Updated 11 Aug 2023 6:53 pm:
A new season is upon us! Last season I predicted the Premier League table and it’s fair to say I got plenty wrong (sorry Brentford and Fulham in particular as I predicted both West London clubs to be relegated). So it’s time to redeem myself. Without further ado, let’s begin from bottom to top, with my Premier League predictions.
20th – Sheffield United
In March of this year, knowledge was widespread of Sheffield United’s financial concerns. As stated by Football League World, Sheffield suffered “cash-flow problems leading to them defaulting on outstanding transfer payments and the EFL placing them under a transfer embargo.” While this embargo was ultimately lifted, their transfer business has been uninspired thus far. This makes the already precipitous mountain to climb in hopes of Premier League survival even steeper. Blades fans have claimed similar, making for a bleak season ahead.
Sheffield is currently operating in a positive net spend this summer, emphasising how cautious the club must be with their finances. To give credit where due, Bénie Traoré is a bargain considering his long-term potential – the same can be said for Anis Slimane. In the here and now, however, Sheffield lacks Premier League quality players. Anel Ahmedhodzic and John Egan stand out as perhaps two of the only players able to make the jump to Premier League football.
Outgoings are far more concerning than incomings for Sheffield. Senegalese international Illiman Ndiaye – who was the top scorer alongside players’ and fans’ Player of the Season for Sheffield in 2022-23 – has departed for Marseille. Ollie Mcburnie and Sander Berge depart also – the latter to Burnley of all clubs. Vini Souza comes in to replace him, but will he have a similar impact?
Paul Heckingbottom has undoubtedly made a remarkable impact at Sheffield thus far, but this seems to be the ceiling. All three newly promoted clubs look likely to struggle, but Sheffield is the weakest of the trio.
19th – Wolverhampton Wanderers
Predicting Wolves for relegation shouldn’t be an easy choice. The West Midlands club have achieved two seventh-place and one tenth-place finish in the five-year Premier League stint. Yet, it’s swiftly crumbled apart, with many key players gone and even Julian Lopetegui agreeing to leave Wolves. If Midlands rivals Leicester City can face relegation – given what they’ve achieved in the past seven years – then Wolves certainly could.
Over this summer, Ruben Neves, Conor Coady, Adama Traore, João Moutinho and Raúl Jiménez – all players who’ve played integral roles at Wolves in recent seasons – are gone. Nathan Collins is yet another first-team player who’s departed and overall, the squad has neither quality nor quantity. Squad depth is almost non-existent in defence and in attack, goals are arduous to come by.
Incomings hardly look inspiring. Matt Doherty returning is not necessarily a blessing. The Irish fullback isn’t the same player who left Wolves back in 2020. He’s 31 years old and played just 18 times last season. Meanwhile, Wolves have bitten a bullet by signing Mattheus Cunha on a permanent deal. Cunha significantly underperformed during his loan last season and now Wolves have paid roughly £50 million for the Brazilian. Boubacar Traoré is nowhere near the quality of Neves or Moutinho, raising concerns over the quality of Wolves’ midfield.
With Gary O’Neill set to replace the Spaniard Lopetegui, I’m sympathetic to his task. In theory, he’s an ideal candidate following his successful stint at A.F.C Bournemouth last season. He remains unproven outside of Bournemouth however and doesn’t exactly have the time or funds to adjust this squad.
18th – Luton Town
Following Wolves and fellow promoted side Sheffield United back to the Championship will be Luton. A miracle would have to occur for Luton to stay up, and while stranger things have happened in the Premier League, Rob Edwards isn’t going to keep the Hatters up.
Given their constricted budget – even with the money earned via promotion – it comes as no shock that Luton’s signings are…concerning. Marvelous Nakamba and Ryan Giles are perhaps the closest to Premier League quality that will be brought in. Giles impressed at Middlesbrough last season with 11 assists from left-back, meanwhile, Nakamba has joined Luton following a successful loan with the Hatters last campaign. Even so, there’s every chance this leap will be extravagant.
