Premier League 2023-24: A Season of Change and Challenge

A new Premier League season starts on Friday, and for the first time in a decade it does so without Pep Guardiola on the touchline. Arsenal, back as defending champions after 22 long years, open up a campaign that feels wide open and faintly chaotic.

Mikel Arteta is now the league’s longest-serving manager. The stability at the Emirates stands in stark contrast to the rest of the division, where nine clubs have changed coaches and two more – Michael Carrick at Manchester United and Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham – are only now beginning their first full seasons in charge. Andoni Iraola has landed at Liverpool, Xabi Alonso at Chelsea. The old order is gone. Nobody quite knows what the new one looks like.

Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City arrive from the Championship, replacing relegated West Ham, Burnley and Wolves. Sunderland, who reached Europe at the first time of asking last season, have shown what’s possible for ambitious newcomers. But how does it all shake out this time? Here’s how the table could fall.

Hull City – straight back down?

Last season: Promoted via play-offs

Hull’s return is a great story. The numbers behind it are not. Opta had Sergej Jakirovic’s side 23rd in the Championship on expected points, yet they somehow dodged a relegation battle, surged into the play-offs and then beat Middlesbrough at Wembley after Southampton were thrown out.

They rode their luck. Now they face the Premier League.

The summer has been frantic, full of ins and outs, but the market hasn’t shifted the mood. Hull are clear relegation favourites and, unless Jakirovic can bend the odds a second year in a row, this could be a long, punishing campaign.

Ipswich Town – back, but bruised

Last season: Championship runners-up

Ipswich didn’t enjoy their last stay in the Premier League. Relegated in 2024-25, they’ve come straight back up with a very different plan.

The club has moved away from simply hoovering up the Championship’s best. The net has widened: record signing Emersonn arrives from Toulouse, Daizen Maeda from Celtic. It’s bolder, more outward-looking, and certainly more expensive.

Gary O’Neil, who steadied Bournemouth and then Wolves, now replaces Kieran McKenna. McKenna has stepped away from football after an exhausting run of three promotions and a relegation in four seasons – and, perhaps, after seeing the size of the task ahead. O’Neil inherits a club with scars and expectation. Survival would be a serious achievement.

Coventry City – momentum, and Lampard

Last season: Championship winners

Among the promoted trio, Coventry feel the most alive. They’ve ended a 25-year exile from the Premier League and did it under Frank Lampard in a promotion campaign almost nobody saw coming.

The mood around the club has flipped from crisis to belief. That doesn’t make the step up any easier.

Sunderland’s aggressive recruitment last year offered a blueprint, and Coventry have taken note. They’ve twice broken their transfer record, including a £26m move for 20-year-old midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi. The headline, though, is Lampard staying put. After bruising exits at Chelsea and Everton, he has earned another crack at the top flight – and Coventry have kept the man who stitched this revival together.

Fulham – new voice, big risk

Last season: 11th

There’s unease by the river. Marco Silva’s five-year spell brought identity and stability to Fulham; his departure has left a hole that Alvaro Arbeloa must now fill.

The former Liverpool defender arrives with a reputation shaped by a spiky caretaker stint at Real Madrid. He’s brought two prospects with him from Spain – striker Gonzalo Garcia and midfielder Cesar Palacios – and Fulham will lean heavily on their potential.

The exits of player of the season Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez deepen the sense of change. Add a brutal start – Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all in the first five fixtures – and Arbeloa has no bedding-in period. If he stumbles early, the anxiety around Craven Cottage will only grow.

Newcastle United – from project to fire sale

Last season: 12th

Eighteen months ago, Newcastle were parading the Carabao Cup and planning Champions League nights. Now? Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and, most stunningly, Eddie Howe have all gone.

The dream of a title challenge by 2030 under Saudi ownership has been replaced by alarm bells at St James’ Park.

Into the wreckage steps Matthias Jaissle, fresh from Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Ahli, a coach with pedigree but little Premier League experience. Newcastle’s transfer business has skewed young, clearly aimed at the future. That gamble might pay off in a few years. This season, it could drag them into a fight they never expected – one at the wrong end of the table.

Brighton – Europe again, questions again

Last season: 8th

Brighton’s first taste of Europe in 2023-24 came at a cost. The Seagulls slipped into the bottom half domestically and now face another balancing act, this time with the Conference League under Fabian Hurzeler.

The competition suits them. With their resources, Brighton are rightly tipped as one of the favourites to follow Crystal Palace and lift the trophy. A first major honour is within reach.

But there’s a price. Record signing Luka Vuskovic has arrived to shore up the defence, yet Danny Welbeck’s move to Chelsea strips goals from the side. That heaps pressure on Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh – and both will miss the start of the season through injury. It’s a delicate equation: glory in Europe, or security at home?

