jacob Greaves, Liam Delap, Arijanet Muric, Conor Townsend, Sam Szmodics, Kalvin Phillips*, Jens Cajuste* 

Too much, too soon? In May, Ipswich Town became the fifth team during the Premier League era to gain successive promotions from the third tier - and two of the previous four (Southampton and rivals Norwich City) stayed up. The Tractor Boys will hope to become the third as top flight football returns to Portman Road for the first time since 2002 after a couple years of missing out in the playoffs turned into years of mediocrity - and then worse with the drop into League One in 2018-19. Kieran McKenna has led a magnificent recovery - and, while those of the Suffolk faithful who expect survival might be a little too drunk on optimism, their Northern Irish head coach has given them plenty of reason to dream.
▪️ Prediction 20th

▪️ LEICESTER CITY @LCFC 

Last season 1st in the Championship (promoted) FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Third round 

Last major trophy FA Cup 2021 

Ownership Srivaddhanaprabha family (THA)

Head coach Steve Cooper (since June 2024)

New signings Abdul Fatawu, Bobby Decordova-Reid, Michael Golding, Caleb Okoli, Oliver Skipp, Facundo Buonanotte*

Out of the 20 clubs in the Premier League, Leicester City have ridden the biggest rollercoaster in the last 20 years, since relegation from the top flight in 2004. There followed a demotion to the third tier for the first time in history in 2008 before promotions in 2009 and 2014, a great escape in 2015, an incredible first English league title in 2016, a first FA Cup triumph in 2021, and a shock relegation in 2023. Even this summer, the soap opera on Filbert Way has not stopped with Championship-winning head coach Enzo Maresca moving to Chelsea. Replacement Steve Cooper looks like a sound choice given his recent experience in the lower reaches of the table at Nottingham Forest - but, just like in his last season at the City Ground, some of Cooper's fate will rest outside of his control if the Foxes receive a points deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules.
▪️ Prediction 19th

▪️ LIVERPOOL @LFC 

Last season 3rd FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Winners Europa League Quarter finals 

Last major trophy League Cup 2024 

Ownership Fenway Sports Group (USA) 

Head coach Arne Slot (since June 2024)

New signings None 

Arne Slot takes on the difficult job of following Jurgen Klopp at Anfield - and the Dutchman has not exactly been able to stamp his own authority yet with Liverpool making precisely zero incoming signings at the time of writing. Now, it is not as if the Reds have a weak squad - but, having finished in the top two in three of the four seasons between 2019 and 2022 and having finally won the Premier League in 2020, the Merseysiders are no longer the closest challengers to Manchester City after finishes of fifth and third in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Slot will want to rectify that - but his first priority will be to win over some sceptical fans with strong early results in a fixture list which features a relatively early-season visit to Manchester United on 1 September.
▪️ Prediction 4th

▪️ MANCHESTER CITY @ManCity 

Last season Champions FA Cup Runners-up League Cup Third round Champions League Quarter finals 

Last major trophy Premier League 2023-24 

Ownership Abu Dhabi United Group (UAE) 

Head coach Pep Guardiola (since July 2016) 

New signings Savinho, Ilkay Gundogan 

The longest shadow continues to loom large over the whole integrity of the Premier League with the investigation into the charges against Manchester City for breaching financial rules expected to reach a conclusion early next year. That might not be the end of the matter as the Blues, who deny all 115 charges, would be likely to appeal any judgement against them - but the whole legal circus is almost certain to cause a noisy distraction for Pep Guardiola's men at some point this season. Moreover, the loss of handy back-up striker Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid, albeit for £81.5 million, leaves Man City looking improbably short up front - especially if main man Erling Haaland continues to struggle make much of an impression in games against the best teams in the division. Following an unprecedented four consecutive English league titles, this could be the year in which Man City lose grip on their crown, although it certainly will not be given up easily.
▪️ Prediction 2nd

▪️ MANCHESTER UNITED @ManUtd 

Last season 8th FA Cup Winners League Cup Fourth round Champions League Group stage 

Last major trophy FA Cup 2024 

Ownership Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer (USA) 

Head coach Erik ten Hag (since May 2022) 

New signings Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui

Amid much speculation at the end of last season, Erik Ten Hag was surprisingly given a stay of execution in the Old Trafford hotseat with the decision to retain the services of the Dutchman only coming on 12 June, almost three weeks after the last domestic season ended. Ten Hag can point to trophies in successive years with the FA Cup in May adding to the League Cup won in February 2023 but, having been well backed in the transfer market, the Red Devils' descent to eighth place in the Premier League was undoubtedly a massive step backwards following the promising third-place finish in 2022-23. In truth, though, Man United have not sustained a title challenge in the 11 years since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson - and that seems unlikely to change while Ten Hag remains in charge.
▪️ Prediction 5th

▪️ NEWCASTLE UNITED @NUFC 

Last season 7th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Quarter finals Champions League Group stage

Last major trophy UEFA (Fairs) Cup 1969 

Ownership Public Investment Fund (KSA) 

Head coach Eddie Howe (since November 2021) 

New signings Odysseas Vlachodimos, Lloyd Kelly, Lewis Hall, John Ruddy, Miodrag Pivas, William Osula 

Much like many reputable bands have difficult second album, the 2022-23 campaign was a difficult second full season for Newcastle United under head coach Eddie Howe. Cup draws were not kind as, in various competitions, the Magpies faced AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea in the League Cup, and a hotly-contested derby against Sunderland, and Man City again in the FA Cup. In total, Howe's men ended up playing 51 matches while trying to cope with a seemingly never-ending injury crisis and an almost year-long ban for Sandro Tonali for breaching betting rules. On that basis, seventh place was no disgrace even if it was not good enough to qualify for any European competition this year due to Man United's surprise FA Cup Final win - although the summer has also been extremely frustrating with a long pursuit of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi appearing to have been a wild goose chase. For as long as the likes of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes and Tonali all remain on Tyneside, though, Newcastle really should be competing hard for a European spot once again.
▪️ Prediction 6th

▪️ NOTTINGHAM FOREST @NFFC 

Last season 17th FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Second round

Last major trophy League Cup 1990

Ownership Evangelos Marinakis (GRE) 

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo (since December 2023)