In recent seasons we have seen several clubs in their first topflight spell in many years (or ever) survive against the odds, sometimes dramatically exceeding expectations. Whether it’s Leeds United, Brentford of AFC Bournemouth; Brighton, Nottingham Forest or Huddersfield Town: they have all achieved this feat. However – while they’ll undoubtedly have a morale boost – it feels farfetched for Luton to survive.
Nathan Jones being tasked with Luton’s survival could’ve oddly given the Hatters a better chance. This is undeniably a hot take – with his Southampton spell fresh in mind – but remember how much Jones accomplished with Luton! Edwards has inherited the team and credit where it’s due: the 40-year-old has done a terrific job so far. However, this is Jones’ team. Wouldn’t it be intriguing to see Jones take charge halfway through the season?
17th – Everton
Everton yet again faces an imminent relegation battle. With financial concerns and a stadium to build, Everton must survive, or the consequences of relegation will be disastrous. Fortunately for them, I predict them to achieve consecutive seventeenth-place finishes.
Everton’s starting eleven looks adequate for the job. James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite could become a safe centre-back partnership, perhaps the best the Toffees have had for quite some time. Midfield options are also decent, including Amadou Onana, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gana Gueye. Then you have Jordan Pickford, who in the past two seasons has been instrumental in the Toffees’ survival. Unfortunately, Everton’s quality is wildly inconsistent.
In the 2022-23 campaign, Everton scored a woeful 34 goals. Arnaut Danjuma has come in with ambitions to improve this tally, but it’s probable Everton score less than 40 goals and Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggles with injuries yet again. I also highly doubt Alex Iwobi or Dwight McNeil will contribute much to goalscoring efforts either. So clean sheets will be critical in their survival bid, but full-back options are also weak.
Sean Dyche is an integral component of this side. For years he managed to keep Burnley in the Premier League on a shoestring. Over the next few seasons – until the new stadium is built at least – their priority is survival, and there are a few better managers on the market who could undergo this task. He’ll utilise the finite resources and provide Everton with the best chance of survival. As such, they’ll stay up… just.
16th – Nottingham Forest
Last season, I correctly predicted Nottingham Forest to finish sixteenth. I’ll predict this once again because the squad has hardly improved, if at all. Forest will at times be in a precarious position, as the gap between themselves and the four teams below is minimal. But with Everton and Wolves as examples, I’m confident Forest will have a superior goal tally.
Forest has correctly begun trimming down the squad. Signing 30 players in the 2022-23 season took the Premier League by surprise, although for the wrong reasons. Many of these additions underperformed significantly during the season, which has resulted in several departures. It’s no wonder Forest sacked former Sporting Director Filippo Giraldi after just six months, following the endless list of confusing additions.
On the other hand, Anthony Elanga is the only summer signing I see making a positive impact, perhaps aiding them in their goalscoring efforts. Even with Matt Turner in, the goalkeeper position has seen an enormous downgrade from Keylor Navas and Dean Henderson. But at least Forest hasn’t spent absurd amounts this summer.
Whilst I’m assured Forest will at least match their goal tally from last season (38), they could concede also concede more than last season (68). With substandard centre-back and goalkeeper options, it could be a torrid time at the back.
At the other end of the pitch, the attacking trio of Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi impressed at times but appeared to be inconsistent. This trio only scored 23 goals last season, a tally which must be improved. I’m sure it will too because Awoniyi is the older of the trio at only 25 years old. All three will improve and could take the league by storm, making Notts Forest a team to score and concede plenty of goals; an injury to any of the three could prove disastrous.
While it could capitulate in the future, for now, Forest will survive, although not too comfortably.
15th – Burnley
I’ve seen some Premier League predictions in which Burnley is mid-table, as high as eleventh! Conversely, I see the Lancashire side in a relegation battle alongside their promoted counterparts. But I do see Burnley surviving by a few points. Their transfer business so far has been much more promising than Sheffield and Luton, which coheres as they’ve spent considerably more during the transfer window than both combined.
