After a marathon 2022-23 season, divided by a winter World Cup in Qatar, the 2023-24 Premier League is upon us, and it promises to be another eventful season full of drama.
At the top end of the table, it is hard to look past Manchester City as favourites to win the title. Their magnificent achievement of winning the treble last season underlined their status as one of the greatest teams of the Premier League era. Although everyone expected goals to flow from Erling Haaland, his numbers were incredible, and there is no reason to think that defences will fare any better than him this year. At the back, the Premier League’s best defence has been bolstered by the signing of arguably the world’s best young centre back in Josko Gvardiol. Although City will undoubtedly remain the team to beat in all competitions, their rivals have some hope. Firstly, with the long held ambition to conquer Europe achieved, will City retain the same level of hunger for trophies this season? Secondly, the departures of Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan may leave City a little short of goals if Haaland can be kept quiet, especially if the increasingly brittle, but still instrumental, Kevin de Bruyne misses many games through injury.
Unlike last season, expect to see a bigger chasing pack behind Man City this term. Arsenal will hope to build on their fantastic 2022-23 by mounting another title challenge this season. After leading the table for so long, disappointment at falling short was understandable but Arsenal fans should be proud to have pushed City so hard for so long, amassing a big points total and playing positive, vibrant football in the process. Lessons have been learnt from the run-in. Around £200 million has been spent to bolster the starting XI and boost the overall strength in depth of the squad to enable a little more rotation and an alternative when Plan A is not working. The signing of Declan Rice is the headline transfer activity. His ability is not in doubt but Arsenal fans will expect world class, match winning performances. If he can take his game to that level, he could lead Arsenal to push close for the title. Juggling their league campaign with a first foray in the Champions League for 7 years will be a test, but led by the outstanding Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, this is an Arsenal team that will be a force this season and a great bet to win a trophy.
Another team that made huge progress in 2022-23 was Manchester United. After a stuttering start, Erik ten Hag’s calm but assertive management galvanized an underachieving group of players, and a return to the top four and a League Cup win represented a fine season. Mason Mount has been added to last season’s squad to provide another creative option, and the long running David de Gea transfer saga was ended with his departure and signing of the Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana, whose ball playing ability is better suited to the tactics favoured by ten Hag. With the addition of the promising Rasmus Hojlund, Man Utd now have a centre forward they hope will make the most of the chances created by their midfield. For all the defensive improvements and the class of Casemiro in midfield, Man Utd remain a team that concede lots of chances, and with a number of rivals likely to improve on last season’s performances, it is more likely that Man Utd slip out of the top four than push on to a genuine title challenge.
Newcastle were arguably the success story of last season. After striking the jackpot with the takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Newcastle made a number of sensible rather than frivolous transfer signings, and were rewarded with outstanding results. Nick Pope in goal, and Sven Botman in defence helped Newcastle to a fantastic defensive record, and further forward, Alexander Isak was a revelation. With excellent performances from their established stars as well as the squad players, Newcastle thoroughly deserved to qualify for the Champions League, and will once again feature at the top end of the table. Sandro Tonali’s signing from AC Milan was eye catching, and demonstrates the financial power of the club. Adding a European campaign to their league programme this season will be an unfamiliar challenge, and may stretch the strength in depth of the squad, but having reached the top four much quicker than even their most ardent supporters could have hoped after the takeover, Newcastle will not fall away easily.
Liverpool’s 2022-23 season was a painful anti-climax after the near Quadruple winning season that preceded it. A combination of a long injury list and a midfield that looked tired and in need of rejuvenation led to an inconsistent first half of the season. Too many points dropped in limp away performances left Liverpool with far too much ground to make up when they finally turned the corner in the spring. However, a strong conclusion to the season, with Cody Gakpo settling into his role as the new Roberto Firmino, and a tactical tweak enabling Trent Alexander-Arnold to better showcase his outstanding passing range, showed that Liverpool remain an excellent team. This summer has finally seen the midfield rebuild many will say should have happened twelve months earlier. With virtually an entire midfield departing, including the loss of the hugely experienced Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia, it will be interesting to see how Liverpool will fare in this department, although Alexis Mac Callister and Dominik Szoboszlai look like fantastic signings. Expect a free-scoring Liverpool to bounce back into the top four, and they will be the team to beat in the Europa League.
