2019-20 Premier League Preview

Another year of Premier League soccer is upon which means it’s time for me to preview all 20 squads and be completely wrong on most of the table with the exception of the eventual champions. This blog is a week later than anticipated due to some technical difficulties, but there’s still 37/38ths of the season to go so I figured why not still post it anyway. I had planned to make it look fancier with lineup graphics and stuff like that, but since I’m already a week late I just stuck to the content.

Here goes nothing…

20. Sheffield United

Last Season: 2nd in Championship

Notable Additions: Oli McBurnie (F, Swansea City), Phil Jagielka (D, Everton), , Callum Robinson (F, Preston North End), Ravel Morrison (F, free agent), Lys Mousset (AFC Bournemouth), Ben Osborn (M, Nottingham Forest),

Notable Departures: none

My Starting XI: Henderson; Basham, Egan, O’Connell; Baldock, Norwood, Besic, Fleck, Stevens; McBurnie, Robinson

Week 1 Result: Draw, 1-1 @ Bouremouth

Despite an opening-week point, I don’t think this is going to be pretty. Chris Wilder has done an incredible job to get Sheffield United, who won the first ever Premier League game back in 1992, back into the top flight. However, this just isn’t a Premier League quality squad. Normally, the strategy for newly-promoted teams is to add players with EPL experience to strengthen weaknesses. Instead, they’ve turned to the likes of Phil Jagielka (who couldn’t get a game at Everton and I’m not sure has the athleticism for Wilder’s system), Ravel Morrison (a Ryan Leaf / Tim Couch level bust looking to live up to some of his potential) and Lys Mousset (a back-up at Bournemouth). At best, their signings are unproven in the top flight. Oli McBurnie scored 22 goals in the Championship last year for Swansea, Callum Robinson 12 for Preston.

The question of translating goal-scoring to the top flight extends to veteran striker Billy Sharp, who got the equalizer on Saturday against Bournemouth. He scored 23 goals as Sheffield were promoted last year, but it looks like he might be a super-sub given the injection of new (and much younger) attacking options. The good news for the Blades is they might only need one of the these guys to score big if they want to survive, but I’m not sure I’d bet on any of them.

The 3-5-2 that Wilder used last year (allowing a league-fewest 41 goals) should provide some solidity, but Premier League attacks are an entirely different challenge than the Championship.

This Sheffield squad isn’t unlike Huddersfield last year: they simply aren’t a Premier League squad. Don’t be surprised if they’re adrift by Christmas.

19. Newcastle United

Last season: 13th

Notable Additions: Joelinton (F, Hoffenheim), Allan Saint-Maximin (F, Nice), Jetro Willems (D, Eintracht Frankfurt, loan), Emil Krafth (D, Amiens), Andy Carroll (F, West Ham)

Notable Departures: Ayoze Perez (F, Leicester City), Joselu (F, Alaves), Solomon Rondon (F, West Brom, end of loan)

My Starting XI: Dubravka; Manquillo, Lascelles, Schar, Dummett, Willems; Shelvey, Hayden, Longstaff; Almiron, Joelinton;

Week 1 Result: Loss, 1-0 vs Arsenal

What a mess. One minute Rafa Benitez is staying and you’re about to be taken over by a sheikh from the UAE, the next you’ve got Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley….still.

Credit to Newcastle for somehow getting $38 million out of Leicester for Ayoze Perez, which helped them go after Joelinton and Saint-Maximin. The problem is those two new forwards only combined for 13 goals at Hoffenheim and Nice respectively last year. I find it hard to believe either is going to light up the EPL. At least they’ll be better than Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto, right? Right? Andy Carroll is back, but that move is more a sentimental one than a football one. In any case, it’s not a great sign when Solomon Rondon is back in the Championship with West Brom rather than returning on loan again or joining permanently.

They’ve managed to hold on to Sean Longstaff, who along with Jonjo Shelvey and Isaac Hayden gives Bruce some options in midfield. Meanwhile, Miguel Almiron will hope he actually gets to play centrally this year, or really just anywhere besides getting stuck on the wing of an uber-defensive 5-4-1.

It’s not a terrible squad, and it might be just enough to stay up, but it’s going to be a battle the entire season. Rafa Benitez is the only reason they’ve stayed up the past two years. Now he’s gone and I’m not convinced this squad is any better.

Hold on tight, Newcastle fans, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. If they’re still in the league at the end of the year, the Magpies should consider it a success.

18. Norwich City

Last Season: 1st in Championship

Notable Additions: Ibrahim Amadou (M, Sevilla, loan), Patrick Roberts (M, Manchester City), Josip Drmic (F, Borussia Monchengladbach), Sam Byram (D, West Ham), Ralf Fahrmann (GK, Shalke)

Notable Departures: none

My Starting XI: Krul; Aarons, Zimmerman, Godfrey, Lewis; Amadou, McLean; Buendia, Stiepermann, Hernandez; Pukki

Week 1 Result: Loss, 4-1 @ Liverpool

Welcome back to the big time, Norwich! The Canaries got a heavy dose of reality on opening day as they found themselves behind by four goals in the first half at Anfield. They earned a small victory by holding off Liverpool the rest of the way and getting one goal back, but this was an example of how I fear this season could go for Norwich.

