2022-23 Premier League Preview and Predictions
It’s time: the Premier League is back.
In celebration of the top-flight’s return, West Ham+ 19 is hopping on the bandwagon to offer a full preview and prediction of the upcoming season — albeit with a twist.
Below, the Premier League is split into six tiers: the title fight, Spurs, the battle for fourth, best of the rest, mid-table mediocrity, and the relegation battle. Clubs ranked in the same tier are forecast to finish within five-to-seven points of each another.
With that in mind, let’s dive into 2022-23 — it promises to be a thrilling season.
The Title Fight:
As it stands, it’s impossible to imagine anything other than a two-way scrap at the top between Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. They are the class of the division and both made statement signings this summer.
(C) 1st, Liverpool: After narrowly missing out on the title last term, Klopp & Co. are desperate to stop City’s streak. It’s been a busy summer in Merseyside, with Darwin Núñez, Calvin Ramsay, and Fábio Carvalho replacing Sadio Mané, Divock Origi, and Takumi Minamino at Anfield. Mohamed Salah also signed a contract extension and has expressed his desire to retire as a Red.
In combination with Núñez, Salah holds the key to Liverpool’s title charge. He scored 23 times last season and stands to benefit from Klopp’s decision to move away from a false nine towards a more conventional forward.
(UCL) 2nd, Manchester City: According to Sam Lee of The Athletic, Guardiola is concerned about the balance of City’s squad heading into the start of the season. His anxiety is understandable.
The reigning champions were out of sorts in the Community Shield, lacking the fluency that has so often propelled them to success. If they don’t hit the ground running, it will cost them the title — the bar is that high.
Spurs, Just Chilling:
Weird, isn’t it? Antonio Conte and his Spurs team seem to be in a league of their own. They’re a long way off the pace set by the top two but have separated themselves from the rest of the Superleague Six with some shrewd business.
(UCL) 3rd, Tottenham Hotspur: After beating their North London rivals to a fourth-place finish last season, Spurs have added serious quality to their squad over the summer. Ivan Perišić, Richarlison, and Yves Bissouma are smart additions that will help Conte implement his 3-4-3.
There’s also a different vibe around Spurs this time around, mainly because Harry Kane is settled and the occupant of Tottenham’s dugout isn’t at war with the board. Serene, for now.
The Battle For Fourth:
It’s so often the case that the race for fourth descends into a catalogue of high-profile errors. This time around, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United fit the bill.
(UCL) 4th, Arsenal: The Gunners are another year older, wiser, and more experienced. They also have a competent centre-forward (Gabriel Jesus), master utility man (Oleksandr Zinchenko), and top-class centre-back (William Saliba) joining the squad.
For the first time in a while, Arsenal aren’t the top six’s crisis club. Mikel Arteta must capitalise on that stability and deliver Champions League football to the Emirates as a result.
(UEL) 5th, Chelsea: Is Thomas Tuchel starting to feel the pressure? He was an outspoken critic of his team’s performances in pre-season, especially after their 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal.
Moreover, the West London club still has work to do in the transfer market. With Timo Werner out of favour and Romelu Lukaku on loan at Inter, Tuchel needs help in attack.
Raheem Sterling is a savvy buy. Kalidou Koulibaly is made for the Premier League. The return of Broja and Connor Gallagher also comes as a boost. But do the Blues have enough in the tank to stay in the Champions League places?
(UEL) 6th, Manchester United: Really, Old Trafford is in a shambles. Despite hiring a very talented coach, Manchester United will remain a spinning mess until Cristiano Ronaldo departs.
However, the Red Devils have made some nice signings: Lisandro Martinez is doing it for all the short kings out there, while Christian Eriksen adds press resistance in midfield.
United are on the right path with Ten Hag, but they face a bumpy start due to a lack of striking depth and a 37-year-old’s temper tantrum.
Best of the Rest?
Qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League: it’s the stuff of dreams, isn’t it? This season’s fight for seventh could feature as many as five clubs, with the middle pack strengthening during the offseason.
(UECL) 7th, West Ham: Few managers have enjoyed a resurgence quite like David Moyes. His reputation was in the gutter after failed assignments with Sunderland and Real Sociedad, but you wouldn’t know it now. He’s the man in Stratford.
Keeping hold of Declan Rice is a major achievement for the Hammers. The 23-year-old is happy at the London Stadium and excited to get started as the club’s full-time captain.
West Ham have also made impressive moves in the summer transfer window, signing Gianluca Scamacca (an actual wonderkid!) and Nayef Aguerd with first-team roles in mind.
They also have added Alphonse Areola — who will scrap for the starter’s job with Lukasz Fabianski — and Flynn Downes — who will start out as a depth piece.
Mark Noble’s retirement is a blow (not least to my heart) but the club remains in strong spirits.
Per The Athletic, Maxwel Cornet is on the cusp of completing a £17.5 million transfer to West Ham, possibly as a replacement for Besiktas loanee Arthur Masuku. If the deal is completed, it could spell a shift towards a back five in Stratford.
