Premier League Season 2023/24 Preview

The Premier League returns on 12 August with newly-promoted Burnley hosting treble winners and reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. 

It is a season that has seen a lot of changes, especially in squad balance. Many teams in the league are getting younger and rivalries have been amped all the way up thanks to players making the move to rival clubs. 

The league will also see a brand new team; something that has become a recurring theme in the past few years with Brentford and Nottingham Forest adding colour to the English top flight. 

The transfer market is still on and new players from leagues across Europe are flocking into the English top flight. 

Manchester City remain the team to beat thanks to the genius of their manager Pep Guardiola and their striker Erling Haaland. They will, however, be prepared for a tough football season ahead.

Transfers in and out: Players

Chelsea and Nottingham Forest dominated the transfer market in English and European football in the 2022/23 season. 

While the Blues spent the most money on signings, Forest broke the record for the most transfers in a season. This year, the story is different with both teams. 

Forest have made only one signing and have let a number of players go, while Chelsea have both sold and released 13 players to trim their squad size. This transfer business has earned them around €300 million, which could see them break the transfer earning record in Europe as well.

It is safe to say that the Premier League clubs are the protagonists of the transfer market stories that many journalists and correspondents will be covering. 

The most movement that has happened among the big six has happened at Stamford Bridge, as earlier established. 

Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Mason Mount (Manchester United), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), N'Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad), among others have left the club. In response, only Nicolas Jackson was signed from a top league. 

The Senegal international left Villarreal to join the club, who also officially onboarded Christopher Nkunku who was signed in January from Red Bull Leipzig. 

Next is Arsenal, who made the biggest signing of the season in the Premier League. 

The Gunners brought in Declan Rice from West Ham United in a deal that cost them £105 million excluding add-ons and variables. This was in conjunction with their purchase of Havertz from Chelsea for  £70 million and the acquisition of Jurrien Timber from Dutch side AFC Ajax for £35 million. 

These three transfers are more than what the Gunners spent in last season's two transfer windows combined.

The biggest story remains that of Harry Kane, whose future in the league is uncertain. 

With Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid beckoning, can Kane stick with Tottenham Hotspur or another English club when either of these three clubs guarantees him a sure trophy by the end of the season? 

We will be finding out more in the coming weeks.

Transfers in and out: Coaches

Not many changes have occured in the Premier League as far as managers are concerned. 

Pep Guardiola will be defending his league title for the third consecutive time and Jurgen Klopp is preparing to challenge him after the unfortunate mess that was the 2022/23 season. 

Mikel Arteta is still at Arsenal and is spending more than Wenger did in his last 10 seasons at the club. Roberto De Zerbi is ready for his first full season as Brighton and Hove Albion manager. The Seagulls fans are ready for their first taste of European football as well. 

Chelsea takes the headlines once again as they will be playing with a fourth manager in under a year when the league resumes in August. Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is back in English football with the Blues, having been chosen ahead of Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique (now at PSG). Things should go a little more smoothly for the Blues as Pochettino is an experienced Premier League manager. 

Australians and the Premier League do not have much of a shared history but with Ange Postecoglou becoming the first Australian to manage a Premier League team (Spurs), the AFC nation could get involved a lot more. 

Roy Hodgson will once again be making history as the oldest manager in English football's top flight after accepting the permanent role at Crystal Palace. 

All managers will look sharper than ever to try and prevent Guardiola from turning the Premier into a "farmer's league".

Team lineups

Fans have taken to social media to draw up their preferred starting XI for their favourite teams based on the transfers that have been made. 

Every Chelsea fan has Nkunku starting as the striker despite the Frenchman being an SS or an attacking midfielder. 

Liverpool have almost overhauled their midfield, with Brazilian Fabinho the only relic of the past midfield left to be moved on. In response, they have brought in 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and highly-rated Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai. 

If Fabinho leaves the team, they have their sights set on a number of players, one of who will be signed to take the Brazilian's place at the base of the midfield. Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, meanwhile, will slot into the left and right of the Reds midfield. 

Meanwhile, Manchester City continue to confuse fans and journalists with their transfers which makes it difficult to predict the players they will play with. 

Guardiola has made a habit of having two quality players in one position. With the acquisition of Josko Gvardiol, one of Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias or Manuel Akanji will have to ensure more time on the bench. 

The young Croatian could also be relegated to City's bench thanks to the quality in the treble-winners' side. Matteo Kovacic will replace Ilkay Gundogan immediately as both players are like each other in profile. 

Next season will be interesting in terms of line ups and fantasy managers will have their work cut out for them.

Early predictions

The season is weeks away but here are our early predictions.

Luton Town will be relegated alongside Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest

Luton Town are already having issues adapting to the Premier League because of their stadium. Having to spend the first few matches of the league playing away from home will affect them. In the case of Nottingham Forest, their time is up like it was for Leicester City after nearly ten seasons. Sheffield United, meanwhile, have proven to be erratic with their Premier League returns. We expect them to go down at the end of the season.

Manchester City will retain their title

Manchester City will only be hungrier for more after tasting the success they did last season. Opening their season against Burnley may turn out to be a hindrance but as the season picks up steam, they will power their way to the top of the league. The tools are at their disposal.

Arsenal will go back to becoming a team that fight for top four

Arsenal made everyone dream in 2022/23. However, reality is now here to stay. The other big six teams are now better equipped and managed. This will put the Gunners in a right spot and they will fight to finish fourth in order not to drop out of the UEFA Champions League.

Tottenham Hotspur will get back into European places

Postecoglou could be playing without Kane but the Australian manager is experienced enough to help the team pick up enough steam for the UCL and league. This will mean a fight to the death for European places.

Roberto De Zerbi will leave Brighton for another job

The Italian is the second-best performing manager behind Guardiola, despite Brighton finishing all the way down in sixth place. Once managers get sacked, he will be contacted to take up the vacant role.

Erik ten Hag and Manchester United will win a domestic trophy like last time

Erik ten Hag is a man on a mission. He is not strong enough to topple his master, Pep Guardiola, however. This is why they will only be able to win one of the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup.

Be sure to look at the odds for the season being offered by William Hill.