The new Premier League campaign begins this weekend. Below, we examine the most pressing question for each club heading into the 2021-22 term.
Arsenal
Is this a work in progress, or will the same old issues linger?
Once again, the pressure is on Arsenal to tighten the gap behind the Premier League’s elite quartet. But making the top six won’t be easy.
Intriguing summer buys and an exciting gaggle of youngsters offer hope of brighter times ahead. But with players like Hector Bellerin and Granit Xhaka still around – perhaps getting new contracts because no club is willing to buy them for a reasonable fee – and an injured Thomas Partey (again), Gooners could soon return to a familiar state of despair.
Mikel Arteta somehow can’t shake the mess and misfortune he inherited. His team faces a tough run of fixtures to begin its campaign.
Aston Villa
Will Jack Grealish’s exit hinder Villa’s rise?
There’s a belief at Aston Villa this season that would’ve been unthinkable when a fan angrily hurled a cabbage at Steve Bruce in 2018.
This club has changed. Quality performers like Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia have replaced vegetating veterans and failed foreign recruits. Dean Smith has greatly improved numerous players. The Under-18s won the FA Youth Cup in May. In the boardroom, Villa co-owner Wes Edens is already a proven winner through his investments with the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Perhaps chief executive Christian Purslow’s confidence that Buendia, Leon Bailey, and Danny Ings will cover Grealish’s attacking output and reduce the team’s “overdependency on one brilliant footballer” is justified. Time will tell.
Brentford
Can the Bees’ recruitment strategy cut it in the Premier League?
Brentford can legitimately claim to be one of the best run outfits in English football. Rival clubs have habitually preyed on their best players, but the Bees have a knack for using sophisticated data to uncover replacements at a fraction of the price. Either that or they move an existing player into a new position.
Brentford used a different striker in each of their past three Championship campaigns, but the goal output gradually improved: Neal Maupay scored 25 goals before he joined Brighton & Hove Albion, converted winger Watkins bagged 26 before he moved to Aston Villa, and incumbent marksman Ivan Toney netted 33. It’s prudent, and it’s successful.
Deals for Frank Onyeka and Yoane Wissa indicate Brentford will stick to their recruitment strategy as they play top-flight football for the first time since 1947.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Will they finish their chances?
The point was well-worn but no less true: Brighton were good at creating chances last season but wretched at burying them. The Seagulls fired more shots than Leicester City, yet ended up with 28 fewer goals.
What’s been done to address this so far? Nothing, really. Box-to-box midfielder Enock Mwepu has come in, as have 6-foot-8 goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen and teenager Jeremy Sarmiento. But Graham Potter currently has a choice of Maupay or Aaron Connolly to start the season up front. Danny Welbeck is injured.
Like a few clubs in this league, Brighton are unbending in their philosophy. In some ways, it’s admirable. But it’s frightening when the team in question has players like calamitous center-half Shane Duffy on its books. Brighton’s attack needs to be better. Now.
Burnley
Is Sean Dyche happy with this?
Dyche grew frustrated with the lack of investment under former majority shareholder Mike Garlick, but ALK Capital promised the manager more spending following its takeover of Burnley at the end of 2020.
The Clarets subsequently bought nobody in January and haven’t exactly staged a summer spending spree. This window’s deals to sign Nathan Collins from Stoke City and ex-Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey on a free transfer don’t seem enough to drag a thin, low-scoring squad away from another relegation battle.
Optimism is in short supply, and the patience of Dyche – who’s wrung out results for Burnley since 2012 despite their meager resources – must be wearing thin.
Chelsea
Is Thomas Tuchel more than a short-term solution?
Chelsea don’t keep managers for long, but the transformation under Thomas Tuchel was something special. True, Roberto Di Matteo also won the Champions League soon after taking the reins, but the tactical tweaks and individual improvements overseen by Tuchel were remarkable given his brief time at the training ground.
Now they want more. “I think we have all a lot of goals this season. The Champions League title is not enough for us; we want to win more, and that’s our aim for the season,” Kai Havertz said ahead of the new campaign.
Whether Tuchel is a long-term fixture remains to be seen. Signing Romelu Lukaku is a huge statement of intent, but plenty of hyped-up youngsters have been sold or loaned out. So far, this seems like a brief assault rather than a lengthy project.
Crystal Palace
Is Patrick Vieira the right man to spearhead a new era?
Crystal Palace have ditched comfort. The jersey’s straight stripes are now diagonal, a Gary Cahill-led defense has made way for a partnership of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen, and the grandfatherly warmth of Roy Hodgson is replaced by former midfield hardman Vieira.
This could be fun.
The biggest question obviously lies with Vieira, whose greatest coaching exploits arguably came at Manchester City’s academy rather than during his subsequent gigs with New York City FC and Nice. The neighborhoods adjoining Selhurst Park are arguably England’s greatest source of youthful talent. But can Vieira cultivate more youngsters like Tyrick Mitchell while preserving Palace’s top-flight status?
