STAR FOOTBALL ANTE-POST PREVIEW: Premier League – 1-20 Predictions

ALL KICKING OFF – PREMIER LEAGUE: It’s back! It doesn’t feel like much time has passed since the end of last season, but the start of the new Premier League campaign is fast approaching and we can’t wait!

Our football writer JOE CITRONE has put together his in-depth preview for the new Premier League season, complete with 1-20 predictions and recommended ante-post bets.

And if you’re after more football content ahead of the new season, he has also covered the EFL with in-depth analysis of every team across the Championship, League One and League Two.

Click here to keep up to date for all our ALL KICKING OFF content – the home to all of our football betting content ahead of the new season.

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1. Manchester City

Here we go again. Not the most exciting of predictions, but I think Manchester City will get it done again and lift the Premier League title for a fifth successive season.

With the addition of Savio – a bright, young Brazilian talent from Troyes – to an already stacked strikeforce, Manchester City will blow their fair share of teams away again this season.

The one slight question mark is over their goalkeeper situation with the future of Ederson still unclear. However, Stefan Ortega showed that he is able to step up in the Brazilian’s absence at times last season and his transition into being their new number one should be fairly seamless.

When City get going, they are almost impossible to stop and that relentlessness should serve them well again as they push for another Premier League title in 2024-25.

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2. Arsenal

I have no doubt that Arsenal will push again for the Premier League title, but sorry Gunners fans, I have your side narrowly missing out to Manchseter City once more.

At the time of writing, the only fresh face to have joined the Emirates Stadium this summer is centre-back Riccardo Calafiori who adds to an already stacked Gunners defence.

At the top end of the pitch, although a back-up for Bukayo Saka would be useful considering the ridiculous amount of minutes the Englishman has had to play in recent seasons, the Gunners continue to look very strong.

I am not sure they have done enough to catch City, but they will give it a good go and push them all the way.

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3. Liverpool

It’s a new era at Anfield with Jurgen Klopp departing the club after a decade in charge and Arne Slot coming in as the new man at the helm.

At the time of writing, it has been a quiet summer for Liverpool who are yet to bring in a player – although are linked with Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi – but Klopp did leave behind a young, vibrant exciting squad that Slot will be excited to work with ahead of the new season.

Allison Becker, Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah form that experienced core to the side that has served them so well over the years, but there is an up-and-coming crop of talent which includes the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott that you feel could be on the cusp of breakthrough seasons.

It is hard to know how a Liverpool team under Slot will set up or look, but I am not massively perturbed by their slow business as their squad is still impressive enough for another strong season.

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4. Tottenham

Tottenham certainly caught the eye last season under new boss Ange Postecoglou, but inconsistency plagued them and they rather fell away from the race for the top prizes much to the disappointment of the Spurs faithful.

It still feels like Tottenham are on the right track, though, and, with the additions they have made to their squad and the others who may follow through the door, this season could see Spurs’ return to the Champions League.

Archie Gray joining from Leeds United is a signing that I like a lot; a high-potential versatile midfielder who will bring technical qualities deep in midfield, further forward or even at right-back.

The big factor, though, is Postecoglou who has Spurs finally moving in the right direction, and as much as I think they could do with a couple more signings before the end of the window, I am expecting a positive campaign for the North Londoners.

Tottenham to finish in the top four – currently ? with starsports.bet

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5. Newcastle United

Balancing their first Champions League campaign in 20 years and their Premier League season proved too difficult for Newcastle United who missed out on European football altogether last term.

However, under the stewardship of Eddie Howe, provided he doesn’t get poached by England that is, a stronger domestic campaign should be on the horizon for the Toon Army.

Sandro Tonali, who returns to the fold following his suspension, should bolster that midfield and, at time of writing, they have been able to hold onto Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak who will continue to provide great quality.

The fact they will be able to focus solely on their Premier League campaign should be a huge benefit for Howe’s side, but not quite enough to get them back into the Champions League in my view.

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6. Aston Villa

Aston Villa defied expectations by qualifying for the Champions League under Unai Emery last season but, just like Newcastle struggled with in 2023-24, they may find it difficult to juggle that and their Premier League campaign.

They have tried to equip themselves for the upcoming challenge by bolstering their squad, signing Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, Jaden Philogene and Ross Barkely to make sure they have sufficient depth in their squad to deal with both European and domestic competitions.

I have been impressed by some of their work, and I have faith in Emery as a coach to guide Villa to another strong finish in the Premier League, but do have them slipping slightly down to 6th-place and out of the top-four this time around.

