2024/25 Premier League Season Preview
The start of a new football season is always a very fresh and exciting feeling for us fans, with last season's achievements or woes quickly pushed aside as mere memories so that we can instead focus upon what's coming up.
On Superbru Football, there are a lot of Predictor tournaments available for you to join including all of the top European leagues, but today's focus is on 'the big one' - the Premier League Predictor - which is our most popular game.
Here, I'll be giving an overview of how each team is looking going into the new season, so feel free to read through them all or skip to the brief section on the odd club that you're interested in to see if you agree!
Content will continue to appear on the Superbru Football app throughout the season though and Superbru Insights are of course available once again for the Premier League Predictor which provide you with unique match previews for every single fixture when making your predictions.
Superbru Insights are available to Superbru Premium users - you can upgrade here or receive a completely free month by creating your own private league in the Premier League Predictor and inviting 5 new people to join you on the platform.
Let's get into it... Let me know how you think this season will play out in the comments and feel free to call me out on any clubs you feel I've misjudged!
Another trophy-less season in 2023/24 despite looking as good as pretty much any other club in Europe for much of the campaign will have been painful for Arsenal, but there's no doubt that they're heading in the right direction and I think it's reasonable to not only suggest they'll be in the title race again this season but that they may well win it this time.
Before a ball is kicked this season I feel that Arsenal are the most likely to go all the way, and while that is largely down to how I feel about City (we'll get to them later), Arsenal continue to strengthen with Riccardo Calafiori and quite possibly Mikel Merino being added to an already impressive squad.
The lingering doubt over their lack of an out and out goalscorer remains, so it'll be interesting to see if that is addressed in the final weeks of the transfer window, but Arsenal managed 91 goals last season regardless while conceding just 29. Expect a strong campaign from the Gunners, particularly if they manage a good start because they have some very difficult early away fixtures which if they come through will leave them in fantastic shape.
After a fantastic 2023/24 season saw Aston Villa secure a Champions League place, much will depend upon how they cope with a packed fixture list in this campaign. Yes, they had some practice last year as they had Europa Conference League fixtures as well as their league matches and that Thursday-Sunday schedule is tough, but Champions League games are of course a considerable level up and with UEFA changing the format of their tournaments for this season, there will be more games than ever.
Villa have lost a quality midfielder in Douglas Luiz who has joined Juventus, but two very good midfielders have come in - Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley - to join the players that Villa also received from Juventus as part of the talks for that Luiz deal as young duo Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrencechea have both signed.
Given Emery's experience and expertise, I think Villa will compete well in Europe and they're clearly going to be tough to beat all season at Villa Park, but I wonder if their league position ends up a fair bit lower this season as we saw with Newcastle when they returned to the Champions League in 2023/24. Villa's midfield and defensive depth looks decent enough for what's coming up but I'd expect another forward to arrive before September. WIth Moussa Diaby sold to Saudi Arabia for a strong fee and Jhon Duran rumoured to be on the way out too, Villa look short of a backup for Ollie Watkins and may also need another wide player to cover Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers given the injury issues Emiliano Buendia and Jacob Ramsey regularly suffer from.
I thought Andoni Iraola had a really impressive first season with Bournemouth as it's easy to forget that Gary O'Neil had already massively exceeded expectations the season before so there were plenty of doubts about the appointment of Iraola. Instead, he has already integrated a strong identity of defending from the front with good intensity and 48 points is a great achievement especially after such a poor start.
With Iraola in charge, I think it's reasonable to expect Bournemouth to stay up reasonably comfortably once again, but the departure of Dominic Solanke is obviously a problem as his 19 league goals are going to be hard to replace. The fact that they've already signed Enes Unal who has had some time to get to grips with the PL should help, but he's currently injured and they're going to need another Solanke replacement to share the load anyway.
I see Bournemouth as being in a similar position to Brentford - they should be good enough for a 14th/15th place finish but things could get tricky if the final weeks of the transfer window don't go their way and the Cherries will be seen as a team that can be caught by the newly promoted sides.
Last season was an underwhelming one for Brentford after setting such strong expectations by establishing themselves so quickly in the top flight. However, that was largely caused by injuries and suspensions, so it's reasonable to expect an uplift this year, right? I reckon so, but deja vu is already hitting with brand new striker Igor Thiago already facing a long injury layoff after injuring himself in pre-season.
That injury and an arguably surprising lack of transfer interest from bigger clubs means Ivan Toney may well now remain a Brentford player, which on one hand is strange in that the Bees were seemingly very ready to cash in after signing Thiago, but on the other hand obviously quite good since Toney is a fantastic Premier League level striker.
I think Brentford will be OK this season but Thiago's injury has changed the feeling somewhat since the fragility surrounding a potential Toney exit has immediately returned. Frank is a very good manager and Brentford have a solid, competent squad if everyone is available, but there'll be some nerves if they fail to win their first few (very winnable) home matches because this year's newly promoted clubs are likely to be stronger than last year's.
I think Brighton will be great fun to watch this season now that they're back to being solely focused upon the Premier League and with an exciting new manager in Fabian Hurzeler who at the age of 31 is the youngest full-time manager the PL has seen. Hurzeler led St Pauli to the Bundesliga last season by winning the Bundesliga 2 title and as you'd expect from Brighton who have been fairly innovatively run by chairman Tony Bloom, he's been appointed because of the attractive style of play he looks to implement.
The departure of Pascal Gross to Dortmund is a huge loss after how integral he's been for Brighton during these successful recent seasons in the Premier League, but Mats Wieffer is an exciting replacement who has been vital for Feyenoord in their strong last couple of Eredivisie campaigns. In attack, the return of Kaoru Mitoma from injury is something to look forward to, as is the introduction of Yankuba Minteh who has been signed from Newcastle but was on loan at Feyenoord where he played with Wieffer last year.
