The new football season is just weeks away, and as squads come together for pre-season friendlies across the globe, and money is thrown around on transfers, as fans we begin to speculate on who will do well this season, who will push for the top spots, who will perhaps struggle in a relegation scrap, and who will be settling for top-flight mediocrity.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to rank every Premier League team for the immanent season, from 20-1. Our list is a combination of where we think each side will finish, but also how each squad is looking ahead of the new campaign, and while they may not finish exactly in the spots we suggest, it will perhaps indicate their rough position come May 2023.

This list is based on opinion and some statistical support, but mainly opinion. Because all opinion-based lists are subjective and often rile up the reader to breaking point because they’d have Everton at number 10 rather than our number 17 (spoiler alert), please do tweet any disagreement to @NextGoalWinBlog and we’d love to discuss your thoughts on this list.

Enjoy!

Ranked…

20. Bournemouth – Bournemouth performed brilliantly to gain promotion last season, and Scott Parker deserves huge credit for his work at the Cherries, however I think it is a jump too soon for the manager and the squad itself, as they will lack the depth and quality to compete in the top-flight. Many sides struggle to adapt from dominating in the 2nd tier to struggling in the Premier League, and I fear Bournemouth will do just that and begin a period of yo-yo-ing between the leagues. Aside from their 2 free transfer additions, they would need to make some later moves in order to give themselves a shot at survival.

19. Nottingham Forest – It’s a similar story for Forest, who again performed remarkably to gain a playoff victory last season, however it may just be too soon for Forest to cement themselves as a ‘top-flight team’. The loss of big names in Djed Spence and Samba will be a big loss, and although they have spent well on Awoniyi, Neco Williams, Dean Henderson and possibly even Jesse Lingard according to reports, I think they will struggle to be given time to gel their new signings and if they start badly, then recovery will be near impossible for Steve Cooper’s side. Of all the new clubs coming up, many would like to see Forest survive, however I think most neutrals understand that it may be a step too far.

18. Fulham – The 3rd newcomer and favourite to round up the relegation spots, are yo-yo-ers Fulham, who can’t seem to balance the change form dominating the 2nd tier with struggling in the top-flight, resulting in success and failure in equal measure. Marco Silva has suffered before in the top-flight and may be likely to get the boot if things start badly for his side, and while they do have experience in their squad and have made some decent additions, it surely won’t be enough for them to end their bounce between the leagues, and I think they will secure the promoted 3 becoming the relegated 3 this campaign.

17. Everton – Everton had a terrible campaign in 21/22, and despite making big moves in January, Lampard will have another huge battle on his hands, and I think they will struggle once again this year. In their most recent pre-season friendly they were battered and Lampard himself admitted they are expecting to battle against relegation this coming year, and I don’t think they will get their act together enough to avoid a tense scrappy season. The Goodison crowd just about got them over the line last time round, and I think they’ll be reliant on their support once again heading into the new season.

16. Brentford – Brentford defied what many expected last year by surviving for another season in the top-flight, however they will likely struggle to maintain this once again, and despite their quality management, strong support and decent squad, may be lacking superstar quality that secures their place in the Premier League for a 3rd straight year. I think Brentford will be pleased with the sides who were promoted, who all seem likely to drop straight back into the 2nd division, however if any of those clubs can perform similar to Brentford last year, then they will be worried for their survival. Having missed out on Eriksen, their other key man Toney needs to be secured at the club for another year despite rumours of him moving away if they are to stand any chance of staying put for another year.

15. Southampton – I think Southampton may just struggle this season, and although I have them in 15th, they could easily be lower in the table, as I think they are lacking in comparison to the teams above them, and they seem the most likely of the returning top-flight clubs to be dragged into the relegation scrap. Bringing in some decent young talents, Hasenhüttl is looking long-term, and if he can get an early run together his side should be avoiding the drop, however I think they could be quickly drawn into the battle at the bottom if they aren’t careful.

14. Brighton – Brighton could have two of their biggest talents taken this summer, and bringing in 2 relative unknown players this summer, they could have a difficult season ahead. That said, we can’t judge Potter’s transfer activity until the season gets going, as he has a knack of creating little gems of players in his side. I rate Potter highly, and I think the players he has going into the new season and with a comfortable finish last time out, they will just about avoid any relegation conversations and should be aiming for the lower mid-table but secure their place in the top-flight for the 6th straight year.

