PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Manchester City

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool

Last season

Despite a Champions League semi-final appearance, last season was ultimately one of disappointment for the Blues. A lighting fast start saw pundits blown away with the early form, but this quickly faded, leaving City floundering behind Leicester and challenging with their city rivals for the final Champions League spot, something only confirmed on the final day. A League Cup victory was scant consolation for the money invested, and the club's form following the announcement of Pep Guardiola's arrival will have concerned fans.

Backroom setup
As mentioned, in February 2016, Manuel Pellegrini made the announcement that Pep Guardiola, widely considered the greatest manager in the world, would be taking over at the Etihad in the summer. However, this had a dramatic impact on the club's form, with City falling from title contention to narrowly avoiding missing out on Champions League football. Guardiola's appointment was the end result of a long programme by City, which includes recent hirings of Barcelona' backroom staff, including Tiki Begiristain as Director of Football.

Pre-season
Guardiola has suffered a stop-start pre-season campaign, but the majority of their matches have been against clubs of the highest standard. City started with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Guardiola's old club Bayern Munich, before they embarked on their International Champions Cup campaign. After much debate over whether Guardiola would shake the hand of new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho before their meeting, it all ended in an anti-climax as the match was abandoned due to bad weather.

However, Pep did manage to secure his first win with a 6-5 penalty shootout victory over Borussia Dortmund, following a 1-1 draw in normal time - a Sergio Aguero goal cancelled out by a last minute Christian Pulisic strike. Their final game was arguably their most disappointing, with a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal perhaps the most indicative of City's quality against their English rivals.

Squad and signings
After a slow start, City's activity has kicked into top gear in recent weeks, with seven signings to date. Youth has been a key focus for the club, with Spanish winger Nolito, signed from Celta Vigo for £13m, the only player over the age of 25. Ilkay Gundogan, the Dortmund central midfielder, became the first Guardiola signing for just £20m, while City made use of their links with Australian club Melbourne City to sign Aaron Mooy. With the only other signing, the young winger Aleksandr Zinchenko from Russian side Ufa, announced as we moved into August, the club has burst into life with a trio of signings in the space of four days. Winger Leroy Sane was signed from Schalke for £37m, while both Gabriel Jesus and Marlos Moreno joined from South America for a combined £31m.

The largest signing was, typically for City, English, with young centre back John Stones snared for an estimated £47.5m. While certainly an expensive purchase, much has been made of his likeness to past centre-back in Pep Guardiola's previous teams, including Gerard Pique - not faint praise indeed!

Despite the disappointment of last season, there have been relatively few outgoings from the club, despite many, including myself, predicting an exodus at the Blues. To date, only Martin Demichelis and Richard Wright have been released, as Guardiola seemingly looks to revive the fortunes of many of the current squad including Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling and Jesus Navas. While the omission of Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony and Eliaquim Mangala has led to speculation over their futures, little concrete has been discussed.

Tactics
As Fabian Delph has pointed out in interviews, Guardiola has already had a significant impact on the playing style of the squad, with an increased emphasis on keeping possession and moving the ball around quickly. With players of the quality of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne on the ball, it's not like he hasn't got the talent to apply this, but it will be more interesting to see how City do without the ball, as it is defensively where they have often been found wanting.

Predictions
With youth being the key focus for the Blues so far this year, I just get the feeling this may be one step too far for a title win this season. They'll likely run the eventual winners close, but may have to settle for second. Expect them to only get stronger and stronger over the next three years, as Guardiola looks to replicate the success he had at Barcelona.

Final position: 2nd

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Liverpool

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City

Last season
A Europa League final cannot be considered a disappointment when it comes to the opening season of Jurgen Klopp, but a lot will rest on the German's ability to improve the club's league form. Since the near-title winning team of 2014, Liverpool have been on a decline, costing Brendan Rodgers his job. Last year was no different, with the Reds managing only an 8th place finish, despite an upturn since Klopp's appointment.

Backroom setup
Jurgen Klopp takes charge of his first full Premier League season, following huge success in the German league with Borussia Dortmund. He, as well as his coaches, will be looking to stamp his style on the squad, as well as making additions that work within his personal style.

