PL Season Preview

The start of the new Premier League season is here and what better way to look forward to it than making a prediction of where every club will finish come May. Making predictions is always hard when there is three weeks left of the transfer window, but what is the fun in waiting until then? My prediction last year saw a couple of errors as I fell into the trap of believing the Pep hype, but this season I am adamant something will be right. Arsenal slipped outside the top four for the first time in Arsene Wenger's two decades in charge but will it happen again? Will Chelsea keep their crown? Which of the promoted clubs will survive? Let's look at how each side is set up going into the first round of fixtures, and where I think they will finish, starting with the side rock bottom.

20. Huddersfield

Manager: David Wagner

Key player: Steve Mounie

Best decision: Adding depth to the squad

Worst decision: Not bringing in anyone will good Premier League experience

When playing in the Premier League you need someone who is going to get you goals and Hudderfield have noticed that by bringing in highly rated Steve Mounie from Montpellier in a club-record £11million deal. He impressed in Ligue 1 last season and boss David Wagner will be hoping the 22-year-old can find his feet quickly in English football to secure saftey. Last season Kachunga was their top scorer with just 12 league goals, and although his loan move was made permanent, they needed someone else to come in and get into double figures in the top flight. They also made the loan move of Aaron Mooy permanent which was good for the terriers, but he and new arrival Tom Ince have only proven themselves in the Championship. It would be good to see them stay up but I just can't see where the goals are going to come from if Mounie, Ince or Depoitre don't hit the ground running. They may just lack enough quality to stay in this league.

19. Burnley

Manager: Sean Dyche

Key player: Tom Heaton

Best decision: Bringing in proven Premier League players

Worst decision: Not signing a star player

With Burnley they always seem to be a very good team with good cohesion. But last season they managed to stay up with the goals of Andre Gray and defensive displays of Michael Keane and they are no longer with the club. Tom Heaton saved them in some games last season and he will be needed again come Saturday when they go to Stamford Bridge. It will be a hard season for them because they struggle to attract top players. Their competitors have signed players but they have lost their two best players and not replaced them sufficiently in my opinion. If they sign a new striker and centre back then I think they will stay up but as it is I can't see it. I thought they would go down last year and then surprised me, so they could do it again.

18. Brighton

Manager: Chris Hughton

Key player: Anthony Knockaert

Best decision: Bolstering squad ability and depth

Worst decision: Not bringing players with Premier League experience

I think Brighton might have a good season but they will surely be down there. I kept tossing and turning from the last spot with Brighton and a couple of other clubs but ultimately I've gone for Brighton. There are certain circumstances which would make me change my mind in the transfer market but for now I will say Brighton will go down. I hope they stay up because I really like Chris Hughton and I think he is a good manager and he knows the league as an assistant and some time as a manager with Newcastle. I feel like they may stay up but it is so hard and someone else has to go down so I feel like their squad will just be worse than the other sides. I'm not sure where all of the goals are going to come from because Glenn Murray was their top scorer last season and he has never done overly well in the Premier League. It may just been too much of a step up but after their recent seasons in the Championship, they deserve this chance.

17. Swansea

Manager: Paul Clement

Key player: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Fernando Llorente) ((Tammy Abraham))

Best decision: Holding out for as much money as possible over Sigurdsson

Worst decision: Not investing hugely yet

The club had a terrible season last time out and they need to enusre the same doesn't happen again but with the likely departure of Sigurdsson, it looks imminent. When they came into the league they were liked by everyone because of their style of play, and everyone got back behind them with Paul Clement in charge. If Sigurdsson goes they will need to replace him and they also need to try and keep Llorente. I put Sigurdsson as their key player but he will probably go, so Llorente is the key player after that, but if he goes then the goals need to come from Tammy Abraham, which is a lot of pressure. They do desperately need to keep the Spaniard. If they don't, and they don't replace him, I think they will go down.

16. Newcastle

Manager: Rafa Benitez

Key player: Dwight Gayle

Best decision: Keeping Rafa Benitez so far

Worst decision: Not improving the squad enough

Newcastle could easily go down this season because the club just doesn't seem in a good way. Benitez does not seem happy with the transfers and wants more players to make the team Premier League standard. They won the Championship but that means nothing when you take the next step up. Brighton realised they need more signings and spent money but Newcastle aren't doing it as much. Dwight Gayle was their top scorer last season and he hasn't always been able to do it in the Premier League so it will be interesting how he will do. They need to sign a couple more players in order to be good enough in my opinion but with Rafa Benitez in charge they should stay up, if he stays for the whole season. They have a huge fan base who are desperate to not see their club go down again so surely it won't happen again.

