Ahead of the new Premier League season starting on Saturday, Metro Sport takes a look at the top-flight teams, dividing them into the title contenders, clubs with European ambitions and those likely to face a relegation dogfight.
Will anyone be able to dethrone champions Manchester City?
Can Louis van Gaal rescue Manchester United from their plight?
Will Arsene Wenger add again to Arsenal’s trophy cabinet?
Can Liverpool continue their form from last season?
And will Southampton be battling the drop after their summer fire sale?
Here’s what we think…
CHELSEA
Major ins: Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid, £32m), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona, £27m), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid, £15.8m), Mario Pasalic (Hajduk Split, £2.4m – has joined Spanish side Elche on a season-long loan), Didier Drogba (Galatasaray).
Major outs: David Luiz (Paris Saint-Germain, £50m), Romelu Lukaku (Everton, £28m), Demba Ba (Besiktas, £4.7m), Ashley Cole (Roma, free), Frank Lampard (New York, free), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton, loan), Gael Kakuta (Rayo Vallecano, loan), Oriol Romeu (Stuttgart, loan), Samuel Eto’o, Henrique Hilario, Mark Schwarzer (all released).
The boss: Controversial, antagonistic, arrogant – whatever your opinion of Jose Mourinho there’s no denying he is a brilliant manager who delivers the goods.
Verdict: Chelsea could win multiple trophies and are the ones to beat in the title race.
Last season: Third
Prediction: Champions
MAN CITY
Major ins: Eliaquim Mangala (Porto, £32m), Fernando (Porto, £12m), Willy Caballero (Malaga, £6m), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal, free), Frank Lampard (New York, loan).
Major outs: Jack Rodwell (Sunderland, £10m), Gareth Barry (Everton, £1m), Costel Pantilimon (Sunderland), Joleon Lescott (released).
Key man: The drive and goals from midfield of Yaya Toure are one of the major reasons why City are defending their crown.
The Boss: Manuel Pellegrini enjoyed a stellar first season in English football but maintaining such lofty standards will not be easy.
Verdict: City can retain their title if key players, especially Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany, remain healthy. However, that is a big IF.
Last season: Champions
Prediction: Second
ARSENAL
Major ins: Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona, £35m), Calum Chambers (Southampton, £16m), Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle, £12m), David Ospina (Nice, £3m).
Major outs: Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona, £15m), Johan Djourou (Hamburg, £2.5m), Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea), Bacary Sagna (Man City), Carl Jenkinson (West Ham, loan). Nicklas Bendtner (released), Park Chu-Young (released).
Key man: Per Mertesacker needs to maintain his fine form to avoid the costly dropped points of last season.
The Boss: Arsene Wenger is one of the best in the business and after winning the FA Cup last season, is heading in the right direction again.
Verdict: Some solid summer signings but further improvements may be needed before they win a first league title since 2004.
Last season: Fourth
Prediction: Third
LIVERPOOL
Major ins: Adam Lallana (Southampton, £25m), Dejan Lovren (Southampton, £20m), Lazar Markovic (Benfica, £20m), Divock Origi (Lille, £10m, loaned back), Emre Can (Bayer Leverkusen, £9.75m), Rickie Lambert (Southampton, £4m).
Major outs: Luis Suarez (Barcelona, £75m), Pepe Reina (Bayern Munich, undisclosed), Iago Aspas (Sevilla, loan), Andre Wisdom (West Brom, loan).
Key man: Steven Gerrard remains the glue which holds Liverpool together and his drive can inspire the Reds to another high-flying campaign.
The Boss: Brendan Rodgers must find a way to keep Liverpool competing at the top now they have the added demands of Champions League football.
Verdict: Liverpool have to overcome the big hit of losing key man Luis Suarez but should still finish in the top four.
Last season: Second
Prediction: Fourth
MAN UNITED
Major ins: Luke Shaw (Southampton, £30m), Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao, £28.8m), Vanja Milinkovic (FK Vojvodina, undisclosed, loaned back).
Out: Alexander Buttner (Dynamo Moscow, £4.4m), Patrice Evra (Juventus, £1.2m), Bebe (Benfica, £2.25m), Federico Macheda (Cardiff City), Nemanja Vidic (Inter Milan), Rio Ferdinand (QPR).