European qualification might be too much of an ask in Hurzeler's opening season, but I think we will see some really strong performances from Brighton this season with plenty of entertainment.
I'm not sure where to even start with Chelsea. Last season ended fairly positively in terms of form and there was a sense that the Blues should be able to kick on this year, but after removing manager Mauricio Pochettino and midfield Conor Gallagher who was essentially their captain for the majority of 2023/24, it does feel a bit like starting all over again under Enzo Maresca.
The transfer market approach continues to confuse - the new owners' aim appears to be to try and make money rather than going all out to win titles whatever the cost, yet paying such considerable fees for many young players that will likely never even play for Chelsea doesn't seem sensible either way. With such spend, Chelsea could have strengthened their team far more than they have, and I think we could see quite a few bumps in the road early in the season as the squad looks to adapt to what is likely to be a considerable change in playing style.
Pre-season performances have been poor and I personally feel Chelsea are much more likely to finish mid-table than they are to threaten the Champions League places. At Leicester, Maresca must be given credit for winning the league even when it was expected, but his apparent stubbornness to stick with his preferred style of play will become a problem at Chelsea unless results are good. Similar previous manager appointments at Chelsea (admittedly under the previous ownership) such as Andre Villas-Boas and Maurizio Sarri haven't gone down well with Chelsea's support so there'll be immense pressure on Maresca right from game 1 which happens to be against the defending champions.
Crystal Palace are another team that is almost definitely going to be inside the 'fun Premier League teams' category alongside rivals Brighton. Michael Olise has left for Bayern Munich, but if they manage to hold on to their other young stars - Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton - Palace will have a lot of quality as Daichi Kamada has already signed to link back up with Oliver Glasner and let's not forget that Jean-Philippe Mateta was suddenly an absolute goal machine in the final few rounds of last season.
It sounds as if centre back Marc Guehi may also be on the way out which would be a shame, but as with Olise, it does feel as if Palace have enough options to cover such departures with Joachim Andersen obviously already there as a quality centre half and the signing of Chadi Riad from Real Betis may well have partly been made because of the potential of Guehi leaving.
I really enjoyed watching Palace under Glasner last season so I'm excited to see how things play out and we could well see another top half finish.
Everton are much less likely to reach my 'fun Premier League team' category. Off-field issues surrounding the ownership of the club continue to weigh heavily on the Toffees, and it just feels as if everything is such a struggle for Everton so I think they're in for another long season and just about surviving in each campaign doesn't feel sustainable.
Amadou Onana's departure means Sean Dyche will want a similarly physical replacement, but incomings so far have been interesting with striker Iliman Ndiaye arriving after a tough year in Marseille and Jesper Lindstrom coming in after failing to find his feet at Napoli. Both players had plenty of success at Sheffield United and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively prior to those less fruitful transfers, so there's plenty of potential upside but also plenty of risk in my opinion.
When looking at last season's table, it's worth reminding everyone that Everton's points deductions were severe and they'd have been much higher up based on their results alone (12th with 48pts). It's perhaps a little harsh of me to suggest that they'll be in a relegation fight this season as a result, but you do worry about the number of goals that they'll score - only Sheffield United scored fewer in 2023-24 and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is going to need help.
Marco Silva has done a great job with Fulham who have been well clear of relegation since being promoted in 2022. However, this season is going to be a test now that key man Joao Palhinha has left for Bayern. Palhinha is one of the world's very best defensive midfield players so expecting Fulham to replace that level of quality is unrealistic, but they are still going to need to sign somebody in that area of the pitch and it will be interesting to see how Silva sets up without his main man.
That's not to say that Fulham haven't already done some interesting business, though, as in addition to a very heart-warming return to the club for Ryan Sessegnon who Fulham fans naturally still absolutely love, Emile Smith Rowe has arrived from Arsenal for a club record fee.
Another centre back is also needed (in addition to Jorge Cuenca who has been signed from Villlarreal) after Tosin Adarabioyo joined Chelsea rather than extending his contract, but assuming Fulham get those necessary deals done, they already have a great goalkeeper, decent fullbacks, and a fairly promising array of attacking options. Keep an eye on whether or not Fulham adequately fill those crucial spots in the centre of the field, but I think their last couple of seasons have been assuring enough to suggest that they will be good enough to stay in the Premier League once again this term.
After back-to-back promotions to reach the top flight for the first time since 2002, Ipswich Town's priority this summer was always going to be to keep the man who has led them throughout that period - Kieran McKenna. Ipswich are clearly underdogs this season with many of their squad members arguably still League 1 players let alone Championship level, but I feel they'll put up more of a fight than we saw from Sheffield United and perhaps even Burnley last season as McKenna looks to have the necessary pragmatism on top of his positive style to keep the Tractor Boys competitive.
In a similar way to Luton last season, a key strength of Ipswich is likely to be their collective spirit as they look to upset the odds (particularly when playing in front of their home fans at Portman Road), but they are also bringing in quality. Arijanet Muric will be in goal after joining from Burnley, young striker Liam Delap is a signing to watch from Manchester City while the permanent arrival of Omari Hutchinson is perhaps the most exciting addition given that he feels like a much more certain attacking performer having enjoyed such a successful season with Ipswich on loan from Chelsea in 2023-24.
After keeping McKenna, I actually think Ipswich stand a good chance of survival, and would put them above the other newly promoted sides on a predicted final table.
After an unexpected relegation a couple of seasons ago, Leicester have come straight back up as expected but they are far from out of trouble. Reports suggest they are almost certain to be hit with a points deduction this season for PSR/FFP breaches and that's going to make a difficult task almost impossible in this campaign as I'm not convinced they're too well placed to survive this season even without a points hit.
