After a hectic offseason which included EURO and Olympic competition, the best league in the world is back

Right then. With the new Premier League season starting Friday when Manchester United hosts Fulham (12 p.m. PST, USA Network, NBC Universo) at Old Trafford, let’s examine my take on the Top 6 at season’s end, a few fraudulent clubs to stay weary of and more during this writing.

“The Premier League is one of the most difficult in the world. There’s five, six, or seven clubs that can be champions. Only one can win, and all the others are disappointed and live in the middle of disaster.”

— former Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp

MY TOP 6

• Arsenal
• Projected Finish: 1st
• Key Transfers In (AOTW): Riccardo Calafiori (DF), David Raya (GK)
• Key Transfers Out (AOTW): Emile Smith-Rowe (FW/MF)
• Key 2023-24 Finishes: EPL – 2nd, UCL – L QTRS, FA Cup – L R3 – EFL Cup – L R4
• The Skinny: After finishing two points behind league champion Manchester City, the Gunners are primed to lift the trophy in 2024-25. In my view, City is now a descending project. Arsenal is ascending, as Mikel Arteta has had the club knocking at the league title door in two straight campaigns now, proving it has the minerals to take City on. This ARS squad is better than last and a bit younger. G. Jesus returns. Maybe a play for an impact 9 is made this widow or next? If not now for The Gunners, when?
• Best Starting XI: Raya, White, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori, Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
• Top Subs: Jesus, Partey, Timber, Nketiah, Trossard

• Liverpool
• Projected Finish: 2nd
• Key Transfers In (AOTW): None
• Key Transfers Out (AOTW): Fabio Carvalho (FW/AM). Released: Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara
• Key 2023-24 Finishes: EPL – 3rd, UCL – DNQ, UEL – L QTRS, FA Cup – L QTRS, EFL Cup – Cup Winners
• The Skinny: It’s hard to follow a legend in the managerial role, but that is what Arne Slot is tasked with. LIV was a serious title threat last season until the very end and my thinking here is the managerial change could help matters, as weird as that sounds. Slot brings a less intensive (compared to Klopp) philosophy where greater emphasis is placed on possession and detail. We all saw The Reds hit an empty tank come the late rounds. I think fresh ideas will help Mo Salah and him at his best is most important to this club. I think he’s motivated — as are others in that locker room – in the post-Klopp era. I have to think at some point (Summer/Winter window) LIV will add a player.
• Best Starting XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Diaz, Jota
• Top Subs: Nunez, Gakpo, Jones, Elliot, Gomez

• Manchester City
• Projected Finish: 3rd
• Key Transfers In (AOTW): Savinho (LW/RW)
• Key Transfers Out (AOTW): Sergio Gomez (DF/MF), Julian Alvarez (FW)
• Key 2023-24 Finishes: EPL – 1st (4x consecutive League Title & 6th in 7 seasons), UCL – L QTRS, FA Cup – L Final (as Manchester is RED), EFL Cup – L R3
• The Skinny: An unprecedented 5th consecutive league title is a bridge too far, for my taste. Honestly, where is the motivation for City now? They’ve won it all. But human nature and basic psychology says it’s time for complacency to set in and this is the year for it. Key players keep leaving the project. Who knows about impeding charges? Who knows about Pep’s future? Both will be a cloud over the club until resolved. Out of respect to past accomplishment, I’ll call for a T4 finish and City will be a tough out in all comps, but I just don’t see it, even with KDB, Rodri and Haaland.
• Best Starting XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Ake, Gvardiol, De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva, Grealish, Foden, Haaland
• Top Subs: Dias, Kovacic, Doku, Savinho, Lewis, Bobb, McAtee