15. Stoke

Manager: Mark Hughes

Key player: Xherdan Shaqiri

Best decision: Getting players on the cheap

Worst decision: Players leaving or being linked away

The club has lost some first team players and Shawcross is also linked with a move away, and they need to bring more players in if they are going to have a good season. I am surprised Shaqiri is still there because he could easily leave with others leaving but he may be the one to step up this season. We've seen flashes of brilliance from him but he hasn't done it enough to be a key player. They have got Zouma on loan which is a good signing and Martins Indi has now come in plus Chupo-Moting up front. They do need more though in my opinion. They need a winger and someone in midfield to make them compete for the top half again. The club is just becoming a bit boring in the league and no signings are exciting the fans that much. This may be a dull season in Stoke.

14. Crystal Palace

Manager: Frank De Boer

Key player: Christian Benteke

Best decision: Not selling key players

Worst decision: Not improving the squad enough

Sam Allardyce was their saviour last season and now Frank De Boer has the challenge of fulfilling the sides potential. Crystal Palace are so hard to predict because they have some good players in Benteke, Townsend and Zaha but they need to prove that they can stay away from the bottom of the league. At first I didn't know if to put them higher because they do have a good team but De Boer deosn't know the league and he may struggle at first. He did well at Ajax but at Inter Milan he was gone in months so it is hard to know what he will be like. They brought in Riedewald, who is highly rated as a young defender but I don't know if he will be good straight away. He may just have to wait for his chance but the rest of the side should be good enough to stay up this season. They may do some more business before the end of the transfer window but there is always the risk that Zaha or Benteke may leave so they could go either way.

13. Watford

Manager: Marco Silva

Key player: Troy Deeney

Best decision: Finding an alternative to Troy Deeney

Worst decision: Not improving the defence yet

Marco Silva did not need to take this job but he has and I think he may actually be the manager to last longer than a year. They have brought some players but not in the area they really need it which is in defence. They haven't signed a good centre back for a while and they need it in order to get away from the bottom of the table. I like Andre Gray because he's different to Troy Deeney and if they play up front together, which they should then I think they could be lethal in attack. When Ighalo and Deeney were on form they were exciting, and Gray could resurrect that. I like the signing of Chalobah and Hughes because it shows that they want to have English players and want to put faith in young talent. They could flop and struggle to meet the demands of the league or they could thrive and be a good team this year. I really think they need some defensive additions though.

12. Bournemouth

Manager: Eddie Howe

Key player: Jermaine Defoe

Best decision: Adding quality and experience to the side

Worst decision: Spending high wages

The side did very well last season and ended up in the top half. To build on that may be difficult but they have brought in Jermaine Defoe who probably has another year in him in the Premier League and Asmir Begovic is a very good signing. Nathan Ake had a good loan spell at the club last season and will be a good player when he gets more experience. He cost a lot of money but so do most now but he is back at a club where he will play week in, week out. I don't think Josh King will score as many goals as last season because of Defoe coming in but they will be a good team again as Eddie Howe knows how to get the most out of his side. They haven't sold any key players and the squad seems to be together so they could be good again this campaign. I don't think they will go down but they won't challenge the top sides.

11. West Brom

Manager: Tony Pulis

Key player: Salomon Rondon

Best decision: Signing Jay Rodriquez

Worst decision: The departure of Darren Flethcer

The departure of Darren Fletcher will hit them hard but I am sure they will figure it out and still end up around mid-table. It seems certain that they will always be around there and with Tony Pulis in charge it seems it won't change. The signing of Jay Rodriquez is a good one because he has talent and also isn't that short which seems to be a necessity for Pulis. I'm not convinced that Chadli will stay which is a shame because I think he's a good player. They have an old squad which will be older again this year so I think they should bring in some younger players to try and balance this squad but maybe it's just the way the manager likes it. They shouldn't be near the bottom though.

10. Southampton

Manager: Mauricio Pellegrino

Key player: Nathan Redmond

Best decision: Trying to bring back a good style of football

Worst decision: The dragging on of the Van Dijk situation

Claude Puel may have been unlucky to have lost his job last season, but they were not as impressive to watch as they have been in recent years. Under Koeman and Pochettino they were good and attractive to watch but it went a bit stale last year. They always seem to bring in their managers from abroad and it never seems to be a massive disappointment. Pellegrino did well at Alaves last season, easily securing safety and getting to the cup final, so maybe he can do well with a good group of players at Southampton. They have signed Lemina who is a bit unknown as he was never a regular at Juventus but he came for a big fee, if you think £18million still is big, so the fans will expect a lot from him. They have some good players with Tadic, and Redmond in the squad with Gabbiadini up top. The Van Dijk saga will continue until he has been sold so that will drag but they need to reinvest the money in order to bring in some new players to make the push for the top half again. If they don't then they may drop down.

