The English Premier League season is nearly upon us, so it’s time to take stock of all 20 teams. There’s still plenty of time to come in the transfer window, but right now, these are the five Premier League futures you need to hop on ASAP.
Don't miss out on these Premier League odds!
1. Premier League winner — Arsenal
(+185 at Betano)
It never feels right betting against Man City — especially when it comes to winning the Premier League title. However, it feels like something has changed in Manchester. We’re now into the final season of Pep Guardiola’s contract and it's unclear whether he’ll remain with the club.
There are two principal concerns: firstly, have they done enough business? Savinho has signed from Troyes, and the young Brazilian is promising, but it’s not clear if he’s the player that enhances the team. They’ve also sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid and have yet to put that money to use.
They’ve also made a habit of poor starts recently. Losing all of their preseason games isn’t a big deal, but with players still yet to play following the Euro and Copa America, they can’t afford to start slow and rely on themselves to go nuclear post-Christmas again.
Then there's the question about the 115 charges hanging over their heads, with a decision from the Premier League potentially impacting them.
Arsenal finished just two points clear of Man City last season and have a younger team in terms of key players. The signing of Riccardo Calafiori will only strengthen what was the Premier League’s best defense last season, and you could argue the return of Jurrien Timber from injury is almost a new signing too.
One could argue Arsenal still need a true striker, however, they look to have gained mental resilience in the past few campaigns and they'll be the ones to take advantage should Guardiola’s team fail to maintain their exceptional standards.
2. Top goalscorer — Dominic Solanke
(+3,400 at Betano)
Erling Haaland has dominated the Premier League goalscoring charts, picking up the Golden Boot in both seasons. Yet, at odds of -182, I simply can’t back the Norwegian. There are too many variables, such as the risk of injury or a drop in form for either him or his team. After looking through the market, one player has caught my eye.
That man is Dominic Solanke. The English striker missed out on a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros after an incredible season for Bournemouth, scoring 19 EPL goals. That made him joint-fourth in the goalscoring charts and he’s been rewarded with a big-money move to Tottenham.
Tottenham were a joy to watch last season, full of attacking flair. With Son Heung-Min likely moving to the left flank to make room for Solanke, it leaves a trio of Son, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski.
That’s a huge step up from Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo. With Ange Postecoglou’s attacking principles and an exciting line behind him, there’s gigantic value on Solanke to win the Golden Boot at +3,400.
3. Southampton to finish Bottom 3
(+125 at Betano)
We saw all three promoted sides go straight back down to the Championship last season, and in truth, there’s a very high likelihood of it happening again.
Leicester (-250) are the best equipped to stay up in theory but have a new manager and lost Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Ipswich (-143) were last season’s fairytale, but they simply aren't ready for the EPL. Then there’s Southampton, who offer the biggest odds of any of the three promoted teams in terms of getting relegated.
Ben Brereton-Diaz impressed on loan at Sheffield United last season and will help them get goals alongside Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes (both on loan last year) but the other signings aren’t hugely impressive.
They finished fourth in the Championship last season, and with the prospect of Armel Bella-Kotchap leaving for the Bundesliga, their squad lacks real top-class talent. The Premier League is the toughest league on the planet, and it's clear the promoted teams' lack of quality was ultimately the reason they went down.
4. Manchester United to finish Top 4
(+200 at Betano)
Besides Man City and Arsenal, the battle to finish in the Top 4 and claim Champions League action is a tough one. Liverpool and Chelsea have both seen new managers come in over the summer and might struggle to hit the ground running, while Spurs’ attacking style of player is too naive and will cost them a Top-4 spot.
Aston Villa are surely set for regression, especially given the demands of playing in the Champions League each week. That has me looking at Manchester United. Bruno Fernandes has signed a new deal, which is key to their hopes. They’ve also signed Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna and he’ll add creativity in the final third.
Then there are the defensive transfers, with Leny Yoro a hugely-rated youngster. He’ll sadly miss the first three months of the season following injury in preseason, but the imminent arrivals of Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs De Ligt will only strengthen that backline.
United played well in last weekend’s Community Shield, and young talents Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo look primed to take a huge step forward this season.
A solid defensive platform — something they’ve not had under Erik ten Hag yet — could finally give him the base on which he can get this team to play his style. If it clicks, this team could far exceed people’s expectations — potentially even getting close to the league title.
5. Head-to-head finish: Chelsea vs. Manchester United — Manchester United
(+100 at Betano)
I’ve already covered what we can expect from the Red Devils, but what about Chelsea?
They struggled at the start of last season before really coming together down the stretch and looking like one of the league’s better teams. The club then rewarded Mauricio Pochettino’s work by firing him, a decision that will look even more foolish as this season progresses.
He’s been replaced by Enzo Maresca, who only just got his Leicester City team to limp over the finish line and win the Championship despite having an incredibly good squad for that level. The preseason results have been poor, and then there’s the chaotic transfer strategy.
Chelsea have already signed 11 players this summer, with more on the way to add to the ridiculous amount the club has already spent under Todd Boehly.
They currently have over 50 senior players on their books, something which is simply at odds with creating a functioning, happy environment. For every great signing in Cole Palmer, there have been countless others who have been an outrageous waste of money — such as Carney Chukwuemeka or Mykhailo Mudryk.
It's not possible for any manager to bed in so many new players while also balancing many personalities in the squad when only 11 can start each game. It’s an insane strategy for a club and one that would see any manager fail — especially one such as Maresca, who hasn’t demonstrated why he got the job.
United’s new ownership seems to have finally forced the club into a smarter way of thinking, while Chelsea are doing the opposite. That will play out on the pitch, with Manchester United being the better of the two come the end of the season.
