League Table:

1. Manchester City – 91 points

For the first time since 2009, I believe we’re set to see a team “three-peat” the Premier League. While Erling Haaland’s official debut in the Community Shield might’ve raised more questions than it answered, the strength of City’s squad will ultimately prove too much for the rest of the country. The addition of Kalvin Phillips from Leeds should be an enormous help to City’s midfield as well, which lacked legs at times last year.

But, if City were to miss out on the Premier League title, you’d be hard pressed to find a bigger reason than the departures of Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Sterling provided width and a willingness to run in behind opposition defences, while Zinchenko was Pep’s Swiss Army knife for years. Manchester City don’t have clear-cut replacements for either of those players, with Jack Grealish offering something entirely different (and arguably worse) to Raheem Sterling, and City not even having a replacement lined up for Zinchenko. Both have left major holes in Manchester City’s team, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it proved costly.

2. Liverpool – 89 points

While Liverpool still boast one of the best squads in European football, there remains a slight concern that they haven’t done quite enough in the transfer market to keep up with Manchester City.

Although the Reds splashed a whopping $82 million on Benfica’s Darwin Nunez, their only other incomings were Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay, two players that don’t exactly jump off the page. And even then, it remains to be seen just how much of a success Darwin Nunez will be. Nunez’s elite movement and work-rate will allow him to get onto the receiving end of many high-quality chances, but questions remain about his ability to put those chances away. On the flip side, Nunez does fit Liverpool much better than Erling Haaland does Manchester City, which could prove to be the edge over 38 games.

However, Liverpool’s midfield still remains a weakness, at least in terms of challenging for the title. Does Fabinho still have the legs to run the show in midfield? Can Naby Keita show enough consistency over a full season? These are both questions that’ll have to be answered over the season, among many more. Liverpool’s starting XI is tough to beat, but their quality across the squad leaves much to be desired.

3. Tottenham Hotspur – 76 points

Tottenham’s window has been a little overhyped, to say the least, but they’ve still done enough to warrant a 3rd-place finish. Yves Bissouma and Ivan Perisic are excellent additions to an already strong starting XI, and should fix many of Spurs’ problems from last season. Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son, and Dejan Kulusevksi made up the deadliest attack in the league last season (45 goals between them), and new signing Richarlison should help improve those numbers even more.

But, questions surround Antonio Conte’s ability to manage a team with the added task of European football, and how Tottenham answer those questions will be crucial in determining the outcome of their season.

4. Arsenal – 73 points

The best transfer window out of any Premier League team, bar none. Arsenal have added serious quality in almost every position of need, and look set to turn a corner under Mikel Arteta. New signing Gabriel Jesus has already seamlessly slotted into Arsenal’s XI, and Oleksandr Zinchenko provides an added stability at left-back. William Saliba also returns from loan a more polished player, and should help bolster Arsenal’s defence.

Arsenal have spent the most money in the last two transfer windows (combined), and expectations should be high at the Emirates this season. Fortunately for them, those expectations might finally be met.

5. Chelsea – 70 points

If you follow me on Twitter or are an avid reader of SKJSports, you’ll know my criticism of Chelsea’s squad planning has been obnoxiously loud, to say the least. As of today, the squad is considerably worse than last season, and it’s not really close.

However, if the signings of Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, and an elite attacker to-be-named were confirmed, then it’s an entirely different story. In that case, I believe Chelsea could jump a few spots and retain their 3rd-placed finish from last year, as well as break the 80-point barrier for the first time since the 2016/2017 season. But, for now and with this current squad, 5th is Chelsea’s ceiling.

6. Manchester United – 66 points

Manchester United are set to make a huge improvement under new manager Erik Ten Hag, but the lack of technical quality in their squad and the questionable future of Cristiano Ronaldo will cost them this season.

Their squad has holes almost everywhere you look, and they simply haven’t made enough improvements to their starting XI. Lisandro Martinez is set to be their only new starter next season, with Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia likely taking on rotational roles. The ego and petulant behavior of Cristiano Ronaldo also seems to be a weight on the entire club’s shoulders, which isn’t what Manchester United need (now more than ever). This uncertainty will cost them a few points in the opening weeks of the season, or at least until the matter is resolved.