Pre-season
2016/17 started with a hugely successful tour of the UK, with the Reds winning all four of their pre-season games without conceding a goal. While the argument could certainly be made that the quality of their opposition is questionable, it would no doubt have provided some much-needed confidence ahead of their appearance in the International Champions Cup. Wins against Tranmere Rovers (1-0), Fleetwood Town (5-0), Wigan Athletic (2-0) and Huddersfield Town (2-0) will have been pleasing for  Klopp, as well as the form of Danny Ings and Roberto Firmino, with two goals each.

The real challenge began with the later matches, with three games in their seven day stay in the United States. This began with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in a tetchy match, which saw a red card for Cesc Fabregas after a horror tackle on new signing Ragnar Klavan. However, the Reds bounced back with a comfortable 2-0 win over AC Milan, with goals from Origi and Firmino, before finishing with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to AS Roma.

However, Liverpool's best performance came in their penultimate pre-season game, as Barcelona visited Wembley Stadium to take on the Reds. However, the Catalans will have left the UK with their tails firmly between their legs, as Liverpool ran riot to win 4-0, setting them up perfectly for their opening league game. While a completely changed 11 lost by the same scoreline to Mainz 24 hours later, I don't see this being a significant bump to their momentum.

Squad and signings
It's already been a busy summer for Jurgen Klopp, as he looks to stamp his authority on his Liverpool squad. More than £65m has already been spent, with big-money moves for Premier League stars Sadio Mane (£34m) and Georgina Wijnaldum (£25m) from Southampton and Newcastle respectively, while Klopp has also raided the Bundesliga for cheaper buys. Centre-back from Klavan was bought from Augsburg for £4.2m, while Liverpool's goalkeeping options have been expanded with the signings of Loris Karius from Mainz for £4.7m and Alex Manninger for free from Augsburg. Finally, Joel Matip was also brought in from the Bundesliga on a free to complete the defensive lineup.

They have been able to recoup nearly £50m through the sale of a number of their young stars. In particular, Bournemouth shelled out a combined £21m for Jordon Ibe and Brad Smith, while Jerome Sinclair exited for Watford in a £4m deal. On top of that, both Joe Allen and Martin Skrtel were deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield, drawing valuations of £13m and £5m respectively.

Tactics
Pass and move is what it's going to be about this year, as Klopp will look to exploit the ability and vision of his midfield players, including James Milner, Phillipe Coutinho Wijnaldum, Henderson and Mane. Expect the Reds to also use width to get Mane and Daniel Sturridge in behind, and Christian Benteke may find himself able to gather a few more goals from crosses.

Predictions

While Liverpool have the manager to challenge the upper echelons of the division, they do not yet have the squad capable, in my opinion. Their biggest signings have been of mid-table players, paying huge sums, which would seem to indicate their ambitions for this year. They certainly have the potential for the coming years, but this may be yet another 'development' season for the Reds. I do still think they will beat their Merseyside rivals.

Final position: 6th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Leicester City

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City

Last season
The greatest shock in sporting history. Everyone, including myself, said they couldn't keep it up, that they would fold under the pressure. However, this just seemed to galvanise Claudio Ranieri's team, with the likes of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante catching the eye with their consistency and flair.

In the end, they ran out comfortable winners, leading Arsenal by 10 points to claim their first league title in their history, and ensure Gary Lineker does the first Match of the Day in his underwear this season!

Backroom setup

Unsurprisingly, the Leicester board decided to keep Ranieri on this year, as well as the majority of his backroom staff. However, they did suffer a blow, seeing talent spotter Steve Walsh, behind the signings of some of their title-winning stars, poached by Everton.

Pre-season
A relatively short pre-season for the champions, but certainly testing! While they started and ended with relatively easier fixtures, with a 2-1 win against Oxford United and a XX over Chesterfield, they did have the season-opening Charity Shield match against Manchester United to contend with. However, in the middle was the little matter of the International Champions Cup, starting with a narrow 6-5 penalties win over Celtic after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes.

The latter two games were daunting, however, with Paris Saint Germain teaching the Foxes a footballing lesson in a 4-0 thrashing. They did put on a better showing in a 4-2 defeat against Barcelona, but were again exposed as inexperienced at the highest level, which will make their inaugural Champions League season an interesting one.