New signings Marko Stamenic, Eric da Silva Moreira, Elliot Anderson, Carlos Miguel, Nikola Milenkovic, Jota Silva, Ramon Sosa, Alex Moreno*
Reliant on home form to stay up on their return to the Premier League in 2022-23, Nottingham Forest head into the new season having won just three of their last 17 games in all competitions at the City Ground, with 10 of those matches finishing in defeat. That record simply must improve for Forest to survive this time as the Tricky Trees cannot rely on finding three teams as averse to picking up points regularly as Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United were. In the end, Forest stayed up last season on 32 points, breaking the record for the lowest tally of any surviving team in the Premier League era - and, even accounting for the four-point deduction incurred for a breach of profit and sustainability rules, the 36 points won on the pitch would be touch-and-go normally. A baffling scattergun set of new signings - and a head coach in Nuno Espirito Santo who does not connect to the fans like his predecessor Steve Cooper did - point towards another difficult campaign on the banks of the Trent.
▪️ Prediction 18th

▪️ SOUTHAMPTON @SouthamptonFC

Last season 4th in the Championship (promoted) FA Cup Fifth round League Cup First round 

Last major trophy FA Cup 1976

Ownership Sport Republic (ENG)

Head coach Russell Martin (since June 2023) 

New signings Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Adam Lallana, Charlie Taylor, Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Wood, Yukinari Sugawara, Flynn Downes, Ben Brereton Diaz, Cameron Archer, Mateus Fernandes, Lesley Ugochukwu* 

Southampton recovered admirably from a devastating relegation season in 2022-23 in which they fell well short of the required standard, winning just six matches and collecting only 25 points. The Saints eventually ensured an immediate return by beating Leeds United 1-0 in the playoff final through an Adam Armstrong goal - an outcome which did not too likely when the south coast club lost four games in a row last September. From then, though, Russell Martin guided his side to a club-record 25-game unbeaten run in all competitions but the Premier League is a completely different beast. Indeed, a defence which leaked 63 goals in the second tier - and which still regularly features the ponderous Polish centre-back Jan Bednarek - will have top-flight strikers licking their lips.
▪️ Prediction 16th

▪️ TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR @SpursOfficial 

Last season 5th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round 

Last major trophy League Cup 2008 

Ownership ENIC International Limited (ENG) 

Head coach Ange Postecoglou (since June 2023) 

New signings Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Dominic Solanke, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner*
Tottenham Hotspur defied the prediction of this scribbler, and many others, by finishing in fifth place last season under Australian head coach Ange Postecoglu, as skipper Son Heung-min picked up the slack by filling the Harry Kane-sized hole up front with 17 goals. However, another late-season collapse of five defeats out of six in April and May, precipitated by another battering away at Newcastle United, prevented Spurs from returning to the Champions League fold - and that, as well as early exits in both cup competitions, left Postecoglu feeling rather downcast at the end of the season as he described the foundations of the club as "fragile". The big signing this summer of Dominic Solanke restores a presence in the centre-forward position - but it has come at a cost of £65 million, has been based on the output of a single campaign, and does nothing to address Tottenham's biggest concern, which is at the back.
▪️ Prediction 3rd

▪️ WEST HAM UNITED @WestHam 

Last season 9th FA Cup Third round League Cup Quarter finals Europa League Quarter finals 

Last major trophy Europa Conference League 2023 

Ownership David Sullivan (WAL), Daniel Kretinsky (CZE), Vanessa Gold (ENG) 

Head coach Julen Lopetegui (since July 2024)

New signings Luis Guilherme, Wes Foderingham, Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fuellkrug, Guido Rodriguez, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo*

Sometimes relationships just come to a natural conclusion and that was certainly the case between West Ham United and David Moyes despite the Scotsman having won a first trophy for the east London club since 1980 with the Conference League triumph in June 2023. Last season was much more of a toil, though - with an abrasive Moyes often forced to defend his results over questions about his style of play - and, once results declined into a series of dispiriting defeats and with Moyes out of contract, the statement released prior to final game announcing a parting of the ways came as no surprise. Julen Lopetegui was recruited  after his gap year - and the Spaniard has been backed in the transfer market with, among seven new faces, the arrival of Max Kilman and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in defence, as well as forward Niclas Fuellkrug who impressed during Euro 2024 for Germany.
▪️ Prediction 11th

▪️ WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS @Wolves 

Last season 14th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Third round 

Last major trophy League Cup 1980 

Ownership Fosun International (CHN) 

Head coach Gary O'Neil (since August 2023) 

New signings Tommy Doyle, Rodrigo Gomes, Pedro Lima, Jorgen Strand Larsen*
For the second time already in his short managerial career, Gary O'Neil has jumped in at the deep end - first, O'Neil took charge on Bournemouth less than a month into the 2022-23 season - then, just over a year ago, he was drafted in at Wolverhampton Wanderers as a late replacement for Julen Lopetegui. On both occasions, O'Neil has proven himself to be a quietly effective operator - and, unlike at Bournemouth, the 41-year-old has been given a second season to build upon his work at Molineux - and a first ever full pre-season as a head coach. The summer has seen the departure of injury-prone Pedro Nero to Chelsea but, perhaps far more critically, centre-back Max Kilman to West Ham United - as a former defender who builds his teams from the back, O'Neil likely faces a tough assignment again in the current campaign.
▪️ Prediction 12th

Premier League preview: Haaland signing sends Man City clear

PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW 2022-23

▪️ ARSENAL @Arsenal

Last season 5th FA Cup Third round League Cup Semi finals

Last major trophy FA Cup 2020

Ownership Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (USA)

Head coach Mikel Arteta (since December 2019)

New signings Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko

Arsenal have reacted to missing out on Champions League football for a sixth season in a row with a splurge of transfer activity this summer. Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko arrive from Manchester City while Fabio Vieira, from Porto, and Marquinhos, from Sao Paolo, freshen up the Gunners' attacking options following the departure of Alexandre Lacazette. Certainly, head coach Mikel Arteta cannot complain at the level of investment which, at £119 million, is the highest in the Premier League. At the same time, though, many Arsenal supporters are questioning if the club is backing the right man. Following three defeats on the spin to start last season, Arsenal were always playing catch-up - but, any time it looked as if they might consolidate a place in the top four, they hit another sticky patch such as the four defeats out of five in March and April. Arteta was regularly indebted to his younger players like Aaron Ramsdale, Bukayo Sako and Emile Smith Rowe - but a lack of consistency comes naturally with youth and further successive away defeats inside four days in May to Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United confirmed the end for the Gunners' top four hopes. The summer signings should relieve some of the pressure on the young Gunners players - but that pressure now lies firmly on Arteta to deliver. 