9. Leicester

Manager: Craig Shakespeare

Key player: Jamie Vardy

Best decision: Good signings

Worst decision: Unresolved future of Riyad Mahrez

I think Leicester can have a good season this season but the honeymoon period with Craig Shakespeare could have ended, we just don't know. After Ranieri won the league he lost his first game of the new season and Leicester start away at Arsenal which may not be easy. The team hasn't changed hugely from the one that won the title so Shakespeare will be hoping to get some stability back to the side that surprised everyone just a couple of seasons ago. I like Kelechi Iheanacho and he could get goals for them but he won't get as many chances as when he was at City and I don't know if he will be a guaranteed starter yet. Harry Maquire is a decent centre back and he offers more depth after Wes Morgan and Robert Huth. One of the most impressive signings has been Iborra from Sevilla as they manage to take their captain away which is a very good move. I feel like things are looking back up for the foxes though and their fans should be excited again with the upcoming season.

8. West Ham

Manager: Slavan Bilic

Key player: Javier Hernandez

Best decision: Adding quality to the first team

Worst decision: Spending a lot of money on wages on older players

West Ham have bought some good players this window and they needed to because last year they spent horribly. They haven't spent ridiculous amounts of money but they are spending a lot on wages with two players coming in from Manchester City on high wages and Hernandez is on £140,000 per week. There is pressure on Bilic after last season and by bringing in some top players but after one year at the London Stadium they should get used to it. They have some talented players who will have Premier League experience so they won't have to try and adapt to the league. Hart has a chance to get back to his best, Hernandez can be first choice in the team, and Arnautovic is a good player, he just lacks consistency. In Lanzini they have someone who can unlock a defence with his technical ability and eye for a pass. If they don't get into the top half, it won't be a good season. They should even push Everton for seventh.

7. Everton

Manager: Ronald Koeman

Key player: Idrissa Gueye

Best decision: Spreading the Lukaku money across the pitch

Worst decision: Not signing a star

They should finish seventh and look to build on last year but when you lose your best player and try to spread it across a side it doesn't always work. It happened with Tottenham when they sold Bale and it happened with Liverpool with Suarez. I do think they will do well though because they have a good side but it isn't good enough to break into the top six in my opinion. They haven't really signed a star player either as Rooney is not the player he used to be and Michael Keane is not the finished article. I think they will score less this season but they should be better at the back as Koeman usually does that well and he has now had a year to rectify Roberto Martinez's errors. It will be difficult for them to try and pip Liverpool but if Coutinho leaves then who knows what will happen. They have strengthened their squad but they are young players who may not show their full potential straight away so we will see how their season pans out.

6. Liverpool

Manager: Jurgen Klopp

Key player: Phillipe Coutinho (Sadio Mane)

Best decision: Enhancing an already quick attack

Worst decision: Not improving the defence yet

The Coutinho saga will go on until he has gone or until the end of the transfer window because Barcelona need to bring someone in to replace Neymar and he is good enough to play for them. They need to improve the team more than they have because Andy Robertson, Dominic Solanke and Mo Salah doesn’t make you a title winning team. They needed a left back but I am not sure Robertson is good enough at the moment to guarantee his place in the team and they desperately need a centre back. Van Dijk would be an incredible signing if they can get it done but that is not guaranteed yet. I don't see them spending loads and loads of money on players but I think they could do with some additions because I feel like they have the weakest squad of the top six, and now with European football to cope with they may just not be able to get close enough to the top four.

5. Arsenal

Manager: Arsene Wenger

Key player: Alexis Sanchez (Alexandre Lacazette)

Best decision: Keeping Alexis Sanchez(if they can)

Worst decision: Still has the same stale squad that needs updating more

Last season was bad for them and I feel like this season they can get back in the top four, but only just and only if Sanchez stays. It really is tight for these top six positions and I could have easily put them sixth or fourth but I think they will just miss out. They did improve slightly towards the end of last season as they always do but this season is absolutely huge for Arsene Wenger. They need to maintain consistency and I don’t know now what would be a good season for them. Would top four be a good season? It hasn’t been before but when you miss out on it, your priority is to get back in straight away. Dealing with the Europa League will be something different to what they have seen for a while but they could use it to their advantage like Manchester United did last season by trying to win it. Sanchez is the key though because he was head and shoulders above the rest of the side last season and they need him to stay in order to get the goals in case Lacazette doesn’t hit the ground running. What would be the point in selling your best player for £40million or so if it stops you getting into the Champions League, they’re better off keeping him and convincing him to stay next year or letting him go if it doesn’t work out. If they lose him now though, I’m convinced they will finish fifth at best.

