League football is back after what has been an exciting two months. There have been plenty of transfers, plenty of controversy and the Women’s Euro’s were a great time. Congratulations to England, they fully deserved it. This season is going to be unique in that the World Cup will take place in November and December during the season. The football is going to be relentless and each team will need to be prepared for what’s to come. This article will give a preview of each team and my prediction of where I expect the team to finish.
AFC BOURNEMOUTH - LAST SEASON (2nd - ChAMPIONSHIP)
Transfers In
Ryan Fredericks (West Ham/Defender), Joe Rothwell (Blackburn Rovers/Midfielder), Marcus Tavernier (Middlesbrough/Midfielder)
Bournemouth finished second in the Championship and earned promotion to the Premier League last season. The club were relegated in 2020 but are back in the top tier under the guidance of Scott Parker. Bournemouth have some good players with the likes of Dominic Solanke, David Brooks, Phillip Billing etc all key figures in their promotion challenge. They have failed to add real quality to their squad during the transfer window. They played four friendlies during pre-season, losing three and winning one. It does look like it will be another bleak season for the club and they will head right back down to the Championship. They do not look prepared for what will be a taxing and long season. I expect the club to finish 20th in the league.
ARSENAL - LAST SEASON (5th - 69 POINTS)
Transfers In
Marquinhos (Sau Paulo/Winger), Fabio Vieira (Porto/Midfielder), Matt Turner (New England Revolution/Goalkeeper), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City/Striker), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Manchester City/Full-back)
Transfers Out
Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea), Nuno Tavares (Marseille/Loan), Bernd Leno (Fulham)
After finishing eighth for two successive seasons, last season Arsenal finished fifth and narrowly missed out on top four to Tottenham. The club have added some brilliant players this summer and Gabriel Jesus has already hit the ground running in pre-season. They played a total of seven friendlies, winning six and losing one. They notably beat Chelsea 4-0 and Sevilla 6-0 and Arsenal fans are justifiably excited about what is to come. Arteta is starting his third full season as Arsenal manager so the pressure is on him to get into the top four. Arsenal have backed him in the market and the squad has gone through a rebuild since 2020. Unlike last season they do have to play Europa League football which can be a hindrance to some teams. There are a few more weeks left in the transfer window and business could be done. As of now I predict Arsenal to finish fifth in the league and once again fall short of top four. The team will be exciting, Jesus will do well but Arteta’s lack of experience and Thursday night football will cost them. They could manage to win the Europa League which is an alternative path into the Champions League.
ASTON VILLA - LAST SEASON (14th - 45 POINTS)
Transfers In
Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona/Midfielder), Boubacar Kamara (Marseille/Midfielder), Diego Carlos (Sevilla/Defender), Robin Olsen (AS Roma/Goalkeeper), Ludwig Augustinsson (Sevilla/Defender) Loan
Transfers Out
Matt Targett (Newcastle), Conor Hourihane (Released), Trezeguet (Trabzonspor), Wesley (Levante/Loan), Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea)
Two seasons ago Aston Villa finished 10th and looked like they would fight higher up the table but last season the club had a poor start. Steven Gerrard was eventually brought in as the manager and they managed to convince Coutinho to come in on loan from Barcelona. That deal has now become a permanent one and they have added Kamara to their midfield who is an exceptional defensive midfielder. Diego Carlos will add solidity to their defence while Olsen and Augustinsson add depth. Villa played five friendlies during pre-season winning four games and drawing one. Gerrard did brilliantly at Rangers and I do expect Villa to challenge for a top 10 finish this season. I think the club will finish ninth this season.