Prediction [7th]

▪️ ASTON VILLA @AVFCOfficial

Last season 14th FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round

Last major trophy League Cup 1996

Ownership Nasser Sawiris (EGY) and Wes Edens (USA)

Head coach Steven Gerrard (since November 2021)

New signings Philippe Coutinho, Diego Carlos, Robin Olsen, Boubacar Kamara, Ludwig Augustinsson*

Aston Villa lost exactly half of their Premier League matches last season as early progress following the appointment of Steven Gerrard in November proved to be something of mirage. Gerrard won his first two games in charge of the Villans to lift his side up to 13th - but, in the 25 matches which followed, Villa won eight, drew five and lost 12 to finish in 14th, three places lower than in 2020-21. Home form was particularly poor - there were eight defeats in B6 alone and the Holte End witnessed just two league wins in the whole of the second half of last season. This summer, Diego Carlos - a commanding centre-back - has arrived from Sevilla, Boubacar Kamara will add some steel to the midfield - and, with Philippe Coutinho signing permanently following a successful loan spell since January, there is much to be said for Gerrard's ability to attract top signings to the second city. For the most part, the appeal of working with the 42-year-old no doubt still largely owes itself to his playing days. Nevertheless, Gerrard's record at Rangers looks better with every passing week and he has also stamped his authority on the Villa Park dressing room by deciding to remove the captain's armband from the error-prone Tyrone Mings and hand it instead to John McGinn.

Prediction [8th]

▪️ BOURNEMOUTH @afcbournemouth

Last season 2nd in Championship (promoted) FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round

Last major trophy None

Ownership Maxim Demin (RUS)

Head coach Scott Parker (since June 2021)

New signings Ryan Fredericks, Joe Rothwell, Marcus Tavernier

Bournemouth are back, with the foundations of only their second ever promotion to the top flight laid between August and October when the Cherries enjoyed a club record unbeaten start to a season of 15 matches. Thereafter, though, the campaign became a real slog and three matches without scoring in April, including a woeful defeat to West Bromwich Albion, threatened to land Scott Parker's men in the playoffs. Indeed, it took until the penultimate match to seal the deal with a nervy 1-0 win over fellow-promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest - and Premier League teams simply will not allow a team to get away with such profligacy. Dominic Solanke - once a promising prospect at Chelsea - will lead the line but, just like head coach Parker, he is unproven at the top level. Whatever happens, at least, Parker will no doubt appear sharply-dressed on the touchline in a tailored suit. But, with no real head-turning arrivals to the south coast, the smart money will be on Bournemouth to go down.

Prediction [20th]

▪️ BRENTFORD @BrentfordFC

Last season 13th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Quarter finals

Last major trophy None

Ownership Matthew Benham (ENG)

Head coach Thomas Frank (since October 2018)

New signings Aaron Hickey, Keane Lewis-Potter, Thomas Strakosha, Yehor Yarmolyuk, Ben Mee

Brentford were dropping like a stone when they made the bold decision to bring Christian Eriksen in from the cold, only seven months after the Danish midfielder has suffered a cardiac arrest while playing at Euro 2020+1. True, the Bees had little to lose with that particular roll of the dice - an immediate return to the Championship looked more and more likely as early-season optimism faded in a bleak mid-winter run of 4 points out of 33 between Boxing Day and February. Nevertheless, having sparked a remarkable turnaround in form to secure safety, it feels rather galling that the 30-year-old will now turn out for Manchester United. Instead, Brentford head coach Thomas Frank must head back to the drawing board and attempt to plot a different escape route - but, unfortunately for Frank, his realistic options are extremely limited, perhaps merely just to keeping it tight at the back while hoping Ivan Toney enjoys a purple patch or two in front of goal.

Prediction [19th]

▪️ BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION @OfficialBHAFC

Last season 9th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Fourth round

Last major trophy None

Ownership Tony Bloom (ENG)

Head coach Graham Potter (since May 2019)

New signing Julio Enciso

Brighton & Hove Albion achieved their highest league finish in club history last season as a blinding start and strong finish brought a placing in the top half. The Seagulls took 15 points out of their first 18 and finished by taking 18 points out of their last 24, a run which included a club record top-flight triumph with a stunning 4-0 win over Manchester United. But, in between the autumn and the spring, Graham Potter's outfit reverted to their long-held reputation as draw specialists with eight coming in 10 matches between late-September and early-December. A more worrying sequence of five successive defeats in February and March even threatened to suck Albion into the battle to avoid relegation - so, in other words, Brighton's historic finishing position hardly tells the whole story of their season. As ever, the Seagulls struggled to convert their neat possession into goals - and this campaign promises to be another exercise in frustration.
Prediction [13th]

▪️ CHELSEA @ChelseaFC

Last season 3rd FA Cup Runners-up League Cup Runners-up Champions League Quarter finals

Last major trophy Champions League 2021

Ownership Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital (USA)

Head coach Thomas Tuchel (since January 2021)

New signings Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Carney Chukwuemeka

Chelsea were top of the Premier League on 1 December after beating Watford - but the 3-2 defeat to West Ham United three days later hit the Blues hard, and Thomas Tuchel's team never recovered the sort of consistency required to fight for the Premier League title. Losing both domestic Cup finals on penalties to Liverpool ended up adding to the frustration - but, as the season wore on, the football at Stamford Bridge took a back seat. The brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine led to former owner Roman Abramovich having his assets frozen - and left Chelsea unable even to sell a mug in the club shop. Officially at least, Abramovich has now cleared off and the Blues - now under the control of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital - have been able to operate quite normally this summer. Raheem Sterling has made a shock move from Manchester City for £47.5 million while centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly arrives from Napoli for £33 million as Chelsea seek to retain their place in the top four which they have now held for the last four seasons. Perhaps crucially, though, Tuchel lacks an out-and-out goalscorer - Mason Mount finished top of the charts last time at the club with just 11 in the league, and this is an omission which could easily come back to cost the West London club.

Prediction [5th]

▪️ CRYSTAL PALACE @CPFC

Last season 12th FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Second round

Last major trophy None

Ownership Steve Parish (ENG)

Head coach Patrick Vieira (since July 2021)

New signings Sam Johnstone, Cheick Doucoure, Chris Richards

Crystal Palace have given themselves a platform to build on after a 12th-placed finish and a second visit to Wembley in the FA Cup in six years. Most significantly, the Eagles' attacking presence - which was for so long restricted only to Wilfried Zaha - now extends to an array of talent including Zaha, youth talent Eberechi Eze, and French pair Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Patrick Vieira has overseen the transformation as Palace finally tried something new in the Selhurst Park dug-out following a run of managers which - barring five disastrous matches in 2017 under Frank De Boer - reads: Ian Holloway, Tony Pulis, Neil Warnock, Alan Pardew, Sam Allardyce and Roy Hodgson. Frustratingly for Vieira, Palace were prone to too many draws, finishing the season with 15 in all, with 11 of those score draws. The Eagles held a lead at some stage in seven of those 11 matches so the area for improvement is fairly obvious. Any such progress will have to come without the effective Conor Gallagher, though, as he has returned to his parent club Chelsea for 2022-23.