When they had the ball, they looked confident and dangerous. When they didn’t, they looked completely overmatched. Manager Daniel Farke implemented a style that could rightly be called ‘attractive football’ as Norwich won the Championship last year. The issue is, implementing that kind of gameplan is a much different proposition at the top level.

Norwich suffers from a similar problem as Sheffield: this just isn’t a Premier League quality squad. They’ve improved at the margins (I think Amadou could be important in providing cover for the back-four), but largely stuck with the squad that got them here. I’m all for consistency and putting faith in tried-and-true methods, but I think Norwich are going to be forced to adjust. The better teams are going to pick this defense apart, and I’m not sure the Canaries can score enough to keep up.

Fullbacks Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis are incredibly promising young talents, but the center back position could be a real problem. Enjoy Norwich while they’re here, because I don’t think they will be for long.

17. Brighton & Hove Albion

Last Season: 17th

Notable Additions: Leandro Trossard (M, Genk), Aaron Mooy (M, Huddersfield Town, loan), Neal Maupay (F, Brentford), Adam Webster (D, Bristol City)

Notable Departures: Bruno (D, retired), Anthony Knockaert (M, Fulham, loan)

My Starting XI: Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Bernardo; Mooy, Propper, Gross; Izquierdo, Murray, Trossard

Week 1 Result: Win, 3-0 @ Watford

Can’t say I saw that result coming last Saturday. Brighton will feel lucky to still be in the Premier League after staying up by just two points. Manager Chris Hughton did brilliantly to get Brighton into the top flight but was fired at the end of last season. He’s been replaced by former Swansea boss Graham Potter who will look to implement the kind of attacking style that gave them their big opening-weekend win.

Potter went with a 3-4-3 formation against Watford, something we haven’t seen from Brighton the last couple of seasons, and it will be interesting to see how he tries to get the most out of this squad. I really like a couple of the additions they’ve made, particularly Trossard and Mooy, but the biggest question is going to be where the goals come from.

Glen Murray is another year older at 35 and probably can’t be relied on to duplicate his last two years. On Saturday, the goals came from substitutes Florin Andone (who didn’t make much of an impact last year) and Neal Maupay (who’s been brought in after scoring for fun in the Championship for Brentford). One or both of them will likely need to be consistent producers in order for Brighton to avoid the drop.

Perhaps the most important thing Brighton did this summer was to hold on to Lewis Dunk, whose partnership with Shane Duffy is the base of this team no matter what formation they’re playing. This Brighton squad looks scrappy, and I think they’ll be able to just cobble enough points together to secure another year in soccer’s richest tournament. Part of me wanted to move them up after such a promising first week, but I’m sticking with my gut here.

16. Burnley

Last Season: 15th

Notable Additions: Danny Drinkwater (M, Chelsea, loan), Jay Rodriguez (F, West Brom), Erik Pieters (D, Stoke)

Notable Departures: Tom Heaton (GK, Aston Villa)

My Starting XI: Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters; Gudmundsson, Hendrick, Drinkwater, McNeil; Barnes, Wood

Week 1 Result: Win, 3-0 vs Southampton

Last season was a bit of ‘back to reality’ for Burnley, after they somehow finished seventh the year before. With a Sean Dyche team you know exactly what you’re going to get: 4-4-2, nothing flashy. Both Danny Drinkwater and Erik Pieters, who assisted both of Ashley Barnes’ goals on Saturday, should be improvements on what Burnley had.

Speaking of Barnes, his partnership with Chris Wood will continue to be key for Burnley, with Jay Rodriguez providing depth back at his boyhood club. With the two goals this weekend, Barnes has now scored 11 league goals in 2019 (a number only matched by Raheem Sterling, who had 3 of his own on Saturday). If that kind of form keeps up maybe Burnley can do a bit better than this, but let’s wait and see.

Like Brighton, Burnley did well to hang on to their best defender in James Tarkowski who, like Lewis Dunk, was rumored to be an option for Leicester City after the departure of Harry Maguire.

Burnley’s only real goal each season is to not get relegated, and I think it’ll continue to be business as usual at Turf Moor and the Clarets will stick around for another year.