Steve Cooper is the new manager following Enzo Maresca's decision to join Chelsea and I feel Cooper is probably more suited to the task in hand this season anyway, as Maresca's approach was unlikely to be as successful now that Leicester aren't the team with the best squad in the division. Given the aforementioned financial issues, big signings aren't likely, and I'm not sure the players that Leicester currently have will be enough to overcome a points deduction.
It's becoming more and more difficult to stay up as a newly promoted side because the existing 17 clubs have so many quality players.
There are always a few unknowns when there's a new manager for a new season, but particularly when having to replace a manager who has enjoyed a spell that was as long and successful as Jurgen Klopp's. Arne Slot is inheriting a very good squad that should be more than strong enough to achieve a top four finish, but it will be interesting to see the tweaks that he decides to make.
When you look at the Liverpool team, the only thing that stands out as missing is a defensive midfielder, so it makes sense that there are currently heavy links with Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi who is excellent and would bring much needed energy and ball winning ability to the Reds' midfield. Aside from that, I think it's hard to have too strong an opinion on Liverpool and Slot at this stage since it's only fair to see how the first few months go and then see where they're at.
It seemed fairly clear that Slot wasn't necessarily Liverpool's first choice to replace Klopp, but now that he has the role I think he'll be given time and Liverpool are going to remain incredibly difficult to beat at Anfield given the quality they have in attack through the likes of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
An unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title for Manchester City last season means they have a record that will be tough for anybody to ever top, but can they go again and make it 5? You have to be brave to ever go against Pep Guardiola, but there's a part of me that feels the drop-off people were expecting after their 2022-23 Treble will instead come now because Guardiola himself did always talk about 4 in a row a lot as something unique that he was very keen to achieve with City as opposed to matching Manchester United's Treble and three Premier League titles in a row.
I'm obviously not going to claim to know anything at all about how individuals within the City camp feel in terms of motivation as I clearly have no idea, but it does feel as if the only thing that can stop City winning the title is a slight drop in their form as opposed to anybody being able to top them while at their best. A hangover from their unprecedented achievement, players returning late from the Euros/Copa America and off-field noise around charges for their alleged financial breaches (if they ever come) could all trigger this.
As I hinted in the Arsenal section, if I had to pick a title winner right now I'm leaning very slightly towards the Gunners just because 5 in a row seems crazy, but then I remember that Erling Haaland is guaranteed to score at least 25 goals for City and they practically never lose a league game with Rodri in the team. Guardiola is the key, so pay attention to reports on his future as well since we're reaching the point where he'll have to either extend or announce his departure.
I didn't expect to be typing Manager: Erik ten Hag in this preview a few months ago, but an impressive FA Cup Final victory has earned the Dutchman a chance to impress in this new era at the club. Wtih Ineos now in charge of football decisions at Old Trafford, there's definitely a feeling of fresh optimism around Manchester United, but there are still some glaring issues all over the pitch in my opinion so it's hard to judge how much that feeling of positivity can translate to improved results.
Let's have it right, United were dreadful for the majority of last season, finishing the PL campaign with a negative goal difference. The FA Cup Final performance was then very encouraging not just because of the result but because it showed some pragmatism and adaptability from ten Hag in my opinion, so in the first few rounds of this season it will be interesting to see if some of that remains rather than just opening up the pitch and allowing opponents 20+ shots a game. The Community Shield display wasn't a bad start.
A clear change in transfer strategy to avoid overpaying for big name players after months of negotiations was much needed and both Leny Yoro (now already injured) and Joshua Zirkzee are exciting additions, but I'm not sure we're going to see an instant massive improvement in United which is likely to result in ten Hag yet again asking for time. Whether he'll get it if the first couple of months aren't great is a big question mark.
Newcastle ended up incredibly burned out last season due to a huge number of injuries and their packed Champions League schedule up until Christmas, but with no Europe in 2024-25 and surely some better luck injury wise, I think they're going to be strong.
If Eddie Howe ends up leaving for the England job then my opinion would change a fair bit, but they look well placed for a strong season in my opinion with the likes of Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes likely to be lethal with just a single game a week. Central defence remains a concern with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles still recovering from long-term injuries, but the current pursuit of Marc Guehi suggests they're ready to land a very good upgrade.
Newcastle have a reasonably kind start fixtures wise and I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest they can get right back in the mix for a potential 4th-place finish this season. Though the sales of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson will have hurt in order to abide with PSR rules, they haven't lost any of their key men which was crucial.
Like Everton, Nottingham Forest's position on last season's table was slightly false because of their points deductions which means they were comfortably better than the bottom three having survived anyway, and on paper they remain stronger than this season's newly promoted sides. Forest are still a club that you could certainly picture falling into a relegation fight, but at the same time there are some very talented players capable of winning games in attack in the likes of Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
It seems as if key man Morgan Gibbs-White will be staying at Forest as things stand which I'm slightly surprised by and new signings Elliot Anderson and Jota Silva should make a positive impact. Defensively I'm less convinced and yet another new goalkeeper has arrived in Brazilian Carlos Miguel so that's a position Forest could really do with cementing regardless of whether it's him or Matz Sels. They got a good fee from Lyon for central defender Moussa Niakhate, but with Nikola Milenkovic arriving from Fiorentina as a replacement, that's another key area that is going through further change.
I see Forest as being more vulnerable than most to a potential surprise drop beneath Ipswich, but will reserve judgement until September as it will be interesting to see how they deal with their opening 3 (winnable) games.
Like many other managers these days, Russell Martin is a coach with a very clear idea of how he wants his team to play with a high amount of possession. Having achieved the goal of promotion straight back to the Premier League after being appointed at the beginning of last season, the big question ahead of this season is how much he's willing to compromise tactically when necessary to grind out some results and stay in the top flight because otherwise things might all be a bit Burnley for Saints this season. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing for Martin - he might end up with the Bayern job.
