The Premier League 2023-24 campaign begins when newly promoted side Burnley host champions Manchester City on Friday August 11, and here at Premier Bet we are giving you the lowdown on all 20 teams ahead of the new season.
Every day between Monday August 7 and Thursday August 11, we will analyse five teams in alphabetical order, providing you with all the information you could ask for when it comes to their key signings, performances last season, and predictions for the coming campaign. Not only will this make you the most knowledgeable person in the group chat, it will also give you plenty of food for thought when it comes to any outright bets.
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Arsenal
Last season: 2nd
Key signing: Declan Rice (£105m, West Ham)
Prediction: 2nd
Despite failing to capitalise on a near-perfect first half of the season to lift their first Premier League title since Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04, the future appears to be very bright for the Gunners.
According to CIES Football Observatory’s list of transfer values, Mikel Arteta possesses the most expensive squad in world football, with the big-money acquisitions of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and England midfielder Rice during the summer helping them overtake Manchester City in that regard.
Now, though, they need to prove they are capable of doing so on the pitch. They lost both title clashes against Pep Guardiola’s side last season – which is a record they surely must improve if they are to jump from second to first – but they may take some psychological advantage from beating them on penalties in the Community Shield on Sunday. Ultimately, we expect them to fall just short once again.
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Aston Villa
Last season: 7th
Key signing: Moussa Diaby (£52m, Bayer Leverkusen)
Prediction: 6th
Aston Villa were one of the form teams of the divisions after Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard as manager in November 2022, with the Spaniard winning 15 of his 25 league games in charge to help them qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Their summer business suggests that extended display of improvement is not likely to reverse any time soon: on top of signing the highly-rated Diaby for a club record fee, Spanish international Pau Torres could form a formidable defensive partnership with the returning Diego Carlos, while Youri Tielemans will bolster an impressive set of midfielders after joining from Leicester City for free.
Juggling continental football alongside a league campaign could prove to be a difficult challenge, but four-time Europa League winner Emery is demonstrably well-versed in this area. With a couple of more additions, there is no reason why Villa can not challenge for Champions League football, but maintaining their place in the top seven along with adding to their European trophy cabinet would represent success.
AFC Bournemouth
Last season: 15th
Key signing: Justin Kluivert (£10m, Roma)
Prediction: 18th
Bournemouth’s wealthy ownership group shocked the footballing world by replacing Gary O’Neil with Andoni Iraola as their new manager, despite O’Neil comfortably steering them away from relegation trouble in the Cherries’ first season back in the big time.
Iraola, who earned seven caps for Spain during his playing career, guided Rayo Vallecano to promotion in his home country, before helping them to 12th-placed and 11th-placed finishes in La Liga. That might not sound overly impressive on the face of it, but Rayo’s squad value is the fifth-lowest in the division according to Transfermarkt, and he earned plenty of plaudits for implementing an intense playing style.
Still, it’s a risky move and there is no guarantee that Iraola will be able to translate his achievements to England. He is yet to be heavily backed in the transfer window, and unless this changes between now and the end of August, we believe Bournemouth could be in trouble.
Brentford
Last season: 9th
Key signing: Nathan Collins (£23m, Wolves)
Prediction: 13th
The Bees were buzzing last season, as they built on finishing 13th in their debut Premier League campaign to secure a top half finish, winning five of their last six games to head into the summer with real momentum.
However, they will be deprived of their talismanic striker Ivan Toney until January due to suspension, placing significant pressure on the likes of Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane WIssa to fill the goalscoring void. Meanwhile, their star goalkeeper David Raya is on the brink of joining Arsenal, although former Freiburg stopper Mark Flekken brings a decent reputation with him from Germany.
Even if they find themselves significantly dropping off without Raya and Toney, who has scored 32 goals in 66 Premier League games since breaking the Championship goalscoring record the season before, the return of their fresh forward in the New Year should steer them comfortably away from any serious danger.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Last season: 6th
Key signing: Joao Pedro (£30m, Watford)
Prediction: 9th
Brighton bounced back from losing Graham Potter to Chelsea in fabulous style, kicking on another level under Roberto De Zerbi, whose attractive brand of football helped the Seagulls qualify for European football for the first time in their history.
However, they have lost their World Cup winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool and Moises Caicedo could soon follow him out of the door to Chelsea, with Mahmoud Dahoud and James Milner unlikely to replace them to the same level despite representing solid additions as free transfers.
Still, teenage sensation Evan Ferguson should continue to improve and his combination with new signing Joao Pedro may finally solve the club’s long-standing lack of star quality in attack, while their ingrained build-up play from the back should ensure that they remain a consistent top half outfit. Ghana international Mohammed Kudus is rumoured to be close to joining for a club record fee from Ajax and would bring star quality.
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