Prediction [11th]

▪️ EVERTON @Everton

Last season 16th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Third round

Last major trophy FA Cup 1995

Ownership Farhad Moshiri (IRN)

Head coach Frank Lampard (since January 2022)

New signings James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil, Ruben Vinagre*

Frank Lampard may have kept Everton up in May following the ill-starred tenure of former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez - but the 44-year-old will not be sitting comfortably heading into the new season. In fact, Lampard is currently favourite to be the first Premier League boss to leave their post - and it is not difficult to work out why. The Toffees took just 10 points on the road in 2021-22 - and only four of them came in the nine away matches under Lampard. Effectively, Everton retained their top-flight status for a 69th consecutive season on the back of some strong form at Goodison Park from Richarlison and a bit of graft from youngster Anthony Gordon. Richarlison has now left for Tottenham Hotspur with his replacement Dwight McNeil arriving on the back of a terrible campaign at Burnley. In fairness, the goal-threat provided by Dominic Calvert-Lewin should be enough for Everton to survive as usual - but it also seems likely the cash-strapped Merseyside club will reach the finishing line in the spring with yet another new face in the dugout.

Prediction [16th]

▪️ FULHAM @FulhamFC

Last season 1st in Championship (promoted) FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Third round

Last major trophy None

Ownership Shahid Khan (USA)

Head coach Marco Silva (since July 2021)

New signings Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira, Kevin Mbabu, Bernd Leno, Manor Solomon*

The yo-yo existence for Fulham continues unabated, with the spring bringing a third promotion from the Championship out of their last three seasons at that level. But, while the promotion campaigns of 2018 and 2020 concluded with success in the playoffs, this time the Cottagers return under Marco Silva on the back of a convincing Championship title win in which they tallied 90 points and scored 106 goals. Indeed, Aleksandar Mitrovic helped himself to 43 of them personally to break a record held since 1993 by Guy Whittingham for the highest scoring English league season in the current 46-match format. Now, in his past forays in the top flight, the Serbian has struggled with his discipline - or, in the case of 2020-21, struggled full-stop - but he arrives in the Premier League this time with more confidence than ever. The departure this summer of attacking foil Fabio Carvalho to Liverpool is disappointing, if understandable - but, even without the Portuguese forward, Fulham still now carry enough threat to score when on top during games, something which was sorely lacking in their most recent survival attempt.

Prediction [14th]

▪️ LEEDS UNITED @LUFC

Last season 14th FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round

Last major trophy First Division 1991-92

Ownership Andrea Radrizzani (ITA)

Head coach Jesse Marsch (since February 2022)

New signings Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Tyler Adams, Luis Sinisterra, Sonny Perkins

Leeds United should be worried, really worried. Having survived by the skin of their teeth last season on the final day, the Whites have lost two of their better players this summer as Manchester City and Barcelona came sniffing around Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha respectively. Marc Roca - signed from Bayern Munich - covers the loss of Phillips from midfield but Jesse Marsch's men will sorely miss the skill and directness of the talented Brazilian. Following the departure of the enigmatic Argentine Marcelo Bielsa at the end of February, Marsch did pretty well to be fair, taking 15 points from the last 10 games to keep Premier League football in this part of Yorkshire despite a heavy dose of second season syndrome. However, with the squad now still weaker again, the American faces an even tougher survival challenge in his full Premier League campaign.

Prediction [18th]

▪️ LEICESTER CITY @LCFC

Last season 8th FA Cup Fourth Round League Cup Quarter finals Europa League Group stage

Last major trophy FA Cup 2021

Ownership Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (THA)

Head coach Brendan Rodgers (since February 2019)

New signings None

There is a concerned mood around the King Power Stadium ahead of the new season despite the eighth place in May making it five top half finishes out of six since the Foxes' remarkable Premier League title win in 2015-16. The concern is understandable, though - displays throughout last season were far from convincing, particularly from a defensive perspective, as rather neatly demonstrated by the concession of 16 goals from corners alone. The Foxes' set-piece weakness contributed to Brendan Rodgers's men dropping 21 points from winning positions - and, with 34 matches played, Leicester were floundering down in 14th. It was only a late string of good results, in easy fixtures, against Norwich City, Watford and Southampton, which pushed Leicester into the top half - and a lack of as much as a single signing this summer has done nothing to allay the worries in this part of the East Midlands. With Kasper Schmeichel off to Nice, Leicester have spent most of the transfer window warding off interest in members of their team such as Wesley Fofana, Youri Tielemans, and James Maddison. Of those three, the loss of Maddison would serve as an especially critical blow following his efforts towards the back end of last season - and, without his talisman, it would be difficult to see Rodgers avoiding an early exit.

Prediction [12th]

▪️ LIVERPOOL @LFC

Last season 2nd FA Cup Winners League Cup Winners Champions League Runners-up

Last major trophy FA Cup 2022

Ownership Fenway Sports Group (USA)

Head coach Jürgen Klopp (since October 2015)

New signings Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay, Fabio Carvalho

Liverpool drew first blood this season in the glorified friendly that is the Community Shield - but it will not mean much at all if the Reds miss out on the biggest prizes again in 2023. From a possible historic quadruple, the Reds had to settle for success in the two domestic cups only, with both finals decided on penalties after finishing 0-0. Much of the summer break was taken up by the rumour that the prolific Mo Salah was set to move on - and, with Sadio Mane already off to Bayern Munich, Jurgen Klopp will be pleased that contract negotiations with the Egyptian were successful. Even strong teams undergo transformation, of course - and Darwin Nunez has been signed from Benfica for the small matter of £65 million, while January signing Luis Diaz will look to build upon his encouraging start to life at Anfield. At the back, Virgil Van Dijk remains the Reds' most indispensible player - while the full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson will again provide the attacking width. It is a very defined way of playing and extremely effective when done well. However, it can also leave the defence exposed - and fine lines are often the deciding factor in the biggest matches.

