The Premier League kicks off once again following an eventful summer marked by the World Cup, creating excitement as both title contenders and relegation-threatened teams prepare for the upcoming challenges.

Arsenal aims to defend their title while seizing upon the immense change and uncertainty spreading across the league.

In the wake of Pep Guardiola’s surprising exit, the Premier League welcomes several debut managerial campaigns from Enzo Maresca, Andoni Iraola, Xabi Alonso, Matthias Jaissle, Pierre Sage, Oliver Glasner, Marco Rose, and Alvaro Arbeloa, adding intrigue to the upcoming matches.

The newly promoted teams, Coventry City, Ipswich, and Hull City, face a challenging season ahead, but one they approach with determination.

Without a multitude of superstars in the league, apart from Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes, fresh talent may emerge to become the next household names in this competitive environment. Writers share their insights and expectations regarding the new season:

Who Will Be Champions?

Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer: It may seem straightforward to pick last season’s champions, but Arsenal’s success may bolster their confidence even further amid the pressure they have faced over the years. They remain a top team in a Premier League filled with uncertainty.

Richard Jolly, Senior Football Correspondent: Arsenal boasts the deepest squad and the fewest flaws. The acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes enhances their quality, and with the fitness of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Kai Havertz, they could see an increase in goals. Their defense is expected to be the strongest yet again.

Jack Rathborn, Sports Editor: I’m choosing Chelsea. This is largely due to the challenges facing Arsenal: lingering fatigue and a playing style that resulted in several narrow victories. The pressure of winning back-to-back titles could also weigh on Arsenal, as they haven’t achieved this since 1935. Xabi Alonso may just find the right balance with Chelsea, especially with fewer distractions from European fixtures.

Lawrence Ostlere, Chief Sports Writer: While it’s tempting to back an underdog like Chelsea or Manchester City, I have to go with Arsenal. However, I still wonder if unlocking stubborn defenses might continue to be an issue for them. But with a solid defense, set-pieces, and depth, they have the ingredients for a title-winning performance.

Kieran Jackson, Senior Sports Writer: I’m picking Arsenal. With other top teams in transition, they seem well-positioned to defend their title after shedding their past burdens last season. The additions of Bruno Guimaraes and potentially Ezri Konsa further strengthen their squad.

Alex Pattle: Arsenal. I don’t believe the argument that back-to-back titles create pressure; in fact, I think the lack of tension from previous seasons will be beneficial. With top clubs undergoing transitions, Arsenal’s stability should help them succeed.

Flo Clifford: Arsenal stands out due to their squad depth, but most notably, they’ve proven they can win under pressure, yielding much-needed confidence that will help them this season.

Who Will Take the Champions League Places?

MD: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur.

RJ: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham. It’s reasonable to assume five Premier League teams will reach the Champions League, with Manchester United and Aston Villa just missing out.

JR: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City. Erling Haaland’s scoring should prevent a crisis for Enzo Maresca, but the potential for setbacks looms given the many changes.

LO: Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City.

KJ: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool.

AP: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa.

FC: Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool.

Who Will Be Relegated?

MD: Fulham, Coventry City, Hull City.

RJ: Coventry, Ipswich, and Hull. I apologize for predictability, but the promoted clubs seem the most at risk, with Coventry possibly having the best shot to survive.

JR: Fulham, Ipswich, Hull City. After losing key players, Fulham looks vulnerable; I don’t foresee more than one of the newcomers making it.

LO: Ipswich, Hull, and Crystal Palace, though I say this without much confidence. The gap between 18th and 9th could be relatively narrow again this season.

KJ: Sunderland, Ipswich, Hull.

AP: Newcastle, Hull, Ipswich.

FC: Hull, Sunderland, Newcastle. It might be a tough year for the north-east teams, especially with European fixtures stressing a light squad while Newcastle’s project appears to be faltering.

Signing of the Season?

MD: Luka Vuskovic, Brighton. Spurs initially signed him as a top prospect; Brighton usually doesn’t miss with such players, and he may thrive there.

RJ: Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal. This is another obvious choice. Guimaraes is a high-caliber player who should help Arsenal retain their title. Also, Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea looks promising.

JR: Mamadou Sangare, Brentford. I believe Morgan Rogers to Chelsea will also be significant, but Sangare will fit well into Brentford’s setup, compensating for the loss of Jordan Henderson.

LO: Youri Tielemans, Manchester United. He brings a tempo-setting quality that United lacks, and he’s likely to improve under the new management.

KJ: Sandro Tonali, Tottenham. At £100m, he is a hefty investment, but his combination with De Zerbi seems promising. With no European distractions, expect him to play a central role in Spurs’ strategy.

AP: Youri Tielemans, Manchester United. I’m a fan of his acquisition; many underestimate his age, and I think he’ll play a critical role in United’s performance this season.