15. Aston Villa

Last season: 5th in Championship, promoted via the playoffs

Notable Additions: Tyrone Mings (D, Bournemouth, signed following loan), Anwar El Ghazi (M, Lille, signed following loan), Tom Heaton (GK, Burnley), Wesley (F, Club Brugge), Trezeguet (M, Kasimpasa), Bjorn Engels (D, Stade Reims), Jota (M, Birmingham City), Douglas Luiz (M, Manchester City), Matt Targett (D/M, Southampton), Marvelous Nakamba (M, Club Brugge)

Notable Departures: Alan Hutton (D, released), Mile Jedinak (M, released), Albert Adomah (M, released)

My Starting XI: Heaton; Elmohamady, Engels, Mings, Taylor; El Ghazi, McGinn, Luiz, Grealish, Trezeguet; Wesley

Week 1 Result: Loss, 3-1 @ Tottenham

After three years in the Championship, one of the Premier League’s founding members returns to the big time. With them, Villa are bringing a mixture of Premier League experience and a ton of new signings, a strategy they hope will work better for them than it did for Fulham last year.

In the summer of 2018, Fulham spent a ton of money including high-profile additions like Jean Michael Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. Instead of propelling them to a safe mid-table finish (like I predicted), Fulham finished 19th while conceding an absurd 81 goals.

Villa have brought in 12 new players, but many of the players who helped get them promoted look set to play key roles unlike Fulham who almost completely overhauled their squad.

It looked to be a promising start back in the PL for Villa as they took the lead against Tottenham, only for Spurs to rally late and seal the win with two goals from Harry Kane, but I was impressed by a lot of things Villa did.

The center back partnership of Mings and Engels looked very solid, with Mings clearing away what felt like every one of Spurs 14 corners. John McGinn was everywhere, as was Jack Grealish who was impressive in attending to his defensive responsibilities and had a good game except for the careless giveaway that led to Kane’s first goal. Trezeguet was also impressive, causing all sorts of problems for Kyle Walker-Peters and Danny Rose.

The Premier League is just better with Aston Villa in it, and I think they’ve built the squad in a measured and intelligent way to address weaknesses while not sacrificing their identify.

14. Crystal Palace

Last Season: 12th

Notable Additions: Gary Cahill (D, Cheslea), Victor Camarasa (M, Real Betis, loan), Jordan Ayew (F, Swansea, signed following loan), James McCarthy (M, Everton)

Notable Departures: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (D, Manchester United), Michy Batshuayi (F, Chelsea, end of loan)

My Starting XI: Guaita; Ward, Cahill, Sakho, van Aanholt; Milivojevic, Kouyate; Townsend, Camarasa, Zaha; Benteke

Week 1 Result: Draw, 0-0 vs Everton

So the good news for Palace is that Wilf Zaha is still here. He’s as close to a one-man team as the Premier League has (even more so than Eden Hazard was for Chelsea; Palace literally never win when he doesn’t play) and without him I probably would have picked them to get relegated. The thing is, the way he’s still here isn’t great news.

Palace rejected a bid from Everton (THAT would have been a fun opening game) of 70 million pounds plus both James McCarthy (who they signed anyway?) and Cenk Tosun (who, like Christian Benteke, is a striker who doesn’t score goals), instead stating that they were only interested in offers of 80 million or more. While I’m not convinced Harry Maguire was worth that kind of money, I’m quite certain Zaha isn’t. Yes, he’s an incredibly talented player and at 26 is in his prime, but he is not the aforementioned Hazard, or Gareth Bale, or Paul Pogba. His 10 goals last year were the first time in his career he hit double-digits, and while I realize his value extends beyond simply goals there’s nothing to suggest he is worth that kind of money nor precedent for a club like Palace to demand such a fee.

Zaha is not blameless in this, having signed a new five year contract just a year ago. Not a great look to then hand in a transfer request only one year in.

As for the rest of the Palace squad, I have no idea why they signed Ayew permanently; much like Benteke, he can’t score either (the two combined for TWO Premier League goals last season). I love the addition of Camarasa, who was often the only good thing about Cardiff when he was on loan there last season. I also think Gary Cahill is a good pickup and should limit the amount of times Roy Hodgson has to play James Tomkins and Scott Dann.

The only real way this team is any worse is the loss of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but that’s not enough to make them a relegation candidate.

13. Southampton

Last Season: 16th

Notable Additions: Moussa Djenepo (F, Standard Liege), Danny Ings (F, Liverpool, signed following loan), Che Adams (F, Birmingham City)

Notable Departures: Charlie Austin (F, West Brom), Steven Davis (M, Rangers), Matt Targett (D/M, Aston Villa), Jordy Clasie (M, AZ Alkmaar)

My Starting XI: McCarthy; Valery, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand; Hojberg, Lemina, Ward-Prowse; Redmond, Ings, Djenepo

Week 1 Result: Loss, 3-0 @ Burnley

Southampton didn’t sustain their initial bump under new boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, stumbling into a 16th place finish. However, consistency is important and I think that will be an advantage over the uncertainty other teams looking over their shoulders at relegation will face.