Saints undoubtedly have some good players, with Flynn Downes, Kyle Walker-Peters and Taylor Harwood-Bellis among the standouts, and the signing of Ben Brereton Diaz from Villarreal is an interesting one after he showed reasonable form on loan at Sheffield United in the second of half of last season which is impressive considering how much the Blades struggled. I think they're going to need more signings to stand a chance of surviving, with goalkeeper a particular area of concern given the style of play and Gavin Bazunu's injury (the jury is probably still out on whether he's Premier League standard anyway).
As things stand, Southampton would be in my predicted bottom three. I hope they're competitive, though, and if they can get some signings in quickly there is a chance to build some momentum as after a very difficult opener at Newcastle they have 3 or 4 of their most winnable fixtures in their next five games.
Ultimately, Ange Postecoglou did a reasonable job in his first season with Spurs and achieved his brief of getting some positivity back at Tottenham in terms of atmosphere and style of play after a very negative parting of ways with Antonio Conte. Spurs managed a reasonable league position despite the departure of Harry Kane and stood out as being fun to watch, but the question most people are asking is essentially 'are they too much fun at the expense of being good?'.
At times, Spurs' high defensive line was a bit ridiculous and undoubtedly cost them points, but part of me wonders if the style of play was somewhat exaggerated in Postecoglou's first season to get his ideas across and if we may see something at least slightly more measured this season. Nevertheless, Tottenham's reputation of failing to get over the line for trophies will be hard to overcome and I don't think their squad has yet reached a point where that will change this season. Dominic Solanke will certainly help ensure they get the goals to win the games that they ought to win, but time will tell if he can be the difference in big matches against top of the table rivals.
I expect a similar league position to the 5th-place Spurs managed in 2023-24 as I'm not convinced they'll quite reach the top four. 4th was theirs for the taking last season but their results throughout April and May were terrible - yes they faced a number of strong sides, but Spurs look some way off being able to beat such teams when the pressure is on. At the time of writing, they're yet to sign anyone that hugely elevates them in that regard in my opinion.
Things are set to be quite different at West Ham this season. David Moyes has finally departed after many fans had grown tired of the style of play he was integrating despite some very good achievements in terms of league position and a Europa Conference League trophy, yet the manager switch alone is unlikely to result in too much change since Julen Lopetegui is far more of a Spanish version of Moyes than a bold, positive football type manager such as Roberto De Zerbi or Ange Postecoglou.
What does look set to be quite different however, is squad personnel as West Ham have been pretty busy in the transfer market. Niclas Fullkrug has arrived from Borussia Dortmund as a new number 9, Crysencio Summerville will likely start on the left side after an excellent season with Leeds last year, Max Kilman will be straight at the top of the centre back pecking order after being reunited with his former boss for a ยฃ40m fee, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is about to sign a contract and join from Manchester United and Guido Rodriguez is set to partner Edson Alvarez in a solid looking double pivot having arrived from Real Betis.
All this sounds quite promising, especially when you consider the attacking quality West Ham already possess through Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, so I think they'll be battling for the Europa League and Europa Conference League spots this season. It's just that things still might not be quite as positive and exciting in terms of tactics as many West Ham fans appear to be hoping for.
Wolves coped well last season despite a number of injuries and more than a few rough VAR decisions that cost them points, which I think is down to Gary O'Neil's quality as a manager. Wolves squad isn't the best and certainly isn't the deepest in the league, but they played some fantastic stuff on the few occasions where key attackers Matheus Cunha, Hee-Chan Hwang and Pedro Neto were all fit.
Neto has now joined Chelsea and it was always likely that at least one of those three players would be sold this summer, but Jorgen Strand Larsen could be a shrewd addition to the forward line from Celta Vigo and there are plenty of other forwards on the books who need their futures clarified such as Pablo Sarabia, Daniel Podence, Goncalo Guedes and Fabio Silva.
Now that there aren't as many headline signings for Wolves as we used to see a few seasons ago (there were a few too many back then which is why they're saving cash now), I'm not sure they'll be able to better last season's points total by much and Max Kilman's experience in defence may not be easy to replace, but there is undoubtedly talent for O'Neil to work with and so far he's done a great job of getting the best out of many in his squad. Cunha, Hwang, Joao Gomes, Ait Nouri and Yerson Mosquera - who may well be the man stepping in for Kilman having returned from a loan at Villarreal - are all exciting players that are more than good enough to keep Wolves away from the relegation zone.
So, with all that said, you can probably tell I'm quite indecisive about final standings but I'm tentatively leaning towards a top four of Arsenal, City, Liverpool and Newcastle.
Manchester United and Tottenham shouldn't be too far behind Newcastle and could battle for that spot, while Villa, West Ham and Chelsea are the teams I'm predicting will end up fighting for 6th or more likely 7th.
In terms of the bottom three, I'd be surprised to see Southampton and especially Leicester stay up, but Ipswich could challenge Forest and Everton for survival? One of Brentford, Bournemouth or (less likely) Fulham are the other teams I can potentially see dropping into that scrap if they don't have a good end to the window.
Let me know how you see things going in the comments!
On Superbru Football, there are a lot of Predictor tournaments available for you to join including all of the top European leagues, but today's focus is on 'the big one' - the Premier League Predictor - which is our most popular game.
Here, I'll be giving an overview of how each team is looking going into the new season, so feel free to read through them all or skip to the brief section on the odd club that you're interested in to see if you agree!
Content will continue to appear on the Superbru Football app throughout the season though and Superbru Insights are of course available once again for the Premier League Predictor which provide you with unique match previews for every single fixture when making your predictions.
Superbru Insights are available to Superbru Premium users - you can upgrade here or receive a completely free month by creating your own private league in the Premier League Predictor and inviting 5 new people to join you on the platform.