Everton
Will Dominic Calvert-Lewin do it again?
Richarlison logged the fewest goals across his three seasons at Everton in 2020-21 when he scored just seven times – nine fewer than target man Calvert-Lewin.
It’s pretty clear Rafa Benitez intends to keep Calvert-Lewin as the Toffees’ focal point through two shrewd offseason acquisitions: Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray can revitalize the Toffees’ play down the flanks, remedying a position that was hampered by the inconsistency of Alex Iwobi and the departed Bernard. Calvert-Lewin should thrive off this service.
It will also be interesting to see if forward Ellis Simms can enjoy a breakout term – provided Everton resist the temptation to loan him out again. But above all else, performances must improve from the dire end to Carlo Ancelotti’s reign.
Leeds United
Can Marcelo Bielsa take Leeds into Europe?
Leeds don’t have much depth and could suffer if someone like Patrick Bamford, Kalvin Phillips, or Illan Meslier succumbs to injury. But this is how Bielsa works. The Argentine prefers to work with a small group and train them very, very hard.
Raphinha should benefit from a full preseason following his late arrival from Rennes in 2020-21, and Junior Firpo will hopefully solve the left-back issue. Bielsa has never shied away from promoting youngsters, either; the departures of Pablo Hernandez, Ezgjan Alioski, and other senior players could clear room for a youth-team product such as Jamie Shackleton or Sam Greenwood to make an impact.
European qualification is a possibility – on its day, this team is good enough – but more of the same would be fine for many supporters.
Leicester City
Will they collapse?
In each of the past two seasons, Leicester City lost three of their final four Premier League matches, surrendering a Champions League berth in the process. Brendan Rodgers has earned plenty of goodwill from the Foxes’ recent Wembley successes, but he can’t afford to let his team stumble for a third successive campaign.
Initially, Leicester’s summer was extremely encouraging: Their best players are staying, and Patson Daka is a promising heir apparent to Jamie Vardy. But a significant injury to Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans’ continued absence with a foot issue have exposed a problem area in defense. There’s been little to suggest Filip Benkovic and Daniel Amartey are top-grade center-halves.
Perhaps the Foxes will get their slump out of the way early this time.
Liverpool
Will depth be an issue again?
A Premier League ball hasn’t been kicked, and already Liverpool won’t be able to call upon Andy Robertson for Saturday’s trip to Norwich City. Surely another campaign won’t be blighted by a congested treatment room?
Robertson’s natural replacement, Kostas Tsimikas, played just six Premier League minutes last term – mostly because Tsimikas had rotten luck with injuries.
Center-back Ibrahima Konate is an impressive signing who goes some way to addressing a weakness exposed last season. But there have been no other arrivals as Jurgen Klopp pins his hopes on last summer’s main buys – Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota – staying fit. The German manager is also understandably encouraged by Liverpool’s superb end to the 2020-21 league campaign.
Manchester City
Sticking with a false nine, Pep?
It seems an asking price of £160 million is too rich even for Manchester City, so Harry Kane may stay at Tottenham Hotspur while Pep Guardiola decides what to do with his attack.
Does he turn to Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian’s disappointing 2020-21 season? Is Liam Delap set for a surprise run of minutes? Or is the false nine still the answer? The truth is, when Sergio Aguero and Jesus were out of the starting XI, City played arguably their best and most unpredictable football of the Guardiola era. For now, if Kane doesn’t join the club, the false nine probably sticks.
There’s also a question of what City do with the left-back position, but that’s been the case since Benjamin Mendy fell to his first injury in Manchester. Plenty has changed – Grealish in, Aguero out – but plenty remains the same. That’s not a bad thing for reigning champions.
Manchester United
Was United’s business enough to mount a title challenge?
Adding Jadon Sancho to a wealth of attacking options and Raphael Varane to the backline can only mean one thing: Manchester United are, at long last, genuine contenders for the Premier League title.
But two factors could hinder their pursuit of silverware.
First, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side only appears sturdy when both Scott McTominay and Fred start, leaving fans looking longingly toward the players who can play defensive midfield alone – like Rodri or Wilfred Ndidi – and give teams the option of fielding another attacking player. The other issue is obvious: The club’s ownership hasn’t changed, and there’s plenty of work left to win fans’ trust and keep the anti-Glazer protests at bay during the 2021-22 campaign.
Newcastle United
How will Steve Bruce be received at St. James’ Park?
Bruce was insulated by emptiness last season. The bare seats of St. James’ Park meant the fans who want him gone – and there are plenty of them – were hurling abuse from their sofas rather than the stands, leaving the manager to guide the team to 12th place in (relative) peace.