4. Chelsea

Manager: Antonio Conte

Key player: Eden Hazard

Best decision: Decreasing the age of the squad

Worst decision: Sales of players

This may surprise a few and in my opinion they are the hardest team to predict this season. I thought they would do well last season and I predicted they would finish second and they in fact went on to win the title, but with the new campaign around the corner, something doesn’t seem right. Antonio Conte is a no-nonsense manager in the way he deals with his players. It is well publicised that he had an argument or disagreement with Diego Costa in January and now the player seems to be on his way out. In my opinion he is one of the best forwards in the world and without a doubt one of the best in the league and his unique style and pure power is unrivalled. I just don’t see Morata having the same impact straight away. The sale of Matic is baffling though. I get that they signed Bakayoko, but if you’re going to get rid of one of the leagues best defensive midfielders, surely you don’t let him go to a title rival. His arrival at Manchester United does not just make them better but it then frees Pogba and allows him to control the ball higher up the pitch and be more of a threat, which is what United missed last season as Ibrahimovic dragged them through games. I just don’t feel like Chelsea is a settled side right now and with added games this season in Europe they need depth and I am not sure they have it. They don’t have a huge amount of players who can play in the wing back positions and they also don’t have a huge amount of strikers with Batshuayi and Morata the only recognised ones and neither have huge Premier League experience. Time will tell but I can see them struggling and they won't win the league.

3. Manchester United

Manager: Jose Mourinho

Key player: Romelu Lukaku

Best decision: Taking Matic away from Chelsea

Worst decision: Not resolving the full back situation yet

Everyone expected them to challenge for the title last season, including me but I was not drawn into the delusion that they were capable of winning it straight away and I don't think they will win it this time either. Mourinho is slowly building his team with the addition of Matic as he is a player he can trust and he has now decided to try Lukaku again after not believing in him at Chelsea. He likes his players ready made and he clearly now feels that the Belgian is ready for a title challenge. I feel like the squad is not good enough to win the league though. I see a lot of players there that Mourinho perhaps does not want such as Luke Shaw and I'm not sure if he wants Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. It normally takes Mourinho a couple of years to get his squad his way but I think he needs more to do it with this club that hasn't won the league since Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge. I don't think Lukaku will have as much of an impact as Ibrahimovic but Matic is a very good signing. They should get back into the top four but it would be a very bad season if they didn't.

2. Tottenham

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino

Key player: Harry Kane

Best decision: Keeping the clubs best players

Worst decision: No addition of much needed depth yet

They may not have brought anyone in yet, but that is not necessarily that bad. Pochettino assures fans that they will be bringing players in before the end of the month but it is a matter of who will come. The starting eleven is very good, maybe the best in the league. They have the best striker, arguably two of the best attacking midfielders in Alli and Eriksen, an extremely powerful midfield and the best defence in the league last year. But if they get injuries then they may struggle. Kane spent two spells of around a month out last season and Alderweirald also sat on the sidelines for a brief period. But if Kane was to pick up a big injury, or if two centre backs get injured then there is a predicament. They start the season without Rose, Son or Lamela and Walker has departed the club to join a rival, but if they manage to keep the squad fit for the majority of the season then I can’t see why they shouldn’t maintain their top four status. I know they are playing at Wembley for the entire campaign, but the manager works his teams very hard and they are certain to get used to it sooner or later, they just have to make the transition early, or it could be a rocky season in North London.

1. Manchester City

Manager: Pep Guardiola

Key player: Kevin De Bruyne

Best decision: Decreasing average age of the squad

Worst decision: Not signing a centre back yet

I do think they will win the league, but only if they keep Vincent Kompany fit or if they sign a new centre back. Van Dijk has been linked with a move to Liverpool but I think they City should go in for him and spend big on him because he really is that good. Starting with Stones and Otamendi is not good as we have seen in the last twelve months so it should be a priority to have a stable back line. They did what they had to do in getting rid of dead-wood who were ageing and brought in quicker and younger players to make them more exciting. Mendy and Walker will be able to get forward more than the previous full-backs and I am sure Pep will make them fly up and down the wings. There is so much creativity in this side and I just can't see them being as inconsistent as the last season. They have some of the best attacking talent in the league and I am confident that they can be worthy winners.