They’ll hope Moussa Djenepo can be the replacement for Dusan Tadic they didn’t have last year, while Michael Obafemi will look to carve out a starting role following his promising four goals in eight games at the tail end of last season. That could be a bit more difficult given the addition of Che Adams, who scored 22 goals in the Championship for Birmingham last year and got the start against Burnley on Saturday.

The Saints will need their midfield to carry this team, which the trio of Pierre-Emile Hojberg, Mario Lemina (who missed 16 games injured last year) and James Ward-Prowse should be capable of. As a team they’ll have to do better than allowing 65 goals a game (center back Jannik Vestergaard was good at being tall and not much else). Up front, this team has a ton of strikers none of whom have been consistent, leaving potential opportunity for the likes of Adams and Obafemi particularly with the departure of Charlie Austin.

I don’t think Southampton are going to magically finish 8th again like a few years ago, but I do think there’s enough quality on the roster to avoid relegation.

That said, getting battered by Burnley isn’t going to be anywhere good enough and they’ll have to put the opening week of the season behind them fast.

12. Watford

Last Season: 11th

Notable Additions: Ismaila Sarr (F, Rennes), Craig Dawson (D, West Brom), Danny Welbeck (F, Arsenal)

Notable Departures: none

My Starting XI: Foster; Femenia, Mariappa, Dawson, Holebas; Doucoure, Capoue; Sarr, Pereyra, Deulofeu; Deeney

Week 1 Result: Loss, 3-0 vs Brighton

The conventional wisdom a year ago, to which I subscribed, was that Watford were in trouble after the departure of Richarlison. That turned out to be a complete overreaction, as Watford ended the season comfortably mid-table and made a run to the FA Cup Final (though they’ll probably want to forget about that).

Gerard Deulofeu stayed mostly healthy, hitting double-digits in goals for the first time, while Abdoulaye Doucoure was earning suggestions he should get a call-up for France.

This season didn’t get off to a great start with a 3-0 loss to Brighton (starting with a Doucoure own goal), but I don’t think that’s going to be a pattern. Record signing Ismaila Sarr could round out an incredibly dangerous attacking midfield with Deulofeu and Roberto Pereyra, while Danny Welbeck can’t make any less of an impact than Andre Gray has. Less flashy but equally important, I think Craig Dawson will prove to be a really solid signing to bolster their center back depth.

I was impressed by the job Javi Gracia did with this team last year, and I suspect we’re going to see more of the same. Don’t overreact to one result.

11. Bournemouth

Last Season: 14th

Notable Additions: Philip Billing (M, Huddersfield), Arnaut Danjuma (F, Club Brugge), Lloyd Kelly (D, Bristol City)

Notable Departures: none

My Starting XI: Begovic; Smith, Cook, Ake, Kelly; Fraser, Lerma, Billing, Brooks; Wilson, King

Week 1 Result: Draw, 1-1 vs Sheffield United

Last season I thought Bournemouth would be relegated. They hadn’t improved much and I thought the top flight would finally catch up with them. Then David Brooks showed up, Ryan Fraser became one of the best creators in the league, Callum Wilson finally stayed healthy and what do you know they finished 11 points clear of the drop zone.

I have realized the error of my ways and think it will be another comfortable mid-table finish for the Cherries. There are still goalkeeper and defense concerns, but Philip Billing is a phenomenal pick-up after being a rare bright spot in an otherwise abysmal Huddersfield team, while Arnaut Danjuma will provide a good attacking alternative to Brooks (who’s out injured until probably October) or Fraser.

As long as Eddie Howe is in charge I think this team will stay up, but they’re still suffering for the 24 million dollars they spent on Dominic Solanke. A club that keeps things tight financially can’t afford big misses, and the focus will be on Solanke to deliver this season when given the opportunity.

Their opening weekend was obviously a disappointment. I was surprised to see Eddie Howe go with a 3-4-3 to match up with Sheffield, seeing as he basically never deviates from the 4-4-2. It didn’t really work and I doubt we’ll see it this weekend against Aston Villa.

Unlike last Saturday, we’ve become used to seeing Bournemouth involved in high-scoring, exciting games. Expect more of that this year resulting in them landing somewhere in the middle.

10. West Ham

Last Season: 10th

Notable Additions: Pablo Fornals (M, Villarreal), Sebastien Haller (F, Eintracht Frankfurt), Albian Ajeti (F, FC Basel)

Notable Departures: Marko Arnautovic (F, Shanghai SIPG), Andy Carroll (F, Newcastle), Pedro Obiang (M, Sassuolo)

My Starting XI: Fabianski; Fredericks, Diop, Balbuena, Masuaku; Rice, Wilshere; Fornals, Lanzini, Anderson; Haller

Week 1 Result: Loss, 5-0 vs Manchester City

Ouch. There’s really no other way to describe what happened to West Ham against Man City last weekend. Time will tell if this was more indicative of how good City are or how bad West Ham’s defense is. I tend to lean toward the former. City are just devastating offensively and this will be the last time they hang 5 goals on a team.

