EPL preview: It’s time for Battleground England Premium

The Premier League embarks on a new season with reinforced teams and new contenders as Manchester City aims for a repeat treble.

Firm favourite: With Erling Haaland, who shattered the league goal-scoring record, in its rank, it would be hard to bet against the reigning European champion, Manchester City. | Photo Credit: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

Reinforcements have been made, recalibrations have been done, and the battle lines are drawn all over again for a new season of the Premier League.

Defending champion and treble-holder Manchester City will kickstart the 2023-34 season on August 12 when it takes on newly-promoted Burnley away from home.

Over the weekend, the rest of the field will begin their 38-game marathon to the glittering Premier League title, won three times on the trot by Pep Guardiola’s City.

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during a Premier League match against Southampton FC on May 28, 2023. | Photo Credit: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

The highlight fixture of the opening weekend will be the one between Liverpool and Chelsea. The Blues, who finished a dreadful 12th in the league last season, are in the middle of an monumental rebuild, while Jurgen Klopp’s side is undergoing a transition of its own.

Incomings galore

Almost all top teams have dipped into their transfer pool to rope in some exemplary talents, both from within the league and beyond the shores as they prepare for the new season.

The biggest transfer market activity was Arsenal’s acquisition of holding midfielder Declan Rice for a British record transfer fee of 105 million pounds from West Ham. The 24-year-old had attracted attention from several elite European clubs, thanks to his ability to single-handedly anchor a midfield. But Rice chose to align with Mikel Arteta’s side. The Gunners have also snatched German attacker Kai Havertz from London rival, Chelsea.

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Man City was not one to be left behind. With its club captain Ilkay Gundogan jumping ship to Barcelona, City roped in the battle-hardened midfielder Mateo Kovacic, also from Chelsea. The reigning champion is also close to signing his Croatian teammate Josko Gvardiol to bolster its already-impenetrable defence.

Manchester United started slowly in the transfer market before bringing in English midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea.

United soon phased out its long-time goalkeeper David de Gea, whose inefficient passing skills had been a cause of worry to manager Erik Ten Hag. The Spanish shot-stopper was quickly replaced with Andre Onana, who was acquired from Inter Milan.

Mason Mount | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Cameroonian goalkeeper, who had previously worked with Ten Hag at Ajax, cost United a reported 50 million pounds (plus add-ons).

Liverpool, which failed to secure Champions League football last season, chose to reinforce its midfield, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister coming in from RB Leipzig and Brighton and Hove Albion respectively.

Newcastle United, which finished a praiseworthy fourth last season, continued its lofty ambitions by recruiting Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali for a reported 55 million pounds. The Magpies have also brought in attacker Harvey Barnes from Leicester City.

Predicting the unpredictable

Man City and Guardiola did something many assumed was beyond their reach — win a continental treble. It has indeed dominated the domestic scene in the past decade. But the Manchester-based side always found innovative ways to fumble at the continental level, until the last season.

Now the Cityzens have a chance of doing it all over again and few would predict against them. With Erling Haaland, who shattered the league goal-scoring record, in its rank, it would be hard to bet against the reigning European champion.

But expect Arteta’s Arsenal to put up a stronger fight than last time. After having led the league for three-quarters of the way last season, the North London side had to settle for the runner-up spot. It has reinforced in earnest and with its youthful strike force gaining in age and experience, City can expect a tougher battle.

Meanwhile, amidst a never-ending ownership saga, United is taking the shape of Ten Hag’s vision. Onana’s signing will transform how the Red Devils play their way out from the back.

With them also in the hunt for Atalanta’s 20-year-old attacker Rasmus Hojlund, expect United to be in and around the mix.

Klopp’s Liverpool, which has fallen off from the lofty standards it set a couple of years ago, will be looking to re-enter the title conversation this season. Its attack is still helmed by a peerless Mohammed Salah, who will be hoping for better support from his younger colleagues — Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz.

The Reds will be looking to build a new spine, with mainstays like Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and James Milner leaving the club and Fabinho on the verge of doing so.

London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, who had an underwhelming 2022-23 season, have new managers at the helm.

The Blues, even before Mauricio Pochettino began the Premier League campaign with them, have witnessed a mass exodus, with more than a dozen players, including stars like Mount (left), Havertz and Kovacic leaving the club.

Mauricio Pochettino. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Argentinian manager, who is a hard taskmaster, will have a tough job at hand to mould an inexperienced squad into shape and get it back into European competitions.

Spurs, on the other hand, will be under the stewardship of Greek-Australian Ange Postecoglou, who will be managing a top-tier European side for the first time.

The North London side is struggling to hold onto its talismanic striker Harry Kane, who is being openly courted by German giant Bayern Munich. The signing of James Maddison from relegated Leicester has been the only major value addition to its squad in this transfer window.

Brighton, Newcastle and Aston Villa surprised one too many with their riveting performances last season, which earned them European qualifications. It will be worth watching how these sides will handle the pressure of dealing with the added fixture crunch, thanks to the mid-week continental games.

Everton, which narrowly escaped relegation last season, will once again be under the spotlight, as it attempts to recover the ground it lost in the last couple of years.

Promoted Teams

Like every year, there are three newly promoted teams for this Premier League season — Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United.

Among the three, Luton’s miraculous rise through the English football hierarchy — despite its limited financial resources — has piqued the attention of football fans.

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Its home ground — with a seating capacity of barely over 10,000 — is situated within a residential colony, will offer a sense of rootedness to Premier League.

Burnley, which won the Championship comfortably to secure direct promotion, is coached by Premier League-winning defender Vincent Kompany, whose first assignment as an English top-tier manager will be against Manchester City, his former side.

The Saudi Pro League Attraction

Cristiano Ronaldo’s switch from Manchester United to Al Nassr last season seems to have set a precedent as the Premier League saw a slew of players opting to switch over to the rapidly-growing Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, Ngolo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Alex Telles, Ruben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly are some major players who left English football to join the Saudi League. This, almost unprecedented mass flocking, has ruffled the feathers of quite a few in the Premier League setup.

“I wasn’t worried about the Saudi League taking players in their 30s, a touch worried with players below the elite (Neves) but if this happens it feels like a game changer. Saudi has taken over golf, the big boxing fights & now they want to take over football. This sports washing needs to be stopped,” said former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher in a social media post.