Summer’s footballing hibernation is always ended by the return of the Prem. When the first ball is kicked, the malaise is over, and the excitement is back.
Another Prem season means another year full of drama and suspense.
Very few, if any, sporting entities can match the fun and shock that the Prem dumps out. This season promises to be another year to remember.
The summer transfer window is akin to a baptism that brings in new faces and washes out old ones. With the Prem once more the king of the transfer window, the influx of talent promises to revive teams. At the same time, the departure of a Prem icon offers new chances for players, both young and old, to write their names into the history books.
Man City may be the overwhelming favorite to win the Prem, but the results of different programs will be interesting to watch. Additionally, clubs like Brighton have found new ways to win and will look to chase after any failures of the top six clubs. Luton’s incredible rise will make them every neutral’s favorite club, but will they be dumped out?
Friday will bring another great chapter to the Prem and offer fans another great show.
All these storylines promise to make this a season to remember.
Who Will Replace Harry Kane?
Harry Kane’s transfer to Bayern is the best thing for him and the Prem. For Kane, he will get to win finally, and the Prem will have a chance to see a new king rise to the top.
Haaland and Salah are the two most obvious candidates to tear up the Prem. Salah is the reliable pick who, with this revamped Liverpool side, will likely score another 30 goal season. City’s striker had an excellent first season, but with the loss of Gündogan, he may not have that same service.
Out of all the young guns, Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson feels like the surest bet. Over the past few seasons, he has shown an incredible ability to anticipate the ball. If Chelsea’s wingers can feed him, there’s a chance he could be Chhelsea’s long-term striker.
A fun bet could be Son, as he will be given the keys to Tottenham’s offense. He has already proven to be capable of being the best player in the league, but now he will have all defenses focused on him. Postecoglu’s system is designed to get the most out of the striker, and Son will flourish in the role.
There will be a scoring arms race with Kane gone, so many players across the league are now free to be the face of the league now. This will be a fun battle to see play out and may produce the most surprises.
Whose Decisions Will Pay Off?
A lot of clubs used this summer to retool and work towards a new project. Perhaps no two clubs embody this like Chelsea and Manchester United.
It’s difficult to gauge Chelsea’s progress, as on the one hand, they cleared out a decent amount of underperforming players, but they also continued to add youngsters. This year’s team makes a lot more sense, and the vision is there, but Potch’s system will take time to be implemented. While Potch is a great manager for this project, Chelsea really feels like being a year away from being a year away.
Erik ten Hag is now fully in control of this club and is molding it in his own image. The addition of Højlund shows how much faith he has in the Danish striker, even if he may take time to get fired. Additionally, the manager has started clearing out the club of players that don’t fit his vision, which bodes well for the United project.
Waiting in the wings for either of these clubs to falter will be Brighton. With the massive fees they have been raking in, the seagulls are building a special club. Truly the stats nerd’s team, de Zerbi’s boys, have a chance to continue building off last year’s magic.
Plenty of clubs will be eyeing this season as the one the fruit will finally be born. Chelsea and United are both on somewhat borrowed time, and clubs like Brighton are waiting to strike.
Is Luton a Fun Dream, or Are They Real?
Very few fans of any team were not cheering on Luton during their promotion battle last season. The charms of this team will bring in fans, but are they doomed to go right back down?
Luton had the prototypical summer of a club that has just been promoted. A mixture of promising players that have failed to break out at bigger clubs, mixed with a batch of good Championship stars. Ross Barkley’s addition is interesting, but his biggest strength will be in the experience he brings to this side.
One promising note for Luton was how well their defense performed in the Championship last year. As seen by Brentford, it’s easier for the defense to translate over into the Prem. The Hatters will look towards Lockyer and Mpanzu to save them this season.
Somewhat surprisingly, Luton had just an average offense last season in the Championship. And without a Premier League-level scorer on this roster, Luton will be leaving points on the table. Even Fulham with Mitro struggled to replicate their Championship offense in the Prem last year, so the Hatters will definitely experience stagnation.
With an interesting pre-season under their belt, Luton will kick off play against Chelsea to open up their Premier League journey. Even if they are destined to be a one-season fling, they will give fans a memorable ride.
No other European league offers up as much excitement and drama as the Prem does. With a fascinating transfer window acting as the prelude for this season, fans have quite a show coming.
Every new chapter of the Prem delivers, and there is no reason why this season will be any different.
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