But this game raised serious questions about West Ham, particularly their center backs. Isa Diop, who had a great first season in the Premier League, struggled and had several needless turnovers. For all their summer spending, West Ham still don’t really have a quality partner for him.

They did address the attacking end of things this summer. Marko Arnautovic forced through a move to China, and he’s been replaced by Sebastien Haller who scored 15 goals in the Bundesliga last year for Eintracht Frankfurt. They’ve also brought in Pablo Fornals, who along with Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson could form a formidable attacking midfield trio. Defensive midfield offers much less certainty. Can Declan Rice replicate his breakout season? Can Jack Wilshere stay healthy (spoiler: no)?

If you’ve read this blog the last couple years you know I tend to overrate how well West Ham are going to do. I like a lot about this squad, but getting smashed by City was a good reminder that there’s still plenty to work on. I wouldn’t be shocked if they ended up fighting for the Europa League places this year, but I know better to predict that.

9. Leicester City

Last Season: 9th

Notable Additions: Youri Tielemans (M, Monaco, signed following loan), Ayoze Perez (F, Newscastle), Dennis Praet (M, Sampdoria)

Notable Departures: Harry Maguire (D, Manchester United), Shinji Okazaki (F, Malaga), Danny Simpson (D, released)

My Starting XI: Schmeichel; Pereira, Sonyucu, Evans, Chilwell; Ndidi, Tielemans; Gray, Maddison, Perez; Vardy

Week 1 Result: Draw, 0-0 vs Wolves

Congrats to Leicester and Wolves for playing the worst game of the opening weekend, so that’s all I’m going to say about that.

It is not 2016 anymore. Leicester have settled into their new identity as an upper-mid-table team and will hope this is a year they can push to break into the top six. Obviously the biggest change at the King Power this summer was the departure of Harry Maguire to Manchester United for an obscene 80 million pounds. That’s great business by Leicester, but the problem is they haven’t replaced him. Dunk from Brighton and Tarkowski from Burnley were both strongly linked but no deal ever got done. Filling the void instead will be Caglar Sonyucu, who made just 8 appearances in all competitions last year, and 35-year-old club captain Wes Morgan. I think Leicester has the attacking options to finish higher than this but their defense worries me.

Speaking of attack, they made a questionable signing by paying 30 million pounds for Ayoze Perez from Newcastle (the Maguire money makes this a little less glaring). Perez’s versatility could be important, as he should be a better backup for Vardy than Kelechi Iheanacho has been (4 goals in 51 Premier League appearances for Leicester) and can play on the wing as well, as 21-year-old Harvey Barnes continues to acclimate to being a first-team regular.

I’m expecting big things from James Maddison this year following his breakout season, and keeping Youri Tielemans around is a signing of a quality that would have been unthinkable even right after the title-winning season.

Like West Ham, I wouldn’t be shocked if they pushed a bit higher but my doubts in their defense outweigh my confidence in everything else.

8. Chelsea

Last Season: 3rd

Notable Additions: Christian Pulisic (M, Borussia Dortmund), Mateo Kovacic (M, Real Madrid, signed following loan), Mason Mount (M, Derby County, returned from loan), Tammy Abraham (F, Aston Villa, returned from loan)

Notable Departures: Eden Hazard (F, Real Madrid), David Luiz (D, Arsenal), Gary Cahill (D, Crystal Palace), Alvaro Morata (F, Atletico Madrid, loan made permanent)

My Starting XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Willian; Giroud

Week 1 Result: Loss, 0-4 @ Manchester United

So that started about as badly as anyone could have expected. You may be surprised to hear that game didn’t change my opinion, this is where I had Chelsea in the first draft of this blog before my computer deleted it.

Eden Hazard is gone. Chelsea couldn’t sign new players this summer. Not a great combination.

I should first clarify Chelsea’s ban is a registration ban rather than a true transfer ban (the media is bad at the distinction), which is why they were able to add Christian Pulisic (who they signed in January and loaned back to Borussia Dortmund) and sign Mateo Kovacic permanently (he was already registered having been on-loan last season).

It’s been an interesting last few months at Chelsea to say the least. Mauricio Sarri departed for Juventus after a season of constant criticism from fans, with winning the Europa League not enough to quell the objections. In came club legend Frank Lampard, who though he always seemed destined to take the reins only has one year of managerial experience in which he took Derby County from 6th in the Championship to…..6th in the Championship.

With Lampard in, the attention turns to how Hazard will be replaced. Pulisic is not a direct replacement. He isn’t going to provide the goals the Belgian did and, while an exciting prospect with great potential who looked great in the Super Cup against Liverpool, is nowhere near Hazard’s level right now. That doesn’t mean he can’t be an important part of the squad and a consistent contributor. He’ll need to be, as Willian and Pedro are both a year older and certainly won’t be able to handle the winger duties by themselves. Callum Hudson-Odoi will be a huge boost once he’s back from injury, which looks like it could be sooner rather than later.