Atrocious, pathetic, embarrassing. Any of these words and more could be used to summarise Chelsea’s 2022=23 season. A transfer spend of over £600 million across two transfer windows yielded a string of poor performances, and arguably, not a single signing last year could be classified as an average signing let alone a successful one. In addition, Chelsea rattled through managers last season, culminating in a caretaker in Frank Lampard who managed to win just five points from his eight matches in charge. With a bloated, underachieving squad, another summer of heavy transfer activity was inevitable, and Chelsea have been extremely busy this summer. They have successfully sold a number of players, in most cases securing healthy transfer fees. There have also been new faces joining the club, including the talented French internationals Christopher Nkunku and Axel Disasi. With the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as manager, Chelsea look to have stabilised off the pitch, but with so many changes to the playing staff, it is hard to predict what will happen on the pitch this season. It is certain that Chelsea will be back in the top half of the table, but with so many strong rivals, and considerable ground to make up, it is hard to imagine that Chelsea can get back into the top four, although as always, they remain a good bet for the domestic cups.
Whilst not plummeting as far as their West London rivals, Spurs’ 2022-23 campaign was equally disappointing. Having started the season as a Champions League team, with hopes of leading the chasing pack to Man City, Spurs deservedly ended outside the European places, a just reward for an insipid, negative brand of football. Appointing a coach in Greek-Australian Ange Postecoglou whose teams are renowned for positive, high-tempo football will help re-energise the team. James Maddison will bring some much needed imagination to the midfield, and a change in formation will allow the team to create more chances. Whether Harry Kane is still there to benefit from this more attack minded approach remains the million dollar question. If Kane stays, and another centre-back can be added to improve one of the league’s most porous defences, Spurs will be in the top four hunt. If Kane leaves, with little time left to adequately replace him, you sense that Spurs fans will have to settle for a season of consolidation, although with no European distractions this year, and a more entertaining style of football, Spurs will finish higher than last season’s underwhelming eighth place.
Brighton became everyone’s favourite team to watch last season with a thrilling attacking style under their charismatic manager Roberto De Zerbi. With an amazing scouting network unearthing gems from around the world, Brighton have been able to add huge quality to their squad at low cost, and despite regularly seeing their star players move on to other clubs, the team continues to improve. Last season saw Brighton finally start to score the quantity of goals their build-up play merited. The goals were shared around, and that makes Brighton a very tough team to play against. Outstanding youngsters such as Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso will relish a chance to play in the Europa League as Brighton will enjoy their first ever European campaign, and more shrewd signings will guarantee that Brighton can make a good fist of that competition without sacrificing the Premier League. A small backward step this season is to be expected, but Brighton will back up last year’s fantastic campaign with another top half finish.
Under Unai Emery, Aston Villa were transformed from possible relegation candidates to European qualifiers in a few short months. There is a lot of quality in the Villa squad, and it took Emery’s wily tactics and man-management to coax the results to match. With the smart free transfer signing of Youri Tielemans, French international winger Moussa Diaby, and Spanish international centre back Pau Torres, Villa have added more quality, and they look well stocked in defence and midfield to juggle the Premier League with the Europa Conference League – a competition they will rightly be amongst the favourites to win. There does appear a little lack of cover for Ollie Watkins up front, and any long term absence or loss of form may leave Villa a little light in that department. Another top half finish looks almost guaranteed, and if anyone is likely to break into the top six from outside the traditional group it could well be the Villa.