Key man: United could fire if Robin van Persie is the predatory poacher of two terms ago rather than last season’s injury-hit finisher.
The Boss: Louis van Gaal has the ego to keep even Jose Mourinho in his shadow.
Verdict: No European distractions should aid United’s top-four bid but their defence may cost them dear.
Last season: Seventh
This season: Fifth
TOTTENHAM
Major ins: Ben Davies (Swansea City, £8m plus swap), Michel Vorm (Swansea City, £4.5m), Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon, £4m), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle, undisclosed).
Outs: Jake Livermore (Hull City, £8m), Iago Falque (Genoa, £4m), Heurelho Gomes (Watford), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea, swap).
Key man: If Roberto Soldado shows why Spurs paid £26m for his finishing, it could be an exciting season at White Hart Lane.
The boss: Mauricio Pochettino has been brought in to provide entertaining football, with a trophy and a top-four finish.
Verdict: A real battle to regain Champions League football but could win silver if last year’s big-money recruits finally settle in.
Last season: Sixth
Prediction: Sixth
EVERTON
Major ins: Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea, £28m), Muhamed Besic (Ferencvaros, £4m), Gareth Barry (Manchester City, £1m), Brendan Galloway (MK Dons, Undisclosed).
Major outs: Magaye Gueye (Millwall), John Lundstram (Blackpool, loan).
Key man: The Toffees sent out a signal of intent by splashing a huge fee on Lukaku. He should repay them with goals galore.
The Boss: Roberto Martinez can continue last season’s excellent work.
Verdict: It should be another entertaining season at Goodison Park but a place in Europe may be beyond their reach.
Last season: Fifth
Prediction: Seventh
NEWCASTLE
Major ins: Remy Cabella (Montpellier, £12m), Karl Darlow, Jamaal Lascelles (N Forest, £7m total, loaned back), Emmanuel Riviere (Monaco, £5m), Siem de Jong (Ajax, £6m), Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord, £5m), Ayoze Perez (Tenerife, £1.5m), Jack Colback (Sunderland), Facundo Ferreyra (Shakhtar Donetsk, loan).
Major outs: Mathieu Debuchy (Arsenal, £12m), Dan Gosling (Bournemouth), Shola Ameobi (Gaziantep).
Key man: Remy Cabella can provide much-needed spark.
The Boss: At odds with the fans and the board, but Alan Pardew can keep the Magpies hovering around mid-table.
Verdict: Could be on the fringes of a Europa League place.
Last season: Tenth
Prediction: Eighth
STOKE
Major ins: Bojan Krkic (Barcelona, £3m), Dionatan Teixeira (Banska Bystrica, Undisclosed), Mame Biram Diouf (Hannover 96), Phil Bardsley (Sunderland), Steve Sidwell (Fulham).
Major outs: Michael Kightly (Burnley, Undisclosed), Matthew Etherington (released).
Key man: Ryan Shawcross is the embodiment of Stoke’s spirit and a big reason behind their improvement.
The Boss: Mark Hughes has his critics but he has done a good job at the Britannia Stadium so far.
Verdict: Solid club, should finish in the top half.
Last season: Ninth
Prediction: Ninth
SUNDERLAND
Major ins: Jack Rodwell (Manchester City, £10m), Patrick van Aanholt (Chelsea, undisclosed), Jordi Gomez (Wigan Athletic), Billy Jones (West Brom), Costel Pantilimon (Manchester City), Santiago Vergini (Estudiantes, loan).
Outs: Ignacio Scocco (Newell’s Old Boys, £2.1m), Phil Bardsley (Stoke City), Jack Colback (Newcastle United), Craig Gardner (West Brom), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Carlos Cuellar (released), David Vaughan (released).
Key man: Connor Wickham’s goals clawed the Black Cats out of trouble last season and will be vital once again.
The boss: Gus Poyet showed he belongs in the top flight by steering the Wearside club to safety last season and can repeat that magic.
Verdict: Sunderland look a cut above the division’s newcomers at this level so they should be safe.
