EPL Top 6 Preview: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Spurs

That time of year has rolled around again—the beginning of the new Premier League season, the time when fans of every club (nearly) are filled with optimism and fire and a belief borne of new signings, managers and even owners that this time, things will be different; this time, we will win trophies!

Or avoid relegation.

Or finish in the top four.

Or...well, you get the idea.

Last season and this summer has seen something of a sea-change in several of the top clubs; reigning league champions Manchester United have seen three veteran first teamers retire, Liverpool have a new manager, new owners and a new in-the-black bank account, Manchester City have suddenly found themselves the holders of a trophy and Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has gone—so far—the whole transfer window without buying a new striker.

So what can we expect from the new season?

Will there be a new challenger to Manchester United's crown? Will that challenge come from down the East Lanc's road, from London or from even the same city? Will Chelsea get through the campaign without a first team player making the front pages of the national newspapers? Will Arsenal ever win a trophy again?

To answer, well, some of these questions, we got together six Bleacher Report writers with knowledge on their favourite teams and asked for their responses on such important topics as new signings, hopes for the season and how they think the Premier League table will finish up. Before we get to what they said, however, let's meet them:

Arsenal's representative is Matthew; our Chelsea fan is Will, for Liverpool will be writing myself, Karl; Manchester's duo are Andy for City and Greg for United; while Thomas answers for Tottenham Hotspur.

In the interests of fairness and against accusations of biased-ness, answers will appear in team alphabetical order and on rotation for the top spot.

Read on and discover how our writers think their teams will fare this term and get involved by commenting below!

You can follow me on Twitter @karlmatchett, on EighteenAndFive blog or become my fan on B/R.

Last Season Overview, High and Low Points

First up lets take a backwards glance; how did you rate last season as a whole for your team? Give us a high and low point.

Matthew (ASN): Arsenal’s 2010-11 campaign promised so much, but once again, the Gunners finished the season empty handed. At one point, Arsenal had gotten themselves in very good positions in all four competitions, but ultimately, their season imploded as they exited three tournaments in the space of two weeks, followed by extremely poor form in the Premier League, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Several young players had breakout seasons, proving that the Gunners’ youth policy has worked to a certain extent over the past couple years.

Young Wojciech Szczesny emerged as the solution to Arsenal’s goalkeeper crisis, and Lukasz Fabianski has also proved himself as an excellent shot stopper.

Of course, midfield was the area that had the most break-out players last season, including young Jack Wilshere. After his successful loan spell at Bolton, he has more than proven that he has what it takes to be a first team regular, playing more matches than any other midfielder.

Alex Song also had an excellent season, making the transition from a struggling midfielder to the backbone of the Arsenal squad. He makes some crucial interventions that can either spark an Arsenal counter attack or prevent an opposing one from happening.

Of course, Samir Nasri was one of the club’s standout players scoring some phenomenal goals. He’s impressed so much, however, that he’s now got both Manchester clubs in the race for his signature, so it’s become Arsenal’s job so ensure the Frenchman stays in North London.

The high of Arsenal’s season was undoubtedly their victory over Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16. The current Barcelona side has been touted as the greatest team to ever play football, so the fact that Arsenal defeated them at the Emirates just shows that the Gunners are certainly not pushovers, and because of their passing game, they’re probably the only club with a chance of defeating the Catalan giants.

The low of Arsenal’s season is pretty hard to pick, as the Gunners had a number of results that put Arsenal supporters into frustration. First, there’s the 3-2 comeback in the North London derby at the Emirates, where Arsenal gave up a 2-nil lead. Another extremely disappointing result was when Arsenal gave up a 4-0 lead at St. James’ Park, with Newcastle scoring four second half goals to create “the greatest comeback in Premier League history.” It doesn’t feel great to be on the wrong end of that.

However, I think the worst, most soul-crushing result was Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final. It was a given that the Gunners would emerge victorious, ending their trophy drought and setting a tone for what Arsenal had their sights on that season. But a late defensive blunder meant Birmingham dealt what was considered one of the greatest upsets in English football, and this defeat sent Arsenal into a downward spiral of poor results and a fourth place finish.

