Premier League 22/23 Season: Favourites & Outsiders

After a thrilling transfer window, the 22/23 Premier League season promises to be a spectacle.

The “best league in the world” has further cemented that statement with the addition of some star players.

Champions League winner Ivan Perišic joined Tottenham Hotspur and promising talent Darwin Núñez added much-needed firepower to Liverpool after losing Sadio Mané.

Chelsea succeeded in their bid for Raheem Sterling and Manchester United brought in five-time Champions League winner, Casemiro.

The latter also got their main target Antony from Ajax after a summer-long pursuit.

However, the headline that caught everyone’s attention was Erling Haaland moving to Manchester City from Dortmund.

Touted as one of the top two football players in the world, alongside PSG’s Kylian Mbappé, many pundits and fans think Haaland is the missing piece in City’s Champions League ambition.

However, will Haaland also lead City to a comfortable hunt for the Premier League title?

Liverpool are the only team to have given City a run for their money since 2018.

Both Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp have battled tirelessly with Pep coming out on top by just one point in recent seasons.

But, Antonio Conte’s Spurs are also showing extreme promise.

Having led Chelsea to the Premier League and an FA Cup in his two-year stint, the Italian manager knows how to succeed in English football.

Although, the World Cup from November-December, 2022, will also add some pressure, stress and maybe injuries.

So, let’s take a look at the favourites and outsiders in the 22/23 Premier League campaign and if there is an upset on the horizon.

Manchester City

Pundits and professionals have given Manchester City the edge to win the Premier League 22/23 title.

Their acquisition of Haaland just cannot be overlooked. Scoring 10 goals in his first six appearances in the league have confirmed just how monstrous the 22-year-old is.

Described as a “machine”, many believe the Norweigen youngster is what Manchester City have been craving for many years. The need for a “traditional number 9”.

Whilst their performance in the league has not been hindered – showing the teams immense depth and talent – they’re hoping Haaland is the secret key to the Champions League.

His domination of the league after six games has allowed City to achieve 14 points from a possible 18.

However, the side’s impeccable squad depth is a scary thought for those hoping to chase them.

Premier League ‘Player of the Season’ 21/22, Kevin De Bruyne, is a playmaker that will keep City ticking and provide both goals and assists.

They have the Portuguese magician in Bernardo Silva who was pursued by Barcelona in the summer transfer window but stuck with the northern side.

They can also call on the likes of £100 million pound signing, Jack Grealish, silky youngster Phil Foden and their captain and staple midfielder, Ilkay Gündogan.

Not to mention, their 22-year-old summer addition Julián Álvarez. After playing four games for City in the Premier League, the gifted Argentinian has two goals.

One cannot see City having a short supply of goals.

Their only weakness where teams can take advantage is the defence.

Pep does like to change up the back four, only really sticking with João Cancelo at left-back.

Their talisman Rúben Dias has been hit with a few injuries and Nathan Aké is still prone to a mistake as he gets used to life with the 21/22 Champions.

Kyle Walker is called upon for big occasions and John Stones can come up with the goods but needs a strong and reliable partner to aid him in big moments.

Manchester City are not indestructible. Already in the 22/23 season, they have been 3-1 down to Newcastle and 2-0 down against Crystal Palace.

However, it’s their striking power that has salvaged something from those games.

So, it’ll be interesting to see if luck will remain on Pep’s side throughout the season or if teams can keep City’s attacking power at bay.

Liverpool

As Manchester City’s closest rivals, Liverpool have kept a steady foot in the door when challenging for the title.

They lost out on the 21/22 Premier League by one point and only lost two games for the entire campaign.

Jürgen Klopp’s high-pressing side keeps up an unimaginable amount of intensity that’s hard to match by most sides.

And to have this same level of fitness for all the four major competitions Liverpool are a part of deserves praise.

However, the loss of Sadio Mané is huge. Not only does the winger provide goals but he formed a formidable front three with Mohammed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

With that partnership broken, Liverpool honed in on Darwin Núñez. They bought the striker for a staggering £85 million.

With such a huge price tag, many justified why the side spent so much on a relatively overlooked prospect.

Darwin had an astounding performance against Liverpool in a 21/22 Champions League match and many thought that was the game that made Liverpool bid for him.