The Foxes' pre-season came to a close with the Charity Shield match against Manchester United. Despite a valient showing, the Foxes were on the back foot for the entirety of the game, with a Marouane Fellaini mistake enabling Jamie Vardy the opportunity to level at 1-1. However, a late Zlatan Ibrahimovic header meant that they didn't hold on, sinking to a 2-1 defeat.

Squad and signings

Most importantly for Leicester was retaining the talent that managed to get them to the title last year. While they have lost N'Golo Kante to Chelsea for £32m, both Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez opted against joining Arsenal to remain with the Foxes.

In addition, Ranieri looked to strengthen further, bringing in a number of strong names from around Europe. Before the window had barely begun, Leicester had announced the signing of German goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler to challenge Kasper Schmeichel for the number 1 spot. Defenders Luis Hernandez and Napalys Mendy joined for free and £13m respectively from Sporting Gijon and Nice, while there were attacking reinforcements in Raul Rubio, Bartosz Kaputska and Ahmed Musa, again breaking the Foxes transfer record.

However, the main question is are these signings of a high enough quality to keep the Premier League's giants at bay this year?

Tactics
As champions, the Foxes will go into this season with just as much confidence, so the same tactics are likely to apply. Expect Leicester to avoid the ball more often than not, and look to provide counter-attacks with blistering speed. The signing of Musa will certainly aid in this, with the pace to rival Jamie Vardy, as well as providing the ideal foil for Riyad Mahrez.

Predictions
Can the Foxes shock the world again? In my opinion, no. They will certainly command greater respect than at the start of last year, but I would expect to see Leicester fall back into the upper mid-table, with a challenge for Europa League football probably the best they can expect. With an increasingly congested fixture list thanks to the Champions League, I just don't think the squad is deep enough to compete with the top teams, and will see them consolidate their status this year.

Final position: 7th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Hull City

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton

Last season
After a disappointing relegation from the top division, as many teams do, Hull struggled to come to grips with the fast paced and unpredictable nature of the Championship. However, having put together a strong run of form in the middle of the year, the Tigers found themselves firmly in the relegation shake-up, fading slightly to finish in the playoffs.

Having narrowly dispatched Derby 3-2, despite having a 3-0 lead from the first leg, Hull travelled to Wembley for the most valuable match in football against Sheffield Wednesday. Despite a tense encounter, the Tigers secured a 1-0 win thanks to Mohamed Diame, ensuring an immediate return to the top tier.

Backroom setup
Following this success, and the resignation of Roy Hodgson as England manager, Steve Bruce found himself on the shortlist for the next national coach. Naturally, this turned the head of the Englishman, publicly stating so in interviews. However, soon he would find that far from securing the England job, he actually didn't have a club role, with differences with the board seeing him leave Hull.

With Mike Phelan taking caretaker control of the Tigers for the start of the season, he must see it as a great job application to get off to a good start in the Premier League, but a poor one could be extremely damaging, both to his and the club's return.

Pre-season
Despite the uncertainty surrounding their manager, the Hull team have enjoyed a successful pre-season, though it must be said that the majority of their matches have involved teams well below their level. Starting with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Grimsby, Hull have since secured wins against North Ferriby United (2-0), Mansfield Town (1-0), Scunthorpe United (2-0) and Nottingham Forest (2-1), with another draw against Barnsley (2-2).

However, their greatest challenges came in their last two games. Having travelled to Austria, the Tigers made the trip worth it with an excellent 3-1 win over Turkish side Caykur Rizaspor, with Abel Hernandez netting a brace. However, in arguably their most difficult test, they came up short against Torino in a narrow 2-1 defeat.

Squad and signings
Not much to report as yet in all honesty. Just Will Mannion from AFC Wimbledon in, and just Sone Aluko and Ryan Taylor released, while Mohamed Diame made a £4m move to Newcastle. Surely they'll make something happen in the next few weeks when the next manager is appointed?

Tactics
Without a new manager, it's difficult to say how Hull will play, but given that the majority of the side remain from that relegated the season before last, they have to do something differently. Using the pace of Abel Hernandez may have an advantage, but you do fear for the Tigers without any clear direction.