Let's get into it... Let me know how you think this season will play out in the comments and feel free to call me out on any clubs you feel I've misjudged!
Arsenal
Last season: 2nd (89 points) | Manager: Mikel ArtetaAnother trophy-less season in 2023/24 despite looking as good as pretty much any other club in Europe for much of the campaign will have been painful for Arsenal, but there's no doubt that they're heading in the right direction and I think it's reasonable to not only suggest they'll be in the title race again this season but that they may well win it this time.
Before a ball is kicked this season I feel that Arsenal are the most likely to go all the way, and while that is largely down to how I feel about City (we'll get to them later), Arsenal continue to strengthen with Riccardo Calafiori and quite possibly Mikel Merino being added to an already impressive squad.
The lingering doubt over their lack of an out and out goalscorer remains, so it'll be interesting to see if that is addressed in the final weeks of the transfer window, but Arsenal managed 91 goals last season regardless while conceding just 29. Expect a strong campaign from the Gunners, particularly if they manage a good start because they have some very difficult early away fixtures which if they come through will leave them in fantastic shape.
Aston Villa
Last season: 4th (68 points) | Manager: Unai EmeryAfter a fantastic 2023/24 season saw Aston Villa secure a Champions League place, much will depend upon how they cope with a packed fixture list in this campaign. Yes, they had some practice last year as they had Europa Conference League fixtures as well as their league matches and that Thursday-Sunday schedule is tough, but Champions League games are of course a considerable level up and with UEFA changing the format of their tournaments for this season, there will be more games than ever.
Villa have lost a quality midfielder in Douglas Luiz who has joined Juventus, but two very good midfielders have come in - Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley - to join the players that Villa also received from Juventus as part of the talks for that Luiz deal as young duo Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrencechea have both signed.
Given Emery's experience and expertise, I think Villa will compete well in Europe and they're clearly going to be tough to beat all season at Villa Park, but I wonder if their league position ends up a fair bit lower this season as we saw with Newcastle when they returned to the Champions League in 2023/24. Villa's midfield and defensive depth looks decent enough for what's coming up but I'd expect another forward to arrive before September. WIth Moussa Diaby sold to Saudi Arabia for a strong fee and Jhon Duran rumoured to be on the way out too, Villa look short of a backup for Ollie Watkins and may also need another wide player to cover Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers given the injury issues Emiliano Buendia and Jacob Ramsey regularly suffer from.
Bournemouth
Last season: 12th (48 points) | Manager: Andoni IraolaI thought Andoni Iraola had a really impressive first season with Bournemouth as it's easy to forget that Gary O'Neil had already massively exceeded expectations the season before so there were plenty of doubts about the appointment of Iraola. Instead, he has already integrated a strong identity of defending from the front with good intensity and 48 points is a great achievement especially after such a poor start.
With Iraola in charge, I think it's reasonable to expect Bournemouth to stay up reasonably comfortably once again, but the departure of Dominic Solanke is obviously a problem as his 19 league goals are going to be hard to replace. The fact that they've already signed Enes Unal who has had some time to get to grips with the PL should help, but he's currently injured and they're going to need another Solanke replacement to share the load anyway.
I see Bournemouth as being in a similar position to Brentford - they should be good enough for a 14th/15th place finish but things could get tricky if the final weeks of the transfer window don't go their way and the Cherries will be seen as a team that can be caught by the newly promoted sides.
Brentford
Last season: 16th (39 points) | Manager: Thomas FrankLast season was an underwhelming one for Brentford after setting such strong expectations by establishing themselves so quickly in the top flight. However, that was largely caused by injuries and suspensions, so it's reasonable to expect an uplift this year, right? I reckon so, but deja vu is already hitting with brand new striker Igor Thiago already facing a long injury layoff after injuring himself in pre-season.
That injury and an arguably surprising lack of transfer interest from bigger clubs means Ivan Toney may well now remain a Brentford player, which on one hand is strange in that the Bees were seemingly very ready to cash in after signing Thiago, but on the other hand obviously quite good since Toney is a fantastic Premier League level striker.
I think Brentford will be OK this season but Thiago's injury has changed the feeling somewhat since the fragility surrounding a potential Toney exit has immediately returned. Frank is a very good manager and Brentford have a solid, competent squad if everyone is available, but there'll be some nerves if they fail to win their first few (very winnable) home matches because this year's newly promoted clubs are likely to be stronger than last year's.
Brighton
Last season: 11th (48 points) | Manager: Fabian HurzelerI think Brighton will be great fun to watch this season now that they're back to being solely focused upon the Premier League and with an exciting new manager in Fabian Hurzeler who at the age of 31 is the youngest full-time manager the PL has seen. Hurzeler led St Pauli to the Bundesliga last season by winning the Bundesliga 2 title and as you'd expect from Brighton who have been fairly innovatively run by chairman Tony Bloom, he's been appointed because of the attractive style of play he looks to implement.
The departure of Pascal Gross to Dortmund is a huge loss after how integral he's been for Brighton during these successful recent seasons in the Premier League, but Mats Wieffer is an exciting replacement who has been vital for Feyenoord in their strong last couple of Eredivisie campaigns. In attack, the return of Kaoru Mitoma from injury is something to look forward to, as is the introduction of Yankuba Minteh who has been signed from Newcastle but was on loan at Feyenoord where he played with Wieffer last year.
European qualification might be too much of an ask in Hurzeler's opening season, but I think we will see some really strong performances from Brighton this season with plenty of entertainment.
Chelsea
Last season: 6th (63 points) | Manager: Enzo MarescaI'm not sure where to even start with Chelsea. Last season ended fairly positively in terms of form and there was a sense that the Blues should be able to kick on this year, but after removing manager Mauricio Pochettino and midfield Conor Gallagher who was essentially their captain for the majority of 2023/24, it does feel a bit like starting all over again under Enzo Maresca.