Overall, Arsenal’s 2010-11 campaign had its ups and downs, but let’s not kid ourselves: Arsenal certainly has their work cut out for them in 2011-12, and needs to end their trophy drought no matter what it takes.

Will (CHE): At a club of Chelsea’s stature, success will always be measured in silverware, and a trophyless campaign led to the demise of Carlo Ancelotti. The Blues looked bereft of ideas in attack, and, without a creative spark in midfield, we often found it difficult to break down defences.

We went through a horrifically poor run of results in the winter period that saw us slump to fifth in the table at one point. This was arguably the lowest point of the Abramovich era, let alone the season, as the team looked at a loss and consistently struggled to pick up points.

Then there was the Torres saga and the most analyzed goal drought of all time, as the £50 million recruit failed to find the net time and again.

Chelsea did manage to salvage the season, and a late surge saw Manchester United briefly looking over their shoulder before an embarrassing performance at Old Trafford ended our title hopes.

The bright form of David Luiz and the moment when Torres finally broke his duck stand out for me as the high points of an otherwise disappointing season.

Karl (LVP): From the horrific and ill-fated appointment of Roy Hodgson to the second coming of the saviour; last season pretty much went from one end of the scale to the other on the pitch.

From dismal showings against Everton, Wolves and Blackpool to wins over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and both Manchester clubs at Anfield, the turnaround was as magical as it was necessary.

Off the pitch was a similar story. Never have I been so utterly embarrassed with my club as when Hicks and Gillett, former owners, tried to cling by probably-borrowed fingernails to the club as they dragged it through the courts, tried to have directors arrested from a different country and basically publicly admitted they had not an ounce of decency, morality or money left between them before they were finally kicked the *$!& out of Anfield.

Fenway Sports Group have been much more proactive and encouraging to this point, obviously sanctioning, if not financing, the signings of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January.

Overall, it has to go down as not a very good season for Liverpool—sixth place and no trophies in fact makes it terrible. But last season was never really about winning anything; it was about ridding the club and the city of cowboys and LMA winners who were never good enough for the Reds in so many ways, and in that, we were successful.

Low point, take your pick, but the courts nonsense takes some beating. High point, Suarez and Carroll joining on the last day of the transfer window was great but the return of Kenny Dalglish trumps all.

Andy (MNC): I cannot think of a City fan who expected more than we achieved last season. Winning the FA Cup was of course special after so long waiting and getting that top four place and Champions League qualification leaves us exactly where we wanted to be. But getting third place also removes any doubt about getting through to the groups stages, which was a massive plus.

Other than lifting the FA Cup, the semifinal victory over United was very nice to watch.

The low points for me were all off-field, with Tevez an obvious negative alongside Balotelli’s antics.

Greg (MNU): Considering that at the start of the season “experts” were fantasising about the downfall of United, shorn of its “world class talent," the season was an unmitigated success.

The Rooney contract debacle was a low point, and at that point, it did seem as if the harbingers of United's doom had foundation to their theory.

Yet the greatest testament I can give to last year, all considered, was that after losing the Champions League final and losing in the semis of the FA Cup, the season was somewhat disappointing.

Back in November, I could only of dream of being able to say that.

Thomas (TOT): The high point of Spurs’ season was the tremendous 3-1 home win against Inter Milan. One of the memorable nights at White Hart Lane and a great performance. The low-point was the failure to take our chances against Wolves, Blackpool, West Ham and Wigan late in the season that cost us another crack at the Champions League.

Preseason Form, Results and in-Form Players

How has the pre-eason gone for your team in terms of both results and performances?

Will (CHE): Chelsea have won each of their preseason matches with some degree of comfort with Villas-Boas’ men hardly breaking a sweat. This has led the club to a victory in the Asia Cup as well as wins over Rangers and Portsmouth.