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7. Manchester United

Manchester United fans were left with something to smile about at the end of a difficult campaign when they defeated city rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May.

They rewarded boss Erik Ten Hag, despite rumours that he’d be facing the sack, with a new contract and the backing of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS.

The Red Devils have added to their squad with young defender Leny Yoro, who has joined on a long-term contract from French side Lille, the headline addition with Real Madrid and Liverpool reportedly also chasing the 18-year-old’s signature.

However, we have been here before with United and been let down every time. I am still unconvinced in Ten Hag; despite winning two trophies so far as Red Devils boss, which is not to be scoffed at, I still don’t think we’re any clearer to discovering the style he wants to stamp on this United side.

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8. Chelsea

It really felt like Chelsea were starting to get somewhere last season with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm, Cole Palmer banging in the goals and a squad that looked so disjointed for most of the season starting to click.

So, what did Chelsea do? They blew it all up of course by sacking Pochettino and replacing him with Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca.

Look, I am not trying to pass judgment on Maresca. He did a decent job getting the Foxes back up to the Premier League and is a well-regarded coach, but it seems baffling for the Blues to want to go back to square one again.

Their pre-season results have been disastrous, and as much as I don’t think too much can be read into that, it’s clear that Chelsea probably aren’t in the place they want to be ahead of this new season.

They have enough quality to be fine, Cole Palmer will undoubtedly produce another exceptional individual campaign, but I do fear the momentum they ended last season with has been wiped out and it might take a while before they start firing as a team again.

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9. Brighton & Hove Albion

The Roberto De Zebri era came to an end this summer, with the Italian switching the East Sussex seaside for Marseille, and in his place comes Fabian Hurzeler – the youngest boss in Premier League history.

Hurzeler departs German side St Pauli, where he made quite the impression during his sole season in charge of the club; winning promotion back to the Bundesliga whilst playing some lovely, expansive football.

Does he have the experience and nous to now bring that into the Premier League at such a young age for a manager? I have no idea, but I tell you what, I am very excited to find out.

We already know that this is an exciting, young group of very talented players, and without having to deal with the extra demands of European football, I think this could be another season to remember for the Seagulls.

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10. AFC Bournemouth

Star Sports ambassador Alex Crook was very confident in his Premier League preview for Star Sports about Bournemouth’s chances heading into this new season and I happen to agree with him!

I may add, this is on the proviso that Dominic Solanke remains with the Cherries – reports linking him with a move to Spurs make me slightly nervous about this prediction – but as things stand, I like the look of Andoni Iraola’s side!

They got better as the 2023-24 season went on, ended it with momentum, and have made some interesting summer signings. Fighting off a host of other clubs to snap up Dean Huijsen from Juventus looks like an impressive piece of business.

At 2/1, Bournemouth securing a top half finish looks like an interesting bet.

AFC Bournemouth to finish in the top half – currently ? with starsports.bet

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11. Crystal Palace

Despite Palace losing Michael Olise to Bayern Munich this summer and defender Marc Guehi expected to follow him out of Selhurst Park, I still have faith in this being a promising Premier League campaign for the Eagles.

The big reason – Oliver Glasner. The former Frankfurt boss had a huge impact at Palace after replacing Roy Hodgson in February; guiding Palace to a record-equalling points tally of 49 points and four consecutive home victories for the first ever time in the Premier League.

He’s had to deal with some unexpected challenges this summer, but he’s proven himself to be an incredibly effective coach at this level and I expect him to continue to maximise the ability of this squad – which now boasts ex-Watford winger Ismaila Sarr and could still see a return for Wilfried Zaha before the end of the window if reports are to be believed.

I have Palace in a respectable 11th-place.

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12. West Ham United

With David Moyes departing the club this summer and replaced by former Spain national team coach Julen Lopetegui, it’s pretty clear that the Hammers will be doing things in a slightly different way this season.

Although he wasn’t able to exactly set the world alight during his brief time at fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, Lopetegui arrives at West Ham with fantastic pedigree having managed Spain, Real Madrid, Porto and Sevilla across his two decade-long managerial career.

Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug are all impressive additions, but I feel this overhaul in style at the London Stadium may be a work in progress and this is likely to be just a solid season of consolidation for the Hammers.

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13. Fulham

Marco Silva has done a marvellous job in establishing Fulham as a solid, consistent Premier League side again – something that is so difficult in this era of football where the gap between the Championship, where he first took over the Cottagers, and the Premier League is wider than ever before.