Prediction [2nd]

▪️ MANCHESTER CITY @ManCity

Last season Champions FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Fourth round Champions League Semi finals

Last major trophy Premier League 2021-22

Ownership Abu Dhabi United Group (UAE)

Head coach Pep Guardiola (since July 2016)

New signings Erling Haaland, Stefan Ortega, Kalvin Phillips

Much was made last summer of the failure of Manchester City to prise Harry Kane away from Tottenham Hotspur as Pep Guardiola prepared his team for life after Sergio Aguero - then, to add insult to injury, Spurs beat Man City on the opening day. Yet, despite that early setback, the defending champions stormed into a 12-point lead on the back of a run of 43 points out of 45 between November and February. Gradually, though, Liverpool ate into the advantage to the extent that only one point separated the teams heading into the final day. Certainly, it was a nervy run-in - Man City had trailed 2-0 at half time before coming back to draw level against West Ham United in their penultimate match, then fell 2-0 behind again to Aston Villa on the final day. Ilkay Gundogan inspired an amazing five-minute turnaround to make it four Premier League titles in five years at the Etihad Stadium, but the feeling persisted that Guardiola's men would have made life so much easier for themselves if they had signed Kane or another big-name forward. This year, Erling Haaland arrived nice and early - and, despite a difficult debut in the Community Shield at the weekend, the quality of service from Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Premier League player of the season Kevin De Bruyne should help the 22-year-old Norwegian settle in quickly.

Prediction [Champions]

▪️ MANCHESTER UNITED @ManUtd

Last season 6th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Third round Champions League Last 16

Last major trophy Europa League 2017

Ownership Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer (USA)

Head coach Erik ten Hag (since May 2022)

New signings Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, Tom Huddlestone

Manchester United finished last season with a meek 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace for a sixth consecutive away league defeat for the first time since March 1981. This was also the first time the Red Devils failed to end a league campaign with a positive goal difference since 1989-90. New manager Erik ten Hag, who led Ajax Amsterdam to the Dutch title in May, has said the job is not a risk to his reputation - and there are already promising signs that the 52-year-old can succeed where the other five permanent or interim managers appointed since the Sir Alex Ferguson era have failed. The Old Trafford faithful seemingly will only settle for the return of the Premier League - and ten Haag's transfer business appears solid. For example, Christian Eriksen showed at Brentford last season that he has lost none of his magic, while 24-year-old Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez could be a rock at the back for years to come. At the same time, though, the Red Devils have now fallen too far behind their city rivals Manchester City and eternal rivals Liverpool to be considered as serious title challengers in 2022-23.

Prediction [4th]

▪️ NEWCASTLE UNITED @NUFC

Last season 11th FA Cup Third round League Cup Second round

Last major trophy UEFA (Fairs) Cup 1969

Ownership Public Investment Fund (KSA)

Head coach Eddie Howe (since November 2021)

New signings Matt Targett, Nick Pope, Sven Botman

Newcastle United made Premier League history last season by becoming the first top division team since Sheffield United in 1990-91 to fail to win any of their first 14 matches and still stay up. Even as late as January, when the Magpies suffered their latest FA Cup embarrassment at home to Cambridge United, hopes of survival looked slim - especially when Joao Pedro towered over Jamaal Lascelles at the Gallowgate End to head in a stoppage-time equaliser for Watford. But January also brought a first transfer window under new Saudi Arabia-backed ownership. Already action had been taken in October to replace the ruinous Steve Bruce with former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe - and near enough a new defence was next to be sorted. Matt Targett's loan from Aston Villa was followed by the signings of Kieran Trippier and Blyth-born Dan Burn - but it was Bruno Guimaraes, a £33.3 million arrival from Lyon, who really got Tyneside buzzing. Howe's refreshed outfit won 12 times in the second half of the season and took 37 points in 18 matches to find a top-half finish only just beyond them. There have been further defensive reinforcements this summer with the permanent signing of Targett and the arrival of Sven Botman, while Nick Pope will provide competition for Martin Dubravka between the sticks. However, there are also concerns about a lack of depth up front and the continued over-reliance on injury-prone Callum Wilson has somewhat tempered expectations on Tyneside.

Prediction [9th]

▪️ NOTTINGHAM FOREST @NFFC

Last season 4th in Championship (promoted) FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Second round

Last major trophy League Cup 1990

Ownership Evangelos Marinakis (GRE)

Head coach Steve Cooper (since September 2021)

New signings Taiwo Awoniyi, Giulian Biancone, Moussa Niakhate, Omar Richards, Neco Williams, Wayne Hennessey, Brandon Aguilera, Harry Toffolo, Lewis O'Brien, Jesse Lingard, Orel Mangala, Dean Henderson*

A big welcome back to the Premier League for Nottingham Forest who are gearing up for a first season in the top flight in the 21st Century. When Forest were last among the elite, Tony Blair was still Prime Minister and Bill Clinton was US President - and, in the meantime, the twice former European Champions even dropped to the third tier for three seasons between 2005 and 2008. Only last year, another visit to that level looked a distinct possibility with Forest taking just a single point from their first seven games under Chris Hughton. But the arrival of Steve Cooper brought about a massive turnaround as Forest then won 23 and lost only six of the following 39 matches to qualify for the playoffs. All four of the Tricky Trees' previous end-of-season escapades had ended in failure - but Cooper's side defied this record, winning promotion by beating Huddersfield Town at Wembley. Surprisingly, that was the last game for the club for goalkeeper Brice Samba who has moved to Lens in France, while Djed Spence - who was on loan from Middlesbrough - has opted instead to sign for Tottenham Hotspur. Highly-rated keeper Dean Henderson comes in on loan between the sticks and the signing of Jesse Lingard can be considered as something of a coup. The next 10 months will be a struggle at times but, if the City Ground becomes the fortress which it could be, Cooper can defy the odds again.

Prediction [17th]

▪️ SOUTHAMPTON @SouthamptonFC

Last season 15th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Fourth round

Last major trophy FA Cup 1976

Ownership Sport Republic (SRB)

Head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl (since December 2018)

New signings Gavin Bazunu, Mateusz Lis, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Romeo Lavia, Joe Aribo, Sekou Mara

For just how much longer are Southampton happy to tread water? The Saints' last five Premier League finishes have been 17th, 16th, a relatively creditable 11th, and then two 15th placings. Certainly, it is a long way off from the successive top seven places under Ronald Koeman in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Additionally, in the meantime, there have also been some humiliating results - the two 9-0s, at home to Leicester City in October 2019 and away to Manchester United in February 2021 - and a 6-0 home defeat to Chelsea last season. As such, it basically feels like Southampton are back to where they constantly were during the 1990s when club legend Matt Le Tissier did enough to save his team from the drop year after year. The equivalent contribution now comes from an arguably even more talented player, James Ward-Prowse - but this over-reliance on a single player is not exactly a sustainable approach.

