English Premier League 2022/23 preview: Manchester City will beat Liverpool to the title again

Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal will be looking to join the title race this season and they have all dipped into the transfer market to improve their squads. Then there are the likes of Everton, Aston Villa and West Ham who will all be keen on improving where they finished last season.

There will be a tense race for Europe and last but not least the battle to beat the dreaded drop. Can the new boys Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Bournemouth stay up? We’ll know everything by May next year, meanwhile check out our team-by-team guide of all 20 clubs and their summer transfer activity.

Manchester City

They were brilliant last season and deserved to win the title even though Liverpool ran them very close. The Champions League still eludes them, but domestically City continue to set the standard and if anyone finishes above them then they will be Premier League champions. Pep Guardiola has won the league in four of his five seasons in charge and knows what is needed for a title charge.

The addition of powerful Norwegian striker Erling Haaland gives City a different dimension while Argentinian Julian Alvarez is a shrewd signing. They have also bolstered the midfield with Kalvin Phillips from Leeds. Without a doubt, City will defend their title – but once again they will pushed hard by Liverpool.

Liverpool

The Reds have lost Sadio Mane and this is a big blow. He was the one that made them tick with his tireless displays. In has come Darwin Nunez from Benfica for a record fee but he is a totally different player to Mane and will take time to settle in the Premier League. By then City could have a huge lead.

They have retained Mo Salah and have depth in every position, but more importantly they have Jurgen Klopp who is one of the best coaches in the world. They’ll push City all the way but will have to again settle for second place.

Arsenal

The Gunners have made several high profile signings this summer and look well equipped for a title charge. They took just 15 points from their last ten games last season but coach Mikel Arteta will expect a much stronger campaign this time around.

The acquisition of Gabriel Jesus gives Arsenal a top-class striker not seen since the days of Thierry Henry while Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira is a great addition. Also, Oleksandr Zinchenko will make them more solid at the back. Arteta has a good squad now and a top 3 finish is very possible.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham will have the welcome distraction of the Champions League next season and coach Antonio Conte will relish pitting his side against the best in Europe. The Italian is one of the elite coaches in the game and knows how to get results.

They have Harry Kane looking refocused and revitalized, and Son Heung-Min as good as ever. Added to the attack is Brazil star Richarlison who arrives from Everton. He gives Spurs genuine depth in attack, while Ivan Perisic and Djed Spence have strengthened the wing-back positions.

Chelsea

Last season was difficult for the Blues with coach Thomas Tuchel unable to maintain the standards he had set in his first few months in charge. The return of Romelu Lukaku seemed to unsettle the squad but the Belgium star has been packed off to Inter Milan again and in has come Raheem Sterling from Man City.

He will be a great addition to the team but Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly may take time to settle. Chelsea will be busy in the market right up until the deadline and where they finish in the table will depend on who else they can bring in. If no other major signings are made then the top 4 will be out of reach.

Manchester United

They last won the title in 2013 and they won’t be anywhere near the top once again. The Red Devils still need several new quality additions to the squad and if they fail to bring in their main transfer target this summer - Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong – then they will fail to finish any higher than 6th, which is where they finished last season too.

New boss Erik ten Hag will have a lot of work to do to get the team playing free flowing football once again but he proved he has the ability to win titles at Ajax. He will need time to get his methods across to the players and I doubt any big strides will be made this term. They should be better to watch what with the coach’s attack-minded and entertaining philosophy.

Everton

They survived last season by the skin of their teeth and have lost their best player in Richarlison. But the Toffees have made some solid additions such as James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeill and will enjoy a much better season. Manager Frank Lampard has had a full preseason with the team and will prove what a good young coach he is. If Dominic Calvert-Lewin can get the service from the wings he will show that he is an effective striker.

They have Jordan Pickford - England’s number one - in goal who seems to be maturing into a much better goalkeeper now and keep an eye out for rising star Anthony Gordon to get the Goodison crowd on their feet.

Aston Villa

Coach Steven Gerrard has been knocking the squad into shape with the acquisition of Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos and Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara. Both are excellent arrivals while Leon Bailey is a fascinating wild card and in Jacob Ramsey they have one of the most exciting youngsters in the league.

With Philippe Coutinho pulling the strings and creating chances for Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, Villa will have a solid season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

They have done really well over the past three seasons since promotion in 2018 finishing 7th, 13th and 10th. They had a poor end to last season what with just three wins from their final 14 matches which cost them a European spot. They were close to the top 6 for long periods but fell short.

Coach Bruno Lage is an astute tactician and if he can get star striker Raul Jimenez back to his best, Wolves can have another solid season.