BRENTFORD - LAST SEASON (13th - 46 POINTS)
Transfers In
Aaron Hickey (Bologna/Defender), Keane Lewis-Potter (Hull City/Forward), Thomas Strakosha (Lazio/Goalkeeper), Yehor Yarmoliuk (Dnipro/Midfielder), Ben Mee (Burnley/Defender)
Transfers Out
Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough)
Brentford had a stellar debut campaign in the Premier League last season. I had predicted Brentford to survive because Thomas Frank was highly rated and they did even better. They beat some of the top teams at home and were hard to play against in most games. This summer they have added Hickey who is a promising full-back and Lewis-Potter who is another highly rated youngster. Strakosha is a top goalkeeper while Ben Mee was ever present in Burnley’s defence over the years. Players like Toney, Mbeumo, and others have stayed and Brentford could still add some exciting players over the next few weeks. They played seven friendlies during pre-season, winning four, drawing one, and losing two. This season I think Brentford will stay clear of the relegation zone once again and will aim to finish between 10th and 16th. I think the club will finish 16th in the table.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION - LAST SEASON (9th - 51 POINTS)
Transfers In
Julio Enciso (Libertad Asuncion/Forward), Benecio Baker-Boaitey (Porto/Winger), Simon Adingra (Nordsjaelland/Winger)
Transfers Out
Yves Bissouma (Tottenham), Aaron Conolly (Venezia/Loan)
Brighton once again had goalscoring issues last season but their defence was so strong that it helped them secure a top ten finish. Brighton have not really strengthened this summer and look set to lose Marc Cucurella to Chelsea over the next few days. Levi Colwill could sign for the club from Chelsea and he would be a brilliant young signing at centre-back. There are a few weeks left in the window and I would expect the club to sign a Cucurella replacement and maybe one other player. I think they will be fighting for a top ten finish again but could finish 10th because there are other teams that have gotten stronger over the summer.
CHELSEA - READ THE SEASON PREVIEW
CRYSTAL PALACE - LAST SEASON (12th - 48 POINTS)
Transfers In
Malcolm Ebiowei (Derby County/Striker), Sam Johnstone (Free/Goalkeeper), Cheick Doucoure (Lens/Midfielder), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich/Defender)
Patrick Vieira had a brilliant debut season as Crystal Palace manager. There was in injection of youth into the team and the he used that to pull of some great results and play some exciting football. This summer the club have conducted similar business and no major player has left the club. The club played eight friendlies during pre-season, winning four, drawing two and losing two games. I expect Palace to fight for a top 10 finish but fall short and finish 11th in the table. An improvement on last season.
EVERTON - LAST SEASON (16th - 39 POINTS)
Transfers In
James Tarkowski (Burnley/Defender), Ruben Vinagre (Sporting/Defender) Loan, Dwight McNeil (Burnley/Winger)
Transfers Out
Jonjoe Kenny (Released), Richarlison (Tottenham)
Everton went from fighting to get into the top four to almost getting relegated last season. Carlo Ancelotti decided to leave last summer and was replaced by Rafa Benitez. Benitez started well but things quickly got sour and he was replaced by Frank Lampard. Lampard flirted with relegation but rallied the fans and club to pull of an escape and remain in the league. The summer hasn’t seen any major incomings but Tarkowski, and McNeil are good signings. Richarlison is going to be a major loss for the club. I am sure Everton will be involved in the transfer market and probably do some deals with Chelsea. Everton played four friendlies losing two and winning two. I think once Lampard gets some more signings in then he will comfortably get the club safety and avoid relegation. I don’t see the club fighting for a top 10 finish this season and I think they will finish mid table. I think Everton will finish 15th in the table.
FULHAM - LAST SEASON (CHAMPIONS - CHAMPIONSHIP)
Transfers In
Joao Palhinha (Sporting/Midfielder), Andreas Pereira (Manchester United/Midfielder), Manor Solomon (Shakhtar Donetsk/Winger), Kevin Mbabu (Wolfsburg/Defender), Bernd Leno (Arsenal/Goalkeeper)
Transfers Out
Fabio Carvalho (Liverpool), Michael Hector (Released), Alfie Mawson (Released), Jean Michael Seri (Released)
Fulham are back in the Premier League after being relegated two seasons ago. They are one of the yo-yo clubs but stormed the Championship last season and won it under the management of Marco Silva. The London based club is now aiming to stay in the Premier League and break the pendulum that they seem to be sitting on. Fulham played four pre-season friendlies, winning two, drawing one and losing one. I expect Fulham to be right in the middle of a relegation battle and if they manage to survive it would be a massive season for them. They will rely on players like Mitrovic and Manor Solomon having lost a key player in Carvalho. Mitrovic has failed to light up the Premier League in his previous appearances but is a legend of the Championship. I expect the team to finish 19th in the table and ultimately get relegated.