Last season: 14th
Prediction: Tenth
HULL CITY
Major ins: Jake Livermore (Tottenham, £8m), Robert Snodgrass (Norwich, £7m), Andrew Robertson (Dundee United, £2.85m), Tom Ince (Blackpool, undisclosed), Karim Rossi (Stoke City).
Major outs: Matty Fryatt (Nottingham Forest), Paul McElroy (Sheffield Wednes-day), Cameron Stewart (Ipswich Town).
Key man: Tom Huddlestone can pull the strings from midfield to help the Tigers tear apart many of the weaker teams.
The Boss: Steve Bruce will relish the challenge of the Europa League while maintaining Hull’s presence in the top flight’s middle order.
Verdict: Hull are part of the Premier League furniture and should remain so for the foreseeable future. The one question mark is over how they will cope with the demands of Europa League football if they qualify for the group stages.
Last season: 16th
Prediction: 11th
CRYSTAL PALACE
Major ins: Fraizer Campbell (Cardiff City, £900,000), Chris Kettings (Blackpool), Brede Hangeland (Fulham).
Major outs: Jose Campana (Sampdoria, £1.4m), Neil Alexander (Hearts), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Cardiff), Dean Moxey (Bolton), Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City), Danny Gabbidon (released).
Key man: The fans were Palace’s 12th man last season and their support will again be crucial if the Eagles are to become a top- half team this time.
The boss: Tony Pulis produced a miracle to keep the Eagles up after taking over when they were bottom.
Verdict: Palace may lack star power but it is a tribute to Pulis’ success that they are barely mentioned in discussions about this season’s relegation slog.
Last season: 11th
Prediction: 12th
SWANSEA
Major ins: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Tottenham, swap), Jefferson Montero (Monarcas Morelia, £4m), Marvin Emnes (Middlesbrough, £1.5m), Stephen Kingsley (Falkirk, undisclosed), Lukasz Fabianski (Arsenal, free), Bafetimbi Gomis (Lyon, free).
Major outs: Michel Vorm (Tottenham, £4.5m), Chico Flores (Lekhwiya SC, undisclosed), Alejandro Pozuelo (Rayo Vallecano, undisclosed), Leroy Lita (Barnsley), Michu (Napoli, loan), David Ngog (released).
Key man: Wilfried Bony is a bona fide top-flight finisher and must be kept at the Liberty Stadium.
The boss: Garry Monk is still cutting his teeth as a manager and school is still out over his ability at this standard.
Verdict: A tough year for the Jacks after losing a number of key players but they have enough about them to survive.
Last season: 12th
Prediction: 13th
WEST HAM
Major ins: Enner Valencia (Pachuca, £12m), Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich Town, £3.75m), Cheikhou Kouyate (Anderlecht, undisclosed), Mauro Zarate (Velez Sarsfield, undisclosed), Diego Poyet (Charlton Athletic, compensation), Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal, loan).
Major outs: Joe Cole (Aston Villa), Matt Taylor (Burnley), Jack Collison (released), Alou Diarra (released), George McCartney (released).
Key man: Andy Carroll needs to make a swift return from injury and start scoring on a consistent basis to help the Hammers climb the table.
The boss: A chaotic pre-season has kept Sam Allardyce under pressure and he’s the bookies’ favourite to be the first top-flight manager to lose his job.
Verdict: They probably do have the resources to prolong their stay in the top flight for another season.
Last season: 13th
Prediction: 14th
QPR
Major ins: Steven Caulker (Cardiff, £8.5m), Jordon Mutch (Cardiff, £6m), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United, free), Mauricio Isla (Juventus, loan).
Major outs: Yossi Benayoun (Maccabi Haifa, undisclosed), Esteban Granero (Real Sociedad, undisclosed), Tom Hitchcock (MK Dons), Aaron Hughes (Brighton, free), Gary O’Neil (Norwich, free), Andrew Johnson (released), Stephane Mbia (released).
Key man: If Ferdinand still has some spring in his ageing legs, he can form a defensive partnership with Steven Caulker which can keep the Hoops out of trouble.
The boss: Harry Redknapp knows the Premier League inside out and Rangers are fortunate to have such an experienced manager at the helm, along with Glenn Hoddle as a coach.