The transfer market approach continues to confuse - the new owners' aim appears to be to try and make money rather than going all out to win titles whatever the cost, yet paying such considerable fees for many young players that will likely never even play for Chelsea doesn't seem sensible either way. With such spend, Chelsea could have strengthened their team far more than they have, and I think we could see quite a few bumps in the road early in the season as the squad looks to adapt to what is likely to be a considerable change in playing style.
Pre-season performances have been poor and I personally feel Chelsea are much more likely to finish mid-table than they are to threaten the Champions League places. At Leicester, Maresca must be given credit for winning the league even when it was expected, but his apparent stubbornness to stick with his preferred style of play will become a problem at Chelsea unless results are good. Similar previous manager appointments at Chelsea (admittedly under the previous ownership) such as Andre Villas-Boas and Maurizio Sarri haven't gone down well with Chelsea's support so there'll be immense pressure on Maresca right from game 1 which happens to be against the defending champions.
Crystal Palace
Last season: 10th (49 points) | Manager: Oliver GlasnerCrystal Palace are another team that is almost definitely going to be inside the 'fun Premier League teams' category alongside rivals Brighton. Michael Olise has left for Bayern Munich, but if they manage to hold on to their other young stars - Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton - Palace will have a lot of quality as Daichi Kamada has already signed to link back up with Oliver Glasner and let's not forget that Jean-Philippe Mateta was suddenly an absolute goal machine in the final few rounds of last season.
It sounds as if centre back Marc Guehi may also be on the way out which would be a shame, but as with Olise, it does feel as if Palace have enough options to cover such departures with Joachim Andersen obviously already there as a quality centre half and the signing of Chadi Riad from Real Betis may well have partly been made because of the potential of Guehi leaving.
I really enjoyed watching Palace under Glasner last season so I'm excited to see how things play out and we could well see another top half finish.
Everton
Last season: 15th (40 points) | Manager: Sean DycheEverton are much less likely to reach my 'fun Premier League team' category. Off-field issues surrounding the ownership of the club continue to weigh heavily on the Toffees, and it just feels as if everything is such a struggle for Everton so I think they're in for another long season and just about surviving in each campaign doesn't feel sustainable.
Amadou Onana's departure means Sean Dyche will want a similarly physical replacement, but incomings so far have been interesting with striker Iliman Ndiaye arriving after a tough year in Marseille and Jesper Lindstrom coming in after failing to find his feet at Napoli. Both players had plenty of success at Sheffield United and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively prior to those less fruitful transfers, so there's plenty of potential upside but also plenty of risk in my opinion.
When looking at last season's table, it's worth reminding everyone that Everton's points deductions were severe and they'd have been much higher up based on their results alone (12th with 48pts). It's perhaps a little harsh of me to suggest that they'll be in a relegation fight this season as a result, but you do worry about the number of goals that they'll score - only Sheffield United scored fewer in 2023-24 and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is going to need help.
Fulham
Last season: 13th (47 points) | Manager: Marco SilvaMarco Silva has done a great job with Fulham who have been well clear of relegation since being promoted in 2022. However, this season is going to be a test now that key man Joao Palhinha has left for Bayern. Palhinha is one of the world's very best defensive midfield players so expecting Fulham to replace that level of quality is unrealistic, but they are still going to need to sign somebody in that area of the pitch and it will be interesting to see how Silva sets up without his main man.
That's not to say that Fulham haven't already done some interesting business, though, as in addition to a very heart-warming return to the club for Ryan Sessegnon who Fulham fans naturally still absolutely love, Emile Smith Rowe has arrived from Arsenal for a club record fee.
Another centre back is also needed (in addition to Jorge Cuenca who has been signed from Villlarreal) after Tosin Adarabioyo joined Chelsea rather than extending his contract, but assuming Fulham get those necessary deals done, they already have a great goalkeeper, decent fullbacks, and a fairly promising array of attacking options. Keep an eye on whether or not Fulham adequately fill those crucial spots in the centre of the field, but I think their last couple of seasons have been assuring enough to suggest that they will be good enough to stay in the Premier League once again this term.
Ipswich Town
Last season: 2nd in the Championship (96 points) | Manager: Kieran McKennaAfter back-to-back promotions to reach the top flight for the first time since 2002, Ipswich Town's priority this summer was always going to be to keep the man who has led them throughout that period - Kieran McKenna. Ipswich are clearly underdogs this season with many of their squad members arguably still League 1 players let alone Championship level, but I feel they'll put up more of a fight than we saw from Sheffield United and perhaps even Burnley last season as McKenna looks to have the necessary pragmatism on top of his positive style to keep the Tractor Boys competitive.
In a similar way to Luton last season, a key strength of Ipswich is likely to be their collective spirit as they look to upset the odds (particularly when playing in front of their home fans at Portman Road), but they are also bringing in quality. Arijanet Muric will be in goal after joining from Burnley, young striker Liam Delap is a signing to watch from Manchester City while the permanent arrival of Omari Hutchinson is perhaps the most exciting addition given that he feels like a much more certain attacking performer having enjoyed such a successful season with Ipswich on loan from Chelsea in 2023-24.
After keeping McKenna, I actually think Ipswich stand a good chance of survival, and would put them above the other newly promoted sides on a predicted final table.
Leicester City
Last season: 1st in the Championship (97 points) | Manager: Steve CooperAfter an unexpected relegation a couple of seasons ago, Leicester have come straight back up as expected but they are far from out of trouble. Reports suggest they are almost certain to be hit with a points deduction this season for PSR/FFP breaches and that's going to make a difficult task almost impossible in this campaign as I'm not convinced they're too well placed to survive this season even without a points hit.
