Arsenal
Last season finish: 3rd
The most attractive team perhaps in the Premier League in terms of playing style. Manager Arsene Wenger sure places a lot of faith on his young fledglings and this reliance on youth - again - may cost them any chances of winning any silverware this season.
Cesc Fabregas, fresh from his Euro 2008 winning exploits, will be heavily called upon. The departures of Flamini and Gilberto may expose the weakness in the engine room; it will be interesting to see how Wenger fill it up.
Wenger signed 2 promising teenagers during the summer in Aaron Ramsey from Cardiff City and Samir Nasri from Marseille. Don't expect too much fireworks from them though, but with Wenger at the helm, he will nurture these youngsters to fruition eventually. Look out for Mexican starlet Carlos Vela who finally got his work permit for this season.
Key man: Cesc Fabregas
___
Aston Villa
Last season finish: 6th
Martin O' Neill managed to keep hold of want-away talismanic captain Gareth Barry. Will Barry be able to keep his focus and stay committed to the cause.
Apart from shrewd signings Curtis Davies (West Brom), Nicky Shorey (Reading), Steven Sidwell (Chelsea) and Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers), this is essentially the same team that finished 6th last season and O'Neill will do well to emulate the same finish. However, the lack of depth in the squad may take its toll on the Villans.
Winger Wayne Routledge will hope to rediscover the form that made him hot property two seasons back while at Crystal Palace.
Key man: Gareth Barry
___
Blackburn Rovers
Last season finish: 7th
One of the toughest teams in the League. Top-flight debutant manager Paul Ince is assigned to fill Mark Hughes' void but already rumours of dissenssion and unrest have creeped out from the dressing room about Ince's managerial style.
Despite this, Blackburn will match the best team on its good day. How many good days will there be remains to be seen. Goal scoring needs to be sharpened. A paltry return of 50 goals in 38 matches hardly make Blackburn an entertaining team.
Santa Cruz is still at the club and Benny McCarthy will hope to be given more playing time this season. Left mid Gamst Pedersen free-kicks will be sources of goals while loan signing Carlos Villanueva, hoping to make his move permanent, tries to make an impression on the opposite wing. Another new signing Paul Robinson (Tottenham H) guards the goal and how he starts will either make or break his international career, look for him to be more confident and assertive in goal. Danny Simpson, on loan from Man Utd, will prove that he can hold his own in the top-flight.
Key man: Santa Cruz
___
Bolton Wanderes
Last season finish: 16th
Scrapped through relegation battle last season after an ill-informed decision to have Sammy Lee lead the club at the start. Current incumbent Gary Megson did well to steer them to safety but the prospects of relegation battle still looms.
Hadji Diouf has moved to Sunderland, controversial he may be, but he does bring flair on the wings.
Expensive signing Swede Johan Elmander top scored at Toulouse in French Ligue last season, can he repeat his exploits at the Reebok stadium? Bolton did only score 36 goals, less than one per game. Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham) is a like-for-like replacement for Ivan Campo (released). Apart from that, Gary Megson has kept intact the core of the team and this could keep them in for another relegation battle.
Captain Kevin Nolan is still at the club, expect him to stagnant further this season at a club that looks jaded and old. Jussi Jaaskelainen is also still at the club. His goalkeeping abilities will be heavily tested even more this season behind a struggling and poor defence.
Key man: Jussi Jaaskelainen
___
Chelsea
Last season finish: 2nd
Luiz Felipe Scolari is the 2nd manager at Chelsea in 2 years. At any other club, this does not bode well for the squad due to the instability the changeover will cause, but at Chelsea, it seems the manager need only pick the team for a match.
What will the world cup winner Brazilian bring to Chelsea? Some fans will hope more of flair and flamboyance perhaps but they will just be happy to score 65 goals (the 2nd lowest among the top 6 last season) again as long as the title is theirs.
New Portugese signings Deco (Barcelona) and Jose Bosingwa indicate a quiet transfer market for the Blues but the squad is still strong. Bosingwa comes with a heavy price tag and will be first choice at right-back but how will Deco fit in a midfield already loaded with Essien, Obi Mikel, Lampard and Ballack? A rotation of players for each game seems the best bet to keep the top players happy.
Key man: Frank Lampard
___
Everton
Last season finish: 5th
One of the league's best team with the best young manager. Consistency, stability, and superb man- & top-level- management are favourable traits at a club striving for success and Everton sure has it. They have been quiet in the transfer market and this may make them content to again finish just behind the top 4.
Other challengers though have beefed up their squad, notably Tottenham Hotspurs and Portsmouth.
If they managed to withold these challengers, the next season will augur even more well for the future. Look out for Tim Cahill
Key man: Tim Cahill
____
Fulham
Last season finish: 17th
Escaped relegation only on the final day last season. As a result manager Roy Hodgson has overhauled the entire squad in an attempt to freshen things up.
Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough) brings plenty of experience in goal. Zoltan Gera (West Brom) attempts to dictate proceedings in the middle of the park and Bobby Zamora (West Ham) needs to produce the goals.
However, Hodgson has also indicated the aim this season is to avoid relegation. A little under-ambitious for a club that has been in the Premier League for a while now. Hardly great news for the fans too.
Heads will roll after another season of mediocrity. Even more so upon relegation.
Key man: Mark Schwarzer
___
Hull
Last season finish: Promoted from the Playoffs
Manager Phil Brown made some decent signings in the summer in a bid to stay up but the top-flight debutant will struggle.
Key man: Phil Brown
___
Liverpool
Last season finish: 4th
Another season for Rafa Benitez, the pressure is on to deliver. Champions' league may be the priority yet again but the Anfield faithful will love nothing better than to wrest the league title and in the process denying the current champions Man Utd overtaking their total title wins.