LEEDS UNITED - LAST SEASON (17th - 38 POINTS)
Transfers In
Brenden Aaronson (RB Salzburg/Midfielder), Rasmus Kristensen (RB Salzburg/Defender), Marc Roca (Bayern Munich/Midfielder), Darko Gyabi (Manchester City/Midfield), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/Midfielder), Luis Sinisterra (Feyenoord/Winger), Sonny Perkins (Forward)
Transfers Out
Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Raphinha (Barcelona)
Leeds United went from finishing in ninth in the table to escaping relegation, pulling of a similar escape to Everton. Marcelo Bielsa stuck to his ways while injuries racked up and he was sacked and replaced by Jesse Marsch. Marsch managed to solidify the defence to a certain extent and score enough points to survive in the league. The summer has been a productive one for the club with Marsch bringing in three Red Bull players. Sinisterra is also highly rated and seen as a replacement for Raphinha. They have made good signings across the pitch and the club will hope they gel together and get results. Leeds played five friendlies during the summer, winning three, drawing one and losing the other. I think Leeds will have a better season than they did last year and won’t be trying to avoid relegation. I see them finishing 14th in the table and showing progression under Marsch.
LEICESTER CITY - LAST SEASON (8th - 52 POINTS)
Transfers Out
Kasper Schmeichel (Nice)
To say Leicester have had an underwhelming summer would be a cautious narrative. They are the only club in the Premier League yet to make a signing and they recently sold Schmeichel a mainstay in goal and their captain. Not losing anyone is a positive but there are teams circling for players like Maddison and Fofana and the club are struggling financially. They did well to end the season strongly and finish in the top 10 but it does not like they will be able to match that feat this season. They played six friendlies over the summer, winning four, drawing one and losing one. There is still time to do business and maybe my view could change post the transfer window but as of right now I expect the team to be fighting for a top 10 finish but drop down to 12th next season.
LIVERPOOL - LAST SEASON (2nd - 92 POINTS)
Transfers In
Fabio Carvalho (Fulham/Midfielder), Darwin Nunez (Benfica/Striker), Calvin Ramsay (Aberdeen/Defender)
Transfers Out
Divock Origi (AC Milan), Loris Karius (Released), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest)
Liverpool came close to winning the quadruple but fell short in the league and lost the Champions League final. They won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup thanks to penalties against Chelsea. Origi, and Minamino have left the club but the significant departure is that of Mane. Liverpool have replaced them with Carvalho, and Nunez while Ramsay is cover for Trent but these players will take time to adjust to the style and system. They already beat Manchester City in the Community Shield last weekend and have played five friendlies over the summer, winning two and losing three. The pressure is on Jurgen Klopp because at the end of the day he has won one each of everything he can win at the club but he has spent seven seasons to accomplish that. Compared to him Guardiola has four Premier League titles. Liverpool have the same amount of PL titles as Chelsea during the Pep and Klopp era and Chelsea have not contested since 2016-2017. I expect Liverpool to obviously challenge for the title but once again they will probably fall short and finish second. I have a sneaky feeling though that they could drop further and finish below second. Only time will tell.