Steve Cooper is the new manager following Enzo Maresca's decision to join Chelsea and I feel Cooper is probably more suited to the task in hand this season anyway, as Maresca's approach was unlikely to be as successful now that Leicester aren't the team with the best squad in the division. Given the aforementioned financial issues, big signings aren't likely, and I'm not sure the players that Leicester currently have will be enough to overcome a points deduction.
It's becoming more and more difficult to stay up as a newly promoted side because the existing 17 clubs have so many quality players.
Liverpool
Last season: 3rd (82 points) | Manager: Arne SlotThere are always a few unknowns when there's a new manager for a new season, but particularly when having to replace a manager who has enjoyed a spell that was as long and successful as Jurgen Klopp's. Arne Slot is inheriting a very good squad that should be more than strong enough to achieve a top four finish, but it will be interesting to see the tweaks that he decides to make.
When you look at the Liverpool team, the only thing that stands out as missing is a defensive midfielder, so it makes sense that there are currently heavy links with Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi who is excellent and would bring much needed energy and ball winning ability to the Reds' midfield. Aside from that, I think it's hard to have too strong an opinion on Liverpool and Slot at this stage since it's only fair to see how the first few months go and then see where they're at.
It seemed fairly clear that Slot wasn't necessarily Liverpool's first choice to replace Klopp, but now that he has the role I think he'll be given time and Liverpool are going to remain incredibly difficult to beat at Anfield given the quality they have in attack through the likes of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Manchester City
Last season: 1st (91 points) | Manager: Pep GuardiolaAn unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title for Manchester City last season means they have a record that will be tough for anybody to ever top, but can they go again and make it 5? You have to be brave to ever go against Pep Guardiola, but there's a part of me that feels the drop-off people were expecting after their 2022-23 Treble will instead come now because Guardiola himself did always talk about 4 in a row a lot as something unique that he was very keen to achieve with City as opposed to matching Manchester United's Treble and three Premier League titles in a row.
I'm obviously not going to claim to know anything at all about how individuals within the City camp feel in terms of motivation as I clearly have no idea, but it does feel as if the only thing that can stop City winning the title is a slight drop in their form as opposed to anybody being able to top them while at their best. A hangover from their unprecedented achievement, players returning late from the Euros/Copa America and off-field noise around charges for their alleged financial breaches (if they ever come) could all trigger this.
As I hinted in the Arsenal section, if I had to pick a title winner right now I'm leaning very slightly towards the Gunners just because 5 in a row seems crazy, but then I remember that Erling Haaland is guaranteed to score at least 25 goals for City and they practically never lose a league game with Rodri in the team. Guardiola is the key, so pay attention to reports on his future as well since we're reaching the point where he'll have to either extend or announce his departure.
Manchester United
Last season: 8th (60 points) | Manager: Erik ten HagI didn't expect to be typing Manager: Erik ten Hag in this preview a few months ago, but an impressive FA Cup Final victory has earned the Dutchman a chance to impress in this new era at the club. Wtih Ineos now in charge of football decisions at Old Trafford, there's definitely a feeling of fresh optimism around Manchester United, but there are still some glaring issues all over the pitch in my opinion so it's hard to judge how much that feeling of positivity can translate to improved results.
Let's have it right, United were dreadful for the majority of last season, finishing the PL campaign with a negative goal difference. The FA Cup Final performance was then very encouraging not just because of the result but because it showed some pragmatism and adaptability from ten Hag in my opinion, so in the first few rounds of this season it will be interesting to see if some of that remains rather than just opening up the pitch and allowing opponents 20+ shots a game. The Community Shield display wasn't a bad start.
A clear change in transfer strategy to avoid overpaying for big name players after months of negotiations was much needed and both Leny Yoro (now already injured) and Joshua Zirkzee are exciting additions, but I'm not sure we're going to see an instant massive improvement in United which is likely to result in ten Hag yet again asking for time. Whether he'll get it if the first couple of months aren't great is a big question mark.
Newcastle
Last season: 7th (60 points) | Manager: Eddie HoweNewcastle ended up incredibly burned out last season due to a huge number of injuries and their packed Champions League schedule up until Christmas, but with no Europe in 2024-25 and surely some better luck injury wise, I think they're going to be strong.
If Eddie Howe ends up leaving for the England job then my opinion would change a fair bit, but they look well placed for a strong season in my opinion with the likes of Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes likely to be lethal with just a single game a week. Central defence remains a concern with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles still recovering from long-term injuries, but the current pursuit of Marc Guehi suggests they're ready to land a very good upgrade.
Newcastle have a reasonably kind start fixtures wise and I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest they can get right back in the mix for a potential 4th-place finish this season. Though the sales of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson will have hurt in order to abide with PSR rules, they haven't lost any of their key men which was crucial.
Nottingham Forest
Last season: 17th (32 points) | Manager: Nuno Espirito SantoLike Everton, Nottingham Forest's position on last season's table was slightly false because of their points deductions which means they were comfortably better than the bottom three having survived anyway, and on paper they remain stronger than this season's newly promoted sides. Forest are still a club that you could certainly picture falling into a relegation fight, but at the same time there are some very talented players capable of winning games in attack in the likes of Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
It seems as if key man Morgan Gibbs-White will be staying at Forest as things stand which I'm slightly surprised by and new signings Elliot Anderson and Jota Silva should make a positive impact. Defensively I'm less convinced and yet another new goalkeeper has arrived in Brazilian Carlos Miguel so that's a position Forest could really do with cementing regardless of whether it's him or Matz Sels. They got a good fee from Lyon for central defender Moussa Niakhate, but with Nikola Milenkovic arriving from Fiorentina as a replacement, that's another key area that is going through further change.
I see Forest as being more vulnerable than most to a potential surprise drop beneath Ipswich, but will reserve judgement until September as it will be interesting to see how they deal with their opening 3 (winnable) games.
