‘We’re tired? Fuck you!’.
Not only has it been about 75 days since the final whistle of the 2022/23 Premier League went, in that time we’ve had domestic finals, European finals, and what’s pretty much the greatest World Cup tournament of all time – which is still going on – and yet, the Premier League is raring to go again.
Capitalism is as capitalism does, and players had barely had any room to recover from a previous season that had a men’s World Cup shoved in the middle of it, before getting pulled back in for glamourous cash-grab pre-season tournaments, and now Barclays is about kick off once again.
So, how do the 20 teams look as we herald a new season?
Perhaps these power rankings could offer an insight:
(Note, these are not predictions on where the teams would finish, rather, they’re…. well, they’re not predictions on where the teams would finish, okay!)
20. Luton Town
This time four years ago, Luton were still reeling from the high of getting promoted from League One, and a year later, just about scraped above the dotted line to remain a Championship side. The Hatters have established a reputation in recent past of defying expectations. Few expected them to survive in 2020, even fewer expected a play-off place in 2022, and even fewer predicted promotion from the second-tier last May, especially after losing manager Nathan Jones and replacing him with Rob Edwards. Their transfer activity suggests a shrewdness and a team who are under no illusions as to what they expect in the league; no huge splash to make a statement, but rather understanding the likelihood of remaining a top-flight side come 2024. Despite punching above their weight in recent past, even fewer expect them to stay up this season.
19. Sheffield United
Sheffield United are a much more-experienced side than Luton, in terms of promoted clubs, and have been quite a team to watch under Paul Heckingbottom. But they might be the only side who seem weaker than they were in a lower division. Iliman N’Diaye has left for Marseille, and Sander Berge could be on his way out as well, while no standout replacements have come in. Perhaps the Blades also recognise a need for a more level-headed hand in the market, and caution against going gung-ho in acquisition, but this is going to be Heckingbottom’s toughest task yet.
18. Wolves
When Wolves finally got Julen Lopetegui to be their manager last season, after previous failed attempts, dating back to 2016, it felt like the stars were aligning for the Midlands club project to move on to the next phase. Then came the end of the season, and Lopetegui spoke about the club’s finances and how it’d make improving the squad in the off-season a difficult ask. So far, it’s looked even worse than feared, as the likes of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, and Raul Jimenez have bid farewell to Molineux, and Wolves have made only 2 major signings, one a returning player, as a free signing, the other a loan move that was made permananent. Now, Lopetegui has also jumped ship, right before the season even begins. The Spaniard has been replaced by former Bournemouth gaffer Gary O’Neil, but the air of uncertainty surrounding the club hasn’t fizzed out one bit. Don’t rule out a second managerial departure from the club this season.
17. Everton
Speaking of uncertainty and questions around the squad, one thing that seems certain about Everton right now is a general agreement that the club is heading for a third successive relegation battle. In the past two seasons, Everton have just about managed to stay up by the finest of margins, and they look set for another. It’s not just the lack of transfer activity – the headline arrivals so far are veteran Ashley Young and loan signing Arnaut Danjuma – the mood around the blue half of Merseyside is far from breezy. The presence of Sean Dyche is probably still the biggest factor in why many still think they wouldn’t fall into the trapdoor, but if they end what’s potentially their final season at Goodison relegated, it would seem to many as an inevitable culmination of previous years of undeniable ineptitude.
16. West Ham
Surely, when West Ham descended into party mode after triumphing in the Europa Conference League, you’d think that was the silver bullet at the end of a season of staleness and a relegation scare. But first, the expected sale of Declan Rice dragged on and seemed to take an age before getting over the line, and the Hammers haven’t quite done much to re-jig a squad that’s set for European football for the third season on the bounce (read: nothing at all). Despite uncertainty over his future back in May, David Moyes stays on as manager, but not much has been done to suggest that this increasingly shaky relationship with manager and club won’t become untenable soon.
15. Burnley
Not many expected Burnley to win the Championship a season after relegation saw them bleed key personnel in almost every area, and even fewer expected them to do so with such style and swagger under Vincent Kompany. The task is now a different one for the Clarets, who, for the first time, will appear in the Premier League with a team not known for conservatism and more brawn than style. Whatever happens, Kompany’s time is likely to make for interesting watch.
14. Nottingham Forest
Having juggled a side full of two rafters and a bit of new signings following promotion, Steve Cooper and his team have been relatively quiet in the transfer window, and with good reason. The former Swansea manager did incredibly well to keep a setup of unfamiliars in the league. Now, all eyes are on what he does with a more settled squad.
13. Bournemouth
Since getting back up to the Premier League in 2022, Bournemouth haven’t been shy of making bold calls. First, after dismissing Scott Parker and hiring Gary O’Neil as a temporary replacement, they stuck with the latter to seal survival against most odds. Then, they opted against having O’Neil for the new season, which has raised some eyebrows. But the Cherries have shown their ambition by making arguably the most exciting managerial appointment on the continent, with the arrival of Andoni Iraola. It could go well. It could go wrong, but the decision-makers at the Vitality stadium know how to shoot up.
12. Fulham
Fulham and Marco Silva punched well above their weight last season with a top-half finish, secured by boldly going at teams. But after the success comes uncertainty, as key personnel have caught the eye of big-spending clubs in the Saudi Arabia top-flight, in Willian, Silva himself, and most especially star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. Silva has been spoken confidently of Mitrovic staying, but the arrival of Raul Jimenez denotes a preparedness at a potential departure, as well as an undeniable downgrade in their attacking options. Repeating last season’s feat would be incredible, but avoiding getting dragged into a relegation dogfight would be the aim.
