It’s the week that all football fans have been waiting for. The Premier League is back! After three months of waiting, the Premier League returns this Friday with an 8pm kick off between Man United and Fulham at Old Trafford. Although we had the European Football Championship and the Copa America to get us through the summer, it didn’t match the same thrill and excitement that the Premier League brings us on a weekly basis.
Pre season is over and Premier League coaches have had their time to analyse and inspect their squads ahead of the long season. Players have come and gone and the anticipation to see how these new signings adapt to the league will be intriguing. It’s time to strap in as we set off on another rollercoaster of a season.
Arsenal
Arsenal have been knocking on the door for the past two seasons and have fallen just short on both occasions. Mikel Arteta’s men were excellent last season and were unfortunate to miss out on the league title by just two points. They will need another strong season to match their rivals and finish ahead of both Man City and Liverpool.
Their transfer dealings have been quiet with just two signings during the summer. David Raya completed his permanent transfer to Arsenal after a short loan with the club last season while Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori signed from Bologna after impressing during the Euros. Emile Smith-Rowe left the club to sign for Fulham which has been their most notable departure.
The Gunners will need a fully fit squad throughout the season to keep up with their rivals. With Champions League football on the horizon once again, Arteta will require more signings to allow for necessary squad rotation throughout the year. Bukayo Saka has been their talisman in recent years and will need him playing at this peak, along with Saliba and Odegaard to impact their final position. Arsenal will be close once again I feel. They have all bought into the system that Arteta wants to play and they will believe they can compete against City to bring the league title back to the club for the first time in 21 years.
Aston Villa
After a sublime 2023/24 season, what’s in store for Villa this season? Unai Emery has brought excitement and pride back to Villa Park and the club now has the Champions League to prepare for. Villa will be satisfied that they have kept hold of their main man, Ollie Watkins, during the summer as there were many clubs seeking the signature of the England striker. They have lost Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby during this transfer window but have had significant gains to boost their squad. Luis Dobbin, Ian Maatsen, Enzo Barrenechea, Samuel Iling-Junior, Ross Barkley, Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene and Amadou Onana have all joined the Villans and will provide Emery with the necessary reinforcements for an action packed season ahead.
They will need the fine form of Leon Bailey, John McGinn and Emi Martinez to continue from last season if they are to fend off the elite clubs from a top four spot. Should they end the season in better form than last year and match their performances against the top sides that was evident throughout last season, Villa will finish in the top four again but they face a much stiffer test this season.
Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola’s first season in the Premier League was a successful one with his Bournemouth side. The Cherries finished in 12th place, just one point off a top ten finish. They produced some fine performances last season and have created a new identity under the Spanish boss. Although ending the season with three straight defeats, fans have been positive with this side and look forward to the season ahead.
They will however enter the 24/25 season without top goalscorer from last season, Dominic Solanke, who has joined Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £65 million. It is a blow to Iraola’s offensive options but he will be hoping new signings Luis Sinisterra, Enes Unal, Alex Paulsen, Daniel Jebbison and former Barcelona player Juilan Araujo will strengthen his side for the season ahead. They will have a plan in place to replace Solanke as he has been the topic of many conversations by clubs after his emphatic goal scoring exploits last season.
Bournemouth enter every season with aspirations of reaching a top ten finish and avoiding a dreaded relegation scrap. Under Iraola, fans are dreaming and will be hoping for a higher finish and possibly even a place in the European spots.
Brentford
Club supporters will be pleased at the fact that Thomas Frank remains with Brentford after speculation about taking up a new position as head coach of Bayern Munich and Chelsea this summer. The Dane will continue his impressive role as Brentford head coach and a brilliant job he has done. He has kept his side up in the Premier League since their promotion back in 2021. Having finished in 9th place the 22/23 season, they will be disappointed with last season’s performances and finishing 7 places lower in 16th.
Ivan Toney has remained with the club and his experience will be valuable for this side, having missed the first half of last season due to a suspension. Alongside Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will need to keep fit to see Brentford finish higher in the table. The signings of Igor Thiago and Fabian Carvalho are a much needed boost for Frank and he will be hoping for his side to return to their 2022/23 form.
Brighton
This time last year, Brighton were stuck in the middle of a transfer tug-of-war with Liverpool and Chelsea over the signing of Moises Caicedo who inevitably chose the Blues in a British record breaking £115 million deal. It has been a much quieter summer this year for the Seagulls who look forward to a fresh start with new head coach Fabian Hürzeler at the helm. Pascal Gross has left the club in order to sign with German giants, Borussia Dortmund, in what has been a tame transfer market for Brighton.