Yossi Benayoun and Daniel Sturridge have been the brightest sparks, with both staking a claim for a first team place that Villas-Boas will find hard to ignore.

Benayoun could provide the creativity in midfield that the club has needed, and Sturridge could succeed where Drogba and Anelka have failed in linking up with Torres.

Karl (LVP): Mixed results and performances, but the last game against Valencia showed that they are on track. The goals conceded were a concern for some after three were let in against all five opponents prior to the Valencia match, but I really wasn't bothered about it, as I wrote about before the clean sheet against the Spanish side.

Wins in Asia on tour were expected, the defeat against Hull less so. The Galatasary fixture was a bit of a farce, as it might as well have had a big FOR SALE sticker above the stadium, given the team we put out, but eventually, the team put a good performance on in beating Valencia, so we should be ready for when it counts.

New boys Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam have impressed as has Alberto Aquilani, but it remains to be seen if he stays or goes, or even plays if he does stay. Overall, I'm happy with how it finished and that so many young players got a look in as well.

Andy (MNC): The preseason has been good enough, but tours to the US and not having live coverage is always a disappointment.

Clichy being knocked out was a concern, but he seems well enough now (I do wonder exactly how hard United’s Hernandez was kicked with a ball to miss six weeks!).

The win over Inter in Dublin showed that the team are gelling nicely and that City now play how Mancini wants them to which bodes very well for the coming season.

Greg (MNU): 100 percent win ratio. 20 goals scored and three conceded, added to a comeback victory from two down against City at Wembley. Pretty darn good, I think.

Thomas (TOT): Preseason started a little slowly, but the results have generally been good, and we finished off yesterday with a great attacking display against Athletic Bilbao in the second half.

Matthew (ASN): Many have criticised Arsenal’s preseason, especially the unsatisfactory draws against Hangzhou Greentown, Boca Juniors and New York Red Bulls. The Gunners let a two goal lead slip against Boca, as well as giving up a one goal lead against Red Bullsbefore losing 2-1 to Benfica. But Barcelona lost 4-1 to Chivas, and no one’s saying that they’ll have a bad season. In general, I don’t think there should be too much concern for the Gunners.

In all of the preseason matches so far, Arsenal clearly showed their dominance in possession and chances on goal. Whenever Arsenal had their best players in, the ones that would usually play in a competitive match, the North London side controlled the game and usually scored a goal or two. The only real reason why they let leads slip in the preseason was because Arsene Wenger wanted the key players to rest and to give more experience to the younger or back up players.

Think about it: If it were a Premiership match, would Wenger really have put in Kyle Bartley or Ignasi Miquel for the second half? Of course not; it’s simply that the Arsenal boss takes these matches as an opportunity to develop players rather than to win a meaningless game.

This preseason has seen some fine individual performances from players who have not yet broken into the first team. Carlos Vela and Aaron Ramsey are among those, both with two goals apiece as well as some superb displays of talent. Vela has shown his creativity with a crafty chip against Malaysia XI, while Ramsey has shown incredible vision with a brilliant pass to Theo Walcott in the same match.

Overall, Arsenal’s 2011 can be called fairly successful. They showed their ability to control a match when their best players are in, so in Premiership matches, we can expect them to dominate possession. In addition to this, many young players have started to show what they’re made of, and the first team regulars have continued to impress.

Transfer Window Part 1: Dealings so Far and Great Signings

Are you happy with your club’s dealings in the transfer market this summer? Does any player stand out who you are delighted with signing/selling?

Karl (LVP): I'm happy with the incoming transfers so far. I want a left back still, and most Reds fans want a centre back and/or another forward, but if we only sign a left back now, I'll be really pleased with what we've done.

Henderson, Downing and Adam have all been criticised transfers by someone or other, but they fit together in Liverpool's team very well and will give good depth as well as a fair few qualities which have been missing for some time for Liverpool; namely set-piece ability, width, reliability and no shortage of pace.