• Tottenham
• Projected Finish: 4th
• Key Transfers In (AOTW): Dominic Solanke (ST), Archie Gray (DF/MF), Lucas Bergvall (MF), Loan – Timo Werner (FW)
• Key Transfers Out (AOTW): Loan – Pierre-Emile Hojbierg (CM/DM)
• Key 2023-24 Finishes: EPL – 5th, UCL – DNQ, UEL – DNQ, FA Cup – L R4, EFL Cup – L R2
• The Skinny: Get to know the Spurs this campaign. I’m a fan of Ange Postecoglou. I’m a bigger fan of the Solanke signing as he is an ascending striker in English Football. There is a wealth of attack here in North London. Much has been made of Ange’s high line and how it is unsustainable in the state of play, but TOT wasn’t far off last campaign and this squad is better. I’m bullish. If Son ever returns to world level form watch out.
• Best Starting XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie, Sarr, Bissouma, Kulusevski, Maddison, Son, Solanke
• Top Subs: Richarlison, Skipp, Lo Celso, Bentancur, Johnson

• Aston Villa
• Projected Finish: 5th
• Key Transfers In (AOTW): Ian Maatsen (DF/MF), Ross Barkley (CM/AM), Amadou Onana (DM)
• Key Transfers Out (AOTW): Douglas Luiz (MF), Moussa Diaby (FW/AM)
• Key 2023-34 Finishes: EPL – 4th, UCL – DNQ, UEL – DNQ, UCFL – L SEMI, FA Cup – L R4, EFL Cup – L R3
• The Skinny: Villa punched above its weight last campaign and is now rewarded with Champions League play for the first time in club history. Unai Emery was masterful last season. He’s back to lead a AVL squad unafraid of Europe’s top competition. Ollie Watkins is a young star in English Football, and globally, for that matter. There is no reason Villa cant compete for a similar result to last year yet again.
• Best Starting XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Tielemans, Onana, Bailey, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins
• Top Subs: Mings, Digne, Dendoncker, Ramsey, Kamara, Archer

• Manchester United
• Projected Finish: 6th
• Key Transfers In (AOTW): Joshua Zirkzee (FW), Leny Yoro (CB), Matthijs de Light (CB), Noussair Mazraoui (RB/MF)
• Key Transfers Out (AOTW): Aaron Wan-Bissaka (RB), Released – Anthony Martial (ST), Released – Raphael Varane
• Key 2023-24 Finishes: EPL – 8th, UCL – L GROUP, FA Cup – Cup Winner, EFL Cup – L R4
• The Skinny: Embattled manager Erik ten Hag is back as INEOS declined to make a change and do a buy-out. Surely winning the FA Cup helped. He’s ordered reinforcements to the squad in a bevy of early transfer business. Maybe other transactions are made. For me, United must get better in play. At times last season, the football was unrecognizable. MUN must get the best of Marcus Rashford again. UTD also must figure out a reliable CB partnership that works. I’m thinking the football gets a little better, Rashford has a return to form and the Red Devils are right there competing for European play come the decision days of the calendar.
• Best Starting XI: Onana, Dalot, Martinez, de Ligt, Shaw, Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes, Rashford, Garnacho, Hojliund
• Top Subs: Mazraoui, Zirkzee, Sancho, Yoro, Maguire, Lindelof, Mount, Eriksen, Antony, Ahmad

*Creator’s Note*: The author of this writing is an ardent, objective Manchester United fan. He yearns for the club to sign Ivan Toney. He feels IF the club signs Toney, T4 is within reach. He is not a fan of Erik ten Hag. He is looking forward to Friday.

THE PRETENDERS

“We’re not even in the race so we’re not a horse. We’re a pony.”

— former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Manager, Jose Mourinho

• Chelsea
• The Skinny: 43 players. That is how many players were in the CHE senior squad at my last count. Who knows if that is accurate as of this writing as the daily in/out is hard to follow. I think The Blues would be wrong to let Conor Gallagher go. He better go to Atleti because if he lands with Spurs that would be a disaster. Until ownership realizes what it is doing will not work, I don’t see major changes to results of recent seasons. At least the club had the good sense to ink Cole Palmer long term.