Outside the top nine teams, predicting the 2023-24 season is quite a challenge. It is quite possible that a team could as easily finish mid table as they are to get relegated. For Brentford, they will expect the former result. After an excellent ninth place finish last year, the Bees will be optimistic that can match that again. As always, recruitment is key, with new signings seamlessly blending into a team that is always well organised and hard to beat. However, the jewel in the crown was Ivan Toney, a striker capable of playing for a Champions League team. With Toney banned until January, huge pressure rests with Bryan Mbuemo, Yoane Wissa and Kevin Schade to get the goals in his absence. Although Brentford will likely end up with another creditable mid-table finish, any progress is likely to be curtailed by Toney’s absence.
West Ham’s 22-23 season was a strange one. Flat and timid in the Premier League, resulting in a hugely disappointing 14th place finish after an unexpected relegation battle, buoyant and assertive in Europe, culminating with a wonderful night in Prague with Declan Rice lifting the Conference League trophy. With Rice departing for Arsenal and the Hammers slow to re-invest the huge transfer fee, prospects for the new season look rather bleak for the Conference League holders. A more reliable goal scoring forward is vital in addition to the midfield rebuild Rice’s absence necessitates. Although last season’s new players will be much improved this term, it is hard to see West Ham back in the top half of the table without addressing the holes in their squad. Another slow start will probably prove fatal for David Moyes, whose job security as well as the outcome of West Ham’s season is tied to the club’s transfer activity over the next few weeks.
Fulham led the trio of newly promoted sides last season, with an outstanding tenth place finish in their first season back in the top flight. Led by the exceptional Joao Palhinha, a player who looked like he was born to play in the Premier League, Fulham proved a hard nut to crack at Craven Cottage, where their fans enjoyed a memorable win over Chelsea amongst a series of excellent results. This summer has seen star striker Aleksander Mitrovic tempted by a transfer to Saudi Arabia, and the squad has not been significantly improved. With rivals strengthening, it is hard to see Fulham matching last season’s performance, and expect them to slide a few places down the table although they should have enough to remain outside what could be a frantic relegation battle.
When Crystal Palace reacted to a run of poor results, albeit in a tough run of fixtures, by replacing Patrick Vieira with Roy Hodgson, few people could have foreseen that Palace would become the great entertainers of the Premier League. In addition to Wilfried Zaha, the likes of Ebere Eze and Michael Olise have great quality, but it took until the run-in for Hodgson to release the shackles and allow them to demonstrate that ability. Although Palace have managed to keep hold of this talented duo, as well as the much coveted Marc Guehi in defence, the loss of talisman Zaha could be a huge blow to a young Palace team, which still looks a little goal shy at times. Particularly at home, Palace will not be a pushover, and they are another team with hopes of pushing forward into the top half of the table who will have to settle for yet another finish in lower mid table.
When Julen Lopetegui took over at Wolves mid-season, they were bottom, goal shy and looking like relegation certainties. By May, Wolves were still goal shy but had climbed well away from the bottom three to secure another season of Premier League football. This was in part to an influx of signings in January. With FFP rules biting, Wolves have had to trim their squad this summer, losing their best player Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabia, and looking weaker than they ended last season. Whilst Lopetegui remains as manager, his quality should ensure that Wolves squeeze together enough points to survive relegation. A slow start to the season, added to his frustrations about the lack of investment in the squad makes him a good shout to be the first manager to part company with his club this season. It could be tight, but Wolves may be preparing for a season of Championship football this time next year.
Bournemouth were the favourites to finish bottom of the table last season. After losing 9-0 at Anfield early in the season, that prediction looked spot on. However, under the stewardship of Gary O’Neil, Bournemouth quietly set about dispelling those predictions, picking up points with regularity. Investment in the squad in January was timely and helped the team to secure their survival with three games to spare. With a new manager in Andoni Iraola and further incoming transfers, few would bet against Bournemouth avoiding relegation this season. Expect a few heavy away defeats on the way, but a high-pressing Bournemouth team will take some scalps at home, and have enough to finish outside the bottom three.
