PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON 2022/23 PREVIEW AND FINAL TABLE PREDICTIONS
This season will be the fourth unprecedented Premier League season in a row. With Covid hopefully behind us, and stadiums packed out as normal.
This unprecedented season will see a mid-season break, as the season will be paused for the first for a winter World Cup in November. Naturally, this will bring its problems and issues, so a big part of being successful this season will be how teams best navigate this before and after. Below is my season preview and how I think the final table will look come May.
With the transfer window deadline still a month away, there is more than enough time for teams to improve their team for the season. However, with the season starting next week, many have done their business early and I do not expect a huge amount of business within the next four weeks.
That said, the defending champions Manchester City will always be in the market with their spending power. Although they have been pushed to the wire in the last two seasons, for some reason, I feel this season will be a much more comfortable one. Naturally, it has a lot to do with not only the signing of goal machine Erling Haaland, but South American goal machine Julian Alvarez, who I feel with the creativity in the city team, both will score bags of goals,
Liverpool has been so unlucky coming up just short in recent seasons, and will naturally go again with the squad they have. However, with playing every game available to them last season, a shorter pre-season, losing Mane and for me, needing to adjust their play to fit Darwin Nunez.
Add to the fact of questions over the strength of their midfield. They could have more of a fight to stay second than to get first this season.
If you are looking for a dark horse, look no further than Tottenham. They are my ones to watch and have been making strikes with manager Conte. Signing the likes of Bissouma, Richarlison, Perisic, Leglet and young Spence.
To add to the likes of Kulusevski, who showed his worth in half a season, and the formidable twosome of Kane & Son, make them look promising. The top four race looks as tight, and it will be anyone’s bet as to who will make it.
But I have a sneaky feeling it could be Arsenal. They were within two point of it last season, and I feel their acquisitions of Jesus, Zinchenko and Fabio Viera with Saliba returning and the young, exciting squad with a bit more experience, could be enough.
That said, Chelsea will have something to say about that. Although I do feel all the off-pitch issues will still affect them, there is no denying they have a quality squad, which has improved more with the signing of Sterling, who will bring goals and creativity.
Also Koulibaly, who is a beast at the back. Talking of improvements, Manchester Utd will feel it can only get better following their worst ever Premier League season last time out.
New Manager Ten Hag knows he has a job on his hands but the signing of Christian Eriksen could go a long way to improving and getting the best out of the existing players who will definitely have something to prove.
Battling for those Europa League / Conference League places, I feel will be West Ham. They had a very good season, which included a very good European run, and that combined experience will put them in a good space to tackle this season, providing they keep all their important players and new signing Scamacca can hit the ground running.
Another team with European experience, Leicester will also be pushing the teams above them. However, they have made no big arrivals, but will probably do some business to support the likes of Vardy, who will naturally be slowing down and the likes of Maddison. Not to mention help with defensive issues where they had injuries last season.
With the big money backing of the project at Newcastle still in its infancy, they will have to be patient, but they looked good at the tail end of last season and will look to take that form into this season.
It’s a bit of a surprise they have not made more signings thus far, although Pope looks a decent buy. However, there is still time, and big things are expected as they look to fight for a European place.
The same could be said for Aston Villa. Manager Steven Gerrard did make a difference when he came last season, but it all petered out, and he will look for more improvements from his key signings last season and hopefully new ones.
You could say Crystal Palace is in the same bracket. Manager Patrick Viera did really well when he came in last season, and the signs look promising. Going into this season they will look to push into the top half of the table with a few more signings in Richards and Doucoure.
After the anxiety of a relegation battle last season, Everton must be looking for considerable improvements. That will start with the manager, then key players such as Dele Alli, who has so much more to give, you would think.
However, they made some decent signings with Tarkowski and McNeil, and are looking for more, but I am not sure they will finish in the top half. Back to back top-half finishes is something Brighton will be looking for.
To my surprise they maintained their passing style of play last season and were rewarded with their first top half finish in the Premier League. However, I am not sure they will do it twice in a row and I feel they may have a tougher time of it this season and that’s before potentially losing any key players.
Wolves are another who will look to build on a decent last season. However, I am not sure they could emulate their 10th place from last season or improve on it.
But they proved me wrong last season as Manager Bruno Lage had a good first season. New signing Collins will add to an already very decent defensive record, but they may need more up top. Southampton are season strugglers but season survivors.
They seem to always be near the bottom half of the table, but never exactly in trouble, and I feel this may continue. Although they do need to progress, the main thing I suppose is they are not regressing. They have added some interesting-looking signings, namely Joe Aribo.
Championship winners Fulham have been here several times before and will hope that experience will help them this season. That has to be the main goal and they will look to promoted teams before them who have done it.
What they have going for them is they have goals in the team, but they may need more at the back to starve off relegation fight. Leeds surprised everyone last season as they struggled. Manager Jesse Marsch did well to just survive relegation, and I feel it may be another tough one this time after losing Raphinha & Phillips.
In response, they will hope new signings Aaronson and Sinisterra can add to the likes of Harrison, Rodrigo’s and Bamford if fit.
I really hope they prove me wrong, but I fear the Brentford bubble will burst this season. The loan signing of Eriksen in January gave them a lift in the second half of the season, but no longer a surprise team, new signing.
Ben Mee will have to be at the top of this game not to make it two relegations in two seasons. It was a fairytale for Nottingham Forest as they returned to the top flight for the first time in 23 years.
However, that could be where the fairytale ends, as I feel they will be in for a tough season. This will also be the case for Bournemouth, who were only out of the top flight for two seasons. But with one of the smallest squads in the league, they will need some more reinforcements if they are to make a fight of staying in the league.
