The start of another Premier League season is fast approaching, and clubs will be looking to do all their transfer business early to ensure that new additions have adequate time to bed in before the big kick-off.

Nicolas Pepe left celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side s first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 19, 2021. Copyright: Justin Setterfield
Nicolas Pepe left celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side s first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 19, 2021. Copyright: Justin Setterfield

League seasons after huge international tournaments always make for a strange opening to the season, with big stars often returning to clubs at different stages of pre-season, which means many of the England stars that reached the final of EURO 2020 may not be back in time for the opening games of the 2021-22 season. However, what could we expect to see in the Premier League over the next nine months or so?

European Football A Minimum For Mikel Arteta

The 2020-21 season was ultimately a disappointment for Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta’s side missed out on European football for the first time since 1995. That could be a potential blessing in disguise for the Spanish manager this season, as he will be able to focus solely on the Premier League. However, that also means that there are no excuses for another poor league campaign this term. The Gunners eventually recovered from a painfully slow start last season to finish eighth in the league, which, based on where they were in the middle of December, was a fine end to the season.

Arsenal will need to start the season much stronger this season, as they won just four times in their opening 14 games last season. Arsenal will be looking to build on the form that they ended the season in, as they won their last five games, which included a victory over Champions League winners Chelsea.

Arteta has wasted little time in the areas that he wants to improve this summer, with Ben White looking likely to make the move to the Emirates from Brighton & Hove Albion. However, more additions will need to be made. A challenge for the top four looks unlikely, as Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool have much stronger squads. But, a battle for a Europa League spot must be high up on the agenda for Arteta this season.

Who Will Win The League?

The race for the title will be something that the Gunners will need to sit back and watch unfold. It looks set to be a thrilling season, with four likely contenders shaping up to mount a title challenge. Manchester City remain the clear favourites as they look to successfully defend their league title under Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City

City were made to wait until the final month of the season to wrap up the title last season, but it never seemed to be in doubt after they went on a 13-match winning streak in the league. That consistency was something that all the other sides struggled to match. However, Guardiola will be keen to add reinforcements this summer to ensure that his squad is fresh ahead of the new season. There are still questions surrounding the long-term future of Raheem Sterling, while a number nine is still high on the agenda.

Liverpool

Liverpool will be back with a renewed bid for the league title this season after struggling with injuries throughout the 2020-21 campaign. Jurgen Klopp was ultimately able to steer the Reds to third, which was a very impressive finish considering that they didn’t win at home between February and April.

Chelsea

Champions League winners Chelsea look to already have a squad that is capable of challenging for the league this season, and that will be something that Thomas Tuchel will be looking to deliver in his first full season with the club.

More will be expected from Timo Werner this season, as the German scored just six league goals last season. The Blues will need a forward that will score 20+ goals to stand the best chance of winning the league this season, as their top scorer in 2020-21 was Jorginho, who scored just seven times.

Manchester United

Manchester United may be best placed to challenge City this season, as they lost just six times in the 2020-21 season. They were strong defensively and already look to be adding world-class talent this summer with the potential signing of Raphael Varane.

Jadon Sancho’s arrival also adds some more pace and creativity into the forward line at Old Trafford. It will be fascinating to see how the Red Devils perform this season, but they will be hard to rule out if they get all their potential signings over the line.

Become Your Own Football Star

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