• Newcastle
• The Skinny: This just felt like a descending project after last campaign. No European play was qualified for. Changes at executive level has the manager in limbo, accelerated by links to the England gig. While I’m cognizant of the fact numerous injuries and the Sandro Tonali suspension aided in the wreckage of the NEW season, I’m just not seeing a grand comeback for The Geordies here. The Anthony Gordon sale chatter was weird. NEW obviously has funds to better the squad. Maybe I’ll feel better about Newcastle by the end of this window or next. Pass.

RELEGATION WATCH

“Competing in the Premier League is more difficult than winning trophies in plenty of countries abroad. ” — 2x Consecutive Premier League Champion (Man Utd, FW) Mark Hughes

For the purposes of this discussion, I’ll decline the simpleton move of tapping the three newly-promoted clubs for relegation. Too easy. Rather, I’ll focus on two clubs who finished in the safe zone last campaign, who under the right (or shall we say wrong) circumstances could find themselves in The Championship (relegated) at season’s end.

• Brentford
• The Skinny: The Bees are in trouble. This project descended greatly last campaign. Obviously, the Ivan Toney suspension mattered. But as he is up for sale now, his impending departure clouds over the club. The player they signed to replace Toney (Brazilian ST Igor Thiago) has a knee injury and is out for the year. Thomas Frank can manage better situations than this… I have to think other clubs would be after his services. If a perfect storm of ineptitude hits West London, I could see BRE going down.

• Wolverhampton
• Like Brentford, are the Wolves in trouble? I don’t like what WOL lost from last campaign. Pedro Neto is a loss. Max Kilman is too. We are long removed from the Nuno Espirito Santo tenure which had this club at its Premier League best. In fairness, Gary O’Neil did a fine job last term. This version of the Wolves is more offensive minded than past teams and the energy should help, but I just don’t know how many goals the Wolves will score this go. Under the wrong circumstances, I very easily could see Wolverhampton go down. They’ll have to be great at Molineux.

THE KITS

This isn’t Major League Baseball, ok. The outfitting of players and staff is very serious business in the Premier League. You won’t find the sport cheaping-out on gear like that crappy (not a) sport across the pond. Kit sales are an integral part of club economy. Having that said, let’s take a look at some of the best home and away kits for this term…

For a comprehensive look at all (or most) of the new club kits for the 2024-25 term, go to http://www.premierleague.com/news/3991632

“There are no easy games in the Premier League.” — former 4x EPL Champion (Man Utd, MF), Park Ji-sung

RECC’D/PERSONAL PLAYS

*Creator’s Note*: I will share a few recc’d plays here but AOTW I’ve yet to take meaningful positions on any of them. Nothing more than league-minimum, pizza money type bets in paper tickets. I did terrible in EPL Futures last term and this go have no desire to tie my money up from August to May. If you fancy one of my recc’s, by all means go for it.

• Aston Villa Top 6 Finish +150
• I have AVL finishing 4th or 5th. Ill take this bet. See the above writing on Villa for further education on why I endorse this play.

• Brentford Relegation +450
• I’ll take a shot at decent odds here on the Bees going down. I talk extensively about BRE earlier on in this writing.

• Lean/Pass
• Man Utd Top 6 Finish -190. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
• Wolves Relegation +350. Opting for BRE citing better odds

As per usual, Good Luck and Play Responsibly.

FINAL TAKE

Well once again we’re due for a splendid Premier League season. This is the best league in the world and it rarely disappoints. My weekend (early) mornings are whole again. I’m ready. Are you? LFG!

GO RED DEVILS!

“I respect the Premier League” — Zlatan Ibrahimovic

REFEFRENCES

• Premier League dot com
• Sports Mole
• FB Reference
• Adidas
• Nike
• NBC Sports
• Fox Sports
• CBS Sports
• BBC Sports
• Brainy Quotes
• Getty Images
• Premier League Club Sites