Southampton
Last season: 4th in the Championship (87 points) | Manager: Russell MartinLike many other managers these days, Russell Martin is a coach with a very clear idea of how he wants his team to play with a high amount of possession. Having achieved the goal of promotion straight back to the Premier League after being appointed at the beginning of last season, the big question ahead of this season is how much he's willing to compromise tactically when necessary to grind out some results and stay in the top flight because otherwise things might all be a bit Burnley for Saints this season. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing for Martin - he might end up with the Bayern job.
Saints undoubtedly have some good players, with Flynn Downes, Kyle Walker-Peters and Taylor Harwood-Bellis among the standouts, and the signing of Ben Brereton Diaz from Villarreal is an interesting one after he showed reasonable form on loan at Sheffield United in the second of half of last season which is impressive considering how much the Blades struggled. I think they're going to need more signings to stand a chance of surviving, with goalkeeper a particular area of concern given the style of play and Gavin Bazunu's injury (the jury is probably still out on whether he's Premier League standard anyway).
As things stand, Southampton would be in my predicted bottom three. I hope they're competitive, though, and if they can get some signings in quickly there is a chance to build some momentum as after a very difficult opener at Newcastle they have 3 or 4 of their most winnable fixtures in their next five games.
Tottenham
Last season: 5th (66 points) | Manager: Ange PostecoglouUltimately, Ange Postecoglou did a reasonable job in his first season with Spurs and achieved his brief of getting some positivity back at Tottenham in terms of atmosphere and style of play after a very negative parting of ways with Antonio Conte. Spurs managed a reasonable league position despite the departure of Harry Kane and stood out as being fun to watch, but the question most people are asking is essentially 'are they too much fun at the expense of being good?'.
At times, Spurs' high defensive line was a bit ridiculous and undoubtedly cost them points, but part of me wonders if the style of play was somewhat exaggerated in Postecoglou's first season to get his ideas across and if we may see something at least slightly more measured this season. Nevertheless, Tottenham's reputation of failing to get over the line for trophies will be hard to overcome and I don't think their squad has yet reached a point where that will change this season. Dominic Solanke will certainly help ensure they get the goals to win the games that they ought to win, but time will tell if he can be the difference in big matches against top of the table rivals.
I expect a similar league position to the 5th-place Spurs managed in 2023-24 as I'm not convinced they'll quite reach the top four. 4th was theirs for the taking last season but their results throughout April and May were terrible - yes they faced a number of strong sides, but Spurs look some way off being able to beat such teams when the pressure is on. At the time of writing, they're yet to sign anyone that hugely elevates them in that regard in my opinion.
West Ham
Last season: 9th (52 points) | Manager: Julen LopeteguiThings are set to be quite different at West Ham this season. David Moyes has finally departed after many fans had grown tired of the style of play he was integrating despite some very good achievements in terms of league position and a Europa Conference League trophy, yet the manager switch alone is unlikely to result in too much change since Julen Lopetegui is far more of a Spanish version of Moyes than a bold, positive football type manager such as Roberto De Zerbi or Ange Postecoglou.
What does look set to be quite different however, is squad personnel as West Ham have been pretty busy in the transfer market. Niclas Fullkrug has arrived from Borussia Dortmund as a new number 9, Crysencio Summerville will likely start on the left side after an excellent season with Leeds last year, Max Kilman will be straight at the top of the centre back pecking order after being reunited with his former boss for a ยฃ40m fee, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is about to sign a contract and join from Manchester United and Guido Rodriguez is set to partner Edson Alvarez in a solid looking double pivot having arrived from Real Betis.
All this sounds quite promising, especially when you consider the attacking quality West Ham already possess through Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, so I think they'll be battling for the Europa League and Europa Conference League spots this season. It's just that things still might not be quite as positive and exciting in terms of tactics as many West Ham fans appear to be hoping for.
Wolves
Last season: 14th (46 points) | Manager: Gary O'NeilWolves coped well last season despite a number of injuries and more than a few rough VAR decisions that cost them points, which I think is down to Gary O'Neil's quality as a manager. Wolves squad isn't the best and certainly isn't the deepest in the league, but they played some fantastic stuff on the few occasions where key attackers Matheus Cunha, Hee-Chan Hwang and Pedro Neto were all fit.
Neto has now joined Chelsea and it was always likely that at least one of those three players would be sold this summer, but Jorgen Strand Larsen could be a shrewd addition to the forward line from Celta Vigo and there are plenty of other forwards on the books who need their futures clarified such as Pablo Sarabia, Daniel Podence, Goncalo Guedes and Fabio Silva.
Now that there aren't as many headline signings for Wolves as we used to see a few seasons ago (there were a few too many back then which is why they're saving cash now), I'm not sure they'll be able to better last season's points total by much and Max Kilman's experience in defence may not be easy to replace, but there is undoubtedly talent for O'Neil to work with and so far he's done a great job of getting the best out of many in his squad. Cunha, Hwang, Joao Gomes, Ait Nouri and Yerson Mosquera - who may well be the man stepping in for Kilman having returned from a loan at Villarreal - are all exciting players that are more than good enough to keep Wolves away from the relegation zone.
So, with all that said, you can probably tell I'm quite indecisive about final standings but I'm tentatively leaning towards a top four of Arsenal, City, Liverpool and Newcastle.
Manchester United and Tottenham shouldn't be too far behind Newcastle and could battle for that spot, while Villa, West Ham and Chelsea are the teams I'm predicting will end up fighting for 6th or more likely 7th.
In terms of the bottom three, I'd be surprised to see Southampton and especially Leicester stay up, but Ipswich could challenge Forest and Everton for survival? One of Brentford, Bournemouth or (less likely) Fulham are the other teams I can potentially see dropping into that scrap if they don't have a good end to the window.
Let me know how you see things going in the comments!
Superbru on X
VERY helpful !!
new victors.