MANCHESTER CITY - LAST SEASON (CHAMPIONS - PREMIER LEAGUE)
Transfers In
Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund/Striker), Stefan Ortega (Free/Goalkeeper), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United/Midfielder), Julian Alvarez (River Plate/Striker)
Transfers Out
Fernandinho (Released), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough/Loan), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal)
It has been a summer of change for Manchester City with key players like Fernandinho, Jesus, Sterling, and Zinchenko leaving the club. Haaland, and Kalvin Phillips have come in while Julian Alvarez was signed in January. The club are still searching for a left back. Guardiola and the new signings will have to adjust quickly to the system and the loss to Liverpool was mainly due to a lack of cohesion in the squad at the moment. They won both their pre-season friendlies during the summer but City usually start most seasons in poor form. By the end of the season they are usually heading for another title. I expect City to win the title again although there may be a few more bumps along the way than last season. I don’t expect the top two to pull away from the rest of the top four and I expect single digits to separate all the top from fourth. City still have the best squad though and Guardiola will be searching for a hattrick along with finally breaking the Champions League curse.
MANCHESTER UNITED - LAST SEASON (6th - 58 POINTS)
Transfers In
Tyrell Malacia (Feyenoord/Defender), Christian Eriksen (Free/Midfielder), Lisandro Martinez (Ajax/Defender)
Transfers Out
Edinson Cavani (Released), Juan Mata (Released), Paul Pogba (Released), Jesse Lingard (Released), Lee Grant (Released), Nemanja Matic (Released), Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest/Loan), Andreas Pereira (Fulham)
Manchester United were title challengers when the season started but ended the season with their worst points total in Premier League history and sat sixth in the table. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer was sacked during the season and replaced with Ralf Rangnick who came in as an interim manager. The club appointed Erik ten Hag as the permanent manager towards the end of the season and he is now fully in charge for the new season. Several players have left the club but United have failed to get sufficient reinforcements. Eriksen and Martinez are good signings but don’t cover all the bases. They played six pre-season friendlies, winning three, drawing two and losing one. For United this should be treated as a transition season. If they get top four via some miracle it should be seen as a massive overachievement although if they get some new signings in then that might not be the case. I expect United to finish sixth in the table but under pressure from clubs below them. The football should be better but with there is only so much you can do to change existing players. It will be an interesting season at Old Trafford.
NEWCASTLE UNITED - LAST SEASON (11th - 49 POINTS)
Transfers In
Nick Pope (Burnley/Goalkeeper), Matt Targett (Aston Villa/Defender), Sven Botman (Lille/Defender)
Transfers Out
Isaac Hayden (Norwich/Loan), Jeff Hendrick (Reading/Loan), Ciaran Clark (Sheffield United/Loan), Dwight Gayle (Stoke City)
Newcastle United had a rollercoaster season. They started last season under the ownership of Mike Ashley and with Steve Bruce as manager and ended it with the Saudi Arabian PIF as their owners and Eddie Howe as manager. They went from relegation contenders to almost finishing in the top half of the table. This summer has seen them improve their defence with Pope, Targett, and Botman coming in. Newcastle were quite solid towards the end of the season but Howe will still look to target some offensive reinforcements before the window closes. The club played six friendlies during pre-season, winning four and losing two. I expect Newcastle to be fighting for a top 10 finish and I expect them to finish seventh in the table.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST - LAST SEASON (PLAY OFF CHAMPIONS)
Transfers In
Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin/Striker), Dean Henderson (Manchester United/Goalkeeper) Loan, Giulian Biancone (Troyes/Defender), Moussa Niakhate (Mainz/Defender), Omar Richards (Bayern Munich/Defender), Neco Williams (Liverpool/Defender), Wayne Hennessey (Burnley/Goalkeeper), Harry Toffolo (Huddersfield Town/Defender), Lewis O’Brien (Huddersfield Town/Midfielder), Jesse Lingard (Free/Winger), Orel Mangala (Stuttgart/Midfielder)
Nottingham Forest are back in the Premier League for the first time in 23 years. The historic club have two Champions League to their name but have spent the last two decades in the Championship struggling to compete. Under the leadership of Steve Cooper they finally managed to earn promotion by winning the play-offs. They have had a busy summer signing eleven senior players that have a mix of Premier League and European experience. Signing so many players in one go is never ideal but Forest have ambitious owners and they know they have to compete quickly to survive. They played seven friendlies during pre-season, winning two, drawing three, and losing two. I have a feeling that Nottingham Forest will use their support and history to their advantage and will manage to stay up this season. They could finish mid table but I put them 17th.