To his credit though, Erik Ten Hag certainly looks the part, and he’s got United firing on almost all cylinders in preseason. A vastly improved season for Manchester United awaits.

7. Leicester City – 62 points

Having still made zero signings, Leicester City have gone a bit under the radar this summer. This is an obvious concern, but the return of multiple key players from injury should help ease those worries. Both Wesley Fofana and Wilfred Ndidi missed several months last season, and their return should be a breath of fresh air for the Foxes. Add to that the talents of James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, and Jamie Vardy, and Leicester suddenly have serious quality in almost every department on the pitch, a rarity across the Premier League’s “other-14” clubs.

The lack of European football is also a massive benefit to Brendan Rodgers’ side, as fixture congestion will be almost nonexistent for the first half of the season. However, the potential loss of Wesley Fofana to Chelsea, and fullback Ricardo Pereira to injury would be enough to derail their season, and knock them down more than a few spots.

8. West Ham – 57 points

A solid season from the Hammers again, but nothing special. David Moyes’ tactics have started to get a little repetitive, and there’s an inkling that they’ll get somewhat found out this year. This is something we saw last season, where West Ham only grabbed 25 out of a possible 57 points in 2022 (13th-best).

It’s also hard to imagine Jarrod Bowen grabbing 12 goals and 10 assists again, and while new striker Gianluca Scamacca has bags of talent, he’s a peculiar fit for West Ham’s counter-attacking style. They’ll have to balance their Premier League aspirations with European football as well, which was a struggle for them last year.

9. Crystal Palace – 54 points

The job Patrick Vieira has done with Crystal Palace over the last year has been nothing short of outstanding, and that good work is set to continue this year. Last season, Palace finished 4th in the league in xGA, and new signings Chris Richards and Sam Johnstone should help improve those numbers even more.

And although the loss of Connor Gallagher’s intensity and pressing is a big one, new midfielder Cheick Doucoure should help fill that hole in other ways. Palace’s attack also speaks for itself, with Wilfred Zaha, Michael Olise, and Eberechi Eze leaving no shortage of talent and production upfront.

10. Newcastle United – 53 points

Eddie Howe’s men are perhaps one of English football’s most exciting clubs at the minute, but they’ll have to wait a little longer before realizing their European dreams. Sven Botman and Nick Pope are both excellent signings, and will surely be apart of Newcastle’s rebuild over the next few years. However, they don’t have enough quality going forward to break into any of the European spots, at least for now. A good, but perhaps underwhelming, season awaits the Toon Army.

11. Aston Villa – 50 points

Aston Villa’s team is definitely Top-10 quality, but is Steven Gerrard? After the back of an amazing stint at Rangers, his time at Villa has been underwhelming, to say the least. Their squad is also fairly top-heavy, which can lead to rotational headaches and chemistry issues.

Not a bad season by any stretch of the imagination, but a rather boring one.

12. Brighton & Hove Albion – 48 points

For years now, Brighton’s problems have been as simple as converting a few of the fantastic chances they create every game, into goals. Unfortunately, unless Deniz Undav is some diamond in the rough, I don’t see those problems changing anytime soon. The loss of Yves Bissouma is a big one as well, and they’ll be likely to draw more games than they win.

13. Leeds – 46 points

Not a surprise to anyone, but Leeds’ success this season hinges almost entirely on how they cope with the loss of their talisman Raphinha, who departed the club for Barcelona in July. It remains to be seen if the likes of Brendan Aaronson and Luis Sinisterra can replace that hole, and if Jesse Marsch is up to the task of replacing Marcelo Bielsa .

Leeds lingered around 13th in the league in xG, xGA, and xPoints under Marsch’s tenure last season (12 games) and that’s where they’ll finish this season. Having spent the most money in the Premier League so far, the Elland Road faithful should be expecting a mid-table finish at the absolute least.