The transfer ban presents an opportunity for the likes of striker Tammy Abraham and attacking midfielder Mason Mount who both return from loans in the Championship last season (Aston Villa and Derby County respectively). Abraham provides depth alongside the aging Olivier Grioud and inconsistent Michy Batshuayi, while Mount will likely battle Ross Barkely for the #10 role in Lampard’s favored 4-2-3-1 (although we’ve seen both play on the wing in the last week, so who knows), at least until Ruben Loftus-Cheek gets back, who would be my pick to play in that role.

Chelsea have other issues, such as ill-fitting fullbacks for Lampard’s tactics, questions over who will partner at center-back (I suspect that Rudiger and Christensen will be the combo), and lack of a natural partner for N’golo Kante in defensive midfield (but at least Kante will play his natural position this year).

All-in-all, particularly with Champions League to contend with, I think it’s going to be a struggle in West London this season. I don’t think Sunday’s drubbing by United will be the only result of its kind. It’s an opportunity for young players to develop, for Lampard to work with the squad, and to prepare for the future. Given the flaws of other teams vying for the Top Four, I think this squad has the talent to finish as high as 4th. However, it feels more likely that they’ll be battling just to keep the elite top six intact.

7. Everton

Last Season: 8th

Notable Additions: Andre Gomes (M, Barcelona, signed following loan), Moise Kean (F, Juventus), Alex Iwobi (M, Arsenal), Djibril Sidibe (D, Monaco, loan), Fabian Delph (M, Manchester City), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (M, Mainz)

Notable Departures: Phil Jagielka (D, Sheffield United), Idrissa Gueye (M, PSG), Kurt Zouma (D, Chelsea, end of loan), James McCarthy (M, Crystal Palace)

My Starting XI: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne; Gomes, Gbamin, Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Bernard; Kean

Week 1 Result: Draw, 0-0 @ Crystal Palace

Everton’s claim to be the ‘best of the rest’ was disrupted by Wolves last year, and the Toffees figure to see more competition than ever to crash the party that is the top six. They had an incredibly busy summer. From somehow signing young Italian striker Moise Kean to emptying their wallet on deadline day to get Alex Iwobi this squad is deeper than it was last season in a lot of positions.

They’ll hope Kean can provide the goals that Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin didn’t last year. They also have phenomenal wing depth now, with Richarlison, Bernard, Iowbi and Theo Walcott all battling for playing time. Fabian Delph, Tom Davies, and Morgan Schneiderlin are all capable substitutes in midfield, while Sidibe and Baines are great secondary options at the fullback spots. The only place they may be weaker is at center back, with Chelsea declining to sell them Kurt Zouma putting pressure on Michael Keane and Yerry Mina, who effectively have no backup.

Their biggest loss this summer was Idrissa Gueye, the slightly less-wealthy man’s N’Golo Kante, who gets a big pay raise by moving to PSG. They’ve brought in Jean-Philippe Gbamin from Mainz as his successor, who can also play at center back if called upon.

There’s a lot to like about this Everton team, but I don’t think quite enough to contend for the top four.

6. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Last Season: 7th

Notable Additions: Raul Jimenez (F, Benfica, signed following loan), Leander Dendoncker (M, Anderlecht, signed following loan), Patrick Cutrone (F, AC Milan)

Notable Departures: none

My Starting XI: Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Neves, Dendoncker, Jonny; Moutinho; Jota, Jimenez

Week 1 Result: Draw, 1-1 @ Leicester

On paper, then newly-promoted Wolves were certainly the surprise of the Premier League last season. However, given the amount of money they had invested in the squad their seventh place finish really shouldn’t come as a shock. Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho were already known to be top-level players, and over the course of the season the likes of Raul Jimenez, Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota all displayed abilities worthy of Europa League qualification. The back three was solid, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s system proved effective.

They were tied with Manchester City and Brighton for the fewest players used over the course of the season (21), and their 3-5-2 was the most unique tactical structure in the league.

They’ve largely stuck with the same squad, the only real notable newcomer being former AC Milan striker Patrick Cutrone, who should take some of the goal-scoring pressure off Jimenez as well as provide forward depth so Jimenez and Jota don’t both literally have to play every match.

They do have Europa League to contend with, at least for now. They’ve done well in the qualification stages so far, with only a two-leg matchup with Serie A club Torino separating them from the group stage. How they contend with a potentially busier-than-usual schedule could decide how strong a push they make this season. This is a club who will want to take the next step forward up the table this season, which directly qualifying for the Europa League group stage would be.

Wolves shouldn’t be taken lightly.