Predictions

Uncertainty is a form killer, and if you don't have any idea about how to get form in the first place, it may well destroy the club's momentum before the season even begins. Regardless of who is brought in, two weeks is nowhere near enough time to put together a team, so expect a sluggish start. Let's just hope it's not terminal.

Final position: 19th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Everton

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea

Last season
Overall, it's another year of disappointment for the Goodison Park faithful, who felt that the 11th place return did not represent the potential of the squad - 13 points behind their city rivals. Though the club did reach the semi-finals of both the League and FA Cups, losing out narrowly to both Manchester clubs, Roberto Martinez was deemed surplus to requirements after poor league form.

Backroom setup
As mentioned, Martinez, who enjoyed an outstanding first season at Everton, finishing 5th, could not survive the second 11th place finish in two years. However, Bill Kenwright moved quickly to replace the Spaniard, bringing in Ronald Koeman from Southampton for an estimated fee of £5m. The Dutchman had enjoyed a hugely successful year at the Saints, and had demonstrated his ability to sign players with a relatively small budget, securing the signings of the likes of Sadio Mane, Dusan Tadic, Graziano Pelle and Fraser Forster.

In addition, the Toffees pulled off a coup, poaching the Leicester talent spotter Steve Walsh, behind some of the key individuals at the heart of their Premier League success: N'Golo Kante, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.

Pre-season
The Koeman era certainly got off to a strong start, with successive victories against Czech side Jablonec, Barnsley and the MK Dons, conceding just one goal and scoring seven. However, their pre-season has hit the buffers in recent matches, with two games in Dresden yielding a draw and a defeat to Real Betis and Dynamo Dresden respectively. However, Gerard Deulofeu's early form will have pleased Koeman, with three goals in four games putting him in a good place for the start of the season.

The final games will have done little to lighten the mood at Goodison. I think the best thing I can say about the Wayne Rooney testimonial is that Everton played in it, while they finished their pre-season with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Espanyol. With no win in four, it's hardly the form Everton will be looking for to start the year!

Squad and signings
Bubbling but not yet reached the boiling. With just the signings of Dutch international Maarten Stekelenburg and Idrissa Gueye to show for their efforts so far in terms of first team players, I'm convinced that more will be coming over the next few weeks. There have been strong links to both Ashley Williams and Yannick Bolasie over recent days, which indicates their intention, but they will be keen to get something completed quickly to bed them in.

However, as with so many mid-table Premier League clubs, much will depend on the outgoings. To date, Everton have looked to clear out many of the ageing stars that have carried them through the last five seasons, with Tim Howard returning to America with the Colorado Rapids, and Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert and Steven Pienaar all being shown the door. With John Stones also making a £47.5m switch to Manchester City, Everton now have plenty of funds to play with, so expect some fireworks over the coming weeks as the club look to take advantage.

Tactics
It will be interesting to see how Everton's on field play changes with the appointment of Koeman. There are certainly similarities with the Dutchman's Southampton side, with a number of flair midfielders and a big target man of a striker. We may see Ross Barkley given more freedom to become a Sadio Mane type attacking midfielder, while Lukaku will likely be given less balls to run onto and more heading to do as Lennon and Deulofeu look to whip crosses in. In addition, Baines and Coleman are likely to be given even more license to get forward to mirror Cedric and Bertrand for the Saints last year.

Predictions
There is no doubt that Everton have the talent to break into the top 10 consistently, and now they have a manager capable of taking them there. However, I would have to say that they need to make a couple of solid additions before their squad is complete - if they make them I may revise this, but I'm going in the lower reaches of the top 10 for the first Koeman season.

Final position: 8th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Chelsea

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace

Last season
An absolute disaster. The 2014/15 champions suffered one of the worst title defences of all time, struggling around the relegation zone for the first six months of the season. Having released Jose Mourinho for the second time, the team steadied under the stewardship of Guus Hiddink, eventually finishing tenth. With no other success in cup competitions, including a disappointing Champions League campaign.