Swiss international Zeki Amdouni is an under-the-radar signing for a fee in the region of €18.60m (according to Transfermarkt), which seems a respectable fee. Amdouni scored 22 goals in all competitions last season for Swiss club FC Lausanne-Sport. Even if he can score eight in the Premier League, those eight goals could be vital in a survival bid.
Hopefully, Wout Weghorst can be forgiven by Burnley fans and find the back of the net a few times too! Other notable signings include Jordan Beyer (who was on loan to Burnley last season), Nathan Redmond (free transfer) and James Trafford, (the 20-year-old Goalkeeper signed from Manchester City), alongside recent addition Sander Berge, from Sheffield United.
Vincent Kompany looks to be improving as a manager too! His stint as manager of Anderlecht was criticised, but it seems he’s taken strides and learnt valuable lessons from his time at the Belgian Titans. His star power in England alone proves a vital asset to the Clarets, who’ve secured substantial signings (especially those from former club Manchester City) thanks to this. Fifteenth is what I’ll predict because while the new signings can prove useful, there aren’t too many players who’d potentially get into a top-half Premier League side.
14th – Fulham
Marco Silva’s Fulham made strides last season with a tenth-place finish! Following a yo-yo spell, Fulham fans thought their team would never achieve back-to-back Premier League campaigns. Alas, the curse is broken, and I for one trust they’ll secure a third consecutive season. Although, Fulham could drop down the table by several places.
Star striker Alexander Mitrovic has been rumoured to depart from the West London club. If he’s sold, Fulham lose a significant percentage of their goals. Mitrovic scored 14 of Fulham’s 55 goals in the 2022-23 Premier League season: next best was Willian (also rumoured to leave) and Carlos Vinícius with just five goals each. While In the unlikely scenario where Mitrovic stays, Fulham could achieve a top-half finish.
In regard to stats, Fulham were somewhat fortunate to concede 53 goals last season (which still is a moderately high tally). According to FootyStats, Fulham overall conceded 1.39 goals per game, despite their expected goals against being 1.65 per game. As such, they conceded ten goals less than expected, indicating some fortune but also standout performances of goalkeeper Bernd Leno and defensive midfielder João Palhinha. A drop-off in performances from either would be game-changing.
Transfers have hardly been inspiring this summer, with centre-back Calvin Bassey perhaps the only player who gets into the first eleven. Centre-back is a position of concern for Fulham, so it’s good to see them address this, albeit with a player who underperformed at Ajax. Overall, Fulham have taken a backwards step but should still comfortably remain in the Premier League.
13th – A.F.C Bournemouth
Gary O’Neill’s departure may concern a portion of Bournemouth supporters but rest assured: Andoni Iraola is capable to take the helm. Iraola is an auspicious, youthful Spanish coach who – at only 41 years old – has gained a superb reputation, due to his three-season stint with LaLiga club Rayo Vallecano. During this spell, Iraola’s side gained promotion to LaLiga from LaLiga 2 in 2021, his first season with Vallecano! Two twelfth-place finishes in subsequent La Liga seasons alongside a semi-final of the 2021-22 Copa del Rey evidence his ability to work with minimal funds to overachieve.
Now let’s talk about the team. Since Scott Parker’s controversial press conference (which resulted in his dismissal as Bournemouth manager), the south-coast side has made some shrewd signings. Antonine Semenyo, Illya Zabarnyi and Dango Ouattara arrived in January 2023, all of which look to be high-potential prospects.
As for this summer, Milos Kerkez is one to watch, and so is Hamed Traoré, who sealed his permanent move following a loan move to Bournemouth last season. On the flip side, integral components such as Philip Billing, Marcus Tavernier and Dominic Solanke remain at Bournemouth and will have to improve their goal tallies.
