After months of waiting, we’re now just a matter of days away from the start of the new Premier League season.
Euro 2020 provided many of us with a summer to remember but now, it’s time to put international football on the backburner in favour of the domestic joy we all seek when watching our clubs from week to week.
The top flight of the English game is looking particularly intriguing with all 20 teams having something to fight for – whether it be the title, a European push, a top-half finish or avoiding the pain of relegation.
The journey begins this weekend and to celebrate that, we’re going to throw out five clubs everyone should be keeping an eye on between now and Sunday night.
Arsenal
Without European football to focus on you’d think there would be a real opportunity for Arsenal to thrive in the Premier League this season. Alas, while Ben White is a nice signing, they haven’t really had the kind of “presence” you’d expect either in pre-season friendlies or the transfer window.
They’ll open up the campaign against Brentford on Friday night in what could serve as a real banana skin.
Aston Villa
Buendia, Young, Bailey, Ings, Tuanzebe.
Those signings alone signal the message that Aston Villa want to put across to the rest of the league in the wake of Jack Grealish’s departure. They enjoyed a respectable 11th place finish last season but as we all know, they were pretty close to a top seven push at one stage.
With a trip to Watford opening up proceedings, the Villa Park faithful should be feeling very confident.
Wolves
Nuno Espirito Santo was a beloved figure at Molineux for many years but after leaving the club with a small squad and a defensive attitude, plenty of supporters are concerned about Wolves’ immediate future under Bruno Lage.
He’s an attack-minded manager but pre-season hasn’t been particularly encouraging, and you can bet they’re going to be tested against FA Cup winners Leicester on Saturday.
Norwich
Norwich City have been given the title of being a “yo-yo club” in recent years and they’ll be desperate to shake that moniker over the next nine months. Their squad has grown in experience and seemingly in confidence after a dominant run to the top of the Championship, and yet they won’t be given a second to celebrate as they gear up for a big clash against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool on Saturday night.
Manchester City
Jack Grealish is the big story for Manchester City fans across the globe right now but when taking a look at the entire landscape of the club, there’s a lot to digest. Pep Guardiola is desperate to win the Champions League crown, they face a barrage of challenges in the title race and their opening game against Tottenham could see them line up against their main target of the summer: Harry Kane.
Featured image credit: Getty