After narrowly avoiding relegation in 21-22, Everton fans will rightly have been angry that 22-23 brought a repeat scenario, with the club only scrambling to safety on the final day. Under Sean Dyche, Everton will be tougher to beat and better organized defensively. Unfortunately, the limitations in the final third remain, with the habitually injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin remaining the only regular goal threat. Hampered by FFP regulations and the ongoing development of the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, Everton have been unable to really improve the squad this summer, and there looks to be a lack of depth in the event of injuries. It is hard to look beyond another relegation battle ahead, but with Dyche steering the ship, Everton are better placed to survive and expect them to do so with a tiny more breathing space than last season.
After a chaotic return to the Premier League last season, in which 30 players joined the club, Nottingham Forest achieved their objective and survived relegation. This summer has been far quieter with transfers, and the team are likely to be all the better for a more settled line up this season. Brennan Johnson was excellent in his first season at this level, and will look to build on that, but last season’s stand out star was undoubtedly Morgan Gibbs-White, surely close to an England call up, and a player the big clubs may be looking at in a year’s time if he can repeat his performances again this term. Amidst the multitude of new signings last year, there were some flops as well as successes, but by May, you could see more consistency in team selection. Its likely Forest will cautiously build on that, and secure another season of Premier League football, but whether that progress is too slow for a notoriously impatient owner Evangelos Marinakis remains to be seen.
Burnley romped to the Championship title last year playing a possession based, attacking style of football totally at odds with the more prosaic fare their fans had been used to in their Premier League days. The excellent young manager Vincent Kompany will be eager to maintain that style this season, but against tougher opponents it might be a challenge for Burnley, and they may need to find a Plan B, especially away from home. The likes of Manuel Benson and Anass Zaroury may surprise a few teams, and expect Burnley to make a few opposing teams suffer if they are taken too lightly. Of the three newly promoted teams, Burnley look by far the strongest and best equipped to avoid relegation, and they will achieve this quite comfortably.
Sheffield United comfortably won promotion to the Premier League, but finishing well below Burnley is probably a good reflection of their chance of survival this season in comparison. With financial constraints restricting their ability to improve the squad, Sheff Utd go into the new season with arguably a weaker squad than the one that achieved promotion, as star striker Iliman Ndiaye was sold to Marseille. A vocal and passionate Bramall Lane crowd will do their best to help the team make their home games tough for their opponents, but it is hard to foresee any conclusion other than an immediate return to the Championship for the Yorkshire side.
From playing in the top division just over thirty years ago, to non-league football less than ten years ago, and winning the Play Off Final to secure Premier League football for the first time, Luton Town’s recent history is a remarkable story. The Hatters will embark on their debut Premier League season in the competition’s smallest stadium, and with by far the smallest budget and playing squad built with the least amount of money. Common sense would dictate that survival is impossible, but Luton have upset the odds so many times in recent years that avoiding relegation is not beyond them. The tight, old fashioned Kenilworth Road ground will shock some of the illustrious visitors this season, and you can expect Luton to pick up some memorable results there. Carlton Morris up front may surprise a few people too. Luton would be very popular escape artists if they can finish outside the bottom three. It may prove one challenge too many, but they will give everything to achieve it.
Predictions:
1) Manchester City
2) Liverpool
3) Arsenal
4) Newcastle United
5) Manchester United
6) Tottenham Hotspur
7) Aston Villa
8) Chelsea
9) Brighton & Hove Albion
10) West Ham United
11) Brentford
12) Burnley
13) Crystal Palace
14) Nottingham Forest
15) Fulham
16) Bournemouth
17) Everton
18) Luton Town
19) Wolverhampton Wanderers
20) Sheffield United
FA Cup Winners – Chelsea
League Cup Winners – Manchester United
Champions League Winners – Bayern Munich
Europa League Winners – Liverpool
Europa Conference League Winners – Aston Villa
Adam Ioannou