Everton – steady, or stuck?

Last season: 13th

David Moyes has done what he does best: walk into a mess and calm it down. Everton, at last, feel stable.

The flip side is obvious. Without a push in attack, they risk treading water.

Relegation shouldn’t loom, but the top half looks a stretch. Last season they flirted with a European chase before fading badly. The defence remains solid, yet the struggles of Beto and Thierno Barry keep the goals column thin. Holding on to Iliman Ndiaye would be a significant win; his quality in the final third offers a spark this squad badly needs.

Crystal Palace – new man, new defence

Last season: 15th

Palace’s farewell to Oliver Glasner was anything but quiet. They lifted the Conference League, a surreal high at the end of a turbulent relationship.

Now Pierre Sage arrives from Lens, where he turned them into Ligue 1 runners-up and French Cup winners. On paper, his aggressive, front-foot style dovetails with what Glasner built over two-and-a-half years.

The squad, though, is shifting beneath him. Palace have grown used to losing stars, but the back line has been hit hardest: Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix have both departed over the last year, and Daniel Munoz may yet follow. Sage inherits a club with European pedigree and defensive holes to plug.

Sunderland – Europe, and a reality check

Last season: 7th

Sunderland’s first season back in the Premier League was supposed to be about survival. Instead, they crashed the European places on the final day under Regis Le Bris and rewrote the script.

Now comes the grind.

Thursday-Sunday football will test a squad that, so far, has barely changed. Veteran right-back Thomas Meunier has joined on a free, left-back Dayann Methalie has arrived for £25.6m, and that’s it. For a team about to juggle domestic and European demands, it’s a thin summer.

Yet Sunderland have already made one statement: captain Granit Xhaka turned down Chelsea to stay. For a fan base still scarred by years in League One, that loyalty – and another season with Le Bris – keeps the dream alive.

Nottingham Forest – chaos meets a serial winner

Last season: 16th

Four managers came and went last season – Nuno, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche, Vitor Pereira – before Nottingham Forest turned to Oliver Glasner, the man who had just delivered two trophies to Crystal Palace.

His appointment stunned the league. It also gave Forest something they haven’t had for years: a proven, modern coach with a clear plan.

Elliot Anderson has gone, but Morgan Gibbs-White remains the heartbeat. He dragged Forest away from danger last spring and will again be central to Glasner’s 3-4-3. With no European distractions, there is scope for a genuine step forward.

The only caveat is the one that always hangs over Forest: owner Evangelos Marinakis and his taste for drama. If he stays out of the way, this could be the season Forest finally look upwards.

Brentford – identity, at last

Last season: 9th

Brentford have spent years being tipped for trouble. Keith Andrews has changed that.

His first season in charge delivered a surge away from the relegation chat and right into the European conversation. They fell just short, but the transformation in how they see themselves – and how others see them – was stark.

Igor Thiago’s 22 goals led the charge, while this summer’s record signing, Mamadou Sangare from Lens, adds drive and bite in midfield after Jordan Henderson’s move to Chelsea. Set-pieces will remain a weapon. Efficiency will remain the obsession. For once, Brentford start a season with clarity rather than doubt.

Leeds United – late bloomers with a platform

Last season: 14th

From December onwards, Leeds were a different team. If the season had started on 1 December 2025, Daniel Farke’s side would have finished 7th. The table doesn’t care about hypotheticals, but the dressing room does. It proved what they can be.

The summer has been targeted rather than flashy. James Trafford arrives to solve the goalkeeping question. Harry Wilson comes in on a free from Fulham to inject creativity. Tarik Muharemovic, a towering centre-back, strengthens an already solid spine.

If Dominic Calvert-Lewin stays fit and builds on last season’s 14-goal revival, Leeds have every right to look up rather than down.

Tottenham – spending their way out of danger?

Last season: 17th

Two straight seasons finishing 17th. Survival only secured on the final day last time out. Tottenham finally heard the alarm.

Roberto De Zerbi has been backed like a man they cannot afford to lose. Only Chelsea have spent more this summer, with Spurs ripping up their midfield and starting again. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes headline a £180m rebuild. At the back, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson look smart, seasoned additions.

The attack still needs work and the injury list remains a constant threat. De Zerbi now has full control and a clear runway, free of European commitments. Expect volatility, fireworks, and some brilliant football. Expect, too, the odd reminder that you cannot fix everything in one window.

Bournemouth – holding the line

Last season: 6th

Bournemouth’s first taste of European qualification came with an obvious priority: keep the band together.

They haven’t quite managed that – Andoni Iraola has gone – but in terms of players, the damage is minimal. Marcos Senesi has left at the end of his contract, yet Alex Scott, Rayan and Junior Kroupi (despite a freak foot injury that will delay his start) are all still in place.