Backroom setup

After 12 months of turbulence, with firstly Jose Mourinho and then Guus Hiddink as managers. With the latter always a short-term replacement, the club knew that the summer was going to be crucial. With many of their rivals also making managerial appointments, Chelsea needed someone high profile. Antonio Conte fit the bill perfectly, but it will be interesting to see whether the players deal with his tough-talking technique.

Pre-season
Before entering into the International Champions Cup, set to really provide a stern challenge, the Blues took a tour of Austria to warm up. However, no-one told Rapid Wien to go easy, with Chelsea suffering a 2-0 defeat in their first game. Though this was a youthful side, it was hardly the ideal start for Conte. Nevertheless, successive strong victories without conceding would follow, beating Wolfsberger 3-0 and unknown quantity Atus Ferlach 8-0, with Pedro, Remy, Mikel and new signing Michy Batshuayi all on target.

The International Champions Cup saw the Blues pitted against Liverpool, Real Madrid and AC Milan. Though Chelsea scored early to get the best of their Premier League rivals in a feisty 1-0 win, they struggled to get to grips with a weakened Madrid side, going 3-0 down early thanks to goals from Marcelo and Mariano. Though Hazard pulled two back in the late stages, they couldn't fight back. There was better news from their final two games, with successive wins over AC Milan (3-1) and Werder Bremen (4-2) putting the Blues in a strong position for the start of the season.

Squad and signings

As with behind the scenes, there have been changes to the Chelsea squad, though not perhaps as many as some were expecting. There have been big money moves for both Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante, who performed so admirably for Leicester in their title win last season, both valued at around £30m, with the only exits a number of loans. However, with the aberration of last year for the Blues, I would expect to see more comings and goings from Stamford Bridge in the remainder of the window.

Tactics
Conte has been synonymous with strong physical players during his time as Italian coach, and has seemed to favour a 3-5-2 formation. Whether he will translate that to Chelsea is unclear, though his intent to keep Juan Cuadrado, who had seemed on his way out just a few months ago, perhaps highlights that he could be keeping this tactic in his back pocket if it is required. Much more will be expected of both Fabregas and Hazard as a creative force this year if Chelsea are to be successful.

Predictions

Simply, there is no way that Chelsea can be as bad this year as they were last. While form is temporary, class is permanent, and without the distraction of the Champions League this season, I would fully expect to see them challenging towards the top few places. I still feel that they are lagging slightly behind both Manchester clubs in terms of quality, but I think they will cement their place as best of the rest this season, and may put together a more cohesive push next term.

Final position: 3rd

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Crystal Palace

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley

Last season
After a start that promised much, the 2015/16 league season will go down as a great disappointment for the Eagles, ending in 15th place, despite the presence of stars like Yannick Bolasie, Wilfried Zaha and Yohan Cabaye. Though Alan Pardew will point to two visits to Wembley in the FA Cup, narrowly missing out to Manchester United, an improvement in the league will be required this year.

Backroom setup
Despite the vacant England post undoubtedly turning his head, Palace retain the services of Alan Pardew, with coaches and other backroom staff remaining the same.

Pre-season
I think the best way to describe the six warm-up matches is underwhelming. Just three wins yielded from these games, against US second division side Cincinnati and at English lower league sides Colchester and AFC Wimbledon, the latter pair by just the single goal. The Eagles' tour of the US also contained two games against MLS teams, with draws against Vancouver Whitecaps and Philadelphia Union.

Despite a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Fulham, who narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship last year, the pre-season ended well for the London club, picking up wins against Bromley and, most impressively, Valencia as they built some much needed momentum.

Squad and signings
It's been a real clearing out job at Crystal Palace, with a number of old mainstays either being released or sold. Top of the bill is the £10m sale of Dwight Gayle to recently relegated Newcastle, with free transfers for Adrian Mariappa, Marouane Chamakh, Emmanuel Adebayor and Brede Hangeland.

In their place, the scouts at Palace have more than done their job with a couple of excellent signings. James Tomkins, the captain of West Ham United, was recruited for £10m, while Andros Townsend moved from Newcastle in a £13m deal. The best, however, was the free transfer of ex-France international goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, who is certainly more than capable of saving a few points!

