Eight of the Biggest Burning Questions Heading Into the New Premier League Season
The new Premier League season is nearly upon us, and as usual the anticipation and excitement have been building for weeks. The fallout from last season, along with the latest transfer window dealings and influx of new managers, have all contributed to the narratives, creating a multitude of questions that can only be answered by the arrival of the new campaign.
Can Anyone Stop Liverpool From Winning Back-To-Back Titles?
Liverpool were the standout team last season, winning by 10 points to land title glory in Arne Slot’s first season in charge of the Merseyside club. Much of the talk following the conclusion of the season was about how City and Arsenal would strengthen their squads to challenge for the title once again.
This was before Liverpool carried out one of the most remarkable transfer windows in recent memory, securing the signings of Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. It solves several potential issues within the Liverpool squad going into the season whilst also providing more depth as they look to have deep runs in the cups and Europe as well as win successive titles.
The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold was filled in with one of the most productive full backs in Europe over the last two seasons in Frimpong. Kerkez, who was outstanding for Bournemouth last season, will fill in at right back to ease the burden on stalwart Andy Robertson.
Liverpool also sold Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, as well as losing Diogo Jota in tragic circumstances. Their attack could have possibly derailed their title defence, but they have strengthened there also, bringing in the hugely talented Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and exciting striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, with the possibility of signing Alexander Isak before the end of the window potentially mooted as well, with his future up in the air on Tyneside.
They have also agreed a deal for Giovanni Leoni from Parma. The 18-year-old prospect will provide important cover in the centre-back area, especially following Jarell Quansah’s departure. They will certainly have an abundance of talent all over the pitch with backupoptions in each position. If they can click and be free of injuries, then it’ll be hard to see any team being able to stop them from achieving back-to-back title success.
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Are Brentford in Relegation Trouble?
Brentford have been a staple in the Premier League ever since their promotion in 2021; they have consistently performed, only finishing under 13th once, whilst achieving 9th and 10th place finishes across their four seasons in the top flight under the tutelage of Thomas Frank.
Clubs can often lose their managers to another club, like with Frank moving to Spurs. The new coach can usually come in and work with the squad that’s there whilst adding their own players and style but losing the manager and several vital players in the one window is a completely different story. Club top goal scorer Bryan Mbeumo, captain Christian Norgaard, and shot-stopper Mark Flekken have all been sold this window, with striker Yoanne Wissa’s future still up in the air heading into the final weeks of the transfer window. This would signify a massive change both on and off the field in just one window for the London club.
This, coupled with the appointment of an inexperienced manager in Keith Andrews, who has been promoted from set-piece coach in the Brentford ranks, means that they go into this season with the biggest lack of stability and change since they got promoted.
The Bees have added Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool as well as youngsters Antoni Milambo and Michael Kayode but it remains to be seen how they fare in finding some other replacements with just a couple of weeks left in the window. There is a serious threat of the team dropping off from the consistent form they gained over the years. It all depends on how they can adapt but it could certainly be the first season where they find themselves in serious relegation danger since coming up all those years ago.
Can Any of the Promoted Teams Finally Beat the Drop This Time Round?
The gap between 17th and 18th in the table seems bigger than ever, as the three promoted teams have gone straight back down in each of the last two seasons. It’s a worrying stat for the competitive nature of the Premier League, as the battle for European places is more thrilling than ever at the opposite end of the table.
The new entrants looking to break the cycle and make sure of their survival this season are Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland. Leeds and Burnley have both had unsuccessful returns to the Premier League in the previous years but it is the first time since 2017 that the Mackems have graced England’s top flight.
Each team has made solid additions to their squads but one of the Premier League teams might have to endure a tough campaign to help any of them stay up for another season with how difficult it’s becoming for promoted teams. It would be integral for the Premier League that at least one promoted team can maintain their top-flight status for the good of the League but they will each face a massive task in achieving that.
Scott Parker and Daniel Farke have had experience in the Premier League, which may just give them an edge over Sunderland, who came up through the play-offs, but aspects such as their home form and if they can add more players before the end of the window will play a huge role in giving them each a chance of beating the drop and ending the cycle of promoting teams going straight back down.
Can Chelsea Young Squad Come of Age and Compete for the Title This Season?
Enzo Maresca was quick to downplay Chelsea’s chances as soon as they looked to be competing for the title in the run-up to Christmas last season, citing that it was too early in the project for league titles. The Blues have come a long way since then, securing Champions League football on the final day and winning the Europa Conference League and the Inaugural Club World Cup during the summer.
These accomplishments mean that Chelsea can no longer go under the radar or hide behind the project this season and now have expectations to challenge for trophies on all fronts. There was a reliance on the talismanic Cole Palmer at times last season and it was no coincidence that the Blues’ dip came during the same spell where their star man had a poor run of form.
Chelsea have made moves to guarantee that the attacking output will be shared more evenly with the arrivals of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian. They have also boosted their defensive options with the arrival of a youngster with massive potential in Jorrel Hato. It’s an important signing in an area that’s been plagued with injuries for the Blues.
Chelsea can certainly challenge this season with a strong spine to their team but they need to eradicate the many defensive and goalkeeping errors letting the side down at times last season. On their day, they can challenge any team in the league, which they’ve shown last season; it’s just whether the squad can sustain a consistency that will propel them further up the table.
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Can Manchester United’s New-Look Attack Rekindle Their League Form?
