Premier League pre-season preview: Predicting where all 20 clubs will finish

1) Manchester City

Notable transfers. In: Savinho. Out: Julián Álvarez, Sergio Gómez, Yan Couto, Kalvin Phillips, Taylor Harwood-Bellis & Liam Delap.

No team in English top-flight history had ever won four successive league titles, a feat Manchester City achieved last season, so you wouldn't bet against them making that five would you? Pep Guardiola's team have completely monopolised silverware in recent times, with last weekend's FA Community Shield triumph, a penalty shootout victory over Manchester United, the 18th major honour they've collected since 2018.

It's been a relatively quite transfer window so far, with Savinho, who's arrived from within the City Football Group, the only notable arrival to date, although the £81 million recieved from Julián Álvarez's departure should free up some funds if they still wish to strengthen. Having said that, the Sky Blues have a pretty strong squad already, so may just have what they hold.

Of course, the 115 charges are still hanging over this team, with Martyn Ziegler and Matt Lawton in the Times reporting the case is set to commence next month, so are footballers on pitches or lawyer in courtrooms more likely to stop Man City reigning supreme once again?

2) Arsenal

Notable transfers. In: Riccardo Calafiori. Out: Emile Smith Rowe, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares & Mohamed Elneny.

No team in Premier League history had ever increased their points tally in four consecutive campaigns. Well, Arsenal have already done so in five successive seasons, collecting 56, 61, 69, 84 and then 89 since Mikel Arteta's arrival, now aiming to smash the 90 points barrier in search of glory.

The Gunners' two-decade long wait for Premier League supremacy goes on, agonisingly missing out on the title on the final day of last season, thereby enduring back-to-back years as runners-up. But Arsenal are getting closer, boasting the meanest defence in the division last time round, bolstering their back-line further with the edition of Riccardo Calafiori, while fit again Jurriën Timber is the quintessential definition of the cliché 'like a new signing'.

In attack, they're hoping to get more out of what they've got, namely Kai Havertz, who really found form during the second half of last season, as well as Gabriel Jesus, who's hopeful his persistent knee injuries are behind him. The Gunners face a tough start, their first three away games coming at Villa, Spurs and Man City, but the North Londoners once again appear the most well-equipped to challenge the champions.

3) Liverpool

Notable transfers. In: None. Out: Fábio Carvalho, Joël Matip & Thiago Alcântara.

It's all change at Liverpool, well in the dugout at least. After nine years, 491 matches, eight trophies and countless unforgettable moments, Jürgen Klopp's tenure is over, leaving Arne Slot a rather large void to fill. However, as the charismatic Dutchman put it himself, he's delighted to be taking over from such a successful manager, because he's inherited a team capable of winning now.

The Reds are the only side in the Premier League yet to make a signing, but they haven't lost any key figures either, so after finishing third last season, just nine points off the champions, are very much amongst the contenders. The Reds are certainly likely to be entertaining, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Núñez an exceptional collection of forwards.

Slot's tenure begins at Portman Road on Saturday, before welcoming Brentford to Anfield the following weekend, two very winnable fixtures ahead of a trip to Old Trafford on 1 September, so the new man at the helm on Merseyside will be desperate to hit the ground running.

4) Tottenham Hotspur

Notable transfers. In: Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray & Lucas Bergvall. Out: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Emerson Royal, Bryan Gil, Joe Rodon, Tanguy Ndombele, Ivan Perišić, Ryan Sessegnon & Eric Dier.

After an encouraging and eventful first year under Ange Postecoglou, can Tottenham go again and be even better this time round? Last season, Spurs finished fifth, three places and six points better off than the year before, but struggled for consistency, collecting 26 points from their first ten matches, 2.6 points per game, but only 40 from their subsequent 28 outings, 1.4 points per game. Of course, that lightening quick start was unsustainable, but did raise expectations, while providing, if they get it right, this team has the potential to become a force to be reckoned with.

Dominic Solanke is the new centre-forward, while Archie Gray is a shrewd, big-money edition too, while Postecoglou has trimmed the fat, with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Bryan Gil and Emerson Royal amongst many departing. Spurs scored plenty of goals last season, but also conceded a fair few too, so will continue to be entertaining for certain, needing to become better at defending set-pieces, after it became apparent that this was a major weakness for Guglielmo Vicario in 2024.