Tactics
With the signing of Townsend, as well as the plethora of wingers already at the club, with the likes of Bolasie, Zaha and Puncheon, it would come as little surprise that I feel that utilising the width will bring the greatest reward for Palace. While Cabaye will continue to pull the strings in the middle of the park, it will be up to those flair players to create the majority of the chances and goals. However, they could use a 20-25 goal a season striker, as Connor Wickham and Fraizer Campbell aren't quite there.

Predictions

While the signings of Mandanda and Tomkins will sure up the defensive side, I'm not convinced that Palace have the attacking threat to chase a place in Europe. While I don't think they'll have the same distractions as last season, they're not going to be the Leicester of this year. I do think they'll keep some way from relegation this time.

Final position: 11th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Burnley

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth

Last season
Burnley return to the Premier League after a hugely successful Championship season, claiming the title by five points. In particular, Andre Gray was a revelation at that level, claiming the Golden Boot by some margin, with an impressive total of 25 goals.

Backroom setup
As was to be expected, nothing to report following the promotion, with Sean Dyche retaining his position as manager, and the backroom staff remaining largely the same as the club looks to maintain the strong performance that took them to the title.

Pre-season
Unusually, with two weeks until the start of the season, Burnley have completed all of their pre-season matches, with the vast majority of them in the UK. Even more pleasing for the clarets will be that they've gone unbeaten during the five matches played, with Andre Gray in outsanding form. Starting with a double in Burnley's 3-1 win in France at Stade Nyonnais, Gray has scored eight goals in the five matches, including a hat trick in the final match at Ibrox in the 3-1 win.

Sandwiched between these results were a 1-1 draw at Morecambe, a 4-1 win at Bradford and a 2-1 win at Bolton. All lower league opposition, but building momentum nonetheless. Expect Turf Moor to be a fortress on the opening day against Swansea.

Squad and signings

Much has been made of the money floating around in football now, and while it has become obscene, you now have to spend money to make money. Sean Dyche clearly feels he doesn't have that option, with his thinly veiled criticism of the club's owners, suggesting that the money to make signings is not available to him. So far, he has made three signings - the duo of Nick Pope and Johann Gudmundsson from Charlton Athletic, recently relegated from the Championship, as well as youngster Jimmy Dunne from Manchester United - hardly groundbreaking!

In fairness, at least they have managed to keep the majority of the side that got them there, releasing a number of ageing stars and losing both Joey Barton and Matt Gilks to Rangers. But is a Championship quality side capable of keeping pace in the Premier League?

Tactics
I think in order to compete on the highest level, Burnley may have to mix their tactics up, reverting to the old traditional English methods of long ball football. Making Turf Moor somewhere that no-one wants to visit is key, and using Tony Pulis's Stoke as a style to replicate would be best, assuming they don't find the money to invest in some flair players.

Predictions

As is the case with any promoted team, home form is going to be crucial. However, despite the form of Andre Gray, who will inevitably go through a lean spell in the Premier League at some point, I just don't think Burnley have the financial or playing quality to keep their heads above water. While this season will certainly line the coffers at Turf Moor, I don't see them staying for another one.

Final position: 20th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Bournemouth

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal

Last season

An overwhelming success for their first season in the Premier League, Bournemouth more than held their own in the country's top league. A number of high profile scalps, including Manchester United at home, led the Cherries to a respectable 16th place, five clear of the relegation zone and five below 11th.

Backroom setup
Despite rumours that England came calling for Eddie Howe (which I would definitely have liked more than Sam Allardyce - sorry Bournemouth fans!), it's no change at the Vitality Stadium. The league's youngest manager remains in charge to handle the tricky second season.

Pre-season
Five pre-season matches for the Cherries to prepare for the new Premier League, starting with a resounding 4-0 win against US second division side Minnesota United in the USA. Both Callum Wilson and Lewis Grabban hit the target with an own goal taking Bournemouth to a comfortable win. Their following match back on English soil was less comfortable, however. A thrilling South Coast derby with Portsmouth saw both teams hold the lead, with Portsmouth rescuing a draw in the final moments.

