With the 2023/24 Premier League campaign upon us, our pundits give their predictions for this season.
Michael Owen
Champions
I think they will be Manchester City. They’re just a different level to every other team. Man City were Treble winners last year and they're going to do it again.
Top four
I'm going to say Arsenal as well. I don't think there was a fluke about them last season. They've spent incredibly well, really pinpointed three top players already to go into that starting XI.
Chelsea are going to improve and Tottenham Hotspur have got a great manager [Ange Postecoglou]. They're going to be exciting. However, I do think that they might be a team that beat a lot of teams and then might get smashed by one or two teams as well.
With my sensible head on, though, I'm going to go for Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Golden Boot
Top goalscorer will be Erling Haaland, barring any injuries. The safe bet would be to say that Haaland won't break his record, but he's already done incredible things, so I wouldn't put it past him.
Signing of the season
Declan Rice will make a huge impact, and Andre Onana could be a brilliant signing for Man Utd. I'm going to say Rice though. He's going to make a massive difference to Arsenal this season.
Surprise performer
My surprise package are Aston Villa. They could squeeze a place into the Champions League and I'm very confident that they'll be top six. I've been watching them a fair bit last season. Again in pre-season they looked smart. They could be a force to be reckoned with.
Clubs that could underperform
I fear for Fulham a little bit. I don't fear for them going down. They had such a great season and then all of a sudden their main striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic is under pressure, saying he won't play for the club any more. [Joao] Palhinha got an injury in pre-season and a lot of clubs are looking at him, while the manager [Marco Silva] has had interest too.
The other one I'm a little bit nervous about is my team, Liverpool. Losing [James] Milner and [Jordan] Henderson, two integral figures in the dressing-room. The midfield could be totally different to what it has been for many years, with Fabinho leaving too.
It's a bit of a sea change, especially with Trent Alexander-Arnold coming into midfield and players up front that don't really press that well any more.
Looking forward to watching
One player that could have a really good season is Son Heung-min. I know what it feels like to have a hernia problem and try to last out a season until you can get surgery. But with this new manager playing really attacking football, we might see Son back to his best.
Hopes for the season
I hope Liverpool bounce back. Last season was a poor season by their standards but they’re allowed a poor season as they've been amazing for a long time.