Manchester United have primarily addressed their attack during this window, adding the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko. It was a problem area for the club last season, as they struggled to score goals in what turned out to be an absolutely disastrous league campaign for the Red Devils.
These signings mark a different approach from the hierarchy at the club, with both Mbeumo and Cunha being Premier League proven and coming off brilliant seasons last term, scoring a combined 35 goals for both Brentford and Wolves, respectively.
Sesko is also one of the most exciting talents around Europe over the past few seasons, showing huge promise at RB Leipzig. If the young striker can adapt to the league, then it should mean that United have solved a glaring problem from last season. There may still be issues to address in midfield and the goalkeeping position for United but the new options in attack could certainly make a massive difference this season as they look to return to European football playing Amorim’s style of football.
They have a lot of ground to make up in the table, with many of the teams above them having also strengthened in the window after strong seasons last time out. The new trio in attack can give fans reason for optimism, though, as they start the new campaign with a tricky home fixture against Arsenal. The signings may not solve all of their problems but they should certainly give a huge boost in climbing back up the table to where they feel they belong but it remains to be seen how high that can bring them without addressing other areas before the window ends.
Will Newcastle Regress After a Disastrous Transfer Window?
Newcastle are coming off a brilliant season where they won their first trophy in 70 years in the Carabao Cup as well as clinching Champions League football on the final day of the season. It should have been an exciting window for fans as they look to continue to build their squad towards taking the next steps, challenging for the title in the coming seasons and becoming regulars in the Champions League, but an incredibly frustrating window has dampened expectations ahead of the new campaign.
Newcastle have missed out on an abundance of their transfer targets in the early parts of the window, which would have seen them make improvements in vital areas of the pitch. These missed targets included Bryan Mbeumo, Dean Huijsen, James Trafford, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. They did secure the signing of Antony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, who had a strong campaign last season and will be hoping to hit new heights this term.
The uncertainty over star player Alexander Isak hasn’t helped matters, with the Swede holding out for a move to Liverpool. It leaves Newcastle extremely short of forward options, with William Osula the only senior striker available following the departure of Callum Wilson. They have been struggling to find an adequate replacement for Isak’s potential departure, with Yoanne Wissa heavily linked to a move to St James’ Park.
The Magpies’ transfer window has kicked into gear recently, though, with deals agreed for Newcastle’s Jacob Ramsey and AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw. Ramsey should complement the already outstanding midfield options they have, whilst Thiaw will provide vital defensive cover to an area where the club have been riddled with injuries in recent times. The two signings mark a signal of intent but between the ongoing Isak saga and missing out on so many of their primary targets. It leaves questions towards what could have been for this window, and it remains to be seen how it will affect their season, especially with the extra games in the Champions League.
Could Arsenal’s New Striker Potentially Make a Significant Impact?
Much of Arsenal’s failure to get over the line to win the League title in recent seasons has been attributed to their lack of a goalscoring striker. That issue has finally been addressed this summer with the arrival of Victor Gyokeres, who has been one of the most devastating goal scorers across Europe in recent times. The Swede has unfinished business in England after struggling to make an impact at Brighton. He will now be hoping to prove he can do it in one of the top leagues by leading the Gunners to their first title in over two decades.
How they fare this season will largely depend on how Gyokeres can adapt to the Premier League and how quickly he can hit the ground running. There was often a reliance on Bukayo Saka in attack last season so his long-term injury had a massively detrimental effect on the Gunners. Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino filled in up front to the best of their ability but it was vital Mikel Arteta secured a natural finisher if they were going to win titles. The arrivals of Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke should also strengthen the squad but the main question will lie with the new striker ahead of Arsenal’s new season.
The worry will be if the addition comes too late in Arsenal’s project, having narrowly missed out on the title two of the last three seasons before failing to capitalise on Man City’s struggles last season. Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea will all be strong contenders this season so there will be huge pressure on Gyokeres to provide the goals to make sure they are in the mix at the business end of the season.
Can Man City Complete a Quick Rebuild and Challenge for the Title?
Last season marked the hardest season of Pep Guardiola’s career as City dropped off from their incredibly high standards. The Citizens will be allowed an off-season after their unprecedented success in the previous seasons but it was still a surprise how their season tailed off before Christmas.
They did recover and end the season strongly, coming 3rd and securing Champions League football for the new season. It marks a transitional period for City, who have lost long-term players like Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker but the squad has been freshened up in several areas, which should invigorate the team whilst adding to the potential options off the bench.
James Trafford, Rayan Ait Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders have all been recruited to complement their January signings in what marks the beginning of a new era for Manchester City. The loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri was obviously a massive factor in their drop in form last season so his return will be a huge boost. They have strong options all across the pitch in each position, which will be vital given how many injuries they had at times last season.
Cherki and Reijnders are hugely exciting additions to the squad who should bring a host of quality, whilst Ait Nouri is proven in the league after moving from Wolves and at just 24, he can clearly hit new levels under the management of Guardiola. The new signings address several important areas of the team and the likes of Marmoush, Gonzalez and Khusanov can all look forward to good seasons, having had time to adapt to their new surroundings and the Premier League as a whole since their arrivals in January.
If Man City can stay injury-free and the likes of Rodri, Foden and Haaland can all hit top form, then they will be a serious proposition for the title this season. It may well suit them to go into the season as slight underdogs behind Liverpool and Arsenal during this transitional period but Guardiola has certainly constructed a rebuild that is capable of regaining the title. It should make for an absolutely fascinating title race once again this season in the Premier League.
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