A 13th-place finish last season was another positive season of consoldition for the Cottagers, and although given how much they have invested this summer they might be hoping for a bit more this season, I am expecting more of the same from Silva’s side.

Emile Smith-Rowe is the headline signing, who has joined the club from Arsenal this summer for a hefty fee, and should provide creativity and flair to their midfield; carving open opportunities for the likes of Ricardo Muniz to feed off.

I am not expecting a big leap up for Fulham, another mid-table finish is probably the likeliest outcome for them, but I don’t think they’ll be anywhere near relegation trouble.

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14. Brentford

As things stand, star striker Ivan Toney is still at the club, which is just as well with record signing Igor Thiago already sidelined until at least the end of the calendar year with a knee injury.

They will want that Toney saga wrapped up sooner rather than later, though, but may find themselves in the difficult scenario of either having to risk letting him go on a free transfer next summer or leaving themselves light at the top of the pitch.

Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa did step up in Toney’s absence last season, but couldn’t prevent them from being dragged into a relegation scrap in what was a challenging season for the Bees.

I think they should have enough to keep themselves clear of danger, but I am not sure they have done enough to kick on towards the top-half.

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15. Everton

As long as Sean Dyche is in charge at Goodison Park, I don’t think Everton will be relegated. That said, I can’t see them being particularly entertaining either and that might begin to grate on the Toffees faithful this season.

In fact, it started to at times last season with the former Burnley boss coming under a bit of pressure at times, but for where Everton are at this moment in time, it’s hard to think of a better man to keep them safe from the drop.

They have made some interesting summer additions – clearly going for a slightly younger age profile with the likes of Jake O’Brien and Tim Iroegbunam coming in – but I think this coming season could be another where survival will be the main priority.

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16. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Gary O’Neil did an excellent job in clearing up the mess left by Julien Lopetuigi’s late departure and guiding Wolves to a comfortable mid-table finish.

However, with transfer business again limited, I can see a drop-off coming for Wolves and have O’Neill’s side down in 16th-position.

Wolves have made some potentially great signings for the future in young trio Rodrigo Gomes, Pedro Lima and Tommy Doyle but they struggle to have an immediate impact, and the departure of defender Max Kilman to West Ham will surely hurt them.

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17. Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest narrowly escaped the drop last term, and I am expecting another season of struggle for Nuno Santo Espirito’s men.

Forest have made a few potential signings so far – Elliot Anderson from Newcastle is an exciting talent but fairly untested at this level and Marko Stamenic has been performing well for Red Star but is untried in the English leagues – but nothing you confidently say will definitely make Forest better.

I do fear another relegation battle for Forest, which may result in a change of manager at some point this season, but should *just* have enough to survive.

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18. Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town were the great entertainers of the Championship last season; playing some fantastic, expansive football under Kieran McKenna and securing a return to the top-flight against all the odds.

I do fear that their open style of play may not translate quite as well to the Premier League, though, and that may result in immediate relegation back to the Championship.

They made made some smart additions in Jacob Greaves, Omari Hutchinson, Ben Johnson, Arijanet Muric and Conor Townsend, but the Premier League can be an unforgiving place, and I’m not those signings elevate them to top-flight level.

I have Ipswich down in 18th-place and going straight back down.

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19. Southampton

Russell Martin guided Southampton back to the top-flight at the first time of asking last season, playing some lovely, passing football in the process, but the Saints might find the step up in class too steep in this upcoming campaign.

Adam Lallana has come in to add some Premier League experience, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes have both signed permanent deals after positive loan spells last season, and Ben Brereton-Diaz bolsters the Saints’ strikerforce.

However, I am not seeing enough quality in this squad for what is such a competitive and unforgiving league, and like Burnley last season, worry their style of play might make them too easy to pick off.

Southampton to be relegated – currently ? with starsports.bet

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20. Leicester City

Leicester City returned to the Premier League at the first time of asking last season with Enzo Maresca leading them to the Championship title.

Maresca has since departed the club for Chelsea so the job of trying to steer the Foxes clear of safety now falls on the shoulders of former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper.

However, with a potential points deduction looming over the club, I think Leicester City’s stay back in the Premier League could be a brief one.

The Foxes have added four new players to their squad – Issahaku Fatawu, Caleb Okoli, Michael Golding and Bobby De Cordova-Reid – but, in my view, not enough to keep them clear of any danger.

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RECOMMENDED BETS
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BACK Bournemouth to finish in top half 1pt at 2/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Southampton to be relegated 3pts at 11/10 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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