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2023-24 English Premier League predictions: Picks, Forecast for all 20 teams
The 2023-24 Premier League season kicks off Friday, when defending champion Manchester City takes on newly promoted Burnley. Will City become the first club to win four consecutive English crowns when it's all said and done?
Below are predictions for where each of the 20 teams competing in the world's best and most popular domestic circuit will stand when the marathon 38-round campaign concludes next May.
Who'd bet against Pep Guardiola's team celebrating in a downpour of confetti yet again? Even after losing mainstays Ilkay Gundogan (to Barcelona) and Riyad Mahrez (to Saudi Arabia) this summer, the Sky Blues are the Prem's best team by a considerable distance. With its gaze mostly on the Champions League trophy last season, City roared back from an eight point deficit in April to overtake surprise leaders Arsenal and three-peat before achieving the club's ultimate goal by claiming the European title at long last.
The top priority this season, before which Guardiola added Croatian stars Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, will be the domestic competition and the opportunity to make history it offers. That's a truly terrifying thought for the rest of the league.
2. Liverpool
After fighting on two fronts for years, the Reds don't have the Champions League to worry about this season. That wasn't by choice, obviously, but finishing fifth last season will help them this one, as the sole focus will be on not missing out on Europe's top club competition again.
Losing heart and soul captain Jordan Henderson to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq hurts. But Liverpool is improved overall thanks to the addition of World Cup-winning Argentinean midfielder Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai from Germany's RB Leipzig.
3. Arsenal
While Liverpool and City can afford to prioritize England's vaunted top division, the Gunners, having finally qualified for the Champions League again following a five-year absence, are in the opposite position.
Arsenal fans will take that deal happily, but the fact remains that even after bringing in Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, Mikel Arteta's roster isn't quite as deep as the two clubs' listed above (or perhaps even next two below). Arteta will have to rotate his squad — which will be without injured star striker Gabriel Jesus for at least the first few weeks — more than he did last season, when the London club led the title race for longer than any team not to win it.
The Red Devils are clearly on the right track under second year manager Erik ten Hag. United finished third and won the EFL Cup and last year. They've successfully recruited striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta, goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan and midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea since.
Those additions should ensure another Top 4 finish. But Ten Hag's team still doesn't seem quite ruthless enough up top; Marcus Rashford isn't nearly as prolific as rivals' top strikers while Hojlund, just 20, is completely unproven in the Prem.
5. Newcastle
The arrival of Sandro Tonali from AC Milan and Tino Livramento from Southampton should make the Magpies even stinger this season, which is crazy; Not even mighty Man City conceded fewer goals than the 33 allowed by Eddie Howe's squad in 2022-23.
But it's probably not realistic to expect striker Callum Wilson, who turns 32 in February to equal or better his career high 18 goals from last season, when Newcastle finished in the Champions League places for the first time in two decades. Juggling both competitions will be a tricky balancing act for Howe, too.
6. Chelsea
The Blues — who are reportedly on the verge of landing U.S. captain Tyler Adams — have the talent to finish far higher. Under new coach Mauricio Pochettino, they could.
But after a disastrous 2022-23 campaign that ended with Chelsea an astounding 12th just two years removed from a European title, even sixth place would be a massive improvement for a club that has spent lavishly on players in recent years without any clear plan on how to use them.
7. Tottenham
That Champions League final in 2019 seems a long longer than four years ago for a club that finished mid-table, behind Brighton and Aston Villa, last season. If they still end up this high after potentially selling Harry Kane to Bayern Munich (multiple outlets reported Thursday that Spurs and Bayern had agreed on a transfer fee) it would be a triumph.
8. Aston Villa
Unai Emery led one of biggest turnarounds in league history last season, when Villa recovered from a 2W-6L-3 start under Steven Gerrard end ended up in their highest position in the Premier League since 2010. The summer additions of winger Moussa Diaby and defender Pau Torres for more than $100 million combined should keep Villa in the top half again.
9. Brighton
The loss of Mac Allister is a massive one, and star Ecuadoran destroyer Moises Caicedo could follow his fellow South American out the door before the transfer window slams shut at month's end. Either way, Mahmoud Dahoud, Igor Julio, Joao Pedro and longtime Liverpool midfielder James Milner are all shrewd offseason pickups.
10. West Ham
The Hammers will desperately miss former captain Declan Rice, who they sold to Arsenal for a near English record of over $127 million. The good news? Reinforcements will be on the way before September.
11. Crystal Palace
As with West Ham, this prediction is based at least partly on the presumption that Palace's roster – which lost star striker Wilfried Zaha to Turkey's Galatasaray – won't be set for a few more weeks.
12. Fulham
It's probably not realistic to expect the Cottagers to match the 10th place finish they managed last season – especially if they end up seeing leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and veteran midfielder Willian depart for the Saudi league.
13. Everton
After surviving the drop on Decision Day last season, the Toffees will look to climb the table this year with the well-regarded Sean Dyche now fully entrenched as the coach.
14. Wolverhampton
Losing manager Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the new season is anything but ideal. Wolves will also be without longtime contributors Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho this year.
Forest surprised many by staying up last season – their first back in the Prem this century — thanks mostly to their form at home. That experience should help during what is likely to be another relegation fight.
16. Brentford
One of the English game's best stories over the last 24 months, the Bees finished 13th and ninth in their first two seasons in the top flight since 1947. With main striker Ivan Toney suspended until January, reality will hit them this year.
17. Burnley
Promoted after dominating the second-tier last year, Vincent Kompany's team will find it much harder to play the sort of free-flowing style it did in the Championship at the top level.
18. Bournemouth
If the Football Gods are just, there's no way they'll allow the Cherries to stay in the Prem after firing former coach Gary O'Neil, who saved them from the drop last season.
19. Sheffield United
The Blades would've been among the relegation favorites this year even if they hadn't lost forward Iliman Ndiaye to Marseille.
20. Luton Town
Promoted to the Prem last season for the first time, Luton is the leading candidate to go straight back down.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