Prediction [15th]

▪️ TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR @SpursOfficial

Last season 4th FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Semi finals Conference League Group stage

Last major trophy League Cup 2008

Ownership ENIC International Limited (ENG)

Head coach Antonio Conte (since November 2021)

New signings Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Djed Spence, Clement Lenglet* 

Without ever really threatening actually to win something, Tottenham Hotspur have actually had a pretty good last 52 weeks. Last August, Harry Kane snubbed Manchester City to stay in North London - then, at the start of November, Spurs finally got around to appointing the man who they should have brought in last summer when Antonio Conte's arrival put Nuno Espirito Santo out of his misery. In January, Spurs recruited well, signing Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus and agreeing an 18-month loan for Dejan Kulusevski from the Italian giants - and their influence, along with the goals of Kane and Premier League joint-top scorer Son Heung-min, pushed Conte's men over the line in the race for the fourth Champions League spot. This summer, there have been some more smart signings such as Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Ivan Perisic who, despite being past his very best, still has much to offer - and, as such, Spurs head into a campaign in their strongest position for quite a few years. Of course, that does not necessarily mean Tottenham are actually going to win anything - after all, the cup defeats to Chelsea and Middlesbrough were, for rather different reasons, both as Spursy as it gets.

Prediction [3rd]

▪️ WEST HAM UNITED @WestHam

Last season 7th FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Quarter finals

Last major trophy FA Cup 1980

Ownership David Sullivan (WAL), Daniel Kretinsky (CZE) and David Gold (ENG)

Head coach David Moyes (since December 2019)

New signings Nayef Aguerd, Alphonse Areola, Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca

West Ham United secured a second successive season of European football with a seventh-placed finish last season - but it looked as if it could have been so much better for David Moyes's men. Instead, the Hammers won only one of their last seven matches - against Norwich City - and consequently dropped away from the Champions League race into a Europa Conference spot. The Londoners' final chance of a Champions League place came via their run in the Europa League - but their semi final defeat ended badly with Moyes forced to apologise after his full-pelt volley at a ballboy in Frankfurt. But, despite that lack of discipline - and the lack of nerve shown by his team - the Scotsman has had some decent backing in the transfer market. Indeed, the arrivals of defender Nayef Aguerd from Rennes and the highly-rated striker Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuola should ensure the Moyes's men challenge towards the top end of the table again.

Prediction [6th]

▪️ WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS @Wolves

Last season 10th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Third round

Last major trophy League Cup 1980

Ownership Fosun International (CHN)

Head coach Bruno Lage (since June 2021)

New signings Hwang Hee-chan, Nathan Collins

Wolverhampton Wanderers finished last season with as many league defeats (17) as relegated Burnley after taking just eight points out of the last 36 - and so a promising first season for Bruno Lage at Molineux can be considered to have badly petered out. The reason behind it was obvious: a lack of goals. Wolves finished the 38-match league campaign with exactly one-per-game - and, sadly, Mexican striker Raul Jiminez has only shown odd glimpses of his previous form since his comeback from a horrific head injury in November 2020. Hwang Hee-chan produced some promising moments - and the Korean forward has now signed permanently from Red Bull Leipzig. Meanwhile, the retention so far of Ruben Neves and Pedro Neto will have the Old Gold safely in the middle of the pack once again.

Prediction [10th]

*refers to loan signing

Premier League preview: Know your place

▪️ ARSENAL @Arsenal
Last season 8th FA Cup Winners League Cup Fourth round Europa League Last 32
Last major trophy FA Cup 2020
Ownership Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (USA)
Head coach Mikel Arteta (since December 2019)
New signings Pablo Mari, Cedric Soares, Willian, Gabriel Magalhaes, Dani Ceballos*, George Lewis, Tim Akinola, Salah-Eddine, Jonathan Dinzeyi
Those long-suffering Arsenal fans had another FA Cup to celebrate - a fourth in six years and record 14th overall - as Mikel Arteta picked up the pieces following Unai Emery's largely unimpressive tenure. But, despite their Wembley success, the Gunners merely bounced around the mid-table places throughout the campaign, and so it was really quite remarkable that skipper and talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed 29 goals in all competitions. Willian has now arrived from Chelsea to provide another attacking option with his wages no doubt covered by the 55 staff who were made redundant during this coronavirus pandemic. Expect a modest improvement at the Emirates. 
Prediction [5th]

▪️ ASTON VILLA @AVFCOfficial
Last season 17th FA Cup Third round League Cup Runners-up
Last major trophy League Cup 1996
Ownership Nasser Sawiris (EGY) and Wes Edens (USA)
Head coach Dean Smith (since October 2018)
New signings Matty Cash, Ollie Watkins, Ben Chrisene
Aston Villa must still feel rather blessed to be taking their place in the Premier League this season considering they would, most likely, have been relegated if the goal-line technology had been switched on against Sheffield United in the first game to be played after lockdown. Villa made the most of their extremely good fortune to overtake Watford in the final week to secure safety but Dean Smith will certainly be looking for a more comfortable ride this time around. Coincidentally, the new campaign begins with another home match against the Blades.
Prediction [16th]

▪️ BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION @OfficialBHAFC
Last season 15th FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round
Last major trophy None
Ownership Tony Bloom (ENG)
Head coach Graham Potter (since May 2019)
New signings Joel Veltman, Adam Lallana, Zak Emmerson, Jensen Weir, Lars Dendoncker
Brighton scrambled just above the 40-point mark to maintain their record as the only current club in the top flight not to have been ever-present in the Premier League era and yet never having gone down. At the same time, though, the Seagulls are yet to win 10 games in a single season and they have so far recorded two finishes in 15th and a narrow escape in 17th in 2018-19. Now, as many bottom half dwellers have found to their cost in the past, repeated seasons of struggle cannot be sustained forever - and, unless Neil Maupay fires on all cylinders, the Amex Stadium-based Seagulls will be in danger of running out of credit.
Prediction [19th]

▪️ BURNLEY @BurnleyOfficial
Last season 10th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy First Division 1959-1960
Ownership Mike Garlick (ENG)
Head coach Sean Dyche (since October 2012)
New signings Will Norris, Marc Richter, Will Rickard, Marcel Elva-Fountaine, Conor Barrett  
The indefatigable Sean Dyche led Burnley to their highest finish since ABBA went to the UK number one spot with Waterloo in the summer of 1974 - yes, I checked - but such relative success should not really come as any sort of surprise. Nick Pope kept 15 clean sheets last season behind a defence which is marshalled superbly by James Tarkowski while - between Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes, young Dwight McNeil, and Jay Rodriguez - there is a more than decent array of attacking talent on show. The Clarets have certainly made good progress on the pitch then - but, while it would be a terrible shame for a Football League founder club to move away from their traditional Turf Moor home, the frankly dangerous conditions in the away end badly need to be rectified for when supporters can attend once again.
Prediction [9th]

