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5 major questions for the next Premier League season.

It has been just over 12 weeks since the end of the 2023/24 season, but with EURO 2024 and the Paris Olympics to fill the gap, the next Premier League season has arrived earlier than normal.

But what are the most pressing questions about this new campaign as it prepares to launch? Let us find out.

Is this the year Arsenal finally succeed?


They made it to the final day last season, but we expect Arsenal to go one better this time around.

Mikel Arteta's side barely missed out in 2023/24, eventually bemoaning their missed opportunities over Christmas and a defeat to Aston Villa at the Emirates in April.

This season, however, anticipate the north London side to have learned from last season and to push Manchester City even harder.

The signing of Riccardo Calafiori should strengthen an already formidable backline, and another midfielder could join before the end of the window.

If that occurs, Arsenal will be in the strongest position to end City's reign over the Premier League.

What is in store for Manchester United this season?


Despite signing a new contract this summer, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's future at Old Trafford remains questionable.

Winning the FA Cup last season appeared to offer the Dutch coach a reprieve, as new owners INEOS looked at potential replacement possibilities and clearly came up short.

Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Kieran McKenna were all associated with the position, but majority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe flew to Ibiza to meet Ten Hag and inform the former Ajax manager that he would continue in charge of United.

It's unclear how long this will last, and it's fair to say that pre-season hasn't gone quite as planned.

Significant influx of funds Lenny Yoro played only one friendly game before being injured, and Joshua Zirkzee joined from Bologna but has yet to make his debut after being an unused substitute in the Community Shield.

Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui signed from Bayern Munich this week to strengthen a backline that conceded the most shots in the Premier League previous season.

The club's hierarchy was also restructured over the summer, and Ten Hag and his team will be under pressure to deliver following a poor eighth-place result in 2023-24.

Ten Hag may struggle if United does not get off to a fast start in the first few weeks.

Where will the Chelsea project move from here?


It's been a very extraordinary summer at Stamford Bridge.

Pedro Neto's signing from Wolves a week before the season began was Chelsea's 35th under Todd Boehly; 35 signings earlier, Manchester City had Kyle Walker, while Liverpool had Christian Benteke.

The term "squad building" may have a different connotation at Cobham than elsewhere, given the Blues now have a total of 42 senior players to choose from, including eight goalkeepers.

The big strategy at Chelsea is anyone's guess, with talented players like Roméo Lavia, Noni Madueke, and Levi Colwill all unsure of their roles in the squad entering into this season.

Boehly and his American counterparts see themselves as football 'disruptors,' poised to shake up the Premier League with innovative ideas and unconventional thinking.

It's impossible not to believe they'll jeopardize their prospects of playing in the Champions League again this season.

Has West Ham's transfer activity made them an unlikely top-four contender?


This summer, West Ham signed eight new players worth around £130 million.

Julen Lopetegui, a former Wolves, Real Madrid, and Spain manager, has replaced David Moyes and has quickly begun to rejuvenate an already decent side.

The Hammers finished ninth last season, but with this summer's signings, they must have a genuine shout at the top six, if not the top four.

Crysencio Summerville, the Championship's finest player last season, has come from Leeds and will boost the Irons' assault.

The same could be said for Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Füllkrug, who is a clear improvement over Michail Antonio.

Meanwhile, last season's fourth-worst defence in the Premier League has been completely overhauled, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Max Kilman all joining and expected to start.

It may be the beginning of something amazing in East London.

Are the promoted teams immediately relegated?


For the first time since 1997/98, all three promoted teams regressed last season.

In truth, Luton, Burnley, and Sheffield United never looked like they'd stay in the league, but how about this season's trio?

Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton will return to the Premier League, and each has a different probability of surviving.

Leicester are perhaps the best-equipped to prevent relegation, with Steve Cooper at the head, Ricardo Pereira and Wilfred Ndidi still in the squad, and Facundo Buonanotte and Bobby De Cordova-Reid entering this summer.

However, following a difficult preseason, the Foxes face a difficult first few weeks, with games against Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Arsenal, as well as the cloud of Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Ipswich, meanwhile, are perhaps the most interesting team to emerge with McKenna at the helm, a coach who is expected to lead one of the top six sides before the end of next year.

The Tractor Boys haven't made many notable additions thus yet, but Chelsea youth star Omari Hutchinson has signed on a permanent basis and will be the one to watch in East Anglia.

Finally, Russell Martin's Southampton are the favorites to be relegated, with the Saints probably a year ahead of where they should be under their youthful manager.

Adam Armstrong's goals helped the south coast club return to the top division, and the former Blackburn player has thankfully stayed at St Mary's.

Saints will have it a little easier in the first several weeks, meeting Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, and Bournemouth before the end of September. 

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