West Ham United

David Moyes’ teams tend to have a bit of a wobble after every two good seasons and I feel the Hammers will slip a few places from their 7th place finish last time out. The acquisition of Sassuolo and Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca will ease the pressure on Michail Antonio but they have lost their new centre-back Nayef Aguerd who has had to undergo ankle surgery.

He will be a big miss. I have a sneaky feeling that Declan Rice will leave on transfer deadline day and with no time to replace the midfielder, the Hammers will struggle a tad.

Newcastle United

The Magpies are backed by the Saudi sovereign Public Investment Fund but those who thought this would immediately bring footballs best to Tyneside have been disappointed. Still, the club have been doing smart business in the transfer market.

The arrival of Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman will stand them in good stead but don’t rule out any further business this month. Coach Eddie Howe has the backing of the board and the fans and he will help them make steady steps up the table.

Fulham

They topped the second tier last season and will enjoy being back in the big time. Sporting midfielder Joao Palhinha is a great signing and will do really at Craven Cottage.

They have lost Fabio Carvalho to Liverpool which is a blow but still have Aleksandar Mitrovic who knows the Premier League well. And with manager Marco Silva pulling the strings, the Londoners will have a fine season.

Crystal Palace

Manager Patrick Vieira completely overhauled the team’s style of play last season and they will be exciting to watch once again. Survival is the priority for Palace but they’ll ruffle the feathers of the top 6 with their front foot attacking style.

Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze are both tricky customers while the arrivals of Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure and Bayern defender Chris Richards will improve the squad. But they will miss the flair of midfielder Conor Gallagher who has returned to Chelsea after his loan spell.

Nottingham Forest

Forest have been extremely busy in the transfer window and have recruited 10 new players. The pick of the bunch is 29-year-old Jesse Lingard from Manchester United who was strongly linked with West Ham and Newcastle but the England international turned them both down to join the Reds which surprised many.

On his day he can be a match-winner and Forest will look to him and his Premier League experience to guide them to mid-table. They have also brought in Taiwo Awoniyi who is a strong striker. They might initially struggle in the first few months but there is enough quality in the squad to ensure survival.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton have been very easy on the eye under coach Graham Potter who looks destined to move to a bigger club in the not too distant future.

A lack of firepower continues to be their big issue – they have only scored 82 goals in the last two Premier League campaigns. Worryingly they have lost their best player, centre midfielder Yves Bissouma, to Tottenham and this will hit them hard. Still, they should have enough about them to steer clear of trouble.

Leicester City

At the time of writing Leicester City are the only side in the Premier League not to have strengthened their squad ahead of the new season. Ever since Brendan Rodgers took charge of the club they have been overachieving. They won the FA Cup and have finished in the top 5 twice but this could be the season that they begin to slide down the table if no new recruits are brought in.

Also they could be set to lose two key players – goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and midfielder Youri Tielemans. Replacing them with quality players will be hard. They still have defensive lynchpin Wesley Fofana at the back and striker Jamie Vardy up front but they look headed for mid table obscurity.

Leeds United

They survived relegation by three points last term but will struggle again especially having lost their 2 best players Raphina to Barcelona and Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City. Jesse Marsch is a good coach and the American will just about do enough to keep Leeds up once again.

Striker Patrick Bamford’s return from a persistent foot injury is a huge bonus while new arrival Luis Sinisterra is a crowd-pleaser who can turn a game in the blink of an eye. But it won’t be pretty – they will be embroiled in the battle for survival until the final weeks of the season. Fortunately for them there are three worse teams in the league.

Southampton

The Saints have been struggling for some time and I think this could finally be season they drop out of the big league. To his credit coach Ralph Hasenhuttl has developed young talent and brought in several youngsters too including goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, forward Sekou Mara and midfielder Romeo Lavia.

But without striker Armando Broja in attack they look very weak going forward. They only scored 43 goals last season and with Broja they’ll score a lot less. They will look to James Ward-Prowse to deliver the goods but it won’t be enough.

Brentford

The Bees were brilliant last season and even claimed several huge scalps along the way. But I feel they will suffer from the dreaded second-season syndrome. They have lost Christian Eriksen who has joined Manchester United and that is a huge blow for coach Thomas Frank.

Former Burnley centre-back Ben Mee is a smart pick-up and they still have Ivan Toney up front – however the attacker has been linked with a move to Newcastle. If they lose him then they will struggle.

Bournemouth

They have a terrible set of early fixtures where they will face Manchester City and Liverpool. They won’t pick up any points in those games and this will set the tone for a season of struggle.

Manager Scott Parker failed to keep Fulham in the Premier League and although he recruited Marcus Tavernier, Ryan Fredericks and Joe Rothwell in the transfer window he won’t have much luck in keeping the Cherries up. Dominic Solanke was a regular scorer in the lower division but will struggle to find the back of the net in the top flight.