Tottenham have a trip to Newcastle, a North London derby and a visit to Manchester United on their early-season schedule but, despite now having to balance domestic and Europa League commitments, appear best equipped to break into the top four places.

5) Manchester United

Notable transfers. In: Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee & Leny Yoro. Out: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphaël Varane, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek & Willy Kambwala.

Manchester United endured their lowest finish since 1990 last season, coming all the way down in eighth, but victory over Man City in May's FA Cup Final not only salvaged a place in Europe, but also kept Erik ten Hag in his job. After weeks of speculation, the club's new-look hierarchy decided to stick with ten Hag, who has been emphatically backed in the transfer market once again.

Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have arrived in a double-deal from Bayern Munich, two more players ten Hag worked with at Ajax, while Dutch international striker Joshua Zirkzee will lead the line, but Leny Yoro's debut will have to wait a while, after he broke his foot during a pre-season friendly. So, have the Red Devils done enough this summer to get back into the Champions League? Well, this remains to be seen.

Man United are involved in the Premier League's curtain raiser, welcoming Fulham to Old Trafford on Friday night, before clashing with Liverpool a fortnight later. With club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy and René Hake, who've both previously been managers themselves, having been added to the coaching staff, a slow start to the season could see Sir Jim Ratcliffe lose faith in ten Hag rather quickly.

6) West Ham United

Notable transfers. In: Crysencio Summerville, Guido Rodríguez, Niclas Füllkrug, Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo, Luis Guilherme & Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Out: Flynn Downes, Saïd Benrahma & Thilo Kehrer.

Cutting to the case, we're super exciting about West Ham United before a ball has been kicked, and it's frankly hard not to be, given the business they've done. The first change they've made is waving goodbye to David Moyes, with Julen Lopetegui his successor, looking to revolutionise the Irons' style of play.

In a bid to achieve this, they've spent close to £150 million on new recruits; centre-backs Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo, right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, defensive midfielder Guido Rodríguez, wingers Luis Guilherme and Crysencio Summerville as well as striker Niclas Füllkrug all look like high-quality editions. On top of this, the Hammers haven't lost any of their stars, while Martyn Ziegler in the Times has reported that any potential ban for Lucas Paquetá is far from imminent.

After three successive seasons in Europe, the Hammers' ninth placed finish means they're not involved in UEFA competition this time round, but getting back there is certainly a realistic aim, with this new-look West Ham side hoping to make an opening day statement when Aston Villa visit for a claret clash.

7) Newcastle United

Notable transfers. In: Lloyd Kelly, William Osula & Odysseas Vlachodimos. Out: Elliot Anderson & Yankuba Minteh.

Another team seeking to get back into Europe is Newcastle United, who may benefit from a less hectic schedule. The Magpies' first foray into the Champions League for two decades took it's tole, with Eddie Howe's team enduring a nightmare injury crisis and ultimately doing well to claim seventh, only denied a European spot by virtue of Man United's FA Cup triumph.

Restricted by PSR, the Toon Army's summer spending has been rather more modest than supporters may have hoped, with free transfer Lloyd Kelly in line to be a starting centre-back, while William Osula bolsters their forward line. Nevertheless, with Bruno Guimarães, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak all still at the club, this team has plenty of talent, while it's been confirmed that Sandro Tonali can return following his ten-month ban at the end of this month.

As alluded to, boosted buy the return to fitness of key players, and without the distraction of Champions League matches, Eddie Howe's team appear poised for a strong campaign.

8) Aston Villa

Notable transfers. In: Ian Maatsen, Amadou Onana, Samuel Iling-Junior, Enzo Barrenechea, Ross Barkley & Jaden Philogene. Out: Douglas Luiz, Moussa Diaby, Omari Kellyman & Tim Iroegbunam.

Similar to Newcastle 12 months ago, the challenge for Aston Villa is to juggle both Premier League and Champions League commitments. Last year proved to be a dream campaign for the VIllans, finishing fourth, thereby getting into the Champions League for the first time since they were holders back in 1983/84. However, with the competition's expansion, the Claret and Blue Army are guaranteed to play at least eight games, probably ten, so can they compete on a domestic front too?