SOUTHAMPTON - LAST SEASON (15th - 40 POINTS)
Transfers In
Gavin Bazunu (Manchester City/Goalkeeper), Mateusz Lis (Altay/Goalkeeper), Armel Bella-Kotchap (VFL Bochum/Defender), Romeo Lavia (Manchester City/Midfielder), Joe Aribo (Rangers/Winger), Sekou Mara (Bordeaux/Striker)
Transfers Out
Fraser Forster (Tottenham), Shane Long (Released)
Southampton did not have the best 2022-2023 season and thanks to a decent start they finished 15th in the table. Other than Aribo all the other signings they have made this summer are younger players who would not be expected to make an instant impact. They haven’t sold anyone of note which is a positive but Armando Broja did return to Chelsea from his loan. They played five friendlies during pre-season, winning one, drawing two, and losing two games. The Saints have spent several seasons in the league but recently they have spent the last 2-3 season flirting with the bottom five. I expect them to be fighting for survival this season and I do think they might finish 18th and get relegated.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR - LAST SEASON (4th - 71 POINTS)
Transfers In
Ivan Perisic (Free/Winger), Fraser Forster (Southampton/Goalkeeper), Yves Bissouma (Brighton and Hove Albion/Midfielder), Richarlison (Everton/Striker), Clement Lenglet (Barcelona/Defender) Loan, Djed Spence (Middlesbrough/Defender)
Transfers Out
Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Joe Rodon (Rennes/Loan)
Tottenham were yet another team that started the season poorly under Nuno Espirito Santo but their fortunes changed when they sacked him and appointed Antonio Conte. Conte got to work and over the course of the season they improved and finished as one of the inform teams in the league. They secured Champions League football ahead of local rivals Arsenal and will be expected to build on a fourth place finish in the upcoming season. Conte has been backed like no previous manager has been with quality players like Perisic, Bissouma, Richarlison and others. Spurs played four friendlies during pre-season, winning two, drawing one and losing one. Tottenham will be up there challenging within the top four this season. I expect them to finish fourth but it’s going to be close within the top four and anything could happen. A very interesting season for Spurs fans.
WEST HAM UNITED - LAST SEASON (7th - 56 POINTS)
Transfers In
Nayef Aguerd (Rennes/Defender), Alphonse Areola (PSG/Goalkeeper), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo/Striker)
Transfers Out
Ryan Fredricks (Released), Mark Noble (Retired), Andriy Yarmolenko (Released), Arthur Masuaku (Besiktas/Loan)
West Ham did brilliantly last season finishing seventh and just almost won the Europa League but lost in the final. West Ham have done some good business in the market this summer and Scamacca is an eye-catching signing but they are still looking to do more. No major departures from the club so far either. They have played six pre-season friendlies, winning one, drawing four, and losing once. I think West Ham United will be challenging within the top ten this season but due to Europa Conference League football they could finish eighth in the league.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS - LAST SEASON (10th - 51 POINTS)
Transfers In
Nathan Collins (Burnley/Defender)
Transfers Out
Marcal (Released), John Ruddy (Released), Roman Saiss (Released), Ki-Jana Hoever (PSV/Loan), Fabio Silva (Anderlecht/Loan)
Wolves did well last season and one of the best defences in the league but they have goal scoring issues and have not resolved them. They played eight pre-season friendlies, winning four, drawing two, and losing two. I don’t think Wolves have strengthened enough this summer and other teams have done better in the window. I think the club will drop down to 14th in the table this season. If they do end up signing a forward or two then that outlook could change. Only deadline day will tell us that.