FC: Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal. While this is not a fresh perspective, he adds top-level energy to Arsenal’s midfield, particularly as Declan Rice’s workload increases.

What Are You Most Looking Forward to?

MD: Surprises. With so much change in the Premier League, old expectations will not apply, leading to an unpredictable season.

RJ: The uncertainty is exciting. New managers and the potential for teams to exceed—or fall short of—last year’s performance adds to the intrigue.

JR: The new generation of players. Young stars like Villa’s Johan Manzambi and Brighton’s Luka Vuskovic will be interesting to watch as they enter the spotlight this season.

LO: After enjoying the World Cup, I’ve missed the feeling of anticipation as the Premier League resumes, especially with exciting matches lined up for Saturdays and Sundays.

KJ: The five-second referee countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks promises to speed up the game, reducing delays and hopefully enhancing the pace compared to last season.

AP: I look forward to seeing how new coaches handle their roles. I’m curious about the performances of Iraola, Alonso, Maresca, and Carrick, each with their unique challenges ahead.

FC: The potential end of grappling in the box, which would simplify corner outcomes and reduce the theatrics often seen in set pieces, is something I hope to see this season.

The Premier League is back after a busy summer following the World Cup and excitement is building with a sense of great opportunity at both ends of the table.

Arsenal will begin their title defence and hope to capitalise on immense change and uncertainty spreading around the league.

Advertisement

After Pep Guardiola’s seismic departure, the debut managerial campaigns for Enzo Maresca, Andoni Iraola, Xabi Alonso, Matthias Jaissle, Pierre Sage, Oliver Glasner, Marco Rose and Alvaro Arbeloa bring intrigue.

While the promoted clubs, Coventry City, Ipswich and Hull, face a daunting task to survive, though one they will relish.

With an absence of superstars, perhaps beyond Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes, new, younger talent could rise up to become the household names this league creates. Here is what our writers are expecting and looking forward to:

Who will be champions?

Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer: It might feel a bit easy to just pick last season’s champions, but just being champions may well further improve Arsenal given all the pressure on the club over the past few years. Above anything, though, we know they are an excellent team amid a Premier League that has so much uncertainty.

Advertisement

Richard Jolly, Senior Football Correspondent: Arsenal – The squad with the most depth and the team with the fewest flaws. Adding Bruno Guimaraes gives more quality while, if they have Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz fit all season, there is the potential for more goals. And they will have the best defence, again.

Jack Rathborn, Sports Editor: Chelsea. This is more to do with what Arsenal are up against: lingering fatigue, a style of play that led to a lot of narrow victories (though the tension of a first title could erase that issue) and the underrated challenge of back-to-back titles, something Arsenal haven’t achieved since 1935. So who is seizing the moment? The stars could be aligning for Xabi Alonso. One game per week and undoubtedly enough talent to mix it with the champions, if it can click early, then Chelsea’s trajectory, in stark contrast to last season after Enzo Maresca’s strop and the inevitable Club World Cup fatigue, should leave them primed for a remarkable rebound. Alonso’s poise when it truly counts, with experience from Bayer Leverkusen’s title tilt may just prove enough should the Gunners shift focus slightly towards Europe.

Lawrence Ostlere, Chief Sports Writer: I would love to be bold here and back plucky underdogs like Chelsea or Manchester City, but the answer is just Arsenal, isn’t it? I still wonder whether the biggest problem of last season, unlocking stubborn low-block defences, might persist. But the other bits – the defence, the set-pieces, the tactical side, the options from the bench, the experience and knowhow – that will all add up to a title-winning points tally.

Kieran Jackson, Senior Sports Writer: Arsenal. No originality here. With every other top team in transition, the Gunners look perfectly placed to defend their title, having finally got the monkey off their back last season. The additions of Bruno Guimaraes and perhaps Ezri Konsa only enhance their notable strength in depth.

Advertisement

Alex Pattle: Arsenal. I don’t buy the argument that aiming for back-to-back titles brings pressure; if anything, Arsenal should be wholly without the tension that coloured their last several seasons. I think the weight off their back will prove immensely advantageous, and with all the other top clubs in transition, Arsenal’s stability should see them across the line.

Flo Clifford: Arsenal. They have greater strength in depth than any other side, but probably most significant is the fact that they held on to win after all the psychodrama and will-they-won’t-they of last season. Now they have that self-belief, it shouldn’t be such a torturous process this time around.

Who will take the Champions League places?

MD: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur.

Advertisement

RJ: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham. It seems a fairly safe assumption five Premier League teams will be in the Champions League. I have got Manchester United and Aston Villa just missing out.

JR: Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool, Man City. Erling Haaland’s goals should prevent a total crisis for Enzo Maresca, but it feels like a lot could go wrong and quickly after so much change.

