🔮 OneFootball predicts the 2023/24 Premier League season

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OneFootball·11 August 2023

🔮 OneFootball predicts the 2023/24 Premier League season

With pre-season over, it’s time to gaze into our crystal balls and say what we see for the 2023/24 campaign.

How hard can it be to predict the Premier League season? Piece of cake …

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You can see all of our season preview content right here.

Let’s kick-off with something bold: Give us an outlandish prediction for 2023/24 …

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Alex Mott: Burnley will continue their staggering rise under Vincent Kompany and, despite some early hammerings, will finish the season knocking on the European places.

Dan Burke: Manchester City won’t finish in the top two.

Lewis Ambrose: Kai Havertz never managed more than 11 goals and assists in his three Premier League campaigns at Chelsea. He’ll make it to over 15 with Arsenal this season.

Pádraig Whelan: They finished 11 points off it last season and Liverpool and Chelsea have strengthened but Ange Postecoglou will revitalise Tottenham and lead them back to the Champions League.

What big question do you have heading into the season?

AM: After the high of last season and finally getting back into the Champions League, how will Newcastle juggle domestic and European obligations? Their recruitment has been slyly impressive so far this summer but the reality of consistent weekend/midweek/weekend matches could take its toll.

DB: Can Arsenal take that next step and win the title? Nobody thought they’d challenge this time last year but they confounded expectations, only to run out of steam in the final stretch. They still look like the best equipped side to end Manchester City’s reign at the top and it will be fascinating to see whether they can hold their nerve this time.

LA: How will Brentford cope without Ivan Toney up front? I like Bryan Mbeumo, I like Yoane Wissa, I like Kevin Schade too. But Toney is talismanic for the Bees, he loves the big games, and I think they could struggle for goals really badly.

PW: What will Chelsea look like? Mauricio Pochettino is a fine addition as coach but they still look thin in both midfield and attack (all the more so after Christopher Nkunku’s injury) so what are reasonable expectations for the Blues? It’s impossible to predict much about them with anything resembling confidence.

Is there a team or player you’re really looking forward to watching?

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AM: Just how will Mauricio Pochettino turn things around at Chelsea this season? The Blues were almost comically bad last term under two managers, so what will the former Tottenham boss have up his sleeve to get the west London big-spenders back in the top four? It’s going to be fascinating.

DB: Aston Villa and especially their summer signing Moussa Diaby. I loved what I saw from him at Bayer Leverkusen and Villa signing him feels like a real coup. After their excellent finish to last season, it will be interesting to see how much they can kick on under Unai Emery this term.

LA: Liverpool looked to have found a way to play in the future at the end of last season and I’m really interested to see how they cope without Jordan Henderson and Fabinho. That’s a lot of midfield change in a short space of time and I think their games could become really end-to-end. I’m intrigued.

PW: Kai Havertz at Arsenal will be a fascinating watch, particularly when he looks set to be utilised by Mikel Arteta in a much more suitable role. Oh, and as always, the unpredictable enigma that is Darwin Núñez.

What will be the biggest surprise — in a good or a bad way?

AM: I would love to be proved wrong but I think the Ange Postecoglou revolution at Tottenham could prove to be a damp squib.

DB: As I hinted at earlier, I’m anticipating a dip from Manchester City this season. There’s a reason nobody has ever won four Premier League titles in a row and with potentially more games than ever for Pep Guardiola’s side to contend with in 2023/24 plus some important players leaving over the summer, I think we’ll be looking at a new champion come the end of the season.

LA: Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola to emerge as the next manager tipped for massive things, à la Graham Potter at Brighton.

PW: Derby County’s record low points haul of 11 looked untouchable but there is a chance that Sheffield United could take a good go at it.

And the first managerial change?

AM: Despite European glory last season, I think David Moyes’s time at West Ham could be over by the end of September.

DB: As we saw with Bournemouth last year, newly promoted clubs tend to panic and sack their manager if they don’t get off to a good start, and I fear for Luton Town’s Rob Edwards in that respect.

LA: This is what I wrote on Tuesday — “When’s this being published, Friday? Is Julen Lopetegui still at Wolves? If yes, him. If no, do I really have to pick another?” Now I’ll pick David Moyes.

PW: I don’t think Crystal Palace’s purple patch to end last season is sustainable and could lead to pushing the panic button if things don’t start well, leading to Roy Hodgson’s dismissal.

Who will turn out to be the signing of the summer?

AM: When you’re the second most expensive defender in history, expectation is stacked against you. Despite that though, I think Joško Gvardiol is going to be a colossus at Manchester City.

DB: Aaron Ramsdale can feel hard done by if he loses his place at Arsenal, but I think the signing of David Raya and his brilliant distribution will improve the Gunners immensely. See also André Onana at Manchester United.

LA: I think Jurriën Timber is going to be superb for Arsenal, a solid defender with such silk on the ball. As for a bargain, Mahmoud Dahoud on a free, he slots right into Brighton’s midfield.

PW: Sandro Tonali has the tools to be a big success in the fast pace of the Premier League but historically, Italian adjustment to English football has proven difficult. If Eddie Howe can get him playing to his best, he could be a huge hit on Tyneside.

And do you have a tip for a young player ready to become a household name?

AM: Bournemouth have signed, arguably, the best player in the Championship from last season in Alex Scott. The young midfielder was sensational at Bristol City and has everything in his locker to shine in the Premier League this time around.

DB: He already showed what he can do last season but I’m expecting an even bigger year from Manchester City’s Rico Lewis. He’s still only 18 but he plays with the confidence and awareness of a 30-year-old and he should get plenty of opportunities to shine in 2023/24. Wonderful little player.

LA: Before injury, Kobbie Mainoo was having an excellent pre-season with Manchester United. They lack midfield depth so, as things stand, he should get plenty of opportunities.

PW: He has impressed in pre-season and Jürgen Klopp has been glowing in his praise so if teenager winger Ben Doak is given the chances this season, expect him to make the most of them.

Will Erling Haaland beat his 36-goal record and who will be his biggest Golden Boot rival?

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AM: In a word: no. Erling Haaland will almost certainly break the 25-goal barrier next season but I don’t think he’ll reach quite the heights he did last time out. Although I do think the Norway international will be leading the goalscoring charts ahead of Marcus Rashford.

DB: At the time of writing he’s gone six games without scoring for City. Fraud? In all seriousness, he’ll score a hatful again this season but I don’t think he’ll beat his record. The World Cup break perhaps helped him steer clear of injuries last season but there will be extra strain on him this year and it could take its toll. I’m backing Mohamed Salah for the Golden Boot.

LA: No, he won’t. Manchester City will win the league a little more comfortably and Pep Guardiola will give more minutes to Julián Álvarez up front, keeping Haaland fresh for Europe. But the Norwegian will still ease beyond the 30-goal mark and only Harry Kane will be within 10 strikes of him. Again.

PW: No and expecting him to match one of the all-time great individual seasons would be unreasonable. But if there is anyone capable …