The English Premier League (EPL) season kicking off on Friday night time when Manchester United face Fulham. Al Jazeera Sport seems to be at some potential contenders for the title with the most important query being – can anybody cease Manchester Metropolis?
Pep Guardiola’s aspect grew to become the primary staff to carry the English prime flight on 4 consecutive events in Could and that got here off the again of profitable 5 trophies in 2023.
In one thing of a shock transfer, Julien Alvarez elected to depart the Cityzens for Atletico Madrid in the summertime, having gained two Premier League titles and the Champions League in his two years with the membership.
The 24-year-old striker was very a lot considered the longer term for Metropolis however their willingness to permit the Argentinian to maneuver on speaks to the depth and confidence Guardiola and Metropolis should hold elevating the squad to much more bold heights.
The transfer got here after Manchester Metropolis signed Brazilian ahead Savinho from French aspect Troyes. The 20-year-old spent final season on mortgage at Girona in Spain the place he helped the relative minnows to 3rd within the Spanish league, LaLiga.
Metropolis’s Premier League title defence begins on Sunday with a visit to big-spending Chelsea, who make our record as one in all two outsiders to win the league, however let’s begin with the 2 groups that got here closest to stopping Metropolis’s already file run.
Arsenal (final season – 2nd)
For the overwhelming majority of the final Premier League season, Arsenal had been the staff to beat however completed second to Metropolis for the second successive season.
Mikel Arteta’s aspect performed with a verve and a swagger within the 2023/24 season that had Guardiola sitting as much as take full discover of his former protege and his prices.
The problem now for the Gunners is to go one higher. They spent good chunks of final season on prime of the ladder – however didn’t match Metropolis’s file in last two months of the season, agonisingly conceding the title to their northern rivals within the last week.
Two factors was a unbearably shut name for an Arsenal aspect seeking to finish a 20-year wait to win the league as soon as extra, however it’ll supply them hope that just a few slip-ups final 12 months could be overcome.
The signing of Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna is the only real addition made by Arteta to the squad earlier than their season opener towards Wolves on August 17, however the 22-year-old’s arrival is predicted to tremendously improve a squad that was already boasting the league’s finest defence final 12 months.
Liverpool (final season – third)
Within the early levels of the season, it appeared as if Liverpool would give Jurgen Klopp the proper send-off in his last season as supervisor of the membership.
Because it transpired, the affirmation of the German’s departure appeared to ship the Anfield membership right into a nosedive.
The Reds gained 12 of their opening 15 video games final season however pale badly, ending with solely 4 wins of their last 10 video games.
The English Soccer League Cup was secured with a 1-0 win towards Chelsea in March and, at that stage, a quadruple was on the playing cards for Klopp.
The type of the staff within the handover to new supervisor Arne Slot is the discuss of the Premier League.
His predecessor ended a 30-year wait to be topped English champions and secured a fifth European crown. It’s going to be an extremely powerful act to observe for the Dutchman, who joined from Feynoord, and profitable the league at his first try may be too nice a hope for even essentially the most optimistic Liverpool fan.
Manchester United (final season – eighth)
Manchester United can by no means be dominated out of a revival – it’s the mark of the membership that rebuilt from the tragedy of the Munich air catastrophe in 1958.
The failure to win a Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013 hangs ever extra closely over the membership, particularly given the rise of their crosstown rivals, Manchester Metropolis.
The takeover of footballing operations by Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group was set to mark the daybreak of a brand new period at Outdated Trafford, and it seemingly will, however how lengthy will it take is the query – as is how lengthy the present supervisor Erik ten Hag will likely be given to take the membership ahead.
The Dutchman gained the EFL Cup two seasons in the past and completed the final marketing campaign by beating Metropolis within the FA Cup last – a feat that seemingly saved his job.
The top-of-season evaluation by the INEOS operation took a while and, regardless of Could’s cup win, ten Hag needed to wait till the beginning of July to be reassured his job was protected, for now, with the announcement of a contract extension.
It left little time for enterprise in the summertime switch window.
Joshua Zirkzee arrived from Bologna in mid-July within the hope the 23-year-old Netherlands striker might bolster the depleted attacking choices, whereas the shortage of numbers in defence had been painfully obvious for United final season.
The anticipated arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich ought to bolster the again line however the timing smacks of the inconsistent planning that plagued United’s switch methods since Ferguson’s departure.
The glimpses of the United of outdated have been there all through ten Hag’s tenure, however the Dutchman will certainly want a flying begin if his staff are to problem – if not, final season’s incessant rumours about his future will rise to the floor as soon as extra.
Chelsea (final season sixth)
One other season, one other change of supervisor for Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino appeared harangued all through his one 12 months in cost at Stamford Bridge and spent a lot of the time highlighting a squad that was closely reliant on youth.
The Argentinian’s departure got here as little shock and now the brand new supervisor Enzo Maresca, regardless of heavy backing, seems to face the identical drawback.
Eleven new gamers have been signed by the Blues, which marks the third consecutive switch window that the membership have outdone their rivals when it comes to the variety of signings and the overall worth of the enterprise carried out.
Of the brand new arrivals, although, the typical age is under 21. Nonetheless, almost $300m has been spent so the expectation will, as ever, be sky excessive.
Maresca is getting into into solely his fifth season as a supervisor, having beforehand had spells with Parma and Leicester Metropolis, and the best problem the Italian is prone to face is retaining a squad of greater than 50 senior gamers. Solely 25 could be submitted to the Premier League earlier than the brand new season.
All through the brand new season, you may hold updated on all the most recent soccer information, in addition to stay textual content commentary of choose matches, through the Al Jazeera Sport soccer web page.