5. Manchester United

Last Season: 6th

Notable Additions: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (D, Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (D, Leicester City), Daniel James (M, Swansea City)

Notable Departures: Romelu Lukaku (F, Inter Milan), Ander Herrera (M, PSG), Antonio Valencia (D, released)

My Starting XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Matic; Lingard, Pogba, Martial; Rashford

Week 1 Result: Win, 4-0 vs Chelsea

A four-goal demolition of Chelsea definitely eased some of my concerns about Man United, but I’m still not really sure what to make of them.

Last season they started inconsistently which ultimately led to, as it always does, Jose Mourinho being fired in the middle of his third season in charge. In came club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, after which United went on a 12 game unbeaten run. Solskjaer was given the job full time, and United seemingly immediately reverted to their old ways. This culminated in going winless in their final five league games and a sixth place finish five points from the top four.

I’m not convinced Solskjaer, whose only previous experience managing in England saw him get relegated with Cardiff in 2014, is cut out for this job but we’ll see how this year goes. Paul Pogba is still at United despite all the speculation that comes with being a Mino Raiola client, and recent reports suggest he’ll be staying. They’ve made the necessary upgrades to their defense, but 130 million for Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (both of whom were excellent against Chelsea) is a crazy amount of money.

That spending will be somewhat offset by the sale of Romelu Lukaku to Inter, though I don’t understand why United went along with that. I’ve always been an advocate of more playing time for Rashford and Martial, but the young forwards will have a lot of pressure on them this season as the primary source of goals.

This team is far from a championship contender. Outside of Pogba, this squad lacks top-class midfielders and could run into serious defensive issues if their starting back four don’t stay healthy. I expect largely more of the same: thrilling wins like Sunday combined with inexplicable losses to bottom-third teams constantly shrouded in speculation over the futures of Solskjaer and Pogba.

They may have embarrassed one of their biggest rivals to start the season, but Alex Ferguson’s United this still is certainly not.

4. Arsenal

Last Season: 5th

Notable Additions: Nicolas Pepe (M/F, Lille), Dani Ceballos (M, Real Madrid, loan), Kieran Tierney (D, Celtic), David Luiz (D, Chelsea)

Notable Departures: Aaron Ramsey (M, Juventus), Laurent Koscielny (D, Bordeaux), Alex Iwobi (M, Everton), Petr Cech (GK, retired), Danny Welbeck (F, Watford), Stephan Lichsteiner (D, released)

My Starting XI: Leno; Bellerin, David Luiz, Sokritis, Tierney; Ceballos, Xhaka; Pepe, Ozil, Aubamayang; Lacazette

Week 1 Result: Win 1-0 @ Newcastle

I have no idea what to make of this team. Until deadline day it looked like they were going to have the worst defense in the league and then they got a deal done for highly-rated Celtic left back Kieran Tierney and made a surprise swoop for David Luiz. They’ll still be without Hector Bellerin for a bit longer as he continues to recover from his torn ACL, but they shouldn’t be a complete sieve.

Even if the defense struggles, the Gunners will hope to score enough goals to offset that. Record signing Nicolas Pepe could form a deadly trio with Aubameyang and Lacazette and be a nightmare for any opposing defense. I’m still not exactly sure what role Mesut Ozil and Henrik Mhiktaryan are going to play in all of this or what formation Unai Emery will employ, but a front five of the aforementioned plays could be lethal if they figure out how to work together and don’t leave the rest of the team too exposed.

Hopefully loaning in Dani Ceballos from Madrid goes better than last season’s Denis Suarez experiment. He’ll be a more attacking option alongside one of Xhaka, Torreira or Guendouzi, and can also play in Ozil’s usual number 10 role.

Once Arsenal are at full strength I think they’ll be a fun team to watch, both because of their high-powered attack and potentially suspect defending. I definitely think they’re good enough to be a Champions League team, but I also think they’re miles behind the top three.

3. Tottenham

Last Season: 4th

Notable Additions: Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon), Giovani Lo Celso (M, Real Betis, loan), Ryan Sessegnon (D/F, Fulham)

Notable Departures: Kieran Trippier (D, Atletico Madrid)

My Starting XI: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Ndombele, Eriksen, Alli; Lucas, Kane, Son

Week 1 Result: Win, 3-1 vs Aston Villa

What looked to be an upset in the making turned into a predictable win for Spurs to start the year, with Harry Kane playing the hero. For a team long associated with lacking composure in clutch situations, it provides momentum they’ll hope to build on into this weekend’s matchup with the juggernaut that is Man City.

Unlike last summer where they did absolutely nothing, Spurs spent some serious money. They broke their transfer record to bring in Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon, and while it’s only been one game that man is an absolute tank and will bring a combination of skill and physicality to the defensive midfield that this team didn’t have before. They’ve also addressed the possibility of Christian Eriksen leaving before the European transfer window closes at the start of September by bringing in natural replacement Giovani Lo Celso. Ryan Sessegnon rounds out the newcomers with the ability to play left back (although with Rose and Davies they should be ok there) or on either wing.