While they’ve not spent hundreds of millions like many in the Premier League, that’ll be okay by Iraola, as he looks to match those twelfth-place finishes with Vallecano. With a solid defensive midfielder, this is possible but for now, I will say thirteenth for Bournemouth.
12th – Brentford
Time and time again, Brentford amaze me. Like Brighton (we’ll get to them soon enough), the Bees are run incredibly, proving that with patience and a solid business model any club could establish themselves in the Premier League. Finishing ninth last season was evidence of this, and while I see them finishing a little lower this time out, their progress is mesmerising.
Losing Ivan Toney for the first half of the season is a cause for concern for Brentford. Out of the Bees’ 106 Premier League goals over the last two seasons, Toney has scored 32 and assisted a further nine. But let’s not take away from the rest of this wonderfully constructed squad.
Several players have developed their game exponentially and proven themselves in Thomas Frank’s system. Ethan Pinnock, Rico Henry, Josh Dasilva, Bryan Mbuemo and more have become fantastic players during their time at Brentford. I’m confident they will do just fine, but without Toney for half a season I doubt they’ll be anywhere near the European spots.
Twelfth is fair in my eyes because even without Toney, their game plan is often effective. Even so, Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa can step up to score goals during Toney’s absence.
11th – Crystal Palace
Last season, I correctly predicted Crystal Palace to finish eleventh. I’ll predict this once again because the squad has hardly improved, if at all. Yes, you’re experiencing déjà vu as I said similar about Nottingham Forest. Roy Hodgson is well and truly back at the club which revived his career, following a disappointing spell as England’s manager. The 75-year-old proved at the back end of the last season that he’s still capable of Premier League management.
Palace have been quiet so far in the transfer window, with two signings: Jefferson Lerma is one of those. Lerma can do a job and provide depth, especially with the departures of fellow midfielders James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic. I’d also argue this is an upgrade. More importantly – aside from Zaha – Palace have maintained their crucial players. Centre-backs Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi are a brilliant duo and often go underappreciated. Speaking of which, while Zaha is a miss, the impressive form of Eberechi Eze can soften the blow.
What excites me about this Palace side is the sheer quantity of promising talents, despite squad depth not being their strong suit. It’s almost become a novelty to assume that Palace will get 40-something points, but it’s a safe and plausible bet. With the quality of the top 10 teams in the League, it’ll be a challenge to equal them. Palace have the best chance, sure, but this will be a step too far this season. Assuming the likes of Eze, Guehi and Cheick Doucouré remain fit, it’ll be a comfortable mid-table season for the Eagles again.
10th – West Ham United
Just a few days ago I had West Ham in a relegation battle. This is because their situation has swiftly transitioned from one of concern, to optimism, to turmoil, and back to optimism again across the summer. Rumours are circulating regarding David Moyes and his status at West Ham. His frustrations at a lack of transfer activity following Rice’s departure were reported, which in hand has resulted in West Ham attempting to bring signings through the door.
Alas, tensions have been eased as money is being spent. Edson Álvarez joins for a fee in the region of £35m, replacing Declan Rice, who of course was sold to Arsenal for an estimated £105m. Assuming he performs well, Álvarez will prove a shrewd signing amidst a £70m profit! James Ward-Prowse and Harry Maguire have reportedly had fees agreed to. It took a while for the ball to roll but West Ham could have a fantastic window at this rate.
European commitments will stretch the squad to an extent, as we witnessed last season. However, the disappointing fourteenth-place finish of last season is unlikely to be repeated; I feel it was merely a blip. Moyes has certainly proven his worth with the Hammers following a European Conference League win. Thanks in part to this and a weaker Premier League all around (the newly promoted teams are weak on paper) Tenth is feasible.
9th – Tottenham Hotspur
My prediction for Spurs has flip-flopped over the past few days. Now with Spurs accepting a bid in the region of £100m for Harry Kane, everything changes. Ninth is now what I predict assuming that Kane leaves because his impact is integral to Spurs, in relation to goal threat and general style of play.
