Premier League season preview: Will Liverpool defend their crown or are the Reds in for a rude awakening? | Football News
The Premier League is back in action on Friday, with champions Liverpool beginning their title defence at Anfield against Bournemouth. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, who finished in the top four last season once again look like the most viable contenders for the title of league champions.
Liverpool
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool vs Athletic Bilbao at Anfield (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Liverpool, coming on the back of a dominant campaign under Arne Slot, have had a busy summer to say the least. Big-money arrivals Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are expected to spearhead the attack, while Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez bolster the full-back positions.Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez have departed, with Mohamed Salah now surrounded by a very different forward line. The Egyptian’s record-breaking season that featured 29 goals and 18 assists will be hard to replicate. But surrounded by younger, more clinical players, his role may evolve. Defensively, they’re still on the lookout. Moves for Marc Guéhi and Giovanni Leoni are all but finalised.
Arsenal
Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal has a diving header saved during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Athletic Club at Emirates Stadium (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Arsenal, after painstakingly coming close to the title, have addressed depth and injuries by bringing in Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke. With several important players missing large parts of last season, Mikel Arteta will hope for a fitter, more consistent campaign.With Gyokeres home, Arteta’s men will look to banish the demons of last season, where they made several chances, but failed to convert them into goals.
Manchester City
Tijjani Reijnders of Manchester City FC celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during Pre-Season Friendly match vs Palermo FC (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)
Manchester City, despite the disastrous start to their campaign last season, finished 13 points behind Liverpool in third place. They need to answer questions over their defence despite new signings Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Rayan Cherki.With Rodri facing another setback during the FIFA Club World Cup, City will face the exact same problem that hounded them last season – the link that connects their defence to midfield. With Mateo Kovacic and Phil Foden also sidelined for the immediate future, Pep Guardiola has a gargantuan task at hand – to ensure that they don’t stumble in similar fashion this time around.
Chelsea
Chelsea have had a busy summer, like any other. Can Enzo Maresca find balance amidst so many arrivals and departures? (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Chelsea, like every other summer in recent memory, has been extremely active in the transfer market. Their fourth place finish last season was made better when they schooled Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final.Their rapid squad overhaul, adding eight major signings including João Pedro and Jamie Gittens are positive signs. Cole Palmer’s sensational year and Moisés Caicedo’s evolving influence in midfield give reason for optimism, yet the constant changes in squad composition may make things difficult.The Londoners lifted the Conference League title last year, but it’s high time that they stamp their authority domestically as well. Can they answer the question of success without stability? Only time will tell.
Manchester United and the rest
Matheus Cunha and Diogo Dalot of Manchester United react during the penalty shootout during the pre-season friendly match vs Fiorentina at Old Trafford (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
While the title may not be their realistic goal, as the new season begins, a bunch of Premier League clubs find themselves in the middle. They’re not quite title contenders, but a change in fortune or a headstart may see them compete with the best for European slots. Some are looking for identity, others for a leap forward, and a few for stability.Manchester United have rebuilt their forward line with Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha after a goal-starved campaign. But their midfield depth remains thin, with Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro the only senior options. This remains the same set of options that they had in a disappointing campaign. Ruben Amorim’s time in charge saw them endure their ‘worst’ season ever as they finished 15th. With Amorim set to begin his first full season, fans can only hope that they start behaving like a big club – something they’ve found difficult to do in a few years.Newcastle United begin with uncertainty, given that their star striker Alexander Isak’s future remains in the balance. He scored over a third of their league goals last season, and replacing him mid-window would be a difficult task. Eddie Howe’s side ended last season in strong form and lifted the EFL Cup. New signing Anthony Elanga adds blistering pace, boasting 36.1 km/h last season, but their attacking set-up may not be clear until the window closes. Isak has been linked to Liverpool and a big-money move to the Saudi Pro League as well.
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Aston Villa have kept changes minimal, adding striker Evann Guessand from Nice. With Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans at their best in the middle of the park, Guessand’s presence could sharpen the attack if he slots in at his new club. However, the squad is largely the same as last year’s sixth-place finishers, leaving questions about whether they’ve done enough to push on. Unai Emery will have to make do as his team will also be playing European football for the third season in a row after their sixth place finish last season. While they have a solid team capable of progressing to the knockouts, can they manage to do it without Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio is the question.Tottenham Hotspur have parted ways with Ange Postecoglou and are banking on Thomas Frank to steer them upwards after a season that saw them barely avoid relegation. Frank has powered up the defence with new centre-backs and João Palhinha on loan. Yet with Son Heung-Min gone and James Maddison sidelined, the attack rests on Mohammed Kudus and young prospect Mathys Tel. Can Spurs avoid embarrassment this time around and force a top-half finish? The answer will heavily rest on how well the new boss gets his players to play his game.