It’s important to mention that the star was also highly scouted by Manchester United, but opted for their rivals.

Although, the early signs indicate that he has a lot of maturing to do under Klopp.

In just his third game for The Reds, he received a straight red card for headbutting Crystal Palace defender, Joachim Andersen.

But, there’s no denying the young man has talent and an eye for goal.

Tall, powerful, both-footed and pacey, the Urguuayn just needs a bit of time.

Liverpool will again turn to Mo Salah to lead the pack in terms of goals and motivation. Last season’s joint Golden Boot winner will be in and amongst the goals – there’s no debating that.

But, with Mané gone and Firmino deemed to play more of a backup role, Salah will have to adapt to a changing team.

However, one of Liverpool’s players that has been arguable their best signing in the past two years has been Luis Díaz.

The Merseyside club bought Díaz in January 2022, halfway through the 21/22 season. But, his ability since joining the Premier League has been fantastic.

A high-octane player who seems to never fatigue has been a triumph for Liverpool. Speedy, aggressive, skilful and an avid goal threat, many have tipped him as the successor of Mané.

But Liverpool do have an ageing side. Thiago and Henderson are stacking up some injuries after playing a pivotal role for The Reds.

Fabinho has not hit the ground running but this can change as the season progresses.

Their introduction of 19-year-old Harvey Elliot into the midfield has highlighted the lack of Liverpool’s squad depth even further.

However, the youngster has held his own and been one of the standout performers of the side.

They went in for Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo on transfer deadline day which seemed to be a panic buy for Liverpool – something we haven’t seen often.

However, Liverpool need the players. They also need some luck as their key men pick up injuries in vital periods.

Tottenham Hotspur

When Antonio Conte joined Tottenham Hotspur, many didn’t think it would work.

People thought that Conte’s outspoken nature and Spurs’ stubborn owner Daniel Levy would clash heads. But it seems to be the opposite.

Securing the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski during the 21/22 season proved to be a major turning point in Conte’s reign.

After a struggling period, Spurs managed to creep their way into the top four after Arsenal gave up their position with a series of muted performances.

This secured Champions League football for the London side, having missed out on all European football the season before (20/21).

But, whilst Spurs’ problem has never been buying or selling the appropriate players, it’s been the essence of their playing style.

Ever since their meteoric campaign to the Champions League 19/2o final under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs didn’t quite push on as many expected them to.

This led to an unbearable weight on both of Spurs’ talismen – Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

Although both of them took the challenge head-on. Son was even joint Golden Boot winner in the 21/22 season.

But Conte has brought a new lease of life to Tottenham. Kulusevski especially has done well to adapt to the ferocity of the league, adding much-needed goals and assists to the team.

Their summer signing, Richarlison, from Everton, has also given the team an edge of aggressiveness they were missing.

Additionally, his ability to track back, move the ball quickly and score himself has taken the pressure off of Kane and Son.

He’s one of those players that many people say “is a nuisance to play against”. This is because of his relentless pressure to put in a tackle or hover around the opposition’s defence.

Whilst he is prone to a yellow card, his discipline is worth sacrificing if it means annoying the other team.

Likewise, they’ve bought a player with a wealth of experience and a winning mentality in Ivan Perišic.

Having worked under Conte at Inter Milan, Perišic will undoubtedly be an important player once the season progresses.

Spurs are now creating a squad that fits all departments of the game. Youth, experience, goals and aggressiveness.

It’s what gives them an outside chance to compete for the Premier League title.

With a manager that has done and won it all leading them from the front and one that is not afraid to show his emotions, it will give Spurs an edge that we haven’t seen for years.

If they can truly go on a campaign that pushes both Manchester City and Liverpool to the wire, fans will see this as unparalleled progress.

Chelsea

Chelsea were one of the busiest clubs in the summer transfer window with both ingoings and outgoings.

Last season’s underperformer Romelu Lukaku went back to Inter Milan on loan whilst Timo Werner made a return to RB Leipzig for £18 million.

Looking to bolster up their attack with proven players, the side went for Raheem Sterling.

He arrived off the back of winning the 21/22 Premier League title with Manchester City.