While Bournemouth would remain unbeaten throughout the remainder of their warm-up games, every win would be punctuated with draws. A trip to the Madejski Stadium led to a 1-1 draw, before a narrow victory over Cardiff. While the Cherries did draw their final game, it was against Valencia, so they can certainly enter into the new season with some confidence.

Squad and signings
The most important thing, as for many of the lower-mid table Premier League teams, is to avoid losing their top stars. On the whole, Bournemouth have done exactly that. Though they've lost both Matt Richie and Tommy Elphick to relegated Newcastle and Aston Villa respectively, they've recouped more than enough to fund some serious transfers of their own.

The headline move was for Liverpool's Jordon Ibe, with a £15m tag potentially pricey. Youth has certainly been the order of the day for the Cherries, adding Liverpool's Brad Smith, Lewis Cook from Leeds, as well as Nathan Ake on loan. In total, Bournemouth have signed eight players, with none over the age of 25.

Tactics
With the second season traditionally tricky, I hope Bournemouth continue to play the same attacking football that earned them such praise last year. I think they will, and the width provided by Max Gradel and Jordon Ibe is likely to play a crucial role, with full backs Ake and the returning Tyrone Mings to provide support on the overlap.

Predictions

As we have seen time and time again with recently promoted teams, the second season syndrome is real. I feel that while I enjoy Bournemouth's attacking football, the inexperience in the squad in terms of Premier League football could lead them into a nervous situation, and it will take real heart to get them out of it. I think they will, but just.

Final position: 17th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Arsenal

Following arguably the most surprising Premier League season in the history of the competition, I thought I'd test my predictive powers on the upcoming year. In this series, I will profile the clubs involved in this season, covering the big summer changes, expected tactics, and recent performance, before making a judgement on the team as a whole.

I'll start my roundup with Arsenal.

Last season
Despite the club achieving its highest finish for more than a decade, securing the 2nd spot on the final day by pipping local rivals Tottenham, last season still goes down as a disappointment for Arsene Wenger's men, finishing 10 points behind champions Leicester. With their main title rivals all failing to maintain any consistency, it was seen as Arsenal's biggest chance to win their first championship since 2004. Throw in disappointing exits to both the FA Cup and Champions League, and there were once again calls for the head of the manager.

Backroom changes
Despite the pressure being put on him, Wenger has endured to start his 21st season at the helm of the Gunners. In line with that, there have not been all that many changes at the Emirates off the pitch, with the only news to emerge from the club that legend Thierry Henry would leave his role as under-18s coach to focus on his punditry career.

Pre-season
Just the four fixtures for the Arsenal squad to warm themselves up, with the planned fixture against French side Lens abandoned due to the terrorist atrocities seen. Of the matches played, the Gunners saw a narrow 2-1 win over the MLS All-Stars, with youngster Chuba Akpom adding to a Joel Campbell goal late on.

The Gunners have maintained a strong momentum heading into the Premier League, with convincing wins over Guadalajara, Viking and, most impressively, Manchester City, with the latter a 3-2 thriller in Gothenburg.

Squad and Signings
With stupid sums of money flying around this summer, it came as no surprise to anyone that Wenger announced he would not be spending large amounts on transfers this summer, with the £35m signing of Swiss international Granit Xhaka expected to be the most expensive move. In addition to this headline signing, Arsenal have added youngsters Takuma Asano and Rob Holding from Hiroshima Sanfrecce and Bolton Wanderers respectively.

However, their largest exploits have yet to come off, with approaches for both Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez being given the cold shoulder by the individuals.

In terms of exits, Arsenal fans will be pleased that there have been no significant departures, with the releases of ageing stars Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky the most high profile, as well as a few loans.

Tactics
Exactly the same as it has been the last 20 seasons, namely, quick pass and move football on a slick surface. With Olivier Giroud still the main striker, expect to see some long balls for the Frenchman to hold up when the team is under pressure.

Prediction
While pundits like Martin Keown and Ian Wright will once again proclaim that 'this just feels like Arsenal's year', I just don't see it. The fact that they feel unable to keep up financially with their rivals tells you that they are not in the same fight. For me, it seems set to be another North London competition, but this time for a place in the Champions League rather than the title. As they have done so often in the past, it's a battle I see the Gunners winning.

Final position: 4th