Particularly if Eriksen stays, Mauricio Pochettino will have a lot of difficult decisions to make, save for starting Harry Kane up top as long as he’s healthy. Kane failed to break the 20 goal mark for the first time in five seasons last year due to nagging ankle injuries, and he’ll likely need to get back to that form if Spurs want o have aspirations of finishing any higher. The biggest question among the supporting cast is what exactly to do with Dele Alli. He’s been deployed in a variety of roles, but his best role, as an attacking midfielder or second striker behind Kane, is better suited for Eriksen and Son/Moura respectively. There’s no shortage of attacking midfield talent in this squad and who plays may be exclusively driven by form. The good news is that this relieves a concern that will stem from the fixture congestion of the Champions League.

I really like the group of players that Spurs have assembled, and following a season in which they reached the Champions League Final they’ll be looking to actually take home some silverware this year. I’d back them to win one of the two domestic cups, but don’t see them challenging for the top spot. The team there is just too good. It’ll be a three horse race, with the closest competition the largely meaningless race for second place.

2. Liverpool

Last season: 2nd

Notable Additions: none

Notable Departures: Daniel Sturridge (F, released), Alberto Moreno (D, Villarreal), Danny Ings (F, Southampton, signed following loan), Simon Mignolet (GK, Club Brugge)

My Starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Roberton; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane

Week 1 Result: Win, 4-1 vs Norwich

2018/19 Was a season to remember for the red half of Merseyside, as Liverpool lifted their sixth European Cup, defeating Tottenham in Madrid to win the UEFA Champions League after nearly missing out on an elusive Premier League title, losing just once and pushing Manchester City until the final day of the season. Unfortunately for the Reds, I foresee a similar league campaign this time around.

Liverpool are more or less the same team they were last year, with everyone a year older and more experienced. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana and Joe Gomez are all fully fit again and will hope to be important cogs in Jurgen Klopp’s wheel. Meanwhile, the Daniel Sturridge and Simon Mignolet era is over, leaving only Lallana, Jordan Henderson, Dejan Lovren, Divock Origi and Nathaniel Clyne from the pre-Klopp era.

Liverpool’s starting XI is as formidable as any in the league, but their depth is what concerns me. Particularly at the fullback positions, which are so important to the way they play, Liverpool could be undone by an injury. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson combined for 23 assists last year, the most of any two teammates. With Clyne’s ACL injury which will keep him out most of the season and Alberto Moreno’s departure, that leaves Joe Gomez, who will likely start alongside reigning PFA Players’ Player of the Year (MVP as voted by fellow players) Virgil van Dijk, as an option on the right and soccer Swiss army knife James Milner as possible cover on either side. Simply put, losing either of them would be catastrophic. Van Dijk is similarly important, as are the trio of back-to-back Golden Boot winner Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane (who shared the Golden Boot with Salah and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang).

But the main concern in the short term is at goalkeeper, with Alisson out up to two months with a calf injury and backup Adrian now doubtful for this weekend’s game with Southampton due to a collision with a fan during the celebrations after winning the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.

With the Club World Cup, Champions League group stage and League Cup all on the schedule during the first half of the EPL season, squad rotation will be a necessity and I’m just not sure Liverpool will be able to keep pace with Manchester City. This is an excellent team, as they showed in their clinical dispatching of Norwich to open the season, but a first English championship in 30 years will have to wait.

1. Manchester City

Last Season: Champions

Notable Additions: Rodri (M, Atletico Madrid), Joao Cancelo (D, Juventus), Angelino (D, PSV)

Notable Departures: Vincent Kompany (D, Anderlecht), Fabian Delph (M, Everton)

My Starting XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Mendy; Fernandinho, De Bruyne, D. Silva; B. Silva, Aguero, Sterling

Week 1 Result: Win, 5-0 @ West Ham

Do I really even need to explain this? Manchester City are just too damn good. They won their second straight Premier League title last year as they held off a historic season from Liverpool and I’m picking them to make it three. Their absolute demolition of West Ham showed just how dangerous they can be.

They only had one real weakness in the squad, and that was the lack of a backup for Fernandinho. They’ve solved that problem by bringing in Rodri from Atletico, who may even displace the ever-present Brazilian. City also compensated for Benjamin Mendy’s constant injury problems by just signing another left back, Angelino. Speaking of fullbacks, City have now spent more on them than most teams have spent assembling an entire squad with the addition of Joao Cancelo because why not?

It’s also important to remember that City won the title last year almost entirely without the help of Kevin De Bruyne, arguable their best player. I don’t even think they’re going to miss Leroy Sane that much; they were about to sell him to Bayern anyway before he tore his ACL in the Community Shield.

This week, Jose Mourinho joked that Man City’s B-team could challenge for the title. I don’t think that’s all that big of a stretch.

While City will desperately want to make a push for the Champions League this year, I still think they’re just too good for anyone else to touch.

All hail the kings of England.