Three months after stepping aside to let international football take centre stage for the summer, the Premier League returns on Friday when Manchester United and Fulham get the 2024-25 campaign underway at Old Trafford.
Twenty clubs will enter the season with dreams of exceeding their various different goals over the next nine months, which are sure to be filled with twists, turns, drama, delight and despair in equal measure.
Manchester City are looking to hold onto their crown for a record-extending fifth successive year, while Arsenal and Arne Slot's Liverpool will be among those again looking to knock Pep Guardiola's perennial champions off their perch.
The likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Chelsea are all hoping to bounce back from underwhelming 2023-24 campaigns, whereas Aston Villa face the challenge of juggling Champions League football with another push for a domestic top-four finish.
At the other end, after 2023-24 saw all three promoted teams immediately return to the Championship, new boys Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton are aiming to avoid the same fate in 2024-25.
With the new campaign now upon us, the Sports Mole team have made their predictions for everything from who will be crowned champions to who will be the first manager sacked.
Sports Mole's aggregated picks
Champions: Manchester City
© Reuters
After last season becoming the first team in English top-flight history to win four successive titles, more history is in the offing for Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side in 2024-25 as they look to extend that unprecedented streak to five.
Last season was by no means the most convincing of Guardiola's trophy-laden spell at the helm; Arsenal and Liverpool put up stern challenges, with the Gunners pushing them all the way to the final day of the campaign before City were finally crowned champions once again.
It was their trademark relentlessness in the final third of the season which once again got City over the line, and despite the looming threat of a possible punishment this season for their 115 alleged financial breaches - and rumours that Guardiola may only have one year left at the Etihad Stadium - our team has found it difficult to back against the winning machine getting the job done again.
Only two teams were tipped to win the title - Man City and Arsenal - but Guardiola's men took 62% of the picks to finish top of the pile, with Arsenal most heavily fancied to fall just short for a third season running.
Top four: Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur
© Reuters
Both Newcastle United and Aston Villa have been unexpected gatecrashers of the top four over the past two seasons, and they will be among the hopefuls looking for Champions League football once again this term.
There are three clear favourites to finish in those coveted spots, though, leaving the likes of Newcastle, Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Chelsea and others potentially all scrapping over one place.
Man City and Arsenal were both unsurprisingly unanimously backed to finish in the top four, while Liverpool were tipped by 79% of our writers to join them in securing a place at the top table of European football again next season, despite the departure of Jurgen Klopp at the end of 2023-24.
Of the rest of the chasing pack, it was Spurs who received the largest share of the vote with 57%, beating out competition from Manchester United, who were backed by just 36% of our writers to finish in the top four in their first full season with Sir Jim Ratcliffe pulling the strings.
Chelsea and Newcastle were both backed by 14% of our reporters, but none of them tipped Aston Villa to repeat their 2023-24 heroics, nor did anyone fancy a completely new face to enter the mix.
Relegated: Southampton, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest
© Reuters
Newly-promoted teams are naturally always amongst the favourites to be relegated before the season begins, and 2023-24 saw all three - Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United - suffer an immediate return to the Championship.
That is only the second time in Premier League history that a clean sweep of promoted teams have gone straight back down, though, and our team are tipping last season's Championship winners Leicester City to avoid the drop this time around.
However, history suggests that at least one promoted team will be relegated - only four Premier League seasons have resulted in every promoted team surviving - and Southampton and Ipswich Town were the most-fancied teams among our writers to suffer that fate this time around.
Indeed, only one reporter omitted playoff winners Southampton from their picks for relegation, while 71% tipped Ipswich's return to the top flight for the first time since 2001-02 to only last one season.
Leicester were by no means free of people backing them to be relegated - half of our reporters thought that fate would befall the Foxes after losing promotion-winning manager Enzo Maresca to Chelsea - but Nottingham Forest joined Ipswich in receiving 71% of picks.
Those four teams were comfortably the most-backed to finish in the bottom three, but Brentford (21%) and Everton (14%) were also tipped.
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
© Imago
Who else?
By his own ludicrously high standards, Erling Haaland had something of an underwhelming season on an individual level in 2023-24, yet he still finished five goals clear of anyone else in the Golden Boot race.
The Norwegian scored on average a goal every 95 minutes during his 31 appearances - a much better goals-per-minute ratio than any of his fellow top-scorer contenders - despite his shot accuracy being by no means the best.
Haaland is now bidding to join legendary duo Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry as the only players to have finished as the Premier League's leading scorer three years in a row.
Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak were the only other players to break the 20-goal mark last season, and there are no doubt plenty of top-quality forwards who will fancy their chances of wrestling the Golden Boot away from Man City's main man.
However, with Julian Alvarez - his main competition for centre-forward starts - now out of the picture, and Kevin De Bruyne likely to miss fewer games due to injury, Haaland was unanimously backed by our team to top the scoring charts once again.
With 63 goals in 66 Premier League outings, can anyone rival him?
Most assists: Kevin De Bruyne, Martin Odegaard, Cole Palmer
© Imago
While there was no doubt amongst the team as to who would win the Golden Boot, the Playmaker award was far more fiercely contested from our reporters.
Ollie Watkins led the way in assists during his career-best 2023-24 campaign, but he was not backed to replicate that by any of our reporters this season.
Cole Palmer was the only other player to record more than 10 assists in the league last season, and 21% of our writers think that the Chelsea man will top the chart this time around.
Martin Odegaard and Kevin De Bruyne, who were two of nine players to reach 10 assists last term, were also tipped by 21% to lay on more goals than anyone else this season.
It is worth noting that De Bruyne reached his tally of 10 in just 18 games though, and with Haaland again leading the line, the Belgian will fancy his chances of scooping the Playmaker award for a fourth time, if he can stay fit.
Odegaard created more chances from open play than any other player in the Premier League last season and so is justifiably tipped to be in the mix too, while Mohamed Salah was the only other player to get more than one vote.
Bukayo Saka, Bruno Fernandes and Anthony Gordon all received one vote apiece from our team.
Golden Gloves: David Raya
© Imago
For all of Mikel Arteta's talk about having two number one goalkeepers at Arsenal when he brought David Raya to the club, it quickly became evident that the Spaniard's compatriot would be his preferred choice between the sticks.
It was a ruthless move considering Aaron Ramsdale had not done much wrong the previous year, but Raya repaid Arteta's faith and ended up winning the Golden Gloves fairly comfortably.
In addition to his league-leading 16 clean sheets, Raya also helped the Gunners record the best defensive stats in the division by a five-goal margin too.
Arsenal appear to have further bolstered their defensive ranks during the summer too, and that is no doubt a major reason why our writers overwhelmingly backed Raya to keep the most clean sheets again.
Man City's Ederson was the only other keeper to garner any votes, but he was well short of Raya's 86% share.
Player of the Season: Martin Odegaard
© Imago
Another fiercely-contested vote, Arsenal skipper Odegaard was tipped by 29% of our writers to establish himself as the league's best player in 2024-25.
The playmaker was among the main contenders for that award last season too, having led the way in Arsenal's title challenge, and with most expecting them to be there or thereabouts at the top end of the table once more, he is fancied to set the standard across the entire division during the upcoming campaign.
It was a close-run thing, though, with Man City duo Haaland and Rodri both receiving 21% of the votes.
Arsenal's Saka was the only other player to be backed by more than one of our reporters, while Liverpool forward Salah and Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo received one pick apiece.
Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta
© Reuters
Antonio Conte was the last manager not named Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp to win the Premier League Manager of the Season award, way back in 2016-17.
Guardiola has won five of the subsequent seven such awards, and is again expected to be among the front-runners this season, with 29% of the team backing him to become the first manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win it three years in a row.
However, more expect Arteta to upset the Guardiola/Klopp duopoly, with 50% tipping the Spaniard to become the first Arsenal boss to scoop the award since Arsene Wenger did so in the 2003-04 Invincible campaign.
Arteta's fate will no doubt be heavily linked to Arsenal's title tilt - after two seasons of near misses, anything other than lifting the trophy will feel like a disappointment.
Two less likely names were also tipped by our team, with two reporters backing Kieran McKenna to do enough with newly-promoted Ipswich to be voted manager of the year, and one fancying Oliver Glasner to continue his good work with Crystal Palace.
First manager sacked: Nuno Espirito Santo
© Imago
At the other end of the spectrum, Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been backed by 43% of our reporters to be the first manager to get the chop this season.
Nuno won seven of his 26 matches after taking over in December last year, but just four of those came in the 18 league games after beginning his reign with back-to-back victories.
Forest only just staved off the threat of relegation, albeit having had a points deduction to deal with too, and have been backed by our team to be relegated this season too.
Nuno's predecessor at Forest, Steve Cooper, was one of three managers tipped by two of our writers to be the first to get the chop, alongside Southampton's Russell Martin and Everton's Sean Dyche.
Brentford's Thomas Frank also received one vote, as did new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
Signing of the Season: Dominic Solanke
© Imago
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Tottenham made Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke the biggest Premier League signing of the summer so far in a deal which could be worth as much as £65m.
After a 19-goal haul in the league for the Cherries last season, Spurs have splurged on the former Liverpool forward in the hope that he will serve as a belated replacement for Harry Kane.
Our team are backing him to live up to his price tag too, with 43% tipping him to be the best signing of the summer from any Premier League side.
West Ham United's new Germany international Niclas Fullkrug was the only other player to garner multiple selections, while six other players received one pick apiece.
Three of those - Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui - came from Manchester United, while there was also backing for Yankuba Minteh, Amadou Onana and Emile Smith Rowe.
Sports Mole team's selections
Barney Corkhill, Editor
© Imago
Champions: Arsenal
Top four: Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur
Relegated: Ipswich Town, Southampton, Nottingham Forest
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Kevin De Bruyne
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Martin Odegaard
Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta
First manager sacked: Russell Martin
Signing of the Season: Niclas Fullkrug
Matt Law, Football editor
© Reuters
Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool
Relegated: Ipswich Town, Southampton, Nottingham Forest
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Martin Odegaard
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Kobbie Mainoo
Manager of the Season: Pep Guardiola
First manager sacked: Enzo Maresca
Signing of the Season: Noussair Mazraoui
Ben Knapton, Senior reporter
© Imago
Champions: Arsenal
Top four: Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham
Relegated: Ipswich Town, Brentford, Everton
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Mohamed Salah
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Bukayo Saka
Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta
First manager sacked: Sean Dyche
Signing of the Season: Dominic Solanke
Darren Plant, Senior reporter
© Reuters
Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea
Relegated: Brentford, Ipswich Town, Southampton
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Bukayo Saka
Golden Gloves: Ederson
Player of the Season: Erling Haaland
Manager of the Season: Pep Guardiola
First manager sacked: Thomas Frank
Signing of the Season: Dominic Solanke
Oliver Thomas, Senior reporter
© Imago
Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur
Relegated: Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Cole Palmer
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Erling Haaland
Manager of the Season: Pep Guardiola
First manager sacked: Nuno Espirito Santo
Signing of the Season: Dominic Solanke
Jonathan O'Shea, Reporter
© Reuters
Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United
Relegated: Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Cole Palmer
Golden Gloves: Ederson
Player of the Season: Rodri
Manager of the Season: Kieran McKenna
First manager sacked: Nuno Espirito Santo
Signing of the Season: Joshua Zirkzee
Carter White, Reporter
© Imago
Champions: Arsenal
Top four: Arsenal, Man City, Spurs, Liverpool
Relegated: Brentford, Leicester, Southampton
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Kevin De Bruyne
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Martin Odegaard
Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta
First manager sacked: Nuno Espirito Santo
Signing of the Season: Dominic Solanke
Joel Lefevre, Reporter
© Imago
Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea
Relegated: Everton, Nottingham Forest, Southampton
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most Assists: Cole Palmer
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Erling Haaland
Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta
First Manager to be Sacked: Sean Dyche
Signing of the Season: Leny Yoro
Devesh Jaganath, Reporter
© Imago
Champions: Man City
Top four: Man City, Arsenal, Spurs, Man United
Relegated: Ipswich, Southampton, Nottingham Forest
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Bruno Fernandes
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Martin Odegaard
Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta
First manager sacked: Russell Martin
Signing of the Season: Niclas Fullkrug
Sam Varley, Reporter
© Imago
Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham
Relegated: Southampton, Ipswich, Leicester
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Anthony Gordon
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Rodri
Manager of the Season: Pep Guardiola
First manager sacked: Steve Cooper
Signing of the Season: Dominic Solanke
Seye Omidiora, Reporter
© Reuters
Champions: Arsenal
Top four: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham
Relegated: Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Leicester
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Martin Odegaard
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Rodri
Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta
First manager sacked: Nuno Espirito Santo
Signing of the Season: Dominic Solanke
Ellis Stevens, Reporter
© Imago
Champions: Arsenal
Top four: Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United
Relegated: Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Martin Odegaard
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Martin Odegaard
Manager of the Season: Mikel Arteta
First manager sacked: Steve Cooper
Signing of the Season: Yankuba Minteh
Lewis Nolan, Reporter
© Imago
Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham
Relegated: Ipswich, Leicester, Southampton
Golden Boot: Erling Haaland
Most assists: Mohamed Salah
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Mohamed Salah
Manager of the Season: Oliver Glasner
First manager sacked: Nuno Espirito Santo
Signing of the Season: Amadou Onana
Nathan Hunter, Reporter
© Reuters
Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle United
Relegated: Leicester, Southampton, Nottingham Forest
Most assists: Kevin De Bruyne
Golden Gloves: David Raya
Player of the Season: Bukayo Saka
Manager of the Season: Kieran McKenna
First manager sacked: Nuno Espirito Santo
Signing of the Season: Emile Smith Rowe
