Adrian Clarke analyses how three big teams who endured difficult seasons in 2022/23 can bounce back.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
38 | +15 | 75 |
| 4 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
38 | +35 | 71 |
| 5 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
38 | +28 | 67 |
| 6 |
Brighton
BHA
|
38 | +19 | 62 |
| 7 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
38 | +5 | 61 |
| 8 |
Spurs
TOT
|
38 | +7 | 60 |
Chelsea
Scoring just 38 times last season, Chelsea’s lowest ever Premier League goal haul, new head coach Mauricio Pochettino has no option but to make the Blues a significantly more potent attacking force in 2023/24.
Across the last 10 years, no one has qualified for the UEFA Champions League with fewer than 58 goals, so a sizeable improvement is needed.
Chelsea’s stripped-back squad does look younger and more athletic, which is a plus. The searing pace of Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk will give them much-needed penetration up top, and fellow newcomer Christopher Nkunku also boasts impressive running power.
Keeping influential full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James fit for sustained periods would also help the cause. Without their combined dynamism down the flanks, Pochettino’s inverted wide men could clog up the central areas.
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Stable team selection is also a must if the Blues are to push for a top-four or five finish. A total of 31 players made starts for Chelsea during a 2022/23 season that saw them heavily rotate in a bid to keep their array of big-name players happy.
To push their principle rivals this time around, they need to develop a far stronger team mentality and build consistent partnerships on the pitch.
Pochettino is smart enough to know what he needs to do.
Tottenham Hotspur
Eight Premier League sides averaged a greater share of possession than Spurs last season, and that sacrifice to play in a certain style did them no favours whatsoever.
Over-reliant on fast counter-attacks, set-pieces and lethal finishing, they simply didn’t have enough of the ball to ease the pressure on their defence or get their outstanding forwards involved in the match often enough.
That must and will change under new head coach Ange Postecoglou.
See: Will Postecoglou's bold approach rejuvenate Spurs?
Defensively, Spurs still do not look robust enough to cope with lengthy periods of sustained pressure, so the Australian will work hard on improving the way they defend from the front.
Last season, their passiveness just invited unnecessary pressure. By the end, Spurs had faced 396 shots in open play. That’s the same figure as relegated Leicester City, and a higher tally than the other two sides who went down.
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Given those numbers, it was little surprise they conceded 51 goals in open play – the third-worst record in the entire league.
Postecoglou will demand that his players take control of matches in a far more assertive manner under his regime, and through aggressive pressing he will also make them tougher to play against.
Those are the key changes which have to happen if Spurs are to have a chance of reclaiming a place in the top four.
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp’s side lost eight of their 19 away matches last season, ending a frustrating campaign in fixtures away from Anfield, with a goal difference of minus one.
To avoid suffering a repeat in 2023/24, Liverpool have to be more resilient and employ smarter game management on the road.
While the Reds finished strongly to ultimately claim fifth place, sluggish starts were another theme of their season.
They conceded the first goal in almost half of their matches (16 out of 38), leaving themselves with too many uphill battles to challenge Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table.
Their average points total from matches where they led 1-0 up was a league-high 2.72. However, when they fell 1-0 down, Liverpool picked up just 0.88 points per match. Mentally, their players have to be significantly more focused from the start.
Pushing Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield as an inverted full-back was a tactical switch that gave Liverpool more control and improved their fortunes. Seeing that style of play develop will be interesting, but Klopp still has to develop a formula that limits their exposure to counter-attacks.
When Liverpool are in top form their ceiling is extraordinarily high. It’s the unexpected off days that need to be cut out in the season ahead.
Also in this series
Part 1: Can promoted clubs repeat feats of 2022/23 sides and all stay up?
Part 2: How will six of last season's strugglers fare in 2023/24?
Part 4: What do disruptors need to do to maintain progress?