Premier League Predictions 2023/24

1. Manchester City

The reigning Premier League champions are back in action this season and are looking to make it 6 titles in 7 seasons. Last year, City won a historic treble as they marched their way through England and Europe simultaneously. Key departures include Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan, but Josko Gvardiol has joined from RB Leipzig to bolster an already world class defense. Pep Guardiola can get the best out of any of his players, so while the spotlight will be on golden boot winner Erling Haaland, look to Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden to be key cogs in the City attack this season alongside the always reliable Kevin De Bruyne. 

2. Arsenal

Manchester City may have won last year's EPL title, but it was Arsenal who were on top of the table for much of last season. The Gunners signaled the end of their rebuild by coming out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Manager Mikel Arteta has gone from much memed punchline to one of the best tacticians in the game. His Arsenal squad plays free flowing football, as #10 and new team captain Martin Odegaard distributes to a plethora of attacking options including Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Leoandro Trossard. Declan Rice has come over in a huge 100 million dollar transfer deal with West Ham United and will give Arsenal a calming defensive midfield presence they have otherwise been lacking. I expect a fun season at the Emirates that will end much like last season.

3. Liverpool

This is Anfield, home of goals goals goals. Liverpool boasts what might be the best attack in the league, while simultaneously having a backline full of question marks. Mohamed Salah will lead the way from the right wing, but center forward Darwin Nunez is on course for his prototypical second year breakout while Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are both back from injury, and that's not even to mention one of the biggest transfer bargains of last season, the versatile attacker Cody Gakpo. A much needed rebuild has been done in the midfield as long time starters Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have gone to the Saudi Arabian desert, and younger, more creative players Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have come in. Jurgen Klopp will need to find balance in his defense though if they are to secure top-4 positioning, and maybe even a title charge. Outside of the regular starters, the team is thin, and with injuries always lurking it could be an up and down season in Merseyside.

4. Manchester United

“Onana, that's his name. Onana, that's his name, that's his name” (to the tune of What’s My Name by Rihanna) David De Gea is out in net at Old Trafford and Andre Onana from Inter Milan is in. A much needed change between the sticks will give Erik ten Hag’s men the ability to play out from the back more fluidly. United sits right in the position of not quite good enough for a title charge while also not quite bad enough to miss out on Europe altogether. They have quality players across the pitch, including Marcus Rashford off a bounce back season and his play making mate Bruno Fernandes. The issue for United remains their lack of attacking depth and clinicality. New arrival Rasmus Hojlund is supposed to be the answer, but the bargain bin Erling Haaland is already seriously injured before his first match in red. Fourth place will be their ceiling this year, the floor could be 6th.

5. Chelsea

The American Revolution at Chelsea must have had its Battle of Saratoga this summer because the tide has officially turned. After Todd Boehly took over the club it looked as if the Blues would fall off a cliff. Poor transfer decisions coupled with insane contracts had Chelsea paralyzed until they miraculously got rid of loads of dead weight this summer. The result is a complete roster overhaul which new manager Mauricio Pochettino is in charge of. Poch will look to inspire his players and play with youthful exuberance, and that type of hunger and energy will make Chelsea a dangerous team again. Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal looks deadly in attack, and if Christopher Nkunku can come back from injury in one piece then look out for Chesea as a dark horse top-4 candidate. 

6. Aston Villa

Aston Villa was my dark horse last year as I went out on a limb and bet on a top-6 finish for the Villans. The result was an early season dip, coupled with a manager sacking, and then a crazy late season charge that had them finish in 7th. Unai Emery will now have a full offseason under his belt to establish his identity even further. The constantly underrated manager has struck gold in Birmingham and has inspired the owners to splash cash on several incoming players who will make a huge difference. Moussa Diaby was one of the most dynamic players in the Bundesliga last season for Bayer Leverkusen, and as a pacey winger he will bring loads of speed to the Villa attack. Youri Tielemans gives Emery even more depth in a strong midfield while Pau Torres will do the same for the backline. Villa won’t blow anyone away, but they will also compete in every game, and that level of consistency is needed over 38 games to secure a European spot.

7. Newcastle United

Last year Newcastle took the Premier League by storm and finished in the top-4 for the first time since 2003. The Magpies were led by their strong young manager Eddie Howe, who had previously unheralded players playing like stars. Miguel Almiron was bagging goals, former transfer flop Joelinton looked invincible in midfield, and academy burnout Sean Longstaff even tucked home a few bangers. Newcastle has made small tweaks to their side this summer, but for a team owned by Saudi Arabia they could have done more. The additional Champions League fixtures this year will make it harder for them to achieve the same heights as injuries and consistency levels will be tested. This is a solid, well drilled side, but until they splash the cash they truly have, they won’t get back into the top-4.

8. Brighton & Hove Albion

If the Premier League was like the stock market then I would buy shares of Brighton. The southcoast club has become the model for transfer business around world football. Their ability to scout, discover, and develop talent from corners of the world other teams wouldn’t dare go is admirable. The plug and play mentality of manager Roberto De Zerbi means that even when a star player leaves, a new one shows up behind him. Look to Julio Enciso, Evan Ferguson, and Facundo Buonanotte as the next big attacking stars for the Seagulls, who will deliver a strong finish this year despite the grind of added Europa League fixtures. 

9. Tottenham

No Kane, no party. The star striker has completed his long awaited move to Bayern Munich and Spurs will end up being the team that pays the ultimate price. Tottenham was uninspiring last year as they fired yet another manager. If it wasn’t for Kane dragging the team along with his 10/10 performances, they well and truly could have finished below Chelsea. Spurs will now look to Heung-min Son, Richarlison, and new addition James Maddison to replace the goal contributions that Harry Kane had. It’s a tall order, and one that likely won’t be fulfilled. New manager Ange Postecoglou will have his hands fully directing a team that has begun a rebuild phase. 