LO: Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City.

KJ: Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham, Liverpool.

AP: Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Aston Villa.

FC: Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool.

Who will be relegated?

MD: Fulham, Coventry City, Hull City.

Advertisement

RJ: Coventry, Ipswich and Hull. Apologies for being predictable by picking the promoted trio, and hopefully at least one will stay up. A personal view is that Coventry stand the best chance.

JR: Fulham, Ipswich, Hull City. Lots of goals missing after Wilson and Jimenez’s departure and a manager without much experience, Fulham look vulnerable, but I can’t see more than one of the promoted sides surviving.

LO: Ipswich, Hull and Crystal Palace, though said without much conviction. I think the gap between 18th and, say, ninth, will again be relatively small.

KJ: Sunderland, Ipswich, Hull.

AP: Newcastle, Hull, Ipswich.

Advertisement

FC: Hull, Sunderland, Newcastle. This could be a bad year for the north-east: I fear the added strain of European fixtures on a fairly light squad will cost the Black Cats, especially given a quiet summer, while the Magpies have been shorn of Guimaraes, Tonali, Gordon et al and the Saudi project appears to be running aground.

Signing of the season?

MD: Luka Vuskovic, Brighton. When Spurs got him, he was considered one of the brightest prospects in Europe, and Brighton rarely get these purchases wrong. They might just offer him the space to excel.

RJ: Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal. Another obvious answer and Arsenal won’t make a profit on him, but he is an immediate injection of a high-class player who should help them retain the title. On similarly pragmatic grounds, Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea looks a really good buy.

Advertisement

JR: Mamadou Sangare, Brentford. While I think Morgan Rogers to Chelsea will be a big hit, while complementing and rejuvenating Cole Palmer, Brentford’s work to bring in Sangare to a stable environment under Keith Andrews should allow him to immediately contribute and more than make up for the loss of Jordan Henderson.

LO: Youri Tielemans, Manchester United. The type of tempo-setter United haven’t had since… Michael Carrick? Tielemans will only get better under his new manager, too.

KJ: Sandro Tonali, Tottenham. At £100m, he has not come cheap, but Tonali and compatriot De Zerbi look a well-matched combination. With no midweek European football, the Spurs boss has the time in training to embed his philosophy into the squad – and expect Tonali to be at the heart of everything in the centre of the park.

AP: Youri Tielemans, Man United. I’m a big fan of this move. Lots of people seem to think Tielemans is older than he is, and as someone who’s tentatively backing United to have a strong season, I think Tielemans could be central to it (in various senses).

Advertisement

FC: Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal. Not an original answer but he’s a top-quality addition to Arsenal’s midfield, which – considering the mileage in Declan Rice’s legs – could do with the injection of energy he brings.

What are you most looking forward to?

MD: Being surprised. This is a Premier League with so much change, you can’t fall back on old expectations and truths. There is going to ne a lot of unpredictability.

RJ: The uncertainty. Part of it comes from the host of new managers but there are several teams who could finish third or sixth, others who could come eighth or 14th, others who could come 11th or 17th. Several teams could be significantly better than last year, others risk being quite a bit worse.

Advertisement

JR: The Next Gen. Not the Cobham variety, although Geovany Quenda’s flashes of potential should prove compelling enough. But the most talented youngsters overall, bought for a fortune in this league and propelled into the bright lights to fill the vacancies much debated in these pages. Villa’s Johan Manzambi, Brighton’s Luka Vuskovic and Zadok Yohanna, the aforementioned Quenda, Liverpool’s Jeremy Jacquet and Newcastle’s Bazoumana Toure should all be worth tracking in the coming months.

LO: I loved the World Cup and we all needed a break afterwards, but I’ve missed that feeling of getting to Friday and a full Premier League card is around the corner, with a proper 5.30pm showdown on Saturday, and a lightweight Super Sunday that you’ll watch every minute of anyway. Which is perhaps just a long-winded way of saying: the football.

KJ: The five-second referee countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks. What a brilliant rule this is. One of the regulations adopted from the World Cup, it speeds up the play enormously and discourages the excruciating wait for the setting up of long throws. Hopefully, it’ll ramp up the tempo in contrast to last year’s sluggish rhythm of domestic games.

AP: Seeing how the big clubs’ new coaches fare. I’m intrigued to see how Iraola, Alonso, Maresca and (the slightly-less-new) Carrick will fare. With the exception of Maresca, given his Chelsea exit, they all come across well as individuals, but it feels like they can’t all thrive this season – meaning at least one is destined for the sack…?

Advertisement

FC: The end of grappling in the box (hopefully). Maybe not the most exciting aspect to the new season but it’ll be such a relief to just have normal corners without endless wrestling, diving and histrionics.