Finishing last season five places lower than the season previous, Brighton fans will be aiming to get back to the heights they once reached and compete with the league’s elite for European qualification once again. 11th place has been their lowest position in the last three seasons and they will be heavily relying on Joao Pedro to perform as well as last season. The Seagulls will hope that Evan Ferguson can get back to his top form and help with the goal scoring, as well as Simon Adingra, who has been brilliant since his introduction to the Premier League.
A big season ahead for Hürzeler as he will hope that he can win over Brighton fans and bring exciting football to the Amex as Potter and De Zerbi have previously achieved.
Chelsea
Where do you even begin? Has there ever been a club that has so much drama during a summer hiatus? Mauricio Pochettino left his job mutually back in May after a meeting with the club board. After a number of weeks of searching, Enzo Maresca was hired as the new head coach, a decision that was a surprise to many. Since then, Chelsea have brought seven new signings into their already inflated squad and are not finished there with news coming this week that Joao Felix and Victor Osimhen could be completing moves to Stamford Bridge. Having lost Thiago Silva, there is a huge question mark over their defence and they will hope that new signing Tosin Adarabioyo will help with this loss.
Chelsea finished in sixth place last season, six places better than their miserable 2022/23 season. They have a European journey to compete with this season after qualifying for the Europa Conference League. It’s not what they strive for at this club but it is where they currently lie at present. A tough opening fixture against the champions Man City will reveal a lot about where this team will go this season.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace enter this season with a fantastic manager in charge. Since taking over from Roy Hodgson, he has brought an exciting style to this team and they had an impressive run of form to end the season in tenth place, their best finish since 2015. They relied heavily on the combination of Eze and Olise but lost the French man to Bayern Munich during the summer window. They have brought in a number of new signings and will be busy still as the end of the window nears. Chadi Riad, Daichi Kamada and Ismaila Sarr will be wearing the red and blue of Palace this season and hope they can impress their faithful fans.
Glasner has only had part of a season in charge and produced big results. With a pre-season behind him and new players to rejuvenate the squad, Crystal Palace could surprise many this season. The breakthrough of rising star Adam Wharton has been one of Glasner’s big achievements. The midfielder personifies calmness and plays with a simplicity that will be a huge positive for the Eagles this season. An exciting time for Palace fans and a favourable start to the season.
Everton
It hasn’t been easy for Everton these past few seasons. They have been battling relegation for the last three seasons and had to endure an eight point deduction last season following two separate breaches of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules. With all their hardships off the field, Sean Dyche has galvanised his side and they hope this season will be a lot more positive. With a lot of outgoings, Everton have had to rebuild with this squad and will rely on a fit and firing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to regain his top form. Their defence has been boosted with Jarrad Branthwaite remaining at the club and the signing of Irish defender Jake O’Brien from Lyon.
They have not added a lot to their midfield and attacking ranks which will need to be strengthened before the window closes. Everton will look at the start of their season with a positive outlook as there are games there to pick up valuable points. With only thirteen wins last season, Sean Dyche will have to get a lot more out of this squad if they are to climb back up the table. The club has suffered over the past couple of years and they need to get their house in order before they can dream of competing for European places again. It’s feeling very much like a relegation scrap will be in store for the Toffees again this season.
Fulham
The Cottagers have built a belief amongst themselves that they can compete in this league. They have previously been a team that were viewed as relegation contenders but Marco Silva has removed that perception. Fulham have finished far off the relegation places since their promotion back to the Premier League and have done so in fine fashion. This squad has a fine balance to it between youth and experience and have further added to it by signing Emile Smith-Rowe and Ryan Sessegnon. Their attacking options are vast with the dynamic options of Muniz, Jiminez, Traore, Iwobi and Vinicius. Rodrigo Muniz has been a vital replacement for Mitrovic, scoring nine goals last season. In defence, Antonee Robinson has attracted a lot of attention for his performances last season but he has remained with the club, showing how well Marco Silva has done overall while in charge.
Finishing the season with only one win in their final five games ended the year on a negative, considering they were only three points off a top ten finish. Fulham have been quietly building and with some excellent business done during the summer, a top ten finish could be on the horizon.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town are back in the Premier League for the first time since 2002. 22 years they have been trying to return and they have finally reached the promised land. Kieran McKenna showed his prowess as a coach during his time at Man United, and he has been even more impressive in his role in charge at Ipswich. His side were fantastic to watch in the Championship and were very close to beating Leicester to the title. However, they now prepare for a tough season in the top division and they know it will be a challenging time back in the Premier League.
Kieran McKenna’s decision to sign a new contract with the club has been their best bit of business as many clubs, including Brighton, Chelsea and Man United, were interested in the young coach. They have also signed Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea on a permanent deal and Liam Delap from Man City on a five year deal. Two youngsters who will be eager to impress in their Premier League journey.
It will be an exciting time for the club and one that they have patiently waited for. This excitement could soon quickly disappear however, if results don’t go their way. The Tractor Boys have earned their return to the Premier League and they will be aiming to make sure it is not a short visit.