But the city of Newcastle wants more. Some would say it deserves more. The football is seldom entertaining, even with players like Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron in the squad, and the regular relegation battles are rarely broken up by cup runs. In short, the Toon Army craves excitement.
A few bad home results to start the season, and the atmosphere on Tyneside could turn nasty. The first three visitors to Newcastle are West Ham United, Southampton, and Leeds.
Norwich City
Can Norwich cope without Emi Buendia?
Buendia’s importance to both title-winning Championship campaigns was without question.
He finished third for key passes in 2018-19 and made more successful tackles than defender Ezri Konsa and defensive midfielder Muhamed Besic combined. Konsa and Besic also played the equivalent of over 35 more games than Buendia. Buendia was then named the Championship Player of the Season in 2020-21 after logging a remarkable 122 key passes en route to 16 assists and contributing 15 goals.
A player of that unique quality is near-impossible to replace, so Norwich appear to have changed tack. Kosovan attacker Milot Rashica is more direct than his predecessor, perhaps reflecting a less methodical approach from the Canaries on their Premier League return.
Southampton
Will Adam Armstrong and Che Adams score enough?
Forty-six goals in 100 appearances was a considerable return from Ings’ three years with Southampton. Now, the onus is on Adams and Armstrong – the latter a £15-million summer buy from Blackburn Rovers – to compensate for Ings’ departure.
The Saints reportedly rejected a £25-million bid for James Ward-Prowse from Aston Villa, and they should continue to stand firm: The captain’s set-piece delivery is arguably the best on the planet. And if Ralph Hasenhuttl can’t get the best out of Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo, then Stuart Armstrong and the promising Nathan Tella will face plenty of pressure to carve out chances for the frontmen.
Adams and Armstrong need to start hot. Otherwise, Southampton could find themselves deep in the relegation zone by mid-October.
Tottenham Hotspur
Will he stay, or will he go?
It’s pretty obvious which question is nagging every Tottenham fan and, in fact, most followers of the Premier League: Will Kane be a Spurs player at the start of September?
The answer seems to rest on several factors. Will Manchester City submit an offer that satisfies Daniel Levy? Will any offer satisfy Levy? Can new boss Nuno Espirito Santo convince Kane he can win major trophies at Tottenham? Will Kane retract his wish to leave if nothing transpires over the next week or so?
Tottenham’s season hinges on this; they can’t replace the finest player their youth academy has ever produced. But if Kane stays, the prospect of Bryan Gil linking up with him, Heung-Min Son, and a Nuno-schooled Dele Alli is very exciting indeed.
Watford
Can someone make sense of this team, please?
Where do we start? The transfer window has included signings as obscure as those of 34-year-old Juraj Kucka and Peter Etebo – the latter on loan from Stoke – and there are so many attackers in this squad. Some of them have been forgotten (Isaac Success and Ashley Fletcher), some may be unfamiliar (Joao Pedro and Cucho Hernandez), and some barely scored the last time Watford were in the Premier League (Troy Deeney and Andre Gray).
There are others, too. Ismaila Sarr is a standout talent who can frighten any top-flight full-back with his absurd acceleration. Joshua King has had strong spells in the Premier League but joins Watford after a poor stint with Everton. And there are plenty of youthful prospects like Kwadwo Baah and Domingos Quina.
That’s without even discussing what’s behind the attack. Xisco Munoz’s team is the league’s grandest mystery ahead of the big kickoff.
West Ham United
Was David Moyes’ return of form a false dawn?
Moyes’ return to West Ham in December 2019 was widely criticized for lacking ambition, but it rejuvenated the club. The player recruitment has improved exponentially, filling the team with exciting attacking talent and dependable players deeper in the lineup.
Moyes guided the club to its best league position in 22 years last season, and being a West Ham fan was suddenly enjoyable rather than punishing.
Now comes a much bigger test: maintaining progress. The summer window has been quiet, with the exception of goalkeeper Alphonse Areola arriving on loan. Michail Antonio’s hamstrings will have to withstand the majority of games, while more is expected of Issa Diop and Said Benrahma.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Can Wolves suddenly become an attacking force?
Bruno Lage has promised an attacking style of play at Molineux this season, and his record of 2.38 goals per game over his 18-month Benfica spell was considerably better than Wolves’ average of 0.95 last term.
But is it too much too soon? Raul Jimenez’s return after fracturing his skull last November seems close, but fans can’t expect him to score freely following an injury of that magnitude. Wolves didn’t use Lage’s preferred 4-4-2 setup once in 2020-21, with Nuno often opting for a back-three backline. And Adama Traore wasn’t the only attacking threat who was below his best last season.
Lage’s job is made easier by the defensive foundations laid down by Nuno, but turning Wolves into an entertaining team will likely be a gradual process following a low-scoring and forgettable campaign.
