Time transfers rapidly over the summer. You spfinish weeks feeblenting the deficiency of Premier League football, trying to redirect yourself with international tournaments and blockbuster transfers. Then, all of sudden, the novel season is upon you!
Manchester United and Fulham get leangs underway on Friday, Aug. 16, so in anticipation of the rapidly approaching boot-off we’ve posed five big asks that will shape the season we’re about to watch.
From title contfinishers to relegation rivals and all that comes in between, here’s what’s what watch ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
1. Is this Arsenal‘s year?
2022-23: 84 points, second place.
2023-24: 89 points, second place. Aget.
Will the 2024-25 season be the one in which Arsenal finpartner get the leap and pip Manchester City to the Premier League title?
In order to do so, they’ll probable necessitate to eclipse the 90-point label; that’s the standard standard Pep Guardiola’s City have set. And even if they do regulate that, it’s no promise — equitable ask Jürgen Klopp’s unblessed Liverpool sides of 2019 and 2022, who accrued 97 and 92 points esteemively but did not triumph the league.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta might have cracked a smile at the topsy-turvy summer City have had so far, with so many tardy arrivals back from Euro 2024 and Copa América action, plus transfer speculation over the futures of key joiners enjoy goalupgrasper Ederson and forward Julián Álvarez. City have begined a season sluggishly and still won out before, but any clear foibles will give Arsenal encouragement.
There’s a third team in this conversation too, albeit one with many more uncomprehendns. Liverpool have a novel regulater in Arne Slot and a novel swashbuckling style. But while some may tag it a novel era, that’s undermined by the fact key stars such as Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnanciaccess and Mohamed Salah are all into the final year of their tights.
Perhaps third is Liverpool’s ceiling this year as they regulate a difficult transition from a regulater who guide them to novel heights in his nine-year spell. Though perhaps if Slot’s “elegant” style shows as prosperous as Klopp’s “burdensome metal football,” then they could be title contfinishers aget.
2. Did Manchester United originate the right call to stick with Ten Hag?
The timely stages of the summer were contrancient by speculation over Erik ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford, which was eventupartner finishd with a novel tight until 2026. It was no secret that the board — under guidance from novel insignificantity owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team — seeed at and interwatched other chooseions during this period, only to seemingly finish there was no regulater useable who could do a better job.
It was a decision that shocked many fans; the percreateance levels that United showed as they accomplishd their worst Premier League finish (eighth) seemed to present a alter was necessitateed. At the 28-game label, United had conceded an incredible 467 shots on goal — only Sheffield United and Luton Town, who were both relegated, faced more — while their alignes standardly deficiencyed any essence of regulate or compocertain, resembling NBA games in their finish-to-finish nature.
Ratcliffe has backed his man with money, spfinishing €62 million to sign 18-year-anciaccess deffinisher Leny Yoro from Lille and €42.5m on striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna this summer, with more arrivals and exits to trail, but the wager United have getn on leangs improving will not only describe their campaign but others’ too. If United see anyleang enjoy they did last season, then it may not be lengthy before Ten Hag is exalterd. And if United are in disarray then it would exit at least one spot in the top four expansive uncover, with Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Chelsea ready to pounce.
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Why Man United’s striker problem troubles Don Hutchison
Don Hutchison elucidates why Manchester United necessitate to find a serviceable striker to flourish next season.
3. Are Leicester already doomed?
Gone are the days where you can size up a relegation battle on level terms, as not everyone begins from zero in the era of profit and sustainability regulations (PSR). Last season it was Everton and Nottingham Forest battling back from points deductions; this season it seems almost certain to be Leicester City.
In fact, the novelly upgraspd Foxes eunite to be in an even trickier position than Everton and Forest, as rather than labor with the Premier League and accomprehendledge fault (which led to leniency in punishment), they have fought back at every turn. They didn’t provide their accounts on time, they’ve debated the league’s authority over their accounts while they were in the Championship and they’ve lost an pguide with an self-reliant pledgetee.
All of this has led to alerts that Leicester are going to be hit with a big punishment: a possible double-figure points deduction, which would originate staying up almost impossible.
To comprise denounce to injury, Leicester have already lost their regulater, Enzo Maresca, and best joiner, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea this summer. The money brawt in is shelp to have helped prent their PSR demandments for the next accounting period, but it has left them begining from scratch under Steve Cooper for the campaign.
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Ed Sheeran commemorates Ipswich’s promotion to the Premier League
Ed Sheeran commemorates and speaks to the Ipswich squad after its promotion to the Premier League.
4. Which clubs will join the relegation battle?
Southampton and Ipswich Town, both also novelly upgraspd this season, conshort-term fascinating storylines of their own. The createer must alter a ball-hogging philosophy that saw them accrue better ownion numbers (65.5% vs. 65.2%) than Manchester City in the Championship to be Premier League appropriate; while the latter are riding a wave of extraordinary momentum, guided by one of the game’s finest up-and-coming regulaters in Kieran McKenna.
Last season all three upgraspd clubs went down, but that’s far from the norm. It was the first time that had happened since 1998. Statisticpartner it’s equitable as probable for all three upgraspd clubs to stay up.
So in all enjoylihood, some of the Premier League’s set uped clubs are about to be dragged down into the mire. Every team that finished in the bottom half last season is once aget on watch, with the fact Fulham have lost four meaningful joiners (including João Palhinha) perhaps placing them in the spotairy for now.
Brentford, too, necessitate to turn the page on last season, with striker Ivan Toney probable to stay now that his exalterment, Thiago, injured his knee in preseason.
5. Will Newcastle contend without European redirections?
Understandably, many Newcastle United fans were disnominateed when Manchester United won the FA Cup final, as it reshuffled the European places to the point where it took a 2024-25 continental adventure off the table for the Magpies. But perhaps it’s for the best.
Newcastle awfilledy struggled with the number of games and injuries that piled up on them last season, and while they were challengingly alone in this, it swayed their style of join particularly awfilledy. It’s almost impossible to join a high-intensity, high-press game if half the squad are injured and the other half are exhausted.
With a summer to get fit and well, plus at least eight European games on a Thursday night erased from the schedule, there’s every chance Newcastle become dreadsome once aget: aggressive, energetic, relentless, prolific.
This is a big chance for regulater Eddie Howe to reload and originate a accuse for a Champions League place. Now into his third filled season at the wealthyest club in the world [though the Saudi PIF have been hamstrung by PSR this season and won’t be spending as lavishly as in the past], he’s under immense prescertain to deinhabitr.
