Every Premier League season begins with safe predictions. Arsenal will challenge. Manchester City will be dangerous. The promoted clubs will struggle. Someone will call a mid-table side “dark horses” before they finish 11th.
But where is the fun in that?
The new campaign has all the ingredients for chaos: a defending champion with pressure on its shoulders, a Manchester City side entering a new phase, Liverpool still evolving, Chelsea trying to turn talent into consistency, Tottenham looking to rebound, Newcastle under scrutiny and three promoted clubs fighting to survive.
So here are the bold claims that could define the season.
Eddie Howe Will Not Last the Season at Newcastle
This feels harsh, because Eddie Howe has done an outstanding job at Newcastle. He took the club from relegation trouble to Champions League football, restored belief at St James’ Park and raised expectations faster than almost anyone anticipated.
But that is exactly the issue. Expectations have changed.
Newcastle are no longer judged as a feel-good project. They are judged as a club that should be competing for Europe every season. The ownership, the fanbase and the wider football world now expect progress, not just effort. If Newcastle start slowly, suffer another injury-hit autumn or fall behind the top-six race early, Howe could come under serious pressure.
The danger for Howe is that he has become both the architect of Newcastle’s rise and the potential victim of it. What once looked like overachievement can quickly become the baseline.
For him to survive the season, Newcastle need to look convincing quickly. They need intensity, a fit squad, a good transfer window, better away form and a clear sense that the team is still moving forward. If they drift, a change could come before the campaign is over.
Tottenham Will Go From Relegation Worries to the Top Four
Tottenham were in a strange place last season. At times, they had enough quality to look like a European side. At others, they carried the vulnerability of a team that could be dragged into real trouble if results went against them.
This season could be the swing in the other…
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