By Evan Perry
With the 2024-25 Premier League season underway, it is stacking up to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent years. Many of the top teams are expected to do well and the top spots in the league are very much up for grabs this year.
Manchester City
Manchester City hopes to recreate last season's success and win the league for the fifth consecutive year. Despite losing some key young players during the off-season, this year's City squad still is a force to be reckoned with. Manager Pep Guardiola's management and tactics that have dominated the league for almost half a decade and the team's overall experience in winning matches at a high level are still around, so it would not be surprising for City to win the league.
That being said, there are still some things City needs to look out for if they wish to continue their dominance. The main issue facing the team's future is the potential departure of Guardiola along with some key veteran players who might also leave at the end of the season. Players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, who have been with the team for almost a decade and play important roles in the team's tactics and identity, are among those in question.
With all these challenges facing Manchester City in the upcoming season, we could expect the team to try and build for the future to continue their dominance for the years to come.
Arsenal
After a down-to-the-wire title run where Arsenal lost the league to Manchester City by only two points last season, the Gunners look to get the job done for the first time since 2003-04’s Invincibles season, where they went undefeated. With Manager Mikel Arteta leading the team in a controlling tactical style of play and having a roster of young and talented players such as Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and new addition Declan Rice, Arsenal may be the team to beat for the next few years if they keep up their excellent performance.
Over the offseason, Arteta and company recognized, that there were still places for Arsenal to improve from last year and were quick to make the improvements he saw fit for his squad for the 2024-25 season. The team signed Riccardo Califiori, Mikel Merino, and Raheem Sterling, all players who add depth and provide the talent to push Arsenal towards a league title this year.
Nevertheless, what might hold Arsenal back this year is their need for a veteran presence and the lack of a number-one traditional striker on their roster, two components winning teams have had in years past.
Liverpool
This 2024-25 season looks to be an interesting one for Liverpool. This is the first season with manager Arne Slot taking the helm from Jurgen Klopp after the legendary manager announced he was stepping away from the role in January 2024. With the talented squad Klopp put together still intact, though, the goal for Liverpool this season is to remain a top team in the Premier League.
Still, it is almost certain that there will be a great deal of change in terms of players and culture in the club under Slot. This will be the year that Slot will showcase whether or not he can handle being the manager of a team like Liverpool.
The key to Liverpool’s success this season is if the team can stay healthy all year round, especially with key players like Virgil Van Dijk getting up there in age and becoming more injury-prone. This being said, Liverpool still has a good amount of young talented players—such as Trent Alexander-Arnold—and if Slot can implicate a successful new system and culture, the team could produce a successful season and an even more successful future.
Manchester United
Although Manchester United is a club used to winning, the past few years have seen the team fall from its competitiveness at the top of the Premier League. United are looking to place in the top four this season after placing eighth last year in a disappointing season for the club.
If United are to improve upon last season, they will need to fix the team's lack of goal-scoring and poor defensive qualities that plagued them throughout last season. The team also lacks traditional leadership and has overpaid players such as Casimero—an aging defender out of his prime—and Antony, who has not been playing to the calibre expected of him upon moving to United in 2022.
Overall, if Man U wants to return to its winning ways, it will have to make some big changes in the next few seasons to push it in the right direction.
Chelsea
Chelsea placed sixth in the Premier League last season, a bit below their anticipated goal of making it into the top four this year. They’ve not started on the right foot, however.
Chelsea was under a bit of controversy entering the season due to their off-season and the moves they made during the transfer market. The squad currently has 41 players heading into the 2024-25 Premier League season, well above the 25-man squads teams usually carry throughout the year. It's unclear what Chelsea has up their sleeves with this unprecedented move—they may just be trying to hold up the transfer market by obtaining young talent teams will want to trade for in the next few years or they may just want options and backups for when players get injured or need replacing.
However, having so many players does come with as many problems as there are players. Namely, it is almost impossible to build team chemistry and morale. For example, Chelsea has nine goalkeepers for the 2024-25 season, while most teams have two or three. Having this many goalkeepers can lead to a lack of confidence—if one player is not performing to team standards or are just on a slump, they could easily be replaced by the eight other keepers waiting for an opportunity to pounce. This logic works for every other position on the pitch, leading to a slippery slope towards poor play.
It's impossible to say if this new system Chelsea is trying is going to be a disaster or not. Fans are just going to have to wait and see if this unique strategy is going to lead to more success for the team or not.
Tottenham Hotspur
The last Premier League season was a rollercoaster ride for Tottenham fans.
For starters, it was the first year for the team's new manager Ange Postecoglou and the team's first year without their star striker and club-all-time leading goal scorer Harry Kane (who signed with German side Bayern Munich before the start of the season). Despite the hurdles thrown the team's way, the Hotspurs were at the top of the league by the halfway point of last season. Nonetheless, as the season went on, more teams started to figure out and successfully counter Tottenham's tactics and strategies. The team fell to fifth place by the end of the Premier League season.
Hoping to perform better this year, Tottenham should aim to be in the top 4 this season. Last season they were slowed down because the team's tactics were countered and the team itself ran out of gas and lost its momentum. If Postecoglou can find a system that can get the best out of the players and be more flexible against counters, the team could stand a good chance against the other top teams in the league.
Finally, with new signing Dominic Solanke paired up with superstar Son Heung-min, Tottenham's young team for the 2024-25 season is the most exciting team in recent years for the club. It is a side that could be dangerous in the years to come.
Comments