Leicester City
It’s a quick return to the Premier League for Leicester City, a year after they were relegated to the Championship. The Foxes were impressive last season and were worthy winners of the Championship. They had Enzo Maresca at the helm but he has since taken up the role of head coach of Chelsea. So how will they fare with new boss Steve Cooper? The former Forest manager has Premier League experience, it is however experience that was largely based in a relegation scrap to which is avoided. Leicester have added Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Facundo Buonanotte, Caleb Okoli and Abdul Fatawu to their ranks but have lost key midfielder Kiernan Dewbury-Hall to Chelsea also. These new signings, along with the vastly experienced Vardy, Coady, Ndidi and Vestergaard, will be key to Cooper and Co as they aim to stay in the Premier League.
Although Cooper is yet to take charge of a competitive game for the Foxes, he is an excellent coach and will rebuild this side to be competitive amongst the elite again. They kickstart their 24/25 league campaign at home to Spurs on Monday night in what is a difficult opening, but they do have favourably fixtures in their next three to try and pick up important points.
Liverpool
The Arne Slot era begins. It feels like yesterday when Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving Liverpool and end his tenure as the boss. Liverpool fans were distraught but were excited to see who would take over from the German. Slot arrives from a successful period in charge at Feyenoord, where he won the league in 22/23 and the Dutch Cup last season. The excitement has however been dampened with the lack of transfers made by the club. Liverpool are yet to make a signing in this window and have seen a lot of players exit Merseyside. They have lost experience with Thiago and Matip being released, while Fabian Carvalho has recently left to join fellow Premier League side Brentford.
There is still time for the club to sign players and were recently on the verge of signing Euro 2024 winner Martin Zubimendi until the Spaniard backed out of the deal at the last minute. Liverpool will have the Champions League to compete in once again but enter the competition with a small squad. The Reds enter the season as one of the favourites and do have a reasonable start to the season. Mo Salah will be their key man once again and Slot will hope Darwin Nunez can find his scoring form that was present during the Copa America this summer. If Liverpool can keep their key players fit and bring in new signings before deadline day, they will have a chance of knocking Man City off their perch.
Manchester City
For the fourth time in a row, Man City begin this season as defending champions. Pep Guardiola’s men have been exceptional and broke the record for most consecutive Premier League titles. They now go in search of a fifth title in a row and to create a dynasty that may never be achieved again. Standing in their way are Liverpool and Arsenal. Two sides who have competed with them over the past four seasons.
Man City were in the hunt for an unprecedented back to back treble until Real Madrid knocked them out of the Champions League and Man United defeated their rivals in the FA Cup final. They will be hurting despite claiming the Premier League crown and have started the season with silverware already after beating their closest rivals in the Community Shield last weekend. Savinho has been their only summer transfer so far while Julien Alvarez has decided to depart the champions in a €95 million deal with Atletico Madrid.
It’s been a quiet summer thus far for City and they have their full focus on the opening day. The toughest opening fixture of the weekend sees the champions travel to Stamford Bridge in a rematch of their thrilling 4-4 draw last season. Pep Guardiola knows that his side will face a stiff test again this season and they must aim to start their season well as the gap is slowly closing.
Manchester United
Despite a poor season, United ended on a positive note by defeating Man City in the FA Cup final and qualifying for the Europa League. With rumours circulating around the media prior to this final about Erik ten Hag’s position in charge of Man United, this victory secured his job and there are now talks underway about a possible contract extension. This win however does not mask the poor season United had last year. They finished in 8th position which was their worst in Premier League history. With the club now being directed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, some hope may be restored amongst the United faithful.
Man United have strengthened their defence with the signings of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, although Yoro has been injured in pre-season and will miss the opening month of action. Joshua Zirkzee has also joined the club and he will be needed to fire from the off as Rasmus Hojlund will be absent for the first two months with an injury. Ten Hag will need his stars to step up this season and reclaim their spot amongst the elite sides in Europe once more. A side with the likes of Fernandes, Rashford, Mount and Garnacho should be contending for the title and it’s ultimately where ten Hag will aim to be next May.
Newcastle United
After experiencing the heights of Champions League football last season, it was hard to come back down to earth for Magpie fans. Facing off against the likes of PSG, Dortmund and AC Milan was a dream for Eddie Howe and his side but their European hangover cost them a spot in Europe next season. With many injuries and the lengthy suspension of Tonali, Newcastle could not maintain the level of aggression they demonstrated in Europe, especially that 4-1 trouncing of PSG at St James Park. They finished in a respective 7th position but they never reached the same level of performance that saw them claim a Champions League spot the previous season.
