With the match between the returning Burnley and the champions of England and Europe Manchester City, the Premier League begins, according to many the strongest league competition in the world.

By May of next year, we will be watching top football, there is no doubt about that. Every football fan has expectations from the club he supports, and sympathizes with.

And these expectations are rarely rational; it’s not in the nature of a football fan to be rational, and it would be boring if it were.

That’s why, on the eve of the Premier League, we decided to talk about the best, or at least the most attractive, football competition in the world – and possibly in history.

Let’s see what are expectations of each team, from those who are fighting for the title, to those whose names and history are full of romance, to the teams that will be fighting for survival.

1. ARSENAL

⏳ 2023/24 season…

🎬 Media day at London Colney pic.twitter.com/cCSkXIYMGS

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 8, 2023

Next spring, it will be 20 years since the last “Gunners” title. It turned out that 13th, title won under the command of Arsene Wenger, turned out to be really unlucky. For most of last season, Mikel Arteta’s team played the best and most likable football.

However, the burden of many years without the most valuable trophy in England took its toll in the end and Arsenal had to admit defeat well before the end. However, the team from North London may enter the upcoming championship as the favorite side by side to Manchester City.

The backbone of the team has been preserved, and very valuable reinforcements have arrived. Declan Rice was paid 116.6 million euros to West Ham and thus became the most expensive English footballer ever. The German Kai Havertz was bought from Chelsea for 75 million, while the Dutch center back Timber was paid to Ajax for around 40 million euros.

2. ASTON VILLA

The only club in the elite from Birmingham, the second largest city in England, left behind a very good season which, admittedly, started badly.

Such a start cost Steven Gerrard his job, and Unai Emery arrived in his place at the beginning of November and led the team to a place in the Conference League. The former European champion returned to Europe, and it’s all thanks to one man.

Emery returned to England with a vengeful mood, and Villa’s transformation from a ragtag group that roamed the league to a team that finished high in the upper part of the table was striking only for those who did not follow Emery’s life and professional path.

3. AFC BOURNEMOUTH FC

Time to meet the lads 🤝@maxaarons2 👋 pic.twitter.com/i8jYZd2OFI

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) August 11, 2023

Against all predictions, the owners of the smallest stadium in the league survived last season. In the end, they didn’t even break too much of a sweat, and all the credit could go to Gary O’Neill.

The former Portsmouth player had a dream start to his career, and he was already making plans to, with the help of the new boss – Bournemouth is another American-owned club – take a step further, and then they replaced him.

He was replaced by the Spaniard Andoni Iraola, former manager of Rayo Vallecano, with whom he was a hit in La Liga.

4. BRENTFORD

The West London club and Fulham’s arch-rival was an absolute hit last season.

The popular “bees” embarrassed Manchester United (4:0), celebrated against City in the middle of Manchester (2:1), defeated Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham… All under the leadership of the brilliant Danish expert Thomas Frank, who in 2021 returned Brentford to the elite rank after 64 years old.

This summer, the most important thing was to keep the main stars in the club, namely the great central striker Toney and the winger Mbeumo. for now, the leaders of the red and white managed to keep them.

After all, both of them are loyal to the lovable, folk and neighborhood club from the west of the capital.

5. BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

The @PremierLeague is BACK! 🤩🔜 pic.twitter.com/MiD6L9uxGw

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 11, 2023

One of the rare English clubs founded in the 20th century, it played its best season ever. The excellent Italian on the bench, Robero De Zerbi, brought Brighton to the international stage and will play in the Europa League.

Known for being a difficult host and an even more difficult guest, the team from the far south of England will try to be the same in the next campaign.

However, with one aggravating circumstance, because this August life begins without McAllister, the soul of the team for many years.

6. BURNLEY

Quickly and very convincingly, Burnley returned to the English elite. They won as many as 101 points, 10 more than the second-placed Sheffield United. Such a result will be on the exam already in the first round.

They will face the champion. The revelation of the season, in which the team secured promotion at the end of April, was Nathan Tella, scorer of 17 goals. However, he will continue to play in the second division as he returned to Southampton from his loan.

However, that’s why there are two others who shined in the Championship. They are the Belgian Benson and Jay Rodriguez, who remained loyal to the club even after the relegation.

He brought the team back to the elite and will be led next season by the famous Belgian Vincent Kompany. They will have quite solid forces at their disposal, because the club has spent close to 80 million euros so far.

7. CHELSEA

All eyes on our #PL opener! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RLIQCN8Jfn

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 10, 2023

The English and European giant struggled a lot last season. Under the rule of American multi billionaire Todd Boehly, more than 600 million euros were spent during last year’s summer and this year’s winter transfer window.

And what did he get for that money? The team finished in 12th place. The team was led by three managers during the season.

Thomas Tuchel started, he was succeeded by Graham Potter, who until then had worked wonders with Brighton, and in the end, club icon Frank Lampard agreed to the humiliation of being the “caretaker” until the end of the championship. The hot potato was taken by Mauricio Pochettino, who thus returns to English football.

8. CRYSTAL PALACE

Another club from London, but the only one from the southern part of the British capital.

Palace can boast of having the oldest coach in the league, namely 76-year-old Roy Hodgson. ” The Eternal Roy” took over the team in the first half of March, when it was “hanging” over the red zone, and with five wins in 10 matches, it brought it into safe waters in a timely manner. This is exactly the goal in the next season.

9. EVERTON

The famous club from the blue side of Liverpool managed to save themselves from relegation in the photo finish this spring.

With their heads under water for a long time, the “caramels” only managed to stay above the line with a victory in the last round. By the way, this is a club that, after United, Liverpool and Arsenal, together with City, is the most trophy-winning participant in the league!

For decades, it is a club whose place was reserved in the hidden middle of the table. Last season, coach Sean Duche had serious problems with injuries to key players, Dominik Calvert-Luin first of all, so he found himself in an extremely unenviable situation. Mid-table and more peaceful season is the goal now.

10. FULHAM

The club, whose stadium literally rests on the banks of the Thames, has as its ambition what it did last year – to ensure survival on time and without stress, because a few years ago it was on the seesaw between the Championship and the elite.

Calvin Bassey, former Ajax stopper, and experienced Mexican center forward Raul Jimenez, who comes from the ranks of Wolves, should help him in this plan.

11. LIVERPOOL

Season opener preparations 💪 #CHELIV 🔜 pic.twitter.com/zeaGWZj68p

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 9, 2023

Jurgen Klopp is nervous these summer days. Even the charismatic coach does not know what to expect from the team, especially after the season in which the club was left without the Champions League.

Similar to previous years, the “reds” at the summer market mostly just look around, but don’t buy.

For now, the Hungarian Dominik Szoboszlai, the former offensive midfielder of Leipzig, came for 70 million euros, and with him Alexis McAllister, the revelation of the World Cup in Qatar, for 42 million euros.

The list of players who have closed the doors of Anfield is much longer. There are longtime loyal soldiers Milner, Fabinho, Henderson, Firmino, Keita.

12. LUTON TOWN

The club from a small town only fifty kilometers away from London, returned to the elite after three decades. Just nine years ago, he fell to the fifth league, the amateur rank of the EFL.

And then the takeoff began. Luton was the last to win the top flight in the famous “most expensive game in the world”.

After the penalty, he was better than Coventry (6:5). The team is led by 40-year-old Rob Edwards, who, along with Wolverhampton’s Gary O’Neill, is the youngest manager in the league. His first star by far is center forward Carlton Morris, the scorer of 20 goals in the league last season.

13. MANCHESTER CITY

PEP 💬 [On winning the Treble] It’s once in a lifetime, I said to the players forget it. We climbed the highest mountain but now we come down the mountain and we start again with the same intention. pic.twitter.com/b1drd6086P

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 10, 2023

With a brutal finish, with as many as 12 consecutive victories, City did something that seemed unthinkable for months. He overtook Arsenal’s advantage and defended the English football throne.

The cherry on the cake came a little later, when the long-standing dream of the club owners was fulfilled by winning the Champions League.

Of course, the “citizens” will “shoot” for the highest ranking this season, but at least for now, Pep Guardiola’s team is not in a clear advantage over the competition. Yes, they have a goal machine in Erling Haaland, but the big question at the moment is who will play behind the Norwegian.

14. MANCHESTER UNITED

Another turbulent season is behind the most trophy-winning English club.

He said goodbye to the fight for the throne towards the end of last year, but the place in the Champions League was not in question, although he should have stuck well in the final part of the league.

For a long time, Erik ten Haag was looking for a winning combination, although even the patient Dutchman was clear about what the team needed to be even remotely competitive for the top.

First, a classic central striker. That’s why United’s operatives spent the most time (and money) this summer to bring in 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund. After lengthy negotiations, the Dane was bought from Atalanta for 75 million euros.

15. NEWCASTLE UNITED

New owners and Saudi capital have revived the club from the northeast of England.

Newcastle played the best season in the last 20 years and, after exactly after quarter of a century, won a place in the Champions League.

In the same way, the team was raised by the hard-working and very good manager Eddie Howe. “Magpies” played excellent football last season, the stands of the cult stadium were constantly filled, and that flywheel gave a result.

16. NOTTINGHAM FOREST

A big name in English and European football from the end of the seventies of the last century and the oldest participant in the Premier League.

The two-time winner of the Champions Cup, after years of languishing in the lower ranks, last year at this time finally played in the elite again.

And by some miracle, he managed to stay, although he was marked as the main candidate for relegation. This season another hard fight for survival is expected on City Ground.

17. SHEFFIELD UNITED

Leeds were relegated, but the province of Yorkshire will still have a representative in the elite. After a two-year break, it’s Sheffield United, runners-up in the Championship last season.

The team is led by 46-year-old Pol Heckingbottom, who replaced Serbian coach Slavisa Jokanovic on the bench in November 2021. He created a very balanced team in which the Senegalese Iliman Ndiaye and the Scot Oli McBurney, who played for the Blades even before the relegation.

The Scot will still be there, but Ndiaye was sold to Marseille for 17 million euros, which Heckingbottom did not like at all. He lost the top scorer from last season.

18. TOTTEHNAM HOTSPUR

They were hoping in London for the last great service that Harry Kane would do for his beloved club? That the saga of his (too late?) departure will leave enough room for Ange Postecoglou to build a team that will be able to surprise, especially because expectations are minimal.

Tottenham doesn’t have the strength, the charisma of a club that can reach the highest heights. The final of the Champions League seems so far away now, when after the miracle in Amsterdam, the team of then manager Pochettino was easily defeated in the final by Liverpool.

19. WEST HAM

Winning the Conference League breathed new life into David Moyes, who had previously been seen at the desk or in retirement.

On that glorious night in Prague, Declan Rice said goodbye to the team, but in East London they waited too long to invest that 116 million euros, in something valid… or anything.

The club has begun to slowly spend the 116 million euros received for the transfer of Declan Rice to Arsenal. The first to arrive was Edson Alvarez, a former Ajax player, for 38 million euros. It’s hard that they will repeat last season success with current squad.

20. WOLVERHAMPTON

The glorious days of the “wolves” from Wolverhampton passed long ago, back there at the end of the fifties of the last century. In recent years, it is a stable member of the elite, but also a colony of the Portuguese.

There are currently nine of them in the team, although the coach is not Portuguese, but as of few days ago 40-year-old Gary O’Neill, the youngest manager in the Premier League.

The Wolves flirted with Europe in the past years, but at one point last season they had a lot to worry about. They fought, and managed to save themselves without major problems.