Sporting Life
Sporting Life runs through the top six in the Premier League for the new season
Sporting Life runs through the top six in the Premier League for the new season

Premier League top six preview: In-depth team guides for Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal & Man Utd including fixtures, best bets and latest news

By Sporting Life
Football
Mon August 05, 2019 · 5y ago

We take an in-depth look at the Premier League big guns with a team-by-team rundown of their chances for this season as well as factfiles on each one.

They're the big dogs in the Premier League yard and although several of them have a few questions to answer this season, they will again be dominating the headlines for both good and bad reasons.

The Premier League's big six teams are almost in a league of their own when it comes to size and financial clout, and they will again be the ones under the most scrutiny when the new season kicks off on August 9.

Here's our guide to the big six in the Premier League this season - click the title to see our team guides...

MANCHESTER CITY

Pep Guardiola lifts the Premier League trophy with Manchester City

Manchester City get their defence underway at West Ham as they look to make it three Premier League title wins in a row.

They would become only the second team to do it, after rivals Man United around the turn of the century, and Pep Guardiola's men are odds-on to do so.

They signed midfielder Rodri for a club-record £62.8million from Atletico Madrid, a talented Spanish midfielder who is being tipped as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho.

Left-back Joao Cancelo is expected to arrive from Juventus, with Danilo possibly going the other way, while Fabian Delph and legendary captain Vincent Kompany have left the Etihad.

As well as the Premier League, Guardiola's side also won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup while reaching the last eight of the Champions League and European success will be on their list of goals for 2019/20.

Manchester City specials

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LIVERPOOL

European champions Liverpool are desperate to win the Premier League this season

When you lose once in a Premier League season and collect 97 points but still don't win the title, you have just got to hold your hands up.

Liverpool ran Man City close in the title race last term and they will be determined to go one better.

Champions League success helped soften the blow but their long wait for a Premier League trophy goes on and Jurgen Klopp is relying on the same group to do it for them.

They saw a few fringe players leave, such as Alberto Moreno and Daniel Sturridge, but their water-tight defence remains in place as well as the hard-working midfield and goalscoring attacking trio.

A potential worry for Klopp is that his key players missed a large chunk of pre-season due to international commitments, so it could take his team a little longer to get their match sharpness.

They have a favourable start against newcomers Norwich and will be keen to hit the ground running and to keep within touching distance of their title rivals.

Liverpool specials

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CHELSEA

Can Frank Lampard be a success at Chelsea without Eden Hazard?

It is a season of change for Chelsea as they look to adapt to life under new manager Frank Lampard, while at the same time dealing with a transfer embargo.

The Blues hero made his fairytale return ahead of schedule, after just one season as Derby manager, replacing Maurizio Sarri who left for Juventus, and he will be put under the microscope from the very start.

They do have new faces though despite their transfer embargo, with Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham, the latter two returning from loan spells, all set to figure heavily as they target another top four finish. The huge downside of course is they must also adapt to life without star man Eden Hazard.

As bad as last season may have seemed to Blues fans, on paper it looks pretty good for their first and only campaign under Sarri's management - reaching the Carabao Cup final and beating Tottenham to third place in the Premier League and beating Arsenal in the Europa league final.

Lampard's side have impressed in pre-season and the former midfielder will be hoping they can emulate last season's unbeaten start, which ran to late November.

Chelsea specials

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TOTTENHAM

Tottenham now have everything in place to be a Premier League force

Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham looked like genuine title contenders to Man City and Liverpool for the first half of 2018/19, before a February blip and end of season inconsistency saw them fall off the pace and into fourth.

The campaign will, though, mostly be remembered for starting a new era in their stadium and their incredible Champions League run, which saw them reach the final against all odds.

It ended in defeat to Liverpool, but provided some great memories as they beat Borussia Dortmund, Man City and Ajax in dramatic knockout stages en route to the Madrid showpiece.

They have made just two signings so far. The first was £11million Jack Clarke, a promising youngster who has since been loaned back to Leeds, the second a club-record £55million signing from Lyon in Tanguy Ndombele. The French midfielder looks a promising prospect and it will be hoped that he can help Pochettino's men challenge for the title again.

Spurs specials

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ARSENAL

Unai Emery is starting to bring in his own players at Arsenal

Unai Emery's Arsenal will be hoping to secure a top-four return in the Premier League in 2019/20 after two seasons of Europa League football.

Slowly but surely, the Spaniard's methods are getting across and he has new signings Nicolas Pepe and Dani Ceballos (loan) at his disposal, although they will again be short in defence with Laurent Koscielny wanting out.

Ivory Coast winger Pepe arrived from Lille for a club-record £72million and has been tipped by ex-Southampton defender Jose Fonte, Lille's vice captain, to form a front three as good as Liverpool's.

Gunners fans have been vocal in their frustration with the club's board - the summer budget is reduced and Pepe's deal is reportedly done in installments - and after a season of adapting to life without Arsene Wenger, the expectation will soon be on Emery to deliver.

Arsenal specials

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MANCHESTER UNITED

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now has to prove himself at Manchester United

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer begins his first full season as Manchester United boss after he experience the huge ups and downs of management in just one half of a Premier League campaign last season.

The Norwegian's first summer in charge has been dominated by 'will he, won't he' questions on wantaway duo Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku who, at the time of writing, still remain at Old Trafford.

The signing of the new world's most expensive defender Harry Maguire is a huge late boost for the Red Devils this summer, adding to the signings of £50m defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who looks like a classy addition at right-back from Crystal Palace, as well as £15million winger Dan James from Swansea.

A title charge, realistically, could be too soon but a return to the top four is well within his grasp with the talent available, and with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham all having their own questions to answer as they hope to join the likely top two Man City and Liverpool.

Solskjaer very much has the backing of Red Devils fans, who themselves remain opposed to Ed Woodward's leadership, but splashing out on Maguire may buy both men some valuable time.

With a difficult start against Frank Lampard and Chelsea and top-six hunters Wolves, Solskjaer's side then have a good chance to put a run together and to make a statement to their rivals.

Man United specials

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Odds correct at time of team guide publications

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