In sum, this might be the best West Ham squad in the club’s 126-year history. They remain best of the rest and serious contenders to win the Europa Conference League.
8th, Crystal Palace: Patrick Vieira’s tricky Eagles look strong this year.
Crystal Palace have improved at centre-back and in central midfield with the signings of Chris Richards and Cheick Doucouré. Michael Olise is also another year wiser and set for a breakout campaign.
Vieira made impressive progress in his debut season in South London. If that progress continues, a top-half finish beckons.
9th, Newcastle United: After narrowly missing out on a top-ten finish last season, Newcastle United should reach the promised land this term.
Eddie Howe’s biggest achievement in 2021-22 was shifting Joelinton from centre-forward to central midfield. He can play, apparently.
Sven Botman, Nick Pope, and Matthew Targett are eye-catching signings, but rebuilds take time and Newcastle’s has only just started. They’re in for a decent season.
10th, Aston Villa: Steven Gerrard is onto a winner with Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos. They are floor raisers for Aston Villa, lifting them into the mid-table clique.
11th, Brighton & Hove Albion: If not for Marc Cucurella’s imminent transfer to Chelsea, Brighton would be shoe-ins for a top-nine finish. However, the Spaniard’s exit is a significant blow and will hamper Albion in the opening weeks of the season.
Mid-Table Mediocrity:
Finishing between 12th and 14th is the footballing equivalent of ordering a pepperoni pizza and asking them to take the pepperoni off. It’s boring safety and that’s what Leeds United, Wolves, and Brentford are in for this season. Pepperoni-less pizza.
12th, Leeds United: Following the sales of Kalvin Phillips and Raphina, a new-look side will take to the field at Elland Road this season. But it isn’t all bad news.
Jesse Marsch has re-invested into his squad with several shrewd signings, including a pair of American midfielders in Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson. He’s also added Spanish pivot Marc Roca and Danish full-back Rasmus Kristensen.
Related: Tyler Adams: The American Midfielder Headed For Elland Road
Leeds could do with an injection in quality in attack (Patrick Bamford can only play so many games) but they have more than enough quality to stay above the relegation fight.
13th, Wolves: It’s been a quiet summer at Molineux, the kind that precipitates a downward spiral. With Bruno Lage shifting to a back four, Wolves are in for a bumpy ride.
14th, Brentford: Losing Christian Eriksen to Manchester United is a blow, but it isn’t enough to knock Brentford off course. Thomas Frank has built solid foundations at the Community Stadium; his planning will see them through.
The Relegation Battle:
Fighting for Premier League survival is an awful experience. There’s nothing worse than constantly checking the rearview mirror, wishing defeat upon fellow strugglers. But that’s the reality facing six clubs this season.
15th, Leicester: Brendan Rodgers is the third-favourite to “win” the sack race for a reason. The Foxes haven’t signed anyone, sold captain Kasper Schmeichel to Nice, and could yet lose Wesley Fofana to Chelsea.
Rodgers has been very vocal about wanting to strengthen his team. With that said, it’s been a very strange summer at the King Power.
16th, Everton: Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s pre-season injury has raised Everton’s level-of-concern-ometer several degrees. Frank Lampard hasn’t replaced Richarlison and blasted his team after a 4-0 loss to Minnesota United in pre-season. Cagey.
However, Everton should have just about enough to survive, especially if they sign Amadou Onana and Connor Coady. It won’t be convincing, though.
17th, Bournemouth: Survival for the Cherries! Scott Parker is often accused of setting up his teams to play with the handbrake on, but that will do Bournemouth good this season.
Related: How Bournemouth Returned to the Premier League under Scott Parker
Parker has an intriguing squad at his disposal. Dominic Solanke returns to the Premier League as a much better footballer than how he left. Mark Travers, albeit unproven in the top-flight, is a quality goalkeeper. Trust the process.
(R) 18th, Southampton: Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side finished 2021-22 five points above the trap door. They might not be so lucky this time around. Southampton haven’t added any game-changers to their line-up this summer, placing their faith in young newcomers Sékou Mara and Roméo Lavia instead.
Squeaky bum time.
(R) 19th, Fulham: Marco Silva’s team won the Championship at a canter last season, rarely found themselves behind in matches, and cruised to promotion.
But the Premier League is a different kettle of fish and Fulham’s expansive playing style will come back to bite them this season. João Palhinha, Andreas Pereira, Kevin Mbabu, and Bernd Leno are smart signings but untested in relegation fights.
By a whisker, Fulham will be relegated.
(R) 20th, Nottingham Forest: There has been plenty of talk about Nottingham Forest signing a million new players, but this isn’t a typical ‘newly promoted club throws money at survival’ situation:
Even so, it’s reasonable to have reservations about a team that has undergone a substantial transformation in such a short space of time.
Steve Cooper is a very talented coach. Forest have made several impressive signings. But have they done enough to secure Premier League survival? Maybe not, but — unlike in previous years — the points difference between 20th and 15th will be slim.