Downing has stood out early on as someone who could really be key for us, despite being arguably the most overpaid-for out of the three, while Alexander Doni as a back up will hopefully provide better cover than the likes of Cavalieri, Jones, Luzi, Itandje and so many others have done.

On the sales side, getting rid of Konchesky was one big step forward, while Jovanovic has gone too along with, presumably, his fat wage packet.

Andy (MNC): Asking a City fan if he is happy with his club’s transfer dealings might seem like a redundant question, but to be honest, this window is the first one where I have no issues.

There have been a number of players I wished City had not bought such as Bridge, Bellamy, Santa Cruz and Adebayor, and I think my doubts have proven to be reasonable.

But under Mancini, we are more focussed, and it seems Roberto knows his stuff.

As of this morning, two names we are supposedly going to sign are Nasri and Sneijder; who wouldn’t be happy with that?

Clichy for about £7m is pretty good business, and from what I have seen of Savic will be a bargain, as he looks quite assured.

And then of course, we have Aguero, which is simply fantastic.

Greg (MNU): United set the precedent in this season's transfer window with some early big money signings.

After some high profile players either retiring or leaving the club in the past season, there was an imbalance that needed to be addressed.

The signing of De Gea, Young and Phil Jones has done that.

If I had to pick one of the signings that I was most enamoured by, I would have to say Jones, who looks a fine prospect.

Thomas (TOT): I’m disappointed in the club’s transfer dealings. Was sad to see Jamie O’Hara leave, and while we don’t need to bring in too much, it would have been nice to sign another established striker by now.

Matthew (ASN): This is yet another area where Arsenal have been criticised heavily. Rather than making improvements to the squad, it seems like Arsenal have had their work cut out for them striving to keep key players in North London. And do I really have to mention names?

The upside is that at least Arsenal have been successful in this task of keeping their main players. It seems like Arsene Wenger is taking the risk of keeping Samir Nasri for another year, thus creating the possibility of losing him for free next summer. The Arsenal boss has also rejected numerous offers for captain Cesc Fabregas, holding out for the magic number of £40m.

However, the few additions that Arsenal have made to their squad have been good ones. Young Carl Jenkinson has proved to be an excellent backup for Sagna, proving effective on the wings as well as paying attention to his defensive duties.

But the signing that really stands out as a good one was Gervinho for a mere £10.5m from Lille. He’s an extremely versatile attacker, having the capability to play on either wings as well as in the centre as a striker. His ability to time his runs is superb, and this skill is what got him two goals on his debut. He’s been spoken of highly for his knack of “making things happen” as he can often be the composed finisher of an attack. This efficient quality is definitely an attribute Arsenal could use to stop their prolonged possession-based attacks petering out without result.

Although these two signings were intelligent ones on Arsene Wenger’s behalf, Arsenal supporters are still not satisfied with the club’s transfer activity, as they clearly need one or two more quality signings.

Will (CHE): My disappointment at Chelsea’s failure to sign Sergio Aguero coupled with a growing feeling of unease that the Modric transfer will never materialise have made for a frustrating preseason in terms of transfer market activity.

I felt that Villas-Boas should have started to weed out the dead weight from the previous regime, and although Zhirkov has been sold, Kalou, Anelka and Bosingwa remain.

The club have signed Oriol Romeu from Barcelona as a potential replacement for the injured Essien, and the midfield powerhouse has a growing reputation in the game

Today’s news that the club have signed Romelu Lukaku for £18 million is interesting, as it would indicate the beginning of the end for Didier Drogba’s Chelsea career. A clash of egos has led to an inability to link up with Torres, and the long-term solution would be to cash in on Drogba while we can.

Transfer Window Part 2: Players Still to Leave and More Signings Targeted

What positions do you still hope to see the club fill over the last weeks of the transfer market?

Andy (MNC): City could do with another wide player if truth be told; more pace in midfield is also needed, and I personally think a more direct striker is likely to come in.

Nasri is, according to many newspapers, almