Now it’s time to discuss the prospects of five more clubs in the new season. Today, we will analyze the performance of Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle United and try to predict the positions they will contend for in the 2024-25 season.
We previously analyzed Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton as well as Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, and Ipswich Town.
– Last season’s finish: first place in the Championship (97 points, plus 48 goal differential)
– Key ins: RW Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Sporting Lisbon, €17m), CD Caleb Okoli (Atalanta, €15m), LW/RW Bobby Decordova-Reid (Fulham, free)
– Key outs: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Chelsea, €35,4m), Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla, free)
– My predicted position: 16
Leicester City’s main achievement in the transfer market in the past two years is that the team retained most of their Premier League-caliber players.
This stability allowed Leicester City to quickly return to the highest division of English football and avoid making costly transfers. Instead, the club the club made strategic additions and acquired Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, who impressed on loan last season.
Of course, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s departure in the summer weakened Leicester’s midfield, but so far, it does not seem critical, given the arrival of versatile attacking player Bobby Decordova-Reid.
Dewsbury-Hall was a key player for the team last season, contributing 12 goals and 14 assists while playing a significant role in progressing the ball into the final third.
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Ricardo Pereira, who are capable of making bright combinations and creating dangerous moments from the right flank, could be the attacking leaders this season.
Harry Winks played 45 Championship matches last season without being substituted, which is a fantastic achievement. More importantly, he excelled in keeping possession under pressure and initiating the team’s attacks with his precise passing from deeper positions.
Steve Cooper prefers to use a 3-4-2-1 formation, which can quickly transform into a 5-4-1 in defense. His teams are known for their strong defensive organization and swift counterattacks.
However, in recent friendly matches, Cooper used a 4-3-3 formation, which worked excellently for Leicester last season under Enzo Maresca.
It will be quite interesting to see the tactical setup Cooper ultimately settles on, given the squad’s adaptability and the demands of Premier League.
After a shocking relegation from the Premier League two years ago with a very talented squad, Leicester managed to retain the majority of their key players and convincingly won the Championship.
Whether the team can avoid repeating their numerous defensive errors in the new season remains to be seen.
– Last season’s finish: third place (82 points, plus 45 goal differential)
– Key ins: –
– Key outs: –
– My predicted position: 3
Liverpool’s primary objective target in this summer’s transfer window is to acquire a top-class holding midfielder. This addition is crucial if the Reds are to realistically challenge for the Premier League title.
The memory of Fabinho’s arrival still lingers. After the arrival of the world-class defensive midfielder, Liverpool truly became a serious competitor for Manchester City, ultimately leading them to a Premier League victory.
Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, and Mohamed Salah were crucial players for Liverpool last season, with the team’s success in attack depending on their creativity.
Ibrahima Konaté could potentially become a key part of Liverpool’s game. If he avoids injuries and plays more regularly in the starting lineup, the Reds’ defense could significantly improve.
In his first matches as Liverpool’s head coach, Arne Slot used a 4-3-3 formation, which transitioned during attacks into a 2-4-4 or 3-2-4-1 formation. This could come as a big surprise to many teams in the Premier League.
It is likely that Slot will execute his attacking strategy by creating regular overloads on the half-flanks, which proved successful at his previous club.
In one of my previous articles on this website, I mentioned that Liverpool’s main problem in recent years has been their defensive play.
If Slot can improve the organization of the defensive mid-block, it would be a huge achievement for the Dutchman.
– Last season’s finish: first place (91 points, plus 62 goal differential)
– Key ins: LW/RW Savinho (Girona, €25m)
– Key outs: ST Julián Álvarez (Atletico ,€81,5m)
– My predicted position: 1
Since the 2016-17 season, Manchester City has won six championship titles and has been the best team in terms of expected points for eight consecutive seasons. This dominance can be attributed to Josep Guardiola’s exceptional work and the astute transfer strategies employed by City’s management.
This summer, City acquired another top-class versatile winger, Savinho, for just £25 million from their “friendly club” Girona.
At the same time, City parted ways with Julián Álvarez, receiving £85 million for his transfer. However, his departure is unlikely to significantly weaken the dominance of this super club.
Rodri, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, and Bernardo Silva have been absolutely crucial players for Manchester City. Their immense contribution greatly helped the team secure another success in the Premier League.
The 3-2-4-1 formation continues to be the primary attacking formation for Manchester City, allowing the team to consistently create a numerical advantage in the center of the field by positioning in a square shape.
In the defensive phase last season, Guardiola’s team was less active in pressing but defended effectively in a medium-low block using a 4-4-2 formation.
Each season, Guardiola comes up with new tactical innovations that surprise opponents and keep City’s gameplay unpredictable. We will soon find out what it will be this year.
– Last season’s finish: eighth place (60 points, minus 1 goal differential)
– Key ins: CD Leny Yoro (Lille €62m), ST Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna €42,5m)
– Key outs: CD Raphael Varan (Como, free)
– My predicted position: 8 (4)
After a disastrous transfer window in the summer of 2023, Manchester United suffered catastrophic results in the Premier League last season.
This summer, Manchester United has managed to bring in only two new players: Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee. However, Yoro has sustained an unfortunate injury and will be sidelined for 3 months, which means that the team’s lineup remains largely unchanged.
The club’s management is still in negotiations regarding several potential signings, and the outcome of these discussions will heavily influence the upcoming season.
Bruno Fernandes remains the team’s main star, pulling the strings in midfield and driving United’s attacking play. Lisandro Martínez also potentially claims the status of the most important player, but recurring injuries greatly hinder the Argentine.
Erik ten Hag continues to employ a 4-2-3-1 formation, transitioning to a 2-3-5 in the final third of the field. However, the team has struggled with a lack of structure and creativity in their attacking play.
When transitioning to defense, Manchester United attempts to switch to a 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 formation but does so chaotically, leading to frequent defensive lapses and goals conceded.
The addition of high-caliber players such as Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui could significantly increase their chances of finishing in the top four.
– Last season’s finish: seventh place (60 points, plus 23 goal differential)
– Key ins: LF Lewis Hall (Chelsea €32,5m)
– Key outs: CM Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest €41,2m)
– My predicted position: 4 (8)
Newcastle’s main priority this summer was to retain all their key players while staying within financial fair play regulations. It seems that they have succeeded, as the only player they have sold so far is Elliot Anderson, who was not a pivotal figure for the team.
In addition, Newcastle has acquired the promising left-back Lewis Hall from Chelsea, who impressed with his performance last season.
Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimarães, Anthony Gordon, and Alexander Isak are top-class players who could potentially lead Newcastle back into the Champions League zone. The key to their success will be staying fit and avoiding injuries throughout the campaign.
With a strong and well-balanced squad, Eddie Howe’s team has a solid chance of finishing in the top four.
Newcastle’s main formation is 4-3-3, which is most suitable for strong pressing and counter-pressing.
In the past season, the Howe team deserved to finish in fourth place based on the quality of their game. However, the strain of competing in multiple tournaments with a relatively thin squad led to a significant physical decline and numerous injuries in November.
It’s very interesting to see if Eddie Howe will be able to distribute the team’s strength more wisely throughout the entire season and avoid a repeat – this will determine their final position in the Premier League standings.
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