Regarding signings, James Maddison is the one most football fans are discussing. Maddison would undoubtedly offer creativity from midfield, something which Spurs have lacked since the departure of Christian Eriksen. Elsewhere, goalkeeper Vicario, centre-back Micky van de Ven, and left winger Manor Solomon flesh out the squad quite significantly. Centre-back options remain a concern, even with the arrival of van de Ven. After all, they conceded 63 goals in the Premier League last season, which was the sixth most, so there’s a necessity for improved defensive options.
The jury is out on Ange Postecoglou’s suitability for both Spurs and the Premier League. Although, he’s managed since 1996 and competently so. Much of that has been in Australia yes, but he also displayed his managerial capabilities during his time at Celtic. Time will tell, and if Kane leaves, could all eyes be on him, as Spurs looks for a replacement?
To be honest, Spurs could finish lower than ninth if Kane goes. However, Son Heung-min can surely improve this season and Maddison could contribute to the goal tally too. It may depend on if and how the Kane money is spent also.
8th – Brighton and Hove Albion
With Brighton’s first-ever experience in European competitions being confirmed, Robert De Zerbi did the unthinkable and took the helm at Brighton, only to somehow make the side even better! Graham Potter’s influence cannot be understated, but this also emphasises just how well the club is run if De Zerbi can come in and achieve so much already.
In typical Brighton fashion, their transfer window has shown plenty of promise. Chances are one of these signings will go for at least £50 million in the next couple of seasons. Brighton has perhaps surprisingly splashed the cash on Watford striker João Pedro, with a fee of around €34m according to Transfermarkt. At 21 years old, the Brazilian has proven already capable at the Championship level, so we can expect him to be an established Premier League goal scorer in a couple of seasons.
Elsewhere Brighton have spent an astonishing €20m on 20-year-old goalkeeper Bart Vebruggen. Mahmoud Dahoud and James Milner join the party too, bolstering a midfield which could use numbers. The reason for this of course is the departure of world cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, who joined Liverpool for an initial fee of €35m.
With Europa League looming for the Seagulls, the squad – which is admittedly sizeable – will be stretched. This alongside most of the top Premier League sides improving over the summer window means Brighton could struggle to keep up with the likes of Newcastle, Chelsea and more. Plus, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Jason Steele being Brighton’s number-one goalkeeper, following the departure of Robert Sánchez to Chelsea. I’m sure Brighton fans would take the ninth anyway!
7th – Newcastle United
For the first time in over 20 years, Newcastle United will be a Champions League club! The Magpies surprised everybody to claim fourth, ahead of Spurs and Liverpool among others. With Champions League commitments and teams strengthening around them, another top-four finish is unrealistic.
There’s no doubt that Newcastle’s transfer business is ambitious: Sandro Tonali is a terrific midfield option and Harvey Barnes is arguably an improvement over outgoing Allan Saint-Maximin, who has joined Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia. Tino Livramento is also a superb signing for the future, effectively being an understudy to Kieran Trippier, one of the best right-backs in the Premier League.
Despite these signings, I see Newcastle finishing considerably lower than the fourth-place finish last season. Champions League football will stretch that squad, especially in defence. Newcastle’s pride last season was their defence of course: the Magpies were tied with Manchester City for the least goals conceded (33) last season in the Premier League. It’s no secret that Newcastle’s best back four consisted of Kieran Tripper, Dan Burn, Sven Botman and Fabian Schär. Granted that Livramento is cover for the right back slot, but other options hamper Newcastle’s quality.
Another point intelligently raised by YouTuber James Lawrence Alcott is how the new rules on added time will affect Newcastle. Statistically, Newcastle had the ball in play less than most teams in the Premier League last season. Now, “Referees will now be obliged to specifically time how long the game is stopped before the re-start for game interruptions, such as a goal, a substitution, injury, or preparations for a free-kick.”
Newcastle as a result may suffer tactically, perhaps conceding some late goals due to the rule change. Too many obstacles stand in the way between Newcastle and top four, but obtaining a place in the European Conference League at least is feasible.