▪️ CHELSEA @ChelseaFC
Last season 4th FA Cup Runners-up League Cup Fourth round Europa League Last 16
Last major trophy Europa League 2019
Ownership Roman Abramovich (RUS/ISR)
Head coach Frank Lampard (since July 2019)
New signings Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Malang Sarr, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva
Frank Lampard was lauded last season despite 12 Premier League defeats, and eight losses at home in all competitions. True, the Stamford Bridge legend was always going to be given more room for error than his predecessors and he reacted to his hands being tied in the transfer market with a refreshing level of trust in his youth prospects. But, with the transfer ban now lifted, Lampard has been entrusted with millions of Roman Abramovich's Russian roubles, bringing in Timo Werner and Kai Havertz from Germany and thereby completely reinvigorating the Blues' attack. As such, even Lampard loyalists are expecting a far better season than last time out.
Prediction [3rd]

▪️ CRYSTAL PALACE @CPFC
Last season 14th FA Cup Third round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy None
Ownership Steve Parish (ENG), Joshua Harris/David S Blitzer (USA)
Head coach Roy Hodgson (since September 2017)
New signings Michy Batshuayi*, Eberechi Eze, Jake Giddings, Nathan Ferguson
The preview for Crystal Palace could pretty much almost be copied and pasted from last year's assessment. Keep star player Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park and the Eagles will steer clear of the worst of the trouble. But if the main man in South Norwood gets injured - or, worse, departs elsewhere then an already poor attack will become still yet further blunted. Palace hit the net only 31 times in their 38 league games - only rock-bottom Norwich City scored fewer - although this can hardly come as a surprise given the propensity of manager Roy Hodgson to play up to three holding midfielders in the same line-up.
Prediction [15th]

▪️ EVERTON @Everton
Last season 12th FA Cup Third round League Cup Quarter finals
Last major trophy FA Cup 1995
Ownership Farhad Moshiri (IRN)
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti (since December 2019)
New signings Niels Nkounkou, Allan, James Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Doucoure
Everton have made some eye-catching moves in the transfer market this summer - bringing in World Cup 2014 Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez from Real Madrid as they attempt to arrest their slide into the bottom half of the table. If anything, though, the Merseysiders' humiliation last season was worse still in the FA Cup where they lost to a Liverpool reserve side in the third round. Now barely able to boast even being the second best team in their city, it would be no surprise if the Toffees once again come unstuck with the new clown prince Jordan Pickford in between the goalposts.
Prediction [11th]

▪️ FULHAM @FulhamFC
Last season 4th (promoted from Championship via playoffs) FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy None
Ownership Shahid Khan (PAK/USA)
Head coach Scott Parker (since February 2019)
New signings Antonee Robinson, Harrison Reed, Mario Lemina*, Alphonse Areola*, Kenny Tete
Fulham immediately bounced back from relegation by winning the playoff final for the second time in three years, beating local rivals Brentford on 4 August. Of course, when the Cottagers last went up, they spent upwards of £100m on a new starting line-up trying - and failing - to stay in the top flight. This time, there is more cohesion but, having bombed so miserably in 2018-19, Scott Parker's men will simply be happy if they inflict their bizarre neutral zone on the Premier League for more than a single season.

Prediction [17th]

▪️ LEEDS UNITED @LUFC
Last season 1st (promoted from Championship) FA Cup Third round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy First Division 1991-92
Ownership Andrea Radrizzani (ITA)
Head coach Marcelo Bielsa (since June 2018)
New signings Rodrigo Moreno, Robin Koch, Illan Meslier, Helder Costa, Charlie Allen, Jack Harrison*, Joe Gelhardt, Cody Drameh, Sam Greenwood
It might have taken 16 years involving points deductions - and a three-year detour to the third level - but Leeds United have finally made it back to the Premier League. The Whites will find quite a lot has changed in the intervening years - mainly that the so-called top six now have such an iron grip, even the most inventive management will only result in limited success - perhaps a top half finish like Sheffield United achieved. Regardless of the outcome, though, Marcelo Biesla's attacking principles will provide a welcome change to much of the drudgery in modern football even if, ultimately, it exposes a certain naivety in the way he sets up.
Prediction [10th]

▪️ LEICESTER CITY @LCFC
Last season 5th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Semi finals
Last major trophy Premier League 2015-16
Ownership Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (THA)
Head coach Brendan Rodgers (since February 2019)
New signings Timothy Castagne
Leicester blew a big advantage, winning only four of their last 17 league and cup games, to allow Manchester United and Chelsea to overtake and deny them what, at Christmas last year, seemed like a certain Champions League place. Now, excepting the wonders of the 2015-16 title win, fifth is still a historically strong placing for the East Midlands club. Nevertheless, many supporters were flabbergasted by the manner of the collapse - and so manager Brendan Rodgers begins the new term under a fair deal of pressure. At least, for the Foxes' sake, last season's Premier League top scorer - Jamie Vardy - has now committed himself to the King Power Stadium until 2023.
Prediction [12th]

▪️ LIVERPOOL @LFC
Last season Champions FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Quarter finals Champions League Last 16
Last major trophy Premier League 2019-20
Ownership Fenway Sports Group (USA)
Head coach Jürgen Klopp (since October 2015)
New signings Kostas Tsimikas
It will not have escaped anybody that Liverpool followed up a sixth European Cup in 2019 by winning the Premier League for the first time for a 19th English title. Certainly, it appears to be the sole aim of Liverpool fans to ensure no one ever forgets it. True, the Reds title win was extraordinary and record-breaking on many counts - but it still undoubtedly lost some of its lustre when ultimately relegated Watford strolled to a 3-0 win ahead of defeats for Jurgen Klopp's men after lockdown at Manchester City and Arsenal. While the unbeaten record at Anfield has now extended to an incredible 59 league matches over a three-year period, it will be fascinating to see if the same imperfections as those shown in the post-lockdown period affect Liverpool while they are on the road to their principle rivals during the whole of next nine months.
Prediction [2nd]

▪️ MANCHESTER CITY @ManCity
Last season 2nd FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Winners Champions League Quarter finals 
Last major trophy League Cup 2020
Ownership Khaldoon Al-Mubarak (UAE)
Head coach Pep Guardiola (since July 2016)
New signings Ferran Torres, Nathan Ake, Pablo Moreno, Scott Carson*
Manchester City gave English football a taste of what it must be like to watch Celtic in the Scottish game in 2018-19, winning all three domestic trophies on offer. But, last season, Pep Guardiola's men had to settle for the League Cup only despite fielding the best player in the top flight in Kevin De Bruyne. The weaknesses appeared clear enough - the defence still misses the presence of Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany while the back-up for Sergio Aguero in attack is not effective enough. Of course, the Abu Dhabi billions could soon fix that - but, surprisingly, this has been a relatively quiet close season so far.
Prediction [Champions]