Well, two reasons for optimism are that Unai Emery is vastly experienced in European competition, while Villa did also reach the Europa Conference League semi-finals last season, playing 14 fixtures in that tournament, while simultaneously impressing in the league. This summer, both Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby have been sold, brining in close to £100 million, with Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen coming in to improve the XI, Ross Barkley is back while Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea have arrived from Juventus.

We're not expecting Aston Villa to be bad as such, we're just expecting Champions League football to really take it's tole.

9) Chelsea

Notable transfers. In: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Filip Jörgensen, Omari Kellyman & Renato Veiga. Out: Ian Maatsen, Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Omari Hutchinson & Alfie Gilchrist.

Right, what on earth should we expect from Chelsea, an institution seemingly solely interested in player trading that, from Sunday, will be forced to partake in actual football matches? Following a late-season surge, concluding the campaign with five successive victories, the Blues finished sixth, thereby getting into the UEFA Conference League, but this was deemed to be a failure, so Mauricio Pochettino was ignominiously sacked two days after the campaign's conclusion.

His replacement is Enzo Maresca, who's been given a five-year deal, I'm sure he'll see that out no problem, after guiding Leicester to promotion, although he's a relative novice, having taken charge of just 67 matches across his brief spell at Parma and then one season in charge of the Foxes.

So far this summer, the Blues have made just the nine signings, Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jörgensen and Renato Veiga amongst the most noteworthy. This means, at the time of writing, Chelsea have 43 first team players in their squad, not counting the quintet currently out on loan. So, how on earth does Maresca put together a cohesive team, with the small matter of Manchester City to come on the opening weekend? In total this season, the Blues could play up to 74 matches across five competitions, concluding with the revamped FIFA Club World Cup next summer, and we're forecasting Maresca won't be in charge very much of that, with another chaotic campaign in store.

10) Brighton & Hove Albion

Notable transfers. In: Mats Wieffer, Yankuba Minteh, Ibrahim Osman, Brajan Gruda, Malick Yalcouyé & Amario Cozier-Duberry. Out: Pascal Groß, Deniz Undav & Facundo Buonanotte.

The top nine, in one order or another, appears to be pretty set in stone, but we're backing revamped Brighton to be the best of the rest. After guiding St. Paul to Bundesliga promotion, Fabian Hürzeler is the new man in charge on the south coast, and we're contractually obliged to mention that he's only 31 years old, making him the youngest manager in Premier League history.

Struggling to balance a maiden European voyage last time round, Roberto De Zerbi's side finished 11th, with the Italian manager essentially losing interest following their Europa League exit in March, so a fresh face on the touchline was much-needed. On field, in typical Brighton fashion, they've added an array of players most people know very little about, but they rarely buy busts, so this side are set to be strong, starting at Goodison on Saturday.

11) Fulham

Notable transfers. In: Emile Smith Rowe, Ryan Sessegnon & Jorge Cuenca. Out: João Palhinha, Tosin Adarabioyo, Bobby Decordova-Reid & Tim Ream.

Since returning to the top-flight in 2022, Marco Silva has guided Fulham to 10th and 13th place finishes, with more of the same expected in West London. The Whites have lost some key players, none more so than João Palhinha, who's belatedly joined Bayern Munich, and he'll be very hard to replace, In terms of incomings, Emile Smith Rowe is the headline-grabber, while Jorge Cuenca bolsters the backline and Ryan Sessegnon has returned on a free from Spurs.

Of all members of the Premier League mid-table, Fulham are the team we're most confident will neither challenge the European places nor be embroiled in a relegation scrap, so another solid season is in stroy, starting at Old Trafford on Friday night, seeking to spring a surprise.

12) Crystal Palace

Notable transfers. In: Ismaïla Sarr, Daichi Kamada & Chadi Riad. Out: Michael Olise.

Crystal Palace ended last season on fire, unbeaten in seven, winning six of them, so should be coming into this campaign with sky-high optimism, but then the transfer window opened. So far, Michael Olise is the only noteworthy departure, but there could be more, with Marc Guéhi, Joachim Andersen and Eberechi Eze all currently being courted by inter-league rivals. For Oliver Glasner, the window cannot slam shut soon enough.