Sterling’s lack of game time at City proved to be the deciding factor and he has already adapted well to the London club.

However, Chelsea also looked toward their backline for more depth. They succeeded in grabbing Marc Cucurella from Brighton who was on the verge of putting pen to paper for Pep Guardiola.

They also brought in Kalidou Koulibaly after their main centre-back, Antonio Rüdiger left for Real Madrid.

However, after a summer-long pursuit for Leicester’s Wesley Fofana, they finally got their man for an incredible £72 million.

The London club were targetting the young defender to add some much-needed youth to play alongside Koulibaly and Thiago Silva, who are both in their 30s.

The most surprising addition was a deadline day deal for former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The 33-year-old made a move to Barcelona last season but made a return to England to play under Thomas Tuchel as they did at Dortmund.

Understandably, many pundits and fans thought Chelsea would be a prevalent force in the 22/23 Premier League race.

However, after a series of losses and performances that lacked creativity, new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly shockingly sacked Tuchel.

In comes Graham Potter, the British manager formerly in charge of Brighton.

This major step up for Potter comes after his amazing work at Brighton where he managed to adapt each season after losing star players.

Whilst his big-team and big occasion experience pale in comparison to Tuchel, it signals the start of a new era at Chelsea, post-Roman Abramovich.

Their performances need massive improvement if they have any chance to get close to City and Liverpool.

However, Potter may finally have the players at his disposal that can execute his tactics and style at a higher level.

Whilst they’re no longer favourites, which is surprising considering they were Champions League winners in 2021, they could be a dark horse.

Arsenal

With Arsenal narrowly missing out on Champions League football in the 21/22 season, many pundits and experts didn’t tip the Gunners to be high-flyers in this current campaign.

The team have been on and off under Mikel Arteta’s reign with inconsistent performances. The highlight of Arteta’s regime however has been his introduction of youthful talent.

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and recent acqusitions in Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have given a Arsenal a new look.

But it’s been their new number nine, Jesus, who has hit the ground running.

In his six games for the Gunners, he’s bagged three goals and three assists. A goal contribution in every game is no ordinary feat.

Obviously, time will tell whether Jesus can keep up this great form. But he’s added versatility to Arsenal’s style.

He can hold up play and bring Saka and Martinelli into the game or run in behind and provide an avenue for Ødegaard to create.

Speaking of Ødegaard, Arsenal’s new captain has also been scoring for fun, with three goals to his name from six games.

Goals from midfield are something Arsenal have lacked in the past and the Norwegian’s movement into the box has proven difficult for teams to stop.

But the team have shared the responsibility of grabbing points. Martinelli has added to his tally with three goals and Saka has not been shy with his one goal and two assists.

The team in red and white were unstoppable in their first five games of the 22/23 Premier League season.

They were the only team after five games to have a 100% record, taking all the points up for grabs.

They were only halted by a new look Manchester United who are also hoping for a progressive season under new manager Erik Ten Hag.

Arsenal are hoping to bounce back from their 3-1 loss at Old Trafford and create distance between themselves and Manchester City who are right over their shoulder.

Similar to City, Arsenal’s frailty is at the back.

On occasion, they are caught out of position and their main centre-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba is young but inexperienced.

Whilst they’ve shown good signs so far, if they strike a good partnership, Arsenal have a real chance of causing an upset.

Let’s not forget that Arteta trained under the guidance of Pep Guardiola so he will be more than capable of leading this team to success.

The 22/23 Premier League campaign will be a high-flyer for sure. The amount of new talent and new-look teams seems to be the deciding factor in this season.

Some honourable mentions include the likes of Manchester United, who are trying to bounce back into title contention.

Although, they seem to be at a rebuilding stage and will aim for a top-four finish. Anything above fourth place will exceed expectations for the club.

The main teams of the season are all aiming for the main prize but there are other exceeding factors that will have an impact on how the campaign turns out.

The World Cup is the main element. If key players make it far with their countries in the competition, then how will their fitness be upon returning to their clubs?

Likewise, the personality of each club will be on show as the months go on as results top and turv.

Will Haaland secure City another league? Will Diaz make Liverpool fans forget about Mané? Or will Arsenal grab their first league title in over 15 years?