▪️ MANCHESTER UNITED @ManUtd
Last season 3rd FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Semi finals Champions League Semi finals 
Last major trophy Europa League 2017
Ownership Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer (USA)
Head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær (since December 2018)
New signings Donny van de Beek
Manchester United went unbeaten in their last 14 league games to recover from seventh place to the third and Champions League football for only the third time in the seven years since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. Mid-season Portuguese arrival Bruno Fernandes proved an inspired signing, if nothing else but for his penalty taking ability as the Red Devils were given unfathomable 22 spot-kicks in all competitions. And yet, despite this, the Old Trafford trophy cabinet had no silverware added to it with three semi final defeats leaving troll-faced Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer with a nearly man reputation to shrug off in the coming campaign.
Prediction [4th]

▪️ NEWCASTLE UNITED @NUFC
Last season 13th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Second round
Last major trophy UEFA (Fairs) Cup 1969
Ownership Mike Ashley (ENG)
Head coach Steve Bruce (since July 2019)
New signings Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Jeff Hendrick, Jamal Lewis, Mark Gillespie, Niall Brookwell
 Newcastle have been distracted throughout the close season by a classic Geordie soap opera in the form of a takeover by the Saudi Arabia-based Public Investment Fund, only for Premier League chief executive Dick Masters now declared officially to have blocked the bid at the behest of Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves. Bitterness and concern have more recently given way to relief as Mike Ashley has, seemingly, sought to protect his investment from a third relegation during his 13-year tenure. After suffering the sight of £40 million man Joelinton up front throughout last season, Callum Wilson arrives at St James Park with a genuine top-flight pedigree and things could get quite exciting if he links up with Ryan Fraser like he did at Bournemouth in 2018-19. For now, though, this feels like a campaign which could go either way for the Magpies.
Prediction [13th]

▪️ SHEFFIELD UNITED @SheffieldUnited
Last season 9th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Third round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1925
Ownership Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (KSA)
Head coach Chris Wilder (since May 2016)
New signings Aaron Ramsdale, Wes Foderingham, Ethan Ampadu*, Jayden Bogle, Max Lowe, Oliver Burke
Second season syndrome is a bit of a football cliché considering the first year up is still the most difficult for most promoted teams - but, after breezing through their first season back in the Premier League, Chris Wilder's men will surely find a repeat performance beyond them. After all, form rather deteriorated in the period after lockdown - and, even when they were flying, the Blades were often too easily blunted by their opponents. Certainly, much stranger things have happened in 2020 than Sheff United falling from a place top half to a relegation struggle - even if the South Yorkshire club, in contrast to others, can count on backing from Saudi Arabia without Premier League interference.
Prediction [18th]

▪️ SOUTHAMPTON @SouthamptonFC
Last season 11th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Fourth round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1976
Ownership Gao Jisheng (CHN)
Head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl (since December 2018)
New signings Kyle Walker-Peters, Mohammed Salisu
Southampton took a refreshing approach to their struggles last autumn by keeping faith in manager Ralph Hasenhüttl. The move to stick paid off as 2019 summer signing Danny Ings hit great form to finish with 22 league goals and elevate the Saints to a creditable 11th-placed finish. The 2020-21 season promises to be more successful if Southampton avoid another bad start - and any more 9-0 home defeats. Aye, *that* defeat was always going to be mentioned somewhere in this piece...
Prediction [8th]

▪️ TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR @SpursOfficial
Last season 6th FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Third round Champions League Last 16
Last major trophy League Cup 2008
Ownership ENIC International Limited (ENG)
Head coach José Mourinho (since November 2019)
New signings Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, Matt Doherty
Tottenham failed to hang onto the coat-tails of the top four last season so are back to Thursday nights in the Europa League only 12 months after an appearance in the Champions League final. There was slightly improved form after Jose Mourinho arrived - and Harry Kane's goals will no doubt keep Spurs somewhat competitive. But impatient fans, eager for a first trophy since 2008 beyond the Audi Cup, will not be happy as it stands with the lack of a marquee signing in the close season.
Prediction [6th]

▪️ WEST BROMWICH ALBION @WBA
Last season 2nd (promoted from Championship) FA Cup Fifth round League Cup First round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1968
Ownership Lai Guochuan (CHN)
Head coach Slaven Bilić (since February 2019)
New signings Matheus Pereira, Cedric Kipre, Grady Diangana, Callum Robinson
West Brom boinged back to the big time after just two years in the summer - though it would be far from an understatement to suggest they made hard work of it. From a position of control in their own destiny, the Baggies ended up stumbling over the line, taking just three points - all from draws - out of last 12, and ultimately relying on Brentford bottling it. The Bees duly obliged as the prospect of a first top-flight season since 1946-47 created pressure on the present-day team which they could not overcome. Slaven Bilić simply cannot rely on Premier League clubs being as generous as that.
Prediction [20th]
 
▪️ WEST HAM UNITED @WestHam
Last season 16th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Third round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1980
Ownership David Sullivan (ENG) and David Gold (ENG) Head coach David Moyes (since December 2019)
New signings Tomas Soucek, Ossama Ashley
West Ham unsurprisingly continue to suffer the effects of having had their soul ripped out following their ill-fated move to the London Stadium - and the surprise return of David Moyes was the clearest sign yet that the Hammers have completely lost their way. To be fair to Moyes, dour though he is, the Stratford-based club stayed up without having to deal with final day nerves. But, while Karren Brady calls the shots alongside her smut trader friends David Gold and David Sullivan, it is difficult to envisage West Ham ever amounting to much.
Prediction [14th]

▪️ WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS @Wolves
Last season 7th FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round Europa League Quarter finals
Last major trophy League Cup 1980
Ownership Jeff Shi of Fosun International (CHN)
Head coach Nuno Espírito Santo (since May 2017)
New signings Marcal, Matija Sarkic, Fabio Silva, Vitinha*
Measured by all metrics except league placing, Wolves improved on their 2018-19 performance in 2019-20 as they matched their seventh-placed finish. However, this time, the Cup win for Arsenal means there will be no Europa League at Molineux in the coming campaign. In fairness, that might be no bad thing for Nuno Espírito Santo's exhausted squad, considering the Europa qualifiers right at the start, and then the coronavirus pandemic, extended the Midlanders' season to an amazing 383 days. Indeed, the much-reduced schedule should allow the undoubtedly morally squeaky clean Chinese-backed Old Gold to continue knocking hard at the door of the top six.
Prediction [7th]

*refers to loan signing