Arsenal:
After narrowly missing out on a Champions League spot last season, Arsenal will be hoping to go one step further this time.
Summer spending has secured a goal scoring striker in the form of Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus for £45 million, after the departure of Lacazette. More squad development has come from further signings including another City player Oleksandr Zinchenko, midfielder Fábio Vieira, Marquinhos and goalkeeper Matt Turner.
The start to the season couldn’t have been better for Arsenal, securing wins in the first five matches and sitting top of the table. Although one concern for the squad is injuries. If they are able to keep their most important players fit, they may finally regain a top four spot but once again this is Arsenal...
Chelsea FC:
Chelsea’s new ownership has wasted no time investing in the club, spending over £250m on new players!
The arrival of Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has already paid dividends, with three goals in four league appearances, as have the defensive improvements of Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly, who have looked strong throughout early fixtures. The arrival of Wesley Fofana for around £75m late in the window will complete Thomas Tuchel’s new look defense.
Despite heavy spending, the West London club still look lackluster in midfield and attack. Injury prone midfielders and the lack of an out-and-out striker remain notable problem areas which have massively contributed to a sluggish start to the season. Two wins from an opening five fixtures is far below Chelsea’s standard, and all eyes will be on Tuchel and his staff to see if he can make the most of Todd Boehly’s sore wallet and return to winning ways.
Although Liverpool have spent £85 million on Mane’s replacement in Nunez and added Coutinho’s doppelgänger in Carvalho, fans are still urging the club to bolster the midfield amidst high levels of injuries. Thiago, Curtis Jones, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fabinho will all return from injury to join Milner, Henderson and Elliott back in the midfield in the coming weeks.
Liverpool’s transfer policy rightly restricts them from panic-buying and this does not need to happen now if wanted targets cannot be acquired this summer.
The Bournemouth record victory is a sign of things to come for Liverpool this season and Champions League football will easily be achieved. The title will unfortunately stay in the hands of Manchester City, as seven dropped points at the start of the season are seven too many as far as the title goes.
Newcastle United:
Newcastle prioritised quality over quantity in the Summer transfer window, returning with their second phase of upgrades since the takeover. With improvements in goal, defence and attack, the Magpies are likely to continue their upward trajectory. Eddie Howe's coaching is proving successful and team spirit is high. In 2022, only four teams have accrued more points than Newcastle. A top ten finish feels likely, but Europe could prove a step too far this season with certain problem areas still existing within the squad. Newcastle are European bound, but time will tell how long it will take them to reach their destination.
Tottenham Hotspur:
Let's be honest, the best thing to happen for Spurs this transfer window is Harry Winks leaving on a season-long loan to Sampdoria followed by Romero signing on a permanent deal from Atalanta.
There's been a lot of talk surrounding their play. Most recently the focus has been around how much time wasting Spurs create (thinking back to the West Ham away match), fans only hope to see more game play in the future.
Throughout the transfer season, their focus has been on their midfield, especially with a surprise purchase of Richarlison for £60 million, we can all predict that Spurs will miss out on yet more trophies this season. With a dry spell of 15 years on the horizon, Tottenham can day dream about the quadruple. Only time will tell if they will be in the same situation next season or will they be back in the Conference League for the 2023/2024 season?
West Ham United:
The Hammers have had quite the disastrous start to the season, and though there have been bursts of brilliance, more often than not, fans’ bubbles keep getting popped. When I say there’s no going downhill from here, I really mean it.
To kick it off, they had a tough first-week draw against Manchester City. After that gruelling but expected loss, they frustratingly conceded to the newly promoted Nottingham Forest. West Ham didn’t fare better against Brighton either, making it ten consecutive Premier League matchups where they have lost or drew against them. Then came Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur for respectively a win and a draw, the latter which finally marked their first home point.
That match also saw Lucas Paquetá’s debut, whose exciting presence joins eight other arrivals. Those include young players like Gianluca Scamacca, Flynn Downes and Nathan Trott (returning from loan) to fill the shoes of Andriy Yarmolenko and David Martin, but also the now permanently transferred Alphonse Areola, formerly loaned from Paris Saint-Germain. With so many talented fresh faces, let’s hope David Moyes can make good use of them - and the £165 million he spent - for more success down the road.