14. Wolves – 45 points

A reality check has been a long time coming for Wolves, and this season may just be that check. They only managed 39 goals last year, enough for the 4th-lowest tally in the league. Wolves also over performed last year’s xGA by nearly 16 goals, largely due to the goalkeeping exploits of Jose Sa, as well as a little bit of luck. I’m not entirely convinced by Bruno Lage’s coaching ability against worse sides, and their lack of quality in possession will cost them a few places this season.

15. Brentford – 44 points

Brentford finished an impressive 13th in the Premier League last season, but a slight decline is on their horizon.

Until the signing of Christian Eriksen in January of last season, Brentford were languishing around 15th in the table. Eriksen comes in, Brentford finish 8th for the remainder of the season (11 games), and the rest is history. However, I don’t believe they’ve filled that Eriksen-hole this summer. While new signings Keane Lewis-Potter and Aaron Hickey are fine additions to the squad, Brentford’s midfield still jumps out as a weak point. There’s simply not enough creativity, which will cost them more than a few points over the course of the season.

16. Everton – 43 points

For once, Everton have made smart decisions in the transfer market, adding cheap, Premier League-proven players in positions of need. Dwight McNeil, James Tarkowski, and Ruben Vinagre are all great signings, and show a positive shift in transfer policy from Everton.

Nevertheless, their overall squad is still miles off securing a mid-table finish, let alone potentially breaking into the Top-10. Tactically, Frank Lampard also leaves a lot to be desired, and another relegation scare this season for Everton shouldn’t be ruled out.

17. Nottingham Forest – 39 points

One of the founding members of the Premier League, Steve Cooper’s men will defy the odds and secure Premier League safety this season. Their recruitment has been admirable so far, bringing in the likes of Dean Henderson, Omar Richards, and Taiwo Awoniyi. I do expect them to concede a lot of goals, but I also think they’ll have just enough going forward to paper over their defensive woes.

I also look forward to hearing “Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that!” at “certain” grounds this year.

18. Southampton – 36 points

It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since all 3 of the Premier League’s newly promoted sides went straight back down the following season (1997/1998), which is one of the main reasons I’ve placed Southampton this low.

Of last year’s Premier League clubs, Southampton are probably the most likely to go down. They’ve already lost key starters such as Armando Broja and Fraser Forster, and are set to miss young fullback Tino Livramento to a knee injury until 2023. They haven’t brought in adequate replacements either, with Joe Aribo from Rangers arguably being their best signing. His athleticism and technical skill is a huge addition to their midfield, but they simply need more across the board.

Their most expensive signing this summer was goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu from Manchester City, who doesn’t have a single minute of top-division football under his belt. Same goes for defensive-midfielder Romeo Lavia, also an ex-Manchester City player. Both are one for the future, but I fear it’s just not enough for this season.

19. AFC Bournemouth – 29 points

The Cherries lack of activity in the transfer market is worrying, as is the fact that they’ve retained a majority of the players that relegated the club in 2019/2020.

Scott Parker is a better manager than he gets credit for, but Bournemouth seem like another case of “Too good for the Championship, not good enough for the Premier League.” Can Dominic Solanke transfer his goalscoring prowess into a tougher league? Can Bournemouth maintain their strong defensive record in the Premier League? The answer to both of these questions will likely be a resounding NO.

20. Fulham – 27 points

I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I’ve watched more than 90 minutes of Fulham in the last year, but I will be pretending I’ve watched more than a single minute. Seriously though, does anyone expect anything different from Fulham? Up, down, up, down, up, down, year after year after year. They’re a rollercoaster, and not a good one.

Manager Marco Silva said it best, when asked if Fulham are ready for the upcoming season: “No.” They’ve got Mitrovic though, so there’s that.

Individual Awards:

POTY: Mohammed Salah

Young POTY: Bukayo Saka

Golden Glove: Alisson Becker

Golden Boot: Harry Kane

Playmaker Award: Kevin De Bruyne

Surprise Team of the Year: Leicester City

Breakout Player of the Year: Brendan Aaronson