Meantime, the Eagles have been able to do some good business, with Chadi Riad bolstering their back-line, while Daichi Kamada and Ismaïla Sarr both add firepower. Glasner is an elite-level manager, something Palace supporters got a breif glimse of last season, so his side should be set for a strong campaign, we can only hope they still have some players to field at the Brentford Community Stadium on Sunday.

13) Wolverhampton Wanderers

Notable transfers. In: Rodrigo Gomes, Pedro Lima & Jørgen Strand Larsen. Out: Pedro Neto & Max Kilman.

Considering he only took over on the eve of last season, the 14th place finish achieved by Gary O'Neil at Wolves was more than respectable, so can they push on and new finish higher? Well, their cause won't be helped by the departures of arguably their two best players Pedro Neto and Max Kilman, brining in around £85 million, with significantly less having been spent on their four arrivals: Rodrigo Gomes, Pedro Lima, Tommy Doyle and loanee Jørgen Strand Larsen.

In summary, Wolves' squad is undeniably weaker, but O'Neil is a safe pair of hands and this squad still boasts quality, namely João Gomes, Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha, so the old gold will comfortably finish mid-table.

14) Brentford

Notable transfers. In: Fábio Carvalho & Igor Thiago. Out: Thomas Strakosha, Shandon Baptiste & Saman Ghoddos.

Brentford's first two Premier League campaigns saw them finish 13th and ninth, but last year proved to be far more of a struggle. The Bees ended up 16th, with only 39 points to their name, losing half of their matches. This though should be no surprise, considering that Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Ben Mee, Josh Dasilva, Kevin Schade and Bryan Mbeumo all suffered long-term injuries, while Ivan Toney sat out half the campaign suspended. Thomas Frank will need all of his key players to remain available if they're to steer clear of the bottom three this time round.

Well, that is already not the case, with big money summer signing Igor Thiago out until Christmas after suffering a meniscus injury during a pre-season friendly against AFC Wimbledon. The Brazilian was brought in to replace Toney, although their talismanic centre-forward is still there, with no one prepared to pay their £60 million asking price for a player with only one year left on his contract. Many are fearing for Frank's team this season, who's first four away games are against Liverpool, Man City, Tottenham and Man United, but they should have enough quality to be safely mid-table.

15) Bournemouth

Notable transfers. In: Dean Huijsen, Julián Araujo & Daniel Jebbison. Out: Dominic Solanke, Lloyd Kelly & Kieffer Moore.

After failing to win any of their first nine games last season, Andoni Iraola's maiden campaign at Bournemouth turned out to be a massive success, leading the Cherries to a 12th place finish, accumulating the club's best-ever top-flight points tally. Achieving more of the same won't be easy considering Dominic Solanke, who scored 19 goals last season, has been sold to Tottenham, while key centre-back Lloyd Kelly has departed too. In response, Enes Ünal and Luis Sinisterra's loans have been made permanent, with defenders Julián Araujo and Dean Huijsen also arriving.

Of course, Solanke's departure is a big blow, so Bournemouth could struggle to score goals in his absence, but there is still plenty of under-the-radar quality in this squad, hence why we're backing the Cherries to be more than fine.

16) Nottingham Forest

Notable transfers. In: Elliot Anderson, Nikola Milenković, Carlos Miguel & Jota Silva. Out: Odysseas Vlachodimos, Felipe & Scott McKenna.

Since making their long-awaited Premier League return, Nottingham Forest have finished 16th and then 17th, the latter in spite of a four-point deduction, with another nail-bitting campaign in store by the River Trent. Since taking over just before Christmas, Nuno Espírito Santo won only six of 20 Premier League matches in charge of the Garibaldi Reds, but still has the backing of owner Evangelos Marinakis, well for now at least.

In recent times, Forest had become infamous for their mad-cap summer spending sprees, although they've been more conservative this time round, with goalkeeper Carlos Miguel, centre-back Nikola Milenković, midfielder Elliot Anderson and winger Jota Silva their noteworthy acquisitions. Forest have far loftier ambitions, but another campaign in which they battle to avoid relegation could be on the cards.