13. Leeds United – Leeds had the dramatic last day survival following their up and down campaign in 21/22. Of course the loss of Bielsa will still linger going into the new season, however under Marsch and after being one of the leagues’ biggest spenders in the summer, Leeds are revitalised and ready to go for their new season. I think the arrivals they have brought in could become real talents at the club, and Jesse Marsch can get fans on board with his project, which will give them a decent season in which they just about avoid the relegation scrapping and have a comfortable and enjoyable season as the fans figure out their new squad and create new cult-icons.

12. Wolverhampton Wanderers – Wolves are a solid mid-table side who can challenge just about anyone on their day, and their run last year of not conceding gave them a huge boost, however it remains to be seen if this will continue enough to give them a top-half finish. They have several returning loanees, and have added Nathan Collins along with a permanent move for Hwang, however I can’t imagine this will boost them enough to build on last season, and they may drop a few places from their 10th placed finish last time out.

11. Leicester City – Leicester City at time of writing are one of the only 2 sides in Europe’s top 5 leagues not to have made a signing this summer, and with rumours linking their players away such as Tielemans and Soumaré, they will likely have a tough season ahead. Their squad is packed with gems in the league, however with the sides mentioned above them all improving this summer, there’s a real risk they’ll be left behind by them and could drop down the rankings as a result. I think 11th is a fair assessment when looking purely at the squads on paper and moves those above have made this summer, and of course Leicester have a good recent history of finishing top-half, but that surely can’t be enough for Rodgers to rely on this campaign.

10. Aston Villa – Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa as they have become known are on-paper one of the most exciting and strong sides in the league. However the same was said last season and it was perhaps not as exciting as we thought for the midlands club. That said, they should again be looking for a comfortable league finish, and should be looking upwards with their huge talents of Coutinho, McGinn, Watkins, Ings, Digne, Cash and many others. If they can get each of their players hitting a run of form, they should aim for the stars, however as we have seen so often, getting a whole squad in-form is a tough ask, and consequently I think anything from 7th-11th would be a decent showing from Villa this year.

9. Crystal Palace – I have been impressed with Palace under Viera, and they seem to be plugging away at building a side that is comfortable in the top-flight and can begin climbing the league to secure top-half finishes regularly. Bringing in Doucouré, Johnstone and Ebiowei looks to be good business, and the rumours of Richards and McNeil could round off a decent summer window for Palace. They need to hold onto their star man in Zaha who has been linked with a move away as he is every transfer window, but they have a decent squad going into the new season, and should be looing at a comfortable mid-table season.

8. West Ham United – West Ham have been flying high in recent years, enjoying their Europa League run last season was a huge historic campaign for the Hammers. That said, I think we may see a drop off this year, and although they should still comfortably secure a top half finish, they will perhaps slow down and have a season to regroup, recover from last seasons gruelling campaign and come again the following year. They’ve already got over their biggest hurdle by keeping their main man in Declan Rice, and adding a decent talent in Aguerd is a good move. The talks of West Ham being in for Broja would be a quality addition to their attacking options, and could help them push the Europa League/Conference League spots, however realistically I think they might be lacking to have another real crack at the top 4, and should be aiming or perhaps expecting anywhere between 6th-10th.

7. Newcastle United – Newcastle are one of the unknowns going into the new season, as for the first time in a long time, their ambitions are in the top half, rather than the bottom. Eddie Howe has quietly worked away this summer getting in a few key additions which is slowly creating a squad capable of pushing for Europe. I think it may be possible they even manage a Europa Conference League spot this season, and with the potential of another huge January spending spree to boost any shortcomings, the Newcastle faithful will enjoy an exciting season where they will witness some quality football, big wins and a fair amount of success considering their last 10-15 years. I really like that the club aren’t trying to shortcut their way to the top with the money at their disposal, instead gradually climbing, perhaps using City’s experience of spending big with no structure to see how they should use their finances to build rather than leap up the table. Their squad possesses experienced Premier League talents, and enough skill, flair and attacking promise that they should be expecting a minimum top half-finish.

