by The 2024–25 Premier League season starts in just one week. The opening match of the campaign will take place at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Fulham.
Manchester City won their fourth consecutive Premier League title in May 2024, defeating West Ham 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium. The Sky Blues secured the title by 91 points, just two points ahead of Arsenal. The Gunners, however, missed their domestic triumph for the second consecutive season. This season, the north London side aims to join forces to lift the coveted trophy but must overcome their formidable rivals.
Liverpool, despite leading the title race, struggled to keep up with City and Arsenal, which could change this season. German manager Jurgen Klopp will leave Anfield in May, leaving Dutch coach Arne Slot to meet the expectations of the board and fans. Slot is expected to match Klopp’s record at Liverpool, but he will not be the only Dutch boss in the tournament.
Erik ten Hag remains at Manchester United, having been approached by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group after finding no suitable candidate in the summer. Despite failing to find a candidate, Ten Hag has won two trophies in his tenure at Old Trafford. Other managers to change include Liverpool, Chelsea, and Brighton & Hove Albion. Roberto De Zerbi has left for Olympique Marseille, while Mauricio Pochettino was sacked despite finishing in the European places after a disastrous season.
Brighton have signed Fabian Hurzeler, the youngest manager in English football, and Chelsea have signed Enzo Maresca, who helped Leicester City achieve promotion last season. This makes the competition more special, as they will face their former team. Juan Lopetegui returns to England to take over from David Moyes at the London Stadium, and the Hammers have a new leader.
Campaigns and European Championships
Southampton and Ipswich Town have been promoted from the Championship, while Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton Town have been relegated. Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have topped the table for the 2023/24 season, ensuring they will play in the Champions League. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will compete in the Europa League, while Chelsea will compete in the Conference League. The Red Devils secured their European entry after winning the FA Cup.
Squad changes
The summer transfer window is open until August, with notable signings like Riccardo Calafiori at Arsenal, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee at Manchester United, and Savinho to Manchester City. Chelsea are also signing players like Filip Jorgensen, Ian Maatsen, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. However, the Blues are not selling many players, potentially leading to squad overload and financial issues.
While certain players, like Joao Palhinha and Michael Olise, have made big moves to Saudi Arabia and Italy, others, like Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz, have left England to pursue careers in the English top division. Olise left Crystal Palace to join Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich, while Palhinha left Fulham to play in the Bundesliga.
Manchester United’s Raphael Varane, Willy Kambwala, Donny van de Beek, and Mason Greenwood left the club for better opportunities. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez are rumored to join Atletico Madrid.
Premier League rule changes
The Premier League is introducing a multi-ball system to save time in matches, allowing five players per team to warm up simultaneously. Ball assistants behind goals can return a ball to the goalkeeper for restarting. Match officials will only add time to the end of the match when the delay between goals and kick-offs exceeds 30 seconds.
