Can Arsenal pip Man City? Will Man United regret keeping Ten Hag?

Time moves quickly over the summer. You spend weeks lamenting the lack of Premier League football, trying to distract yourself with international tournaments and blockbuster transfers. Then, all of sudden, the new season is upon you!

Manchester United and Fulham get things underway on Friday, Aug. 16, so in anticipation of the rapidly approaching kick-off we’ve posed five big questions that will shape the season we’re about to watch.

From title contenders to relegation rivals and all that comes in between, here’s what’s what watch ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

1. Is this Arsenal‘s year?

2022-23: 84 points, second place.
2023-24: 89 points, second place. Again.

Will the 2024-25 season be the one in which Arsenal finally take the leap and pip Manchester City to the Premier League title?

In order to do so, they’ll likely need to eclipse the 90-point mark; that’s the typical standard Pep Guardiola’s City have set. And even if they do manage that, it’s no guarantee — just ask Jürgen Klopp’s unfortunate Liverpool sides of 2019 and 2022, who accrued 97 and 92 points respectively but did not win the league.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta might have cracked a smile at the topsy-turvy summer City have had so far, with so many late arrivals back from Euro 2024 and Copa América action, plus transfer speculation over the futures of key players like goalkeeper Ederson and forward Julián Álvarez. City have started a season slowly and still won out before, but any visible foibles will give Arsenal encouragement.

There’s a third team in this conversation too, albeit one with many more unknowns. Liverpool have a new manager in Arne Slot and a new swashbuckling style. But while some may label it a new era, that’s undermined by the fact key stars such as Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are all into the final year of their contracts.

Perhaps third is Liverpool’s ceiling this year as they handle a difficult transition from a manager who lead them to new heights in his nine-year spell. Though perhaps if Slot’s “elegant” style proves as successful as Klopp’s “heavy metal football,” then they could be title contenders again.

2. Did Manchester United make the right call to stick with Ten Hag?

The early stages of the summer were dominated by speculation over Erik ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford, which was eventually settled with a new contract until 2026. It was no secret that the board — under guidance from new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team — looked at and interviewed other options during this period, only to seemingly conclude there was no manager available who could do a better job.

It was a decision that shocked many fans; the performance levels that United exhibited as they achieved their worst Premier League finish (eighth) seemed to suggest a change was needed. At the 28-game mark, United had conceded an incredible 467 shots on goal — only Sheffield United and Luton Town, who were both relegated, faced more — while their matches often lacked any essence of control or composure, resembling NBA games in their end-to-end nature.

Ratcliffe has backed his man with money, spending €62 million to sign 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro from Lille and €42.5m on striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna this summer, with more arrivals and exits to follow, but the gamble United have taken on things improving will not only define their campaign but others’ too. If United look anything like they did last season, then it may not be long before Ten Hag is replaced. And if United are in disarray then it would leave at least one spot in the top four wide open, with Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Chelsea ready to pounce.

3. Are Leicester already doomed?

Gone are the days where you can size up a relegation battle on level terms, as not everyone starts from zero in the era of profit and sustainability regulations (PSR). Last season it was Everton and Nottingham Forest fighting back from points deductions; this season it seems almost certain to be Leicester City.

In fact, the newly promoted Foxes appear to be in an even trickier position than Everton and Forest, as rather than work with the Premier League and admit fault (which led to leniency in punishment), they have fought back at every turn. They didn’t supply their accounts on time, they’ve argued the league’s authority over their accounts while they were in the Championship and they’ve lost an appeal with an independent committee.

All of this has led to reports that Leicester are going to be hit with a big punishment: a possible double-figure points deduction, which would make staying up almost impossible.

To add insult to injury, Leicester have already lost their manager, Enzo Maresca, and best player, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea this summer. The money brought in is said to have helped satisfy their PSR requirements for the next accounting period, but it has left them starting from scratch under Steve Cooper for the campaign.

4. Which clubs will join the relegation battle?

Southampton and Ipswich Town, both also newly promoted this season, present fascinating storylines of their own. The former must adapt a ball-hogging philosophy that saw them accrue better possession numbers (65.5% vs. 65.2%) than Manchester City in the Championship to be Premier League appropriate; while the latter are riding a wave of remarkable momentum, guided by one of the game’s finest up-and-coming managers in Kieran McKenna.

Last season all three promoted clubs went down, but that’s far from the norm. It was the first time that had happened since 1998. Statistically it’s just as likely for all three promoted clubs to stay up.

So in all likelihood, some of the Premier League’s established clubs are about to be dragged down into the mire. Every team that finished in the bottom half last season is once again on notice, with the fact Fulham have lost four important players (including João Palhinha) perhaps placing them in the spotlight for now.

Brentford, too, need to turn the page on last season, with striker Ivan Toney likely to stay now that his replacement, Thiago, injured his knee in preseason.

5. Will Newcastle compete without European distractions?

Understandably, many Newcastle United fans were disappointed when Manchester United won the FA Cup final, as it reshuffled the European places to the point where it took a 2024-25 continental adventure off the table for the Magpies. But perhaps it’s for the best.

Newcastle badly struggled with the number of games and injuries that piled up on them last season, and while they were hardly alone in this, it affected their style of play particularly badly. It’s almost impossible to play a high-intensity, high-press game if half the squad are injured and the other half are exhausted.

With a summer to get fit and healthy, plus at least eight European games on a Thursday night removed from the schedule, there’s every chance Newcastle become fearsome once again: aggressive, energetic, relentless, prolific.

This is a big chance for manager Eddie Howe to reload and make a charge for a Champions League place. Now into his third full season at the richest club in the world [though the Saudi PIF have been hamstrung by PSR this season and won’t be spending as lavishly as in the past], he’s under immense pressure to deliver.