6th – Aston Villa
Despite being a Coventry City fan, I refuse to bet against Aston Villa achieving European football again in the 2023-24 campaign. Unai Emery is among the elite managers in English football, dare I say Europe. Emery transformed Villa from a massively underperforming team under Steven Gerrard to one of the most exciting and consistently solid sides in the Premier League, as they made the grand climb into seventh due to Emery’s prowess.
Villa fans should have high hopes this season, as I expect them to progress late into the European Conference League and secure a top-six finish. To back this up, look at their signings so far! Both Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres are potentially game-changing, showcasing ambition because of their reputations. Picking up Youri Tielemans for free will offer some necessary midfield depth (and potentially interesting Go Pro footage) as they look to juggle multiple competitions.
While they could do with another striker, Villa have more than enough for back-to-back European qualification. I look forward to seeing if Emery’s side can maintain their momentum from last season since his arrival.
5th – Manchester United
I feel like the one and only individual not predicting Manchester United to finish in the top four. Let me establish that their summer business has been decent. Mason Mount is of course somebody who can play in midfield or on the right wing. While overpriced in my opinion, the 24-year-old has the potential to be a fantastic acquisition. Providing he can get a poor pre-season out of sight and out of mind, Andre Onana should prove a substantial improvement over Man Utd veteran David de Gea, who departed following the expiration of his contract.
So why are Man Utd fifth? Well, relative to other clubs fighting for Champions League spots, Man Utd haven’t improved to the same extent. There are still positions which need addressing in the squad. Even with the most clean sheets in the Premier League last season, conceding seven to Liverpool and six to Manchester City is unacceptable, so they need to build consistency in the back line.
Midfield options have been rightly criticised as Donny van de Beek, Fred and Scott McTominay are evidently not of the quality Man Utd require, but as we know they lack the ruthlessness necessary to sell underperforming players.
Attacking options remain inconsistent yet again. Outside of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, nobody can be relied on to be guaranteed to score more than five goals in the Premier League this season. If Rashford fails to reach the heights he established wonderfully last season, then could Man Utd struggle to score generally?
Ramsus Højlund showcases plenty of promise but could initially struggle to establish himself in the Premier League. If he can adapt quickly his play off the ball could be integral to the way Man Utd play, perhaps resulting in Rashford and Fernandes getting more goalscoring opportunities. Overall though, Man Utd need a couple more elite players to be within the title mix.
4th – Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino is a superb managerial acquisition for Chelsea. If he can elevate this side as he did with Spurs, a trophy could be on the cards, especially with no European football to concern themselves over this season. Pochettino has already proven to be ruthless when it comes to player departures and yes, while it’s not entirely on him, the Argentine manager evidently knows which players he wants to keep at the club.
Raising over €200m in sales (alongside integrally reducing the squad size) has paved the way for Christopher Nkunku to join for a fee in the region of €60m. Nkunku is a game changer, displaying his competency in scoring and assisting, being often deployed as a second striker. Nicolas Jackson should prove a prolific signing to potentially partner Nkunku up top. More than anything, however, Pochettino will be tasked with the effective integration of signings from the last campaign. Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Marc Cucurella among others have the potential to be incredible assets for Chelsea and commanded significant fees yet struggled to perform last season.
This Chelsea side is far from a finished project. Players still need to depart for the purposes of trimming down the gargantuan squad. It will take time of course, with Pochettino still assessing who is surplus to requirements and what’s necessary to improve the squad. Unlike Nottingham however, they’ve made strides in achieving this goal. Due to this, Champions League qualification is on the cards, and I see Pochettino quickly becoming a favourite with Chelsea fans.
3rd – Arsenal
In the 2022/23 campaign. Arsenal stumbled at the final hurdle, agonisingly losing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City. There’s no shame in being bested by the best team in Europe (and most probably the world). However, it was in Arsenal’s hands, yet they fumbled. I’m a firm believer that if William Saliba remained injury free, they would be champions. But less on that and more on the looming season.