17) Everton

Notable transfers. In: Iliman Ndiaye, Jesper Lindstrøm, Jake O'Brien & Tim Iroegbunam. Out: Amadou Onana, Ben Godfrey, Lewis Dobbin, Dele & André Gomes.

This will be Everton's 146th and final season at Goodison Park, but will it end in heartbreak of triumph? This summer has been dominated by financial turmoil, with deals for both 777 Partners and then the Friedkin Group to takeover the club collapsing, although David Ornstein of the Athletic is reporting that John Textor could become the new majority shareholder soon. For now, the Toffees' financial situation is stable, but long-term it remains precarious as long as Farhad Moshiri is owner.

As they seek to avoid yet another PSR points penalty, star midfielder Amadou Onana as well as Ben Godfrey have both been sold, while winger Iliman Ndiaye and Jake O'Brien have both been signed, the latter set to partner Jarrad Branthwaite at the back, after bids from Manchester United were rejected. Scoring goals could continue to be an issue, given that Dominic Calvert-Lewin cannot stay fit, while neither Beto nor Youssef Chermiti are able deputies. The best thing about Everton right now is manager Sean Dyche, while he is in charge they will not go down, even if this is a very poor squad and it could come down to fine margins.

18) Ipswich Town

Notable transfers. In: Omari Hutchinson, Ben Johnson, Liam Delap, Arijanet Muriç, Conor Townsend & Jacob Greaves. Out: Sone Aluko.

Ipswich Town are back in the Premier League for the first time since 2002, having astonishingly achieved back-to-back promotions. Two years ago, the Tractor Boys were kicking off a League One campaign with a 1-1 draw against Bolton; 749 days later, Liverpool will be the visitors to Portman Road. Back in 1962, under Sir Alf Ramsey, Ipswich won the top division title as a newly-promoted club and, 62 years on, finishing 17th would be an almost equally miraculous achievement for Kieran McKenna's team.

This summer, the Suffolk side have managed to make star man Omari Hutchinson's loan from Chelsea permanent, while Arijanet Muriç, Conor Townsend, Ben Johnson, Jacob Greaves and Liam Delap have all arrived, in line to start on Saturday. Considering Ipswich were a third-tier outfit 18 months ago, their rise up the divisions has been remarkable, but we can't see them beating the drop, even if they'll beat one or two big boys along the way.

19) Leicester City

Notable transfers. In: Facundo Buonanotte, Bobby Decordova-Reid, Michael Golding & Caleb Okoli. Out: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Kelechi Ịheanachọ, Marc Albrighton, Dennis Praet & Harry Souttar.

Last season, all three newly-promoted clubs were relegated, only the third time this has ever happened in Premier League history, after 97/98, a trend that could continue. As noted by Will Unwin of the Guardian, Leicester City could be hit with a PSR points deduction this season, giving the 2016 champions an even more uphill battle than their counterparts. Furthermore, the Championship champions have also seen manager Enzo Maresca poached by Chelsea, although Steve Cooper appears a shrewd successor.

The Foxes have now signed Abdul Fatawu permanently, but have sold Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and a generally penny-pinching, meaning they could prove ill-equipped for life back at the top table. With margins likely to be fine, Leicester are going to have to go above and beyond to stay up, if they were indeed deducted, potentially, as many as six points.

20) Southampton

Notable transfers. In: Ben Brereton Díaz, Yukinari Sugawara, Adam Lallana, Charlie Taylor & Nathan Wood. Out: Ché Adams, Stuart Armstrong, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Lyanco & Romain Perraud.

Like Leicester, Southampton bounced straight back to the Premier League at the first attempt, beating Leeds United in the play-off final at Wembley. So now, how will Russell Martin's attacking, possession dominant style of play translate to the Premier League?

The Saints have been unable to make a splash in the transfer market; their most expensive signings Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes were already at the club on loan, so they've had to spend around £40 million just to stay the same, hoping new recruit Ben Brereton Díaz can get the goals they'll need. Put succinctly, we don't think Southampton's squad is very strong and, similar to Vincent Kompany's Burnley, Martin's uncompromising style may be exposed at the highest level.