11. Crystal Palace
What’s old is new again, as Palace opted to keep Roy Hodgson as manager for another season, following the Englishman’s decision to come out of retirement last season and steady the Eagles ship. But for the first time in a long time, the south London club will be without Wilfred Zaha, who opted for Turkey and Galatasaray as against renewing his contract at Selhurst.
10. Brentford
Brentford continue to set a standard for continuity, and dealing with key losses, as last season’s ninth place-finish despite losing Christian Eriksen showed. They may be about to face their toughest with Ivan Toney suspended until the new year, but you sense this is a club well-prepared to deal with adversity, and their response to that (striker Kevin Schade’s loan move has been made permanent) will be fascinating to see.
9. Aston Villa
In Unai Emery, Aston Villa probably the most observatory manager with an obsession for detail, and the whole league watched as he propelled the side from a relegation scrap to European football in seven months. His style of management and coaching can get exhausting, but right now, exciting additions to the squad and no loss of key players means the way is likely to be up for Villa and the Spaniard.
8. Brighton & Hove Albion
If the loss of manager Graham Potter to Chelsea early last season stung, Brighton fans quickly got over it under the stewardship of Roberto de Zerbi, whose brand of football not only became a model for other teams to follow but also took them to sixth place and European football. Some key players have left, and Moises Caicedo may follow suit, but Brighton have developed an incredible habit of replacing and recruiting well. They’ll be one to watch, not just in the Premier League, but in the Europa League as well.
7. Tottenham Hotspur
Amazing what can change in a year. This time last season, there were more than whispers about how Spurs could mount a title challenge under Antonio Conte. 12 months later, Spurs are in a position whereby they simply need the fans to believe and be interested in the team. They’ve made a good first step towards that in the appointment of Ange Postecoglou, who’s brand of football thrilled at Celtic, and whose insistence on that brand means we’re likely to get an exciting Spurs for the first time since the peak Mauricio Pochettino era. Spurs know their fall from the top was rapid and deep, and the climb back up will take a while. Right now, it’s about just feeling happy to go the home stadium again.
6. Newcastle United
Newcastle are ahead of schedule, and sometimes, that’s not a good thing. The Magpies are in the Champions League, for the first time since 2003, and that meant more action in the transfer market; but has the squad necessarily gotten better? The addition of Sandro Tonali in midfield, despite questions about his quality and consistency, is a positive, but replacing Allan Saint-Maximin with Harvey Barnes is by no means an upgrade, and the defence, particularly the centre, could do with quality addition or two, and there’s a glaring drop-off in quality if first-choice players are rested. Howe and the Toon Army defied expectations last term, where they go from there will be keenly monitored.
5. Chelsea
Let’s consider last season an anomaly, not so much an example of Murphy’s Law, but even beyond it. Chelsea overspent and overloaded in a few areas of the pitch last season, but every part of the entire Blues system crashed as they finished an absurd 12th place. But despite the enormous load-shedding, the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, and the abnormality of last term, Blues fans shouldn’t expect all their problems to have gone. No European football this term means more time in training for Poch to get his ideas across, but Chelsea are by no means there yet.
4. Liverpool
Speaking of odd seasons, last season was also an irregular for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s side had a more than rocky start to the campaign, so much so that their eventually fifth-place finish was commendable. The Reds have moved to bolster and revamp their midfield (especially with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho having departed), and Klopp seemed to find a fix for the Trent Alexander-Arnold Defence problem. But all their problems have by no means gone away; the midfield is still lacking, especially it’s off-the-ball aspects, and the Alexander-Arnold solution in defence might mean an Alexander-Arnold problem in attack. A few key signings from last season will have had more time to blend in, but last year’s deficiencies were too glaring to be fixed by two additions in midfield.
3. Manchester United
First off, United have cut David de Gea, and brought, in Andre Onana, a goalkeeper more in tune with Erik Ten Hag’s vision of playing. The potential departures of Harry Maguire and Fred also mean the Red Devils might be engaging in an overdue squad clear-out and shake-up, and the arrival of Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount signal a look towards the long-term. Are United ready to challenge for the title? Maybe not yet, and a squad and gameplan largely built for transition football is going to have its ceiling. But they’ve made great strides.
2. Arsenal
Like Newcastle, Arsenal are ahead of schedule, having gone from top-four hopefuls to title challengers last season. Unlike Newcastle, Arsenal having much more solid additions to improve on last term. Yet, this is no guarantee of a title triumph, or even another sustained challenge, especially as they’re chasing arguably the most ruthless and focused juggernaut of this century. The team will have matured and learned how to better handle hiccups in the back-end of the season, but despite running City close last season, finishing even further behind the champions shouldn’t be seen as a disappointment.
1. Manchester City
Very much the team to beat, not just in England, but in Europeas well. After a shaky autumn and winter, City found the tactical fix and their groove, before storming to a magnificent treble. There have been a few key departures, especially in Ilkay Gundogan, but the last thing you could accuse Pep Guardiola and the champions of is complacency and resting on their laurels. You sense that City’s biggest obstacle this season might be themselves, yet a fourth league title in a row is very much there for the taking.
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