Pep Guardiola’s City were the dominant force last season when they won their third consecutive Premier League title - their fifth in six seasons - in addition to the FA Cup and the Champions League.
They will once again be the team to beat, with goal machine Erling Haaland leading the line, ably supported by Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden. Norwegian Haaland scored a staggering 52 goals in 53 appearances last campaign, including 36 in 35 Premier League games, and will be looking to repeat or better the feat this time around.
Last season’s runners-up Arsenal bought shrewdly during the summer as they aim to go one better this season. England midfielder Declan Rice arrived from West Ham in a record-breaking £105 million (B4.7 billion) transfer, while Kai Havertz will look to provide some magic in midfield and Jurrien Timber will help bolster an already strong defence.
The Gunners beat Man City on penalties to win last Sunday’s FA Community Shield and provide a pre-season boost although traditionally the season’s curtain-raiser rarely provides any form of accurate indication as to what lies ahead.
Manchester United have also strengthened with Cameroonian goalkeeper André Onana arriving from Inter Milan, Mason Mount moving from Chelsea and 20-year-old Danish striking sensation Rasmus Højlund switching from Atalanta. United won the League Cup last season and showed strong signs of progress under manager Erik ten Hag, which many expect to continue this campaign.
Liverpool were disappointing last season and will be hoping new signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai can help them push on after losing club captain Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and James Milner from their ranks over the summer.
Calamitous
Tottenham have a new manager in Ange Postecoglou, the first Australian to manage in England’s top flight, and will be hoping he can help focus the club after a disappointing last season. New signing from Leicester James Maddison will provide much needed creativity from midfield although much rests on the future of captain Harry Kane who, at time of press, was the subject of £100mn bid from German giants Bayern Munich that Spurs are reported to have accepted.
Chelsea are also under new management with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino now in the hot seat, hoping to realign matters after a calamitous last campaign that saw three managers come and go.
Newcastle, bustling with Saudi money, expect much this season after a mightily impressive fourth-place finish last campaign and Aston Villa could well live up to their tag of dark horses under wily coach Unai Emery who took the club from near relegation to a seventh-place finish in just five months last season.
Brighton are another club on the rise, hugely exciting and entertaining under Roberto De Zerbi. Expect them to continue to impress although the factor of European football for the first time in their history could prove a potential distraction.
Brentford and Fulham rounded out last season’s top ten and will be looking for repeat performances, although the Bees will miss star stiker Ivan Toney until January due to a ban for betting violations.
Wheeling and dealing
Crystal Palace will once again be under the stewardship of 76-year-old Roy Hodgson, the oldest manager to ever ply his trade in the English top flight, although the loss of talisman Wilfried Zaha to Turkish club Galatasaray may prove key. Bournemouth will be looking to progress under new coach Andoni Iraola, likewise Nottingham Forest in their second season back in the top flight.
West Ham have brough in fresh blood to compensate for the loss of their star player Rice, with Harry Maguire, James Ward-Prowse, Demari Gray, Edson Álvarez, Jonathan David and Dennis Zakaria all arriving in recent weeks. They will be looking to improve on last season’s domestic form which left them looking nervously over their shoulder towards the end of the campaign, although they did triumph in Europe by winning the Europa Conference League.
Everton supporters enter the new campaign apprehensive, with manager Sean Dyche having to wheel and deal in the transfer market due to little or no cash available for signings. Arnaut Danjuma joins on loan for the season and aging Premier League stalwarts Asmir Begović and Ashley Young both arrive on free transfers.
Wolves go into the campaign with a late change of manager after former Bournemouth coach Gary O’Neil was appointed as Julen Lopetegui’s successor on Wednesday. The official statement from the club in regards to Lopetegui’s departure said both parties had “accepted their differences of opinion on certain issues and agreed that an amicable end to his contract was the best solution” although rumours are the 56-year-old Spaniard left frustrated over a lack of funds available for desperately needed new signings.
Of the promoted clubs, Burnley seem the best equipped to survive, having run away with the Championship last season under former Man City captain Vincent Kompany. They play positive, attacking football and could provide a few surprises.
Experts don’t hold out much hope for the other two newbies, Sheffield United and Luton Town although, as has been said many times before, football is a funny old game full of surprises so you never know what lies ahead - however, what we do know is it promises to be a thrilling ride of a season.