6. Arsenal – Arsenal are hugely improved once again going into the new season, however so have their closest competitors, as Chelsea, Spurs and potentially Manchester United also have spent big to bring in big names, which perhaps leave Arsenal on the outside of the conversation for top-4. I think Arteta is continuing to build a strong squad at Arsenal which fans can get behind, however they are missing the superstar quality that those above them possess. Although we have them in 6th, they could easily push the top 4 again this season, however I think they need perhaps another season of solid performances before really pushing this ambition. They are the most likely to offer a surprise package in the top 6, but just looking at the squads and building on last season, I can’t honestly put them above any of the sides in the top 5.

5. Chelsea – Chelsea are the biggest unknown of the top 6, as they could surprise many and have a real go at the title, or as most would suggest, they could struggle with the ins and outs at the club. Obviously the biggest talking point at the club is the takeover, and subsequently their transfer activity, as they lost Lukaku after a disastrous return to London for the Belgian, while they’ve made some big moves in bringing in Sterling and Koulibaly, while potentially making further deals for Kounde and even potentially Frenkie de Jong if rumours are to be believed. There’s questions of their returning loanees, with Gallagher and Broja among the talents who have been gaining interest from elsewhere, but they could provide some serious backup firepower to the current XI if Tuchel can manage demands for playing time and keep everyone happy. I think off-field issues, and possibly a long run in Europe once again could lead to slip ups in the league, and so they will fall out of the top 4 after a difficult league campaign, but likely some silverware domestically, or dare I say even in Europe.

4. Tottenham Hotspur – Spurs under Conte are a different proposition. The taskmaster is at work ahead of his first full season at the club, and making 6 transfers already, and pushing his players to their fitness breaking point while on tour, he is showing no mercy as the club look to build on last season and perhaps end their trophy drought. I think they will be in a similar position to Manchester United in that they should find top 4 top be fairly comfortable, but pushing the top 2 will be a bridge too far, and instead Conte may look to the domestic cups as he aims to continue his craving and obsession with collecting silverware. The arrival of Richarlison, Perišić and Bissouma looks to be some quality business short-term, while the arrival of Djed Spence may imply a longer term plan from the Italian coach who doesn’t usually stick around for too long.

3. Manchester United – Having impressed massively in preseason under Ten Hag, United fans are full of confidence at their refreshed looking side. Their front 3 of Rashford, Martial, Sancho looks a real force as they have linked up, and if they can regain the form of Fernandes and then secure their defence they could have a shout of pushing the top 2 teams this season. That said, they are still lacking in key areas, mainly the defensive midfield role and also their main striking position, as the move for De Jong continues to halt, while Ronaldo has taken no part in the preseason camp thus far and as a result Ten Hag hasn’t yet had to deal with any issues arising from the return of the legendary forward. I assume Ten Hag will maintain this positive dynamic he seems to have already formed with his players, but the delays in signings and return of their no.7 will definitely provide a challenge for the season ahead. Things need to go in United’s favour for a top 2 challenge, but they should be back in the top 4 contention with ease this season.

2. Liverpool – Liverpool are just going to be second best once again to City’s dominance, and although they may push them hard, and could enjoy domestic/European cup glory, the league will surely be out of reach when looking at the squads on paper. Both have made a marquee signing, with Liverpool bringing in the exciting young talent Núñez who could easily enjoy a 15/20+ goal season, the loss of Mane will surely hit them hard, and only add pressure to the likes of Salah, Firmino, Jota and Diaz, who all had decent campaigns last time out, however will feel the loss of such a huge part of their machine. Defensively, they will be hoping to keep everyone fit and available for a long gruelling campaign, but I think across the full season, Liverpool have it in them to slip up, whereas City could steamroll just about everyone with ease this season.

1. Manchester City – It has to be Manchester City who lead the way this season. Some have questioned their loss of Sterling and Jesus as potential weak points within their side and the obvious loss of goals, however they have more than covered this with the signing of Haaland. Whether or not he hits the ground running, or possibly suffers another injury setback or even endures Guardiola’s rotation system, he is almost guaranteed a 20+ goal season, which should cover the work of Sterling and Jesus as a minimum, and could even put them in contention for a trophy haul season including the big one they’ve been craving in Europe. The addition of Phillips, Álvarez and possibly Cucurella in the coming days only adds to their dominance. The defensive solidity of their existing squad bolstered by 2 new additions, one of the league’s finest in De Bruyne and then the finishing capabilities of Haaland just makes them look a huge force to be reckoned with as they look set to make it 5 titles in the last 6 seasons and continue their legacy run.

Drop us a tweet @NextGoalWinBlog if you agree or disagree with our ranking.