Verdict: QPR may be up against it this season but Harry can use his guile to prevent them becoming a yoyo club.
Last season: Won Championship play-offs.
Prediction: 15th
ASTON VILLA
Major ins: Joe Cole (West Ham), Aly Cissokho (Valencia, undisclosed), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Kieran Richardson (Fulham).
Major outs: Jordan Bowery (Rotherham, £250,000), Marc Albrighton (Leicester), Nathan Delfouneso (Blackpool), Nicklas Helenius (Aalborg, loan), Yacouba Sylla (Erciyesspor, loan), Antonio Luna (Verona, loan).
Key man: The goals of Christian Benteke will be pivotal.
The boss: A flying start is probably needed if Paul Lambert is to avoid the axe but he has the talent to keep Villa out of trouble.
Verdict: A proud club in a right old mess with little investment as owner Randy Lerner seeks a buyer. Staying up will be a big achievement.
Last season: 15th
Prediction: 16th
LEICESTER CITY
Major ins: Leonardo Ulloa (Brighton, £8m), Matthew Upson (Brighton), Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa).
Major outs: Lloyd Dyer (Watford), George Taft (Burton), Zak Whitbread (Derby), Neil Danns (Bolton), Paul Gallagher (Preston, loan), Sean St Ledger (released).
Key man: Matthew Upson will need to summon every bit of his vast experience to hold City’s defence together.
The boss: Nigel Pearson did well to take the Foxes to the Championship title last season and hopefully the City board will remember that during this season’s inevitable struggles.
Verdict: Leicester may lack the firepower to survive at this level.
Last season: Championship winners
Prediction: 17th
SOUTHAMPTON
Major ins: Dusan Tadic (FC Twente, £10.9m), Fraser Forster (Celtic, £10m), Graziano Pelle (Feyenoord, £9m), Saphir Taider (Inter Milan, swap), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea, loan).
Major outs: Luke Shaw (Manchester United, £30m), Adam Lallana (Liverpool, £25m), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool, £20m), Calum Chambers (Arsenal, £16m), Rickie Lambert (Liverpool, £4m), Dani Osvaldo (Inter Milan, swap), Guly do Prado (released).
Key man: Dusan Tadic is expected to replace the ingenuity of the departed Adam Lallana.
The boss: Ronald Koeman faces an enormous task to keep the south coast club out of serious trouble.
Verdict: A turbulent summer looks like turning into a winter of discontent with Southampton struggling to overcome the mass exodus of their best players.
Last season: Eighth
Prediction: 18th
WEST BROM
Major ins: Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kiev, £10m), Cristian Gamboa (Rosenborg, £1.8m), Sebastien Pocognoli (Hannover 96, £1.5m), Jason Davidson (Heracles Almelo, Undisclosed), Chris Baird (Burnley), Craig Gardner (Sunderland), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), Andre Wisdom (Liverpool, loan).
Major outs: George Thorne (Derby, £2m), Billy Jones (Sunderland), Liam Ridgewell (Portland Timbers, free), Steven Reid (Burnley, free), Zoltan Gera (released).
Key man: Brown Ideye must live up to his price tag to steer the Baggies out of danger.
The boss: Alan Irvine was a controversial choice and has his work cut out to win over the fans and avoid the drop.
Verdict: It looks like being a prickly campaign at The Hawthorns. West Brom will do well to stay up.
Last season: 17th
Prediction: 19th
BURNLEY
Major ins: Lukas Jutkiewicz (Middlesbrough, £1.5m), Marvin Sordell (Bolton, undisclosed), Michael Kightly (Stoke City, undisclosed), Matt Gilks (Blackpool), Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion), Matt Taylor (West Ham United).
Major outs: David Edgar (Birmingham City), Joseph Mills (Oldham), Junior Stanislas (Bournemouth), Chris Baird (West Brom).
Key man: Danny Ings scored 21 goals as the Clarets gained promotion last season and must continue that form against the elite.
The boss: Sean Dyche has found the going tough in the transfer market and it may be a similar story in the top flight.
Verdict: Burnley will be in deep trouble if their home form is anything but exemplary.
Last season: Second in the Championship
Prediction: 20th