I have zero doubt that Arsenal is a greater side following a summer of nine-figure spending. Declan Rice is obviously the signing fans are talking about, with the belief that the 24-year-old defensive midfielder will take the Gunners to the next level. Arrivals of Kai Havertz and Jurriën Timber do wonders in further emphasising Arsenal’s ambition to be the best side in England. At times last season, it felt as though options were limited from the bench: not so much anymore.
Champions League commitments will obviously stretch Arsenal’s squad, but I’m confident they can cope with this physical demand to maintain their top-four status. In just four years, Mikel Arteta has miraculously transformed Arsenal’s fortunes due to letting dead weight depart. This is very much the case with players such as Pablo Mari and Ainsley Maitland-Niles leaving North London, now meaning that most of Arsenal’s previously uninspired players are now out of the club. With a clean slate, it feels as though this could be a successful Arsenal side soon.
So, why do I only place Arsenal third? Manchester City are still terrifying on paper and in practice – even if Arsenal managed to snatch the F.A Community Shield from the treble winners. This is also still a young, relatively inexperienced side, many of which have never played Champions League football either. Next season could be their time to shine, but for now, I see them as third best.
2nd – Liverpool
I’ve seen only Manchester United and Arsenal occupy second place in Premier League predictions so far. So, it might be a rogue prediction having Liverpool finish second. They’re surely in for a better time out this campaign. With their transfer business thus far, there’s a convincing argument for Liverpool as Premier League runners-up.
If there’s one thing Liverpool have done successfully this summer, it’s revitalising their midfield. James Milner, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and Naby Keita left the club for free, meanwhile, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson commanded reasonable fees. On the flip side, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominic Szoboszlai are youthful yet experienced talents who’ll provide integral quality and energy to the midfield. Another midfield signing (or right back), and Liverpool are good to go! Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia are consistently being linked for moves to Merseyside – either midfielder would be a stellar signing!
The 2022-23 season was a disappointing one for the Reds. Missing out on the Champions League for the first time since 2016 will get under their skin, as they aim to bounce back and challenge for the title once again. With the style of football, Jürgen Klopp has implemented at Liverpool, burnout was always likely to happen. Europa League rather than Champions League football could aid their bid for the title. Liverpool have gained an advantage thanks to the new rules on added time too, thanks to their lack of time-wasting. Consequently, they could find plenty of added-time winners throughout the season.
They’re lacking something to convincingly challenge Manchester City head-to-head. However, this should be a season of optimism for Liverpool, following a lacklustre campaign. Second would evidence major progress!
1st – Manchester City
I’d be brainless to bet against Manchester City capturing their fourth consecutive Premier League title. Changes have been made to the squad and while some prominent faces have departed, the squad remains dynamic and capable of success yet again.
Skipper Ilkay Gundogan is gone: the Germans had become increasingly crucial to the Citizens in recent campaigns. Gundogan scored in integral moments for Man City over the years, such as the Champions League-winning goal last campaign, and the double which helped the Citizens to lift the 2021-22 Premier League trophy on the final matchday. However, Pep Guardiola always has a solution – Mateo Kovacic is an intriguing replacement.
Riyad Mahrez is another player who’ll be missed, with Man City looking thin on numbers on the wings. Alas, Michael Olise has appeared as a surprisingly cheap option to come in and perform, as Man City remain linked with the Frenchman. Joško Gvardiol is one of the world’s hottest defensive prospects, who could become unstoppable alongside the likes of Ruben Dias and John Stones.
We’re all aware of Guardiola’s preference for smaller squads. While I can’t see them obtaining the treble again, Guardiola would take pride in architecting the first team to win four consecutive Premier Leagues. They were rather fortunate with injuries last season, which may hamper them slightly this time out, but nonetheless, another Premier League title should be obtainable.
Do you agree or disagree with these predictions?
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