Robbie Keane (Tottenham H) is the major signing and with Fernando Torres partnering him in attack, Liverpool possessed the most potentially potent attacking partnerhsip in the league. How fast they sizzle will in all likelihood determine the success come the end of the season.
A slow start like last season should never occur again but Benitez has got to start playing his strongest XI week in week out.
Steven Gerrard once again leads Liverpool's title aspirations.
Key man: Steven Gerrard
___
Manchester City
Last season finish: 9th
Thaksin's legal problems with the Thailand judiciary is causing plenty of problems for the club. This does not help new manager Mark Hughes' pre-season preparations for sure.
Brazilian Jo (CSKA Moscow) comes with a huge price tag but is he really worth the price? Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea) comes with a heavy reputation and will want to show his previous employers exactly what they are missing. Alongside prospering Micah Richards, the defence looks strong. Elano attempts to rediscover the early form of last season.
Mark Hughes knows another top ten finish is a possibility. His management skills will be put to the test after excelling at Blackburn Rovers previously. Yet his ability is unquestionable. Man City must keep hold of this man and be patient with him as they should have done with Sven Goran Eriksson who was perhaps a victim of Thaksin's overboard ambitions.
Key man: Elano
___
Manchester United
Last season finish: Champions
Sir Alex Ferguson has built his 3rd great side of his managerial career. Nothing will slow down the Red Devils' as long as they keep scoring, with or without Ronaldo, and defending, with Vidic, Ferdinand and Van Der Sar keeping it tight at the back.
Key man: Cristiano Ronaldo
___
Middlesbrough
Last season finish: 13th
The Boro's loyalty to Gareth Southgate is admirable, Southgate must repay that loyalty. Problem is, they are not fashionable enough to attract marquee players, those few seasons that had Ravanelli and Juninho aside. Afonso Alves must deliver in his first full season. The bright spark is that he did it in flashes last season. Another mid-table finish will be considerable success.
Key man: Afonso Alves
___
Newcastle United
Last season finish: 12th
The Geordies had been expected to succeed last season but when they sacked Sam Alladyrce, it shows yet again that Newcastle United is the toughest club to manage. Kevin Keegan returned to much fanfare last season and only managed to instil some belief many games later.
With a full summer of preparation this time around, he will know his squad better.
Attractive football is Keegan's hallmark and as long as Owen, Viduka and Martins can all stay fit in a 3-man forward line, Damien Duff providing assists from the left and the rest of team decently carve out individual performances, the fans will have much to cheer about.
Key man: Michael Owen
____
Portsmouth
Last season finish: 8th
Harry Redknapp has exceeded all expectations and won the FA Cup trophy too. His famous wheeling-and-dealing spin in the transfer markets see Peter Crouch (Liverpool) return for a second spell and with the core of the team still intact apart from the sale of Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan), they look good to again challenge for a European spot.
Key man: Lassana Diarra
___
Stoke City
Last season finish: Promoted automatically from Championship league (2nd)
Dave Kitson is the only major signing, breaking the club transfer record. He has proven his pedigree while at Reading and Stoke fans will hope he can repeat a similar goalscoring prowess.
Too much is being asked of this team though and the fans will only be happy to enjoy a year of top-flight football.
Key man: Dave Kitson
___
Sunderland
Last season finish: 15th
A fairly decent showing for Roy Keane's 1st year as a manager in the top-flight. Fans will want the club to finish even better though. Such is the excess baggage that comes with being a true winner.
Recent shock signings Steed Malbranque (Tottenham H) and El Hadji Diouf (Bolton) inject some amount of unpredictability to the side and if both can combine with Andy Reid, a mid-table finish is achievable.
Key man: Craig Gordon
___
Tottenham Hotspurs
Last season finish: 11th
The busiest club in the transfer market. Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), Giovani Dos Santos (Barcelona) and Gomes (PSV) highlights the Spurs' ambitions and if there is a true dark horse, they are that horse.
Quality oozed all over the pitch and if Juande Ramos, in his 1st full season, can replicate his success at Sevilla, a top 4 spot can be broken.
The departure of Robbie Keane (Liverpool) allows Darren Bent to prove himself, who impressed in pre-season friendlies, and if Berbatov stays happy, unlikely given his desire for silverware at his age (28), the Spurs will be a force to be reckoned with.
Key man: Luka Modric
___
West Brom
Last season finish: Promoted automatically from Championship league (1st)
The yo-yo club in recent years look to stay up a little longer this time around. The strength in depth may be exposed over the long run but if they start well, who is to say they can't survive comfortably.
Scott Carson will want to establish his spot in the England team. Look out for him to stop all shots with aplomb.
Key man: Scott Carson
___
West Ham
Last season finish: 10th
A remarkable 10th place finish for a side beset with various injuries to key players eg Dyer, Upson, Bellamy, Parker, Ashton.
If all stay fit, Alan Curbishley will be rubbing his hands with glee.
Mediocre and inconsistent performances though will derail their ambitions and see them stare at relegation battle.
Dean Ashton will have some decent support from midfield and scoring goals will be his only objective.
Key man: Dean Ashton
___
Wigan
Last season finish: 14th
When Steve Bruce defected from Birmingham City, it was probably the right move but to Wigan?
Relegation looms but if Steve Bruce works the same wonders as he did with Birmingham, then there is no reason why Wigan can't stay up too.
Oliver Kapo did well with Birmingham last season, but with similar set of players at Wigan, he must perform even better as he is undoubtedly Wigan's best player.
Key man: Oliver Kapo
akim - with that let's enjoy more soccer!
