With the Premier League season kicking off this Friday (August 15th), now seemed like a good idea to provide a quick preview for every club involved. Where they stand, what to get excited about, what to be worried about, and try and provide a rough prediction on where they could (or should) be finishing.
Burnley
What happened last season?
An excellent season in the Championship saw Burnley chase down Sheffield United in the latter stages of the campaign, pipping them to automatic promotion. This was mostly down to their (literally) unbelievable defence, conceding just 16 goals in 46 matches. They finished in 2nd place, behind Leeds United on goal difference.
Reasons to be cheerful
De-fence, de-fence, de-fence! It’s not necessarily exciting, but teams that are hard to score against always have a chance of staying up. Clearly, head coach Scott Parker has the team well-drilled, and you can expect Burnley to really make opposition teams work hard to create any chances. Plus (and this will sound the complete opposite of ‘cheerful’), nobody thinks Burnley will stay up this season. Having those low expectations will allow them to win points by any means necessary, as well as potentially catch a few teams out. Oh, and Burnley have spent over £107m ($144m) on new recruits this summer.
Reasons to be fearful
That ridiculous defence we mentioned? Well, they’ve lost one of the centre-backs (CJ Egan-Riley to Marseille), as well as goalkeeper James Trafford (to Manchester City, who triggered a ‘buy-back’ clause). Also, you do wonder where the goals will come from. Their top goalscorer last year was a midfielder (Josh Brownhill), and despite investing in strikers Armando Broja (from Chelsea) and Zian Flemming (Millwall), neither are proven goalscorer at this level of competition.
Key signing
Armando Broja. After a couple of underwhelming loan spells at Fulham and Everton, the Slough-born Albanian will be desperate to play regularly again. Hopefully, once he’s back into his rhythm, he can find the goals that can help Burnley stay in the division.
Predicted finish: Relegation battle
In the last 2 seasons, all 6 promoted clubs have been immediately relegated again. It’s going to take an almighty effort to break that pattern, but Burnley’s defence could be the difference.
Chelsea
What happened last season?
A pretty consistent season saw Chelsea finish 4th in the Premier League, and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. They also became the first club to win all European trophies, beating Real Betis the Conference League final. Oh, and they won the expanded Club World Cup this summer too.
Reasons to be cheerful
For the first time under the ‘new’ ownership, Chelsea seem to have found consistency. The “unusual” transfer policy of recent years looks to finally be coming good, they have a clear tactical identity under head coach Enzo Maresca, and they beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. They’ve made another 8 signings, some of whom are among the most exciting youngsters in world football, and have multiple options in every single position. They even get to have their club crest in gold, thanks to that CWC win.
Reasons to be fearful
Levi Colwill, probably their best centre-back, will miss the majority of the season, after suffering a cruciate ligament tear. Though they have plenty of depth in their squad, centre-back is the one position where they lack top quality players. Plus, despite being in European competition last season, attempting to balance both the Premier League and Champions League will inevitably put pressure on this young side.
Key signing
João Pedro. Though Nicolas Jackson performed well last season, he wasn’t the consistent goalscorer that Chelsea needed. Pedro’s link-up play and technical ability should fit seamlessly into the side (as proven by his performances in the Club World Cup), but unlike Jackson, he looks to be a superb finisher.
Predicted finish: European qualification
Another season finishing in the top 5, while having a decent Champions League campaign, will be further proof of Chelsea’s newfound consistency. Having a demanding European campaign, coupled with such a young squad, is probably the only thing preventing a real title challenge.
Crystal Palace
What happened last season?
In short, Palace‘s best season ever. Yes, they finished 12th in the Premier League (their previous finishes were: 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 14th, 12th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 10th, and 11th, so fairly standard consistent!) BUT they also won their first ever major trophy, beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Reasons to be cheerful
See above. Plus, several of their squad are the envy of some of the biggest clubs in Europe (Mark Guehi, Adam Wharton, Eberezi Eze. Plus plus, they just beat reigning Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties in the Community Shield. Plus plus plus, because of their FA Cup triumph, they’ll be competing in a European competition for only the 2nd time in their history.
Reasons to be fearful
See above. How on Earth do you follow-up your best season ever? The opportunity for fans to go on European away trips will be wonderful, but even that will have a slightly bitter feeling to it. Winning the FA Cup would normally grant entry to the Europa League, but Palace were demoted to the Conference League, after a UEFA ruling on a breach of multi-club ownership (regarding former minority owner John Textor, who also has controlling shares in Lyon, another team in the Europa League).
Plus, club captain Guehi is into the final year of his contract, and Eze has been heavily linked with a move away this summer. Plus plus, despite being in Europe, Palace have only delved into the transfer market for a back-up goalkeeper and left-back so far. Do they have a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts?
Key signing
Whoever replaces Guehi and/or Eze, should either/both leave.
Predicted finish: Bottom half
They have the quality to stay away from any relegation battle, though a European adventure might stretch the squad a bit thin.
Everton
What happened last season?
Initially, it looked like Everton were in trouble, being only 1 point above relegation at the start of 2025. After replacing Sean Dyche with former Everton manager David Moyes, the Toffees recovered to finish in 13th position; a massive 23 points clear of the relegation zone.
Reasons to be cheerful
After several years of financial mis-management and relegation near-misses, Everton fans have an awful lot to be optimistic about. New owners, a new stadium, and an Everton legend returning as head coach. They’ve been able to invest freely in the playing squad, for the first time in several seasons. They even get to keep their iconic former stadium, Goodison Park, after the Friedkin Group announced plans to have the women’s team play their home matches there.
Reasons to be fearful
Not much, really. The only fear is that, because Everton fans have become so used to their side struggling, they revert back to their formerly cynical, pessimistic selves if the season doesn’t start well.
Key signing
Jack Grealish. It was only a couple of seasons ago that Grealish was practically undroppable for Manchester City, as he helped Pep Guardiola’s side to an historic treble (Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League). Though he fell out of favour last season, there’s no reason to think that his quality has diminished. The dream for Everton would be for him to return to how he played while at Aston Villa, before he earned his £100m move to Manchester.
Predicted finish: Mid-table
A season spent far away from any relegation battle will be a step in the right direction.
Fulham
What happened last season?
The Cottagers had an excellent start to the season, and found themselves among several clubs chasing one of the European places. As the season reached its conclusion, Fulham’s form became inconsistent, and they eventually finished 11th (just 2 points behind Bournemouth in 9th). They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, losing to eventual winners Crystal Palace.
Reasons to be cheerful
Marco Silva has done an excellent job at Fulham since taking over in 2021, and while he’s at the helm, fans will remain calm. None of their squad have been linked with a move away either (apart from Leeds United bidding for Rodrigo Muniz), so it’s very much “as you were” for Fulham.
Reasons to be fearful
Marco Silva is into the final year of his contract. The only new player they’ve signed is a back-up goalkeeper. If nobody is bidding for the players, maybe it’s because none of them are particularly high-level? It does seem like Silva has done a great job with an average squad, and fans are right to be worried about what happens after Silva goes (whenever that may be).
Key signing
Someone. Anyone.
Predicted finish: Bottom half
There’s continuity, and then there’s stagnation. Without any signings for the first-team, it feels like the latter.