10. Brentford

Brentford seemingly passed the torch of a well run, up and coming club to Brighton last year, and I don’t know if they will get it back. Thomas Frank had his men playing inspired football his first year in the EPL, but last year they were too inconsistent. This year won’t be any easier for them either, as star striker Ivan Toney will be suspended for the first half of the season for massive amounts of gambling violations. Much like Tottenham, Brentford will find themselves struggling to replace his goal contributions. 

11. Nottingham Forest

Last year I predicted Nottingham Forest to be the best of the newly promoted clubs, but instead they spent much of the season in a relegation battle, narrowly escaping with a strong late season form. Give credit to the board, though, they stuck with manager Steve Cooper who is a fan and players favorite at the City Ground. The issue last year was a wild transfer spending spree that brought in too many players to be managed. Now, a season later, Cooper should have his squad dialed in and establish more consistency. I love the skill they have in attack where Morgan Gibbs-White is one of the more underrated players in the Premier League and can create chances that Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi should be able to put home.

12. West Ham United

Directionless. That is how I would describe West Ham United. The Hammers knew for months that they would sell Declan Rice for a huge fee yet they still didn’t line up a replacement. They’ve managed to bring in Edson Alvarez from Ajax to play defensive midfield, but he was far from the top option out there. Now they are looking to reinvest the remainder of the Rice money on castaway Manchester United players that second tier clubs would be reluctant to sign. I’m not sure what David Moyes wants for his side, but if they fumbled around last year I see more of the same this year. There is enough quality in this side to stay above the relegation fodder below, but you can never be too sure.

13. Fulham

I see last year's top promoted side taking a big step back this year. I’ve never been the biggest supporter of Marco Silva as a manager, and he will be tested in year 2 with Fulham in the EPL. They have failed to strengthen their side, and in the Premier League treading water is actually drowning. Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a bounty of goals last year, but he was mired in Saudi transfer speculation this summer and is reportedly upset that the team refused his move to the sand filled money bags we sadly call a soccer league. Much like West Ham, this team has too much quality to be dragged into a relegation battle, but in the world of sports anything can happen.

14. Burnley

This isn’t your parents' old Burnley. The former route one, ground and pound club that was lead by the gravel eating Sean Dyche is now a modern football club, lead by the EPL legend Vincent Kompany. The Pep Guardiola padawan has installed a new vision for the club, one that values possessing the ball, playing out from the back, and creating chances that aren’t just blind crosses into the box. The result was a dynamite second tier campaign last year that has gotten them back into the Premier League. I don’t see them pulling a Brentford from two years ago, or a Fulham from last year, and finishing in the top half of the table, but I do see them surviving quite easily.

15. Everton

Speaking of Sean Dyche, here come the Toffees. Last year Everton probably should have been relegated, but they did the smartest thing they’ve done in years and hired Sean Dyche. The old school manager knows how to get the best out of average players and to do the simple things right; defend with your life and hit on the counter. That style of play saved Everton from going down, and with a full offseason to adapt to the Dyche ways I see Everton staying up rather comfortably this year, even if they still finish toward the bottom of the table. 

16. Crystal Palace

Speaking of manager retreads, here comes Roy Hodgson. The 76 year old manager replaced Patrick Viera late last season and has miraculously returned for another year at the helm of the Eagles. I have been on record about my hate for Hodsgon-ball many times so I won’t rant about it again. All I will say is that if I have to see Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise play a full season of dull 4-4-2 football I’m going to lose my mind. They are two of the best young creative players in the EPL and deserve way more than dinosaur tactics. If it weren’t for other clubs being steaming piles of relegation fodder, I would have Crystal Palace going down.

17. Bournemouth

Bournemouth is that pesky team that is not good on paper but somehow gets just enough done to scrap by and survive. This team was poor all last season but somehow came up big in games against Liverpool and Arsenal, which arguably ended up being the difference between going back down to the Championship and staying up in the Prem. The Cherries will scrap by again this year, because such is their nature, but it won’t be pretty. 

18. Sheffield United

Originally I had the Blades finishing above Bournemouth, but then they sold midfield Sander Berge to Burnley. Selling a key player to a fellow promoted team is the kiss of death in the soccer world. It signals one of two things, you don’t have any money or you simply don’t care. In this case, it is that Sheffield has no money. The inability to buffer this squad with the newfound Premier League money will hamper Sheffield United’s ability to build a squad capable of surviving the season, and the end result will be another relegation back to the second tier.

19. Wolverhampton

The only thing that could be worse than selling a key player to a fellow promoted team is to mutually part ways with your manager before the season starts. Julen Lopetegui, who came in to Wolves last year and basically saved their season, has left the club before the first kick of a ball. The reason: the clubs inability to spend any money in the transfer window leaving the squad in tatters. If treading water in the Premier League is equivalent to drowning, then actually drowning is the equivalent to taking your own life. Mismanaging your club's finances is worse than an own goal, and Wolves have buried a whole stack of balls in their own net here. Ruben Neves is laughing all the way from the Arabian Peninsula. 

20. Luton Town

Did you know that the Kenilworth Road away entrance is actually a bunch of row houses because the club plays in the equivalent of a Texas high school football stadium? Of course you knew it, you have Twitter (or X) and saw the same fun fact from every soccer social media account in the world when they got promoted. Luton will truly be a Cinderella story this season because of their humble background, but the one thing so many people forget about Cinderella stories is that the clock always strikes midnight at some point. The good vibes from their promotion season are gone, and now they have to go up against the big boys, and Luton just simply isn’t prepared for what will be a short lived life in the Premier League.

‍