Eddie Howe has not managed to strengthen his squad as much as he would have wanted but he has a side that is fully fit and ready to compete for a high finish again. Anthony Gordon remains at the club as well as Bruno Guimaraes who will be essential for the club to finish higher. Alexander Isak will be their main scoring threat and will need to stay fit if they are to contend for a spot in Europe again.
Nottingham Forest
It has been a challenge for Forest to remain in the Premier League and they have just about held on to their survival since their promotion two seasons ago. Their four point deduction following a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules didn’t help their cause but they managed to fend off Luton Town and maintain their Premier League status for another year. Nuno Espírito Santo has had to deal with a lot of issues off and on the pitch since he took over from Steve Cooper and he will be hoping that he and his side can strictly focus on matters on the pitch.
There has been a host of signings both incoming and outgoing at the club during the summer. There has been a total of 19 outgoings from last year’s squad while Forest have seen seven new signings join the club. It has been chaotic for Nuno at the helm and it is going to be a challenge again to survive the relegation scrap. Chris Wood was their top scorer last season and they will need both him and Morgan Gibbs-White to steer the side away from relegation trouble and strive for mid-table. Their first three fixtures against Bournemouth, Southampton and Wolves will be critical in their start to the season and they will need to pick up points to begin on a positive note.
Southampton
Similar to Leicester City, Southampton return to the Premier League after a one year absence. They had to endure the dreaded play-off run to gain promotion but they did so in fine fashion. Russell Martin has a relatively inexperienced squad to compete in the Premier League and he knows they will have to suffer in games if they are to remain in the top division. The Saints have boosted their squad with a lot of signings, especially Ben Brereton Diaz and Adam Lallana.
The Saints will travel to Newcastle on the opening weekend, backed by a loyal and loud support. It is a big game for the club as they are viewed as favourites for the drop by many. It has been eight years since the brilliant eighth place finish under Claude Puel and Southampton fans only dream of repeating something similar this season. It will take a huge effort and as long as the Saints remain in the top flight, the fans won’t care what position it is.
Tottenham Hotspur
Last season Ange Postecoglou started his career at Spurs in emphatic fashion. Spurs were unbeaten in the league until the 6th of November and sitting on top of the league. It was a dream start for Spurs and many began to think that Ange had created a title challenging team. This lead soon diminished and Tottenham started to slowly drop down the league table. The side suffered many injuries which cost them greatly toward the end of the season. The signings of Timo Werner, Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke will be a huge sigh of relief for Ange as he will hope that he won’t suffer the same misfortune as last year.
Tottenham always seem to begin the year positively before fading away as the season progresses. They challenged Aston Villa for that final Champions League spot but ultimately lost out by two points after losing three of their final five games. The time has come for Tottenham to eliminate the stigma of being a soft side and challenge for major honours. Lead by their captain Son Heung-min, there could be a big season in store for Spurs should they keep everyone fit and healthy.
West Ham United
It has been an exquisite summer by the Hammers. Julen Lopetegui has wasted no time in building his team as they have signed eight new players in a statement of intent by the club. West Ham finished 9th place in David Moyes’ last season in charge. They have had extraordinary runs in Europe and his West Ham career will always be remembered. It’s a new era for the club and they will go into the new season with plenty of optimism.
The signings of Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Jean-Clair Todibo will be met with cheers by the Hammers fans when they take the field at the London Stadium. Jarrad Bowen will be critical to Lopetegui if he is to be successful in his first season in charge as well as Paqueta and Kudus. There is a good feeling around West Ham at present and they could be in for a big season. A European spot could be on the cards once again for the Hammers.
Wolves
It’s been relatively comfortable for Wolves over the past few seasons and they have been consistent in their efforts to remain as a Premier League side. Gary O’Neil has been working hard with his squad over the summer and will be aiming for a top ten finish. Wolves were on the wrong side of VAR calls too many times last season and they were pushing for the removal of the system for the season ahead. It will remain in place and O’Neil, as well as many others, will be hoping that it will be a lot better this season ahead. There hasn’t been much action on the transfer front but Wolves fans will be delighted that key man Matheus Cunha remains with the club. Pedro Neto has departed the club to sign for Chelsea so they may not be finished in the transfer market just yet.
A 14th place finish was a small success for the club last year but they will be hoping for better then year round. Gary O’Neil will have his side well organised and they will bring an intensity that will compete with any side in the league. Another mid table place will be satisfactory for Wolves this season.
Premier League Table Prediction
1- Arsenal
2- Man City
3- Liverpool
4- Tottenham
5- Chelsea
6- Man United
7- West Ham
8- Newcastle
9- Aston Villa
10- Fulham
11-Crystal Palace
12- Brighton
13- Bournemouth
14-Wolves
15- Brentford
16- Everton
17- Ipswich Town
18- Leicester City
19- Nottingham Forest
20- Southampton