It’s City’s - unless Arsenal grow a pair and celebrate only if they win it.

Here we go again. And it’s lovely to be back. As usual - I thought I’d get a few thoughts together before the big PL kick-off next Friday.

There’s a part of me wonders why I stick my neck out so early because there’s a lot of buying and selling to be done yet - but it’s only a bit of fun really. I’ll say that again - it’s only a bit of fun really - so try and take it in that vein. 

Having said that - I didn’t do too badly last season. I got three of the top four correct, including the title winners - but there shouldn’t really be any prizes for that. Until City play by the same rules as everyone else they’ll keep winning it. Cue angry City fans, who’ve forgotten that I said this was only a bit of fun 😂.

It was Villa who surprised me last season. Surprised us all really. Top marks to Unai Emery. Remember, Villa were in the bottom three when he was appointed as Steven Gerrard’s successor and without spending a fortune (take note City) he stayed within FFP guidelines (take note City) and transformed Villa.

They’ve added a few, but even so, I don’t think they’ll go as well this time round. As Newcastle found, playing with the really big boys puts a strain on resources. Last season unfolded for them exactly as I thought it would because of the CL distractions. They should still finish in the top six, but that’s a call based on Eddie Howe still being in charge. If he leaves for the England job then who knows? I should add that like every Geordie I hope Howe doesn’t get the job. England need something different now - not Safegate ‘light’.

Anyway - back to Villa. They’ll struggle with Europe early on, but like Newcastle, I’d expect them to have a better last third of the season once they’re able to forget about mid-week euro games.

I expect City to win it. Able to spend as they do and ride roughshod over the rules that everyone else is restricted by, they should always win it.

But….if Arsenal - as a collective - can grow a pair, they might just nick it. By that I mean be brave enough to win big games. Believe they can win big games. Don’t be frightened to win big games.

That’s what cost them last time. It wasn’t losing at home to Villa - it was being scared to win at City. Yes - being scared to win. There’s a difference between that and not wanting to lose.

They didn’t want to lose at City. They left delighted with their point, but I said on the day they’d regret not winning. They were the better side. They had City where they wanted them but got scared and let them off the hook.

If they’d had the same attitude as Wenger’s teams when they went to OT and twice got big results, they’d have put City out of the race and gone on to win the title themselves.

Never mind all the nonsense - training ground dogs, thieves stealing watches and wallets at meal times, playing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ at London Conley and all the celebration pics after wins v Fulham in October - be professional and get the job done. Celebrate only if you win it Arsenal.

So that’s one and two, but I genuinely don’t know which way round.

I’ve no idea who finishes third and fourth. It’s a real lottery. I hope Spurs do. I like big Ange, but I’m not convinced they can be good enough across a whole season. Solanke is a really good piece of business, but it’s not enough. Maddison is good - no more - and flimsy. He needs help in that midfield.

Liverpool are interesting. Slot appears to have made a pretty good start, but I’m not sure his style of play will go down well with the Anfield crowd. He’s another one obsessed with passing teams to death. That’s a style in total contrast to Klopp’s. Liverpool were a great watch under Klopp. Slot likes football played very differently. If he wins a few games early on he’ll get away with it, but if he starts losing he’ll be in trouble. Liverpool should be top four.

So should Chelsea, but they won’t be. Nothing has changed there. Maresca is another one obsessed with passing and sending crowds to sleep. He’s started making excuses already - blaming Poch for their poor pre-season. That’s a new one, but creative. He won’t be able to do that three months in though. Chelsea won only one of six matches pre-season games. It doesn’t bode well does it?

Selling Gallagher was madness. Could you imagine Chelsea getting rid of Lampard in his prime? Of course not, but It’s a bit like that. Not that Gallagher is anywhere near as good, but like Frank, he bleeds blue blood. He understood the club. He was a leader. I just don’t get it. They could’ve sold a dozen of the duck eggs they bought last summer to make up the money. 

United? They’ll be jockeying for eighth again. Nothing has changed. The players must’ve been gutted when they heard ten Hag was staying. To a man they wanted him gone and believed he would be. But oh no. Sunny Jim knows best.

Ten Hag should’ve shown some dignity and walked when Ratcliffe started hawking his job around Europe. Make no mistake - if Tuchel had been prepared to do it for £8m/year he’d be in charge at OT now. No top coach will work for that - but ten Hag does.

So he fumbles on - being watched over by both Jason Wilcox and Dan Ashworth during his working week. Both stand pitch side at Carrington keeping an eye on him.

What an insult to a coach, but it’s what Ratcliffe wants. He said this recently ‘We decide the style. And that will be the Manchester United style of football. The coach will have to play that style’. Ridiculous.

No wonder Paul Scholes has already given this damning verdict ‘I’m struggling to get excited’.

I don’t see any surprises, but West Ham will be interesting. I believe they’ll miss Moyes badly. Lopetegui is a huge gamble. This is a man who doesn’t hang about if things aren’t going his way - and he won’t have much his own way working with mssrs Brady and Sullivan.

He’s doing the right things at the moment mind you. Getting the club to spend £27m on a 32-year-old centre forward isn’t smart financial business, but I like Fullkrug and I think he’s perfect for the English game. There’s no way Moyes could’ve spent like that though.

At least two of the promoted clubs will go straight back - maybe all three again. I thought all three last season and I was right.

It’s a huge step up now. Steve Cooper knows what it takes to survive and he might just keep Leicester up, but it’ll be too much for Ipswich and Saints.

Bournemouth could easily get into trouble. They’ll miss Solanke badly. Brighton will need to be careful. The gamble on their baby coach could easily backfire. If he loses the senior players he won’t recover. 

I think Everton will struggle again, but they won’t go down unless they lose a whole lot of points for FFP infringements. Forest will be at the wrong end again, but should also have enough to stay up. As ever - their home form will be critical. 

Anyway - there we are. Just a few thoughts.  I’m looking forward to starting a 33rd season with Andy. If you live in our part of the world join us regularly on beINSPORTS. Remember - all 380 PL games are live across our channels as part of the biggest live football portfolio anywhere in the world. Nobody does it like beINSPORTS.