Marco Rose steps in with a style that fits. A disciple of Jurgen Klopp, he favours high pressing and intensity, a natural continuation of Iraola’s work. With a settled squad and an experienced coach, Bournemouth look equipped to enjoy their Europa League debut without surrendering their league position.

Aston Villa – Emery versus the exodus

Last season: 4th

Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph under Unai Emery felt like a culmination. The summer has felt more like a dismantling.

Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne have already left. Emi Martinez could yet follow. On paper, that’s the spine of a dressing room ripped out just as Villa prepare for a second Champions League campaign in three seasons.

Emery, though, is Villa’s real cornerstone. He has started to evolve the squad with the £59.5m signing of Switzerland World Cup star Johan Manzambi and Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Alejandro Garnacho has arrived on loan and will be asked to hit the ground running.

The squad is thinner. The schedule is heavier. But with Emery, Villa still have a manager who specialises in solving problems others can’t see.

Liverpool – a reset with sharp edges

Last season: 5th

Liverpool have rolled the dice again. Out goes Arne Slot, in comes Andoni Iraola, a coach whose teams run, press and harry with ferocious energy.

There is plenty to like. A front line containing Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz should, in theory, be devastating once they settle after uneven debut seasons. Jeremy Jacquet, the £55m centre-back signed in January, impressed in a friendly against Como. Ronald Araujo has arrived on loan.

Yet the old concerns linger. Depth in attack and at full-back still looks thin. Midfield remains a question. Virgil van Dijk, now 35, continues to carry a heavy burden at the back. Liverpool’s expensive pursuit of Bradley Barcola is dragging on, while Hugo Ekitike will miss several more months.

Iraola steps into a club that wants a title challenge but feels short-handed. Early goals from Isak and Wirtz would ease the tension; without them, the doubts will return quickly.

Manchester United – Carrick’s second act

Last season: 3rd

From the moment Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January, Manchester United were transformed. Twelve wins from 18 league games. More points than anyone else in that period. A clear, calm voice after years of noise.

He now has the job full-time on a two-year deal. The question is whether his ideas can withstand a full, brutal season.

United played just 40 matches last year. This time, with the Champions League back on the calendar, the total could push towards 60. Opponents will have time to study Carrick’s patterns; he will have less time on the training ground to tweak them.

Bruno Fernandes remains the talisman, but the squad behind him feels light. Casemiro has gone, and while Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have arrived, there’s a sense United need more if they are to jump from “much improved” to genuine title contenders.

Chelsea – chaos, then clarity?

Last season: 10th

Chelsea hit a historic low last season: Liam Rosenior sacked after three months, the worst league run since 1912, and a fan base exhausted by constant churn.

Then the pieces suddenly aligned.

Xabi Alonso, still one of Europe’s most coveted coaches after leading Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title, arrived at Stamford Bridge. Real Madrid didn’t work out, but his reputation as a tactician and builder remains intact.

On the pitch, Chelsea have gone for quality and experience. Morgan Rogers joins to dovetail with a fit-again Cole Palmer, who returns with a point to prove after missing the World Cup. Jordan Henderson, 36, and Danny Welbeck, 35, represent a striking change of approach from an ownership group previously obsessed with youth.

There is no European football this year. Alonso will have time – real time – to drill his ideas. He will also enjoy a level of authority his predecessors never had. After four years of chaos, Chelsea finally look like a club trying to learn from their mistakes.

Manchester City – life after Pep

Last season: 2nd

No club faces a bigger reset than Manchester City. Ten years of Pep Guardiola have reshaped not only City but the league itself. Now they must move on without him.

Enzo Maresca steps into a dressing room that has also lost its midfield core. Rodri and Bernardo Silva have gone. Elliot Anderson has arrived for £116m after a standout World Cup with England, and 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi – another World Cup breakout – is in the frame, but asking them to replace a Ballon d’Or winner like Rodri is a huge leap.

City are circling Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea for £120m. If that deal doesn’t happen, the squad will look light in the area that defined Guardiola’s dominance.

And yet, Erling Haaland is still there. Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, added last season, have already strengthened the spine. City will not disappear. What will change is the style: Maresca’s ideas will inevitably pull them away from the Guardiola template, just as Arsenal double down on continuity.

Arsenal – the champions with a target on their back

Last season: 1st

Arsenal enter the season as defending champions for the first time in 22 years, with the longest-serving manager in the division and a squad built in Mikel Arteta’s image.

They are the constant in a league of upheaval. Guardiola has gone. City are changing shape. Chelsea and Liverpool are starting again. United are still growing into Carrick. Spurs, Newcastle and others are trying to claw their way back into relevance.

Arsenal, by contrast, know exactly who they are and what they want to be. The question now is not whether they belong at the top, but whether they can stay there while everyone else scrambles to catch up.