Premier League 2023/24 begins: History for City or revivals in red?
Sure, we've had the thoroughly entertaining Women's World Cup and another frenzied transfer window to help us scratch that footy itch through the summer months - but there's nothing like a new dawn of Premier League football to ramp up the excitement, get the heated debate juices flowing down the pub, and give us something to actually do on the weekend.
There are plenty of talking points going into this weekend's opening round of fixtures - some very much still unanswered at the time of writing - with Manchester City hosting Burnley in Friday night's curtain raiser and a couple of intriguing ties already taking place early doors.
So let's get straight into the main points of discussion, a few predictions and some honest opinions on the upcoming Premier League season.
City aim for more history
It's no great surprise that Manchester City are the bookies' favourites to lift the league title again this year.
Last year's treble-winners are aiming for a historic fourth top-flight crown in a row and are once again the team to beat.
This is despite Pep Guardiola's side remaining relatively quiet in this summer's transfer window. Only Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol have come in, but the Croatian pair are astute and strong signings that absolutely add some steel to an already formidable club.
Guardiola hasn't really got anything wrong transfer-wise during his time at the Etihad, although missing out on Declan Rice to Arsenal could be considered a minor loss.
They're entering unchartered territory and can't really be ruled out for a domestic clean sweep, and Guardiola was smart to hold Erling Haaland back for a few games last season - leaving him hungry for more of the same and retaining a few more records for the Norwegian monster to reach during this campaign.
Will it be second time lucky for the Yorkshire Viking to reach Dixie Dean's 1927/28 record of 60 goals in a single season?
Fresh fight for Arsenal
Arsenal were sensational last season, spending 248 days at the summit of the table and only missing out at the end due to a slight lack of squad depth, some unfortunate injuries and a ferocious City side.
The Gunners were playing without a great deal of pressure or expectation going into the 2022/23 season though, whereas now they're sitting in a very different boat with eyes on them.
They'll have Champions League football to contend with as well this season and the questions are beginning to surround them as to whether they've done enough in the market to really build a side capable of toppling City's domestic dominance.
Declan Rice's £100 million arrival is undoubtedly a huge marquee signing and one that shows they mean business, while they've also added depth in the goalkeeper and attacking midfield departments.
But so far they've failed to provide a solid back-up for Gabriel Jesus, who was a big miss during large chunks of last season through injury, and he's already set to miss the first few games of this campaign.
It's a season where Mikel Arteta has to build on the last if they're to be considered anything other than one-season wonders. The core elements are there, as seemingly is the belief, and with a little bit of required luck, they'll be primed to push Guardiola's side all the way.
But there's also a big chance that a bad start could leave them well off the pace all too soon this season, and without the element of surprise they began with last year, a top-four finish may have to do.
Return of the red giants?
Liverpool were surprisingly dreadful last season and will be desperate to get back on track this year. The loss of Sadio Mane seemed to hurt the side, while key signings like Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo took time to settle in and failed to pick up the slack.
They've looked good in pre-season, though, and Klopp has made some wise decisions in the market in terms of rebuilding a midfield that simply fell to pieces early on last year.
Alexis Mac Allister has proven himself to be a top-drawer midfielder and is no doubt ready for the step up at club level, while the rumoured arrival of Moises Caicedo from Brighton - stealing a march on Premier League rivals with his signature - will restore a bit of steeliness in the middle that disappeared with Fabinho's appetite.
Should Trent Alexander-Arnold solidify a role in midfield given his recent displays, Liverpool could be back to their competitive best with a balanced, fresh young squad to boot. They may consider themselves outsiders to knock City off their perch.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are priming themselves for a proper tilt and could well be a force to be reckoned with. Substantial signings in pretty much every position has put Erik ten Hag in a formidable position by the start of the Premier League season.
David de Gea detractors are now silenced as the arrival of Andre Onana has restored a bit of confidence - at least for now - in the man between the sticks, while Harry Maguire's impending exit seems to be a relief for Red Devils fans.
Mason Mount has come in with plenty to prove after a dismal season at Chelsea, while Rasmus Hojlund, while a raw talent, provides an interesting option in deputising for a Marcus Rashford who seems to be getting better and better with the more importance he has bestowed upon him.
After last season's positive showing, there's plenty for United fans to be optimistic about and they'll be quietly confident they can get much closer to their city rivals this season.
Life after Kane
After a summer of 'will he, won't he?' in north London, it seems (at the time of writing) that Harry Kane's stay at boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur is finally coming to an end.
It couldn't really be coming at a worse time for the club, who yet again are finding themselves in a state of transition with new boss Ange Postecoglou coming in for another squad overhaul.
Without Kane's goals last season, who knows where Tottenham might have ended up.
The newly-crowned record-goalscorer netted 30 very important finishes in the grand scheme of things, with Spurs finishing a disappointing 8th and missing out on European football altogether.
Could that be a blessing in disguise for a side set to start playing a fast-paced, hyper-intensive 'Angeball' style, though?
On paper, Spurs spent well last season but a lot of their players never really hit the ground running under Antonio Conte, much to the Italian's chagrin.
There's room for improvement across the board: Richarlison seems the type to step out of Kane's shadow and deliver scoring figures you would expect from Brazil's first-choice centre forward, while Heung-min Son has historically always delivered in Kane's absence and will be feeling he has something to prove after last season's extended sticky patch.
Yves Bissouma is another one to look out for in midfield, his previous season curtailed by myriad injuries, while reinforcements in defence and a new goalkeeper could provide a freshly solid backbone for the side's talented forwards.
The arrival of James Maddison from Leicester could also be a key signing that's gone under the radar, somewhat.
Anything will be better than last season but chairman Daniel Levy won't be happy about missing out on Europe's financial boost two seasons in a row, so anything less than a top-six or seven finish would be deemed a disaster and the cycle may well begin yet again.
Change of tune at Chelsea
It's no secret that Chelsea were an abomination last season.
Huge transfer spends, three managers and a measly return of just 38 goals in the league all season - there is plenty for the Blues to improve upon this campaign.
They've had a major overhaul of the squad though, clearing out a lot of deadweight and ageing talent from the previous campaign.
The club's hierarchy has replaced those stars with pretty much every high-potential player you can find on a save of Football Manager and then chucked in arguably the best coach possible to work with a group of youngsters: Mauricio Pochettino.
What the Argentine needs now is patience to implement his style of direct, high-press attacking football, which can take time; possibly even half a season or more.
Who's to say if Chelsea are still loitering around mid-table by Christmas, the board don't push the panic button once again and trigger another write-off of a campaign?
It's a massive season for the west London club: almost make or break for them in terms of their standing in English football for the coming years. They've tied these pricey kids to very, very long and lucrative contracts and could be left in a real mess if it doesn't come to fruition soon.
'Big six' to 'big seven'
Newcastle surprised everyone last season with their ahead-of-schedule ascent to the top echelons of the Premier League.
Saudi state-backed billions aside, Eddie Howe did a great deal with not a lot, utilising mostly the same squad he had inherited to bring the feel-good factor back to Tyneside and turning the Toon into a team to be feared.
Financial fair play is restricting them from becoming the beast we know they will inevitably evolve into, but a return to the Champions League and some big-name signings in Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes should allow them to keep up the momentum from last year.
They may not hit the top four again - although no doubt they'll believe they can - but Newcastle could conceivably pull out a deep run in Europe's elite competition this season. A top-six finish is likely on the cards and will provide enough of a foundation for them to really start turning the screws on English football next summer.
Hope for the new boys?
A rare occurrence last season saw all three promoted sides; Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, all stay in the division.
For Nottingham Forest, it was by the skin of their teeth but Fulham enjoyed a positive campaign that saw them sitting comfortably in the top half for the majority of the season, while Bournemouth found form at the perfect time under Gary O'Neil.
While Fulham seem readymade for another mid-table finish from the outset (despite facing the prospect of losing their talisman in Aleksandar Mitrovic before the window shuts), it could be another season of lingering doubts towards the bottom of the table for the Cherries and Forest.
Especially considering the quality Burnley and Sheffield United are bringing with them on their way up, particularly Vincent Kompany's Clarets who will be confident of emulating the likes of Fulham, Brighton and Brentford in recent seasons by solidifying their status at the top of the pyramid.
Then there's little Luton Town who are something of an enigma.
Surprisingly gaining promotion through last season's play-offs, the clear-cut underdogs (and bookies' favourites to go straight back down) have the element of surprise and the power of having nothing to lose in their armoury.
It's not unheard of for the smallest teams in the league to lodge a solid first season in the top flight - think of what the likes of Bradford, Hull, Huddersfield and even Wigan have achieved in the past. It could go either way with them and a big enough buffer by December could just about keep them afloat.
There will be a slight whiff of worry in the terraces at Everton, Wolves and possibly even last year's Conference League winners, West Ham.
None of the three have significantly strengthened in the summer, with Sean Dyche openly admitting the Toffees have "missed out on prime targets", while Wolves have just lost their saviour from last season in Julen Lopitegui, who reportedly departed over the club's dismal transfer policy.
The Hammers have also lost their best player to Arsenal and are leaving it late to bring in any fresh faces. The Londoners could very easily find themselves in a similar situation to last season: scrapping at the bottom of the table whilst trying to contend with more European football that clubs around them won't have.
Mid-table supremacy
The second tier of the top tier is seemingly all to play for.
Aston Villa will be keen to push on after their excellent showing last season under Unai Emery, and they are very much displaying all the qualities of a club on the rise.
They've managed to keep hold of their best players like Emiliano Martinez, Jacob Ramsey and Ollie Watkins, all while adding more exciting depth with the likes of Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby.
The Villans are low-key going to be a team to watch out for this year - both domestically and on their return to the European stage - and we shouldn't rule them out as being the ones to disrupt the status quo even further up the table this season.
Spurs could conceivably get dragged down as their replacement as they re-adjust to life without Kane - the surrounding competition perhaps proving too much, and they may well slap all their eggs in the FA Cup or League Cup baskets this year if they get a decent cup run going. Winning a trophy as soon as Kane leaves might be a nice tonic for the fans.
Then, aside from Fulham being there or thereabouts, there's Brighton, Brentford and Crystal Palace all looking to capitalise on the void left by relegated Leicester.
All three are in good shape as football clubs - Palace are embarking on their tenth consecutive year in the Premier League and feature a host of exciting young attacking talent.
Clubs will be more aware of the threats Brighton pose this season and the Seagulls will command a great deal more respect - and it's hard to argue with the job both Roberto De Zerbi and the owners have done on the south coast. No one will be arguing with their transfer policy even if they're not quite reaching the same heights as last year.
The same can also be said for Brentford, whose season petered out slightly towards the end but they'll no doubt enjoy another solid campaign with a top-half finish firmly in their crosshairs.
The only thing that can really be said is each side has lost key figures from last season.
Palace will be without Wilfried Zaha, Brighton without Mac Allister and Brentford will be missing the banned Ivan Toney. How much of an impact this has on each of them - particularly in the early stages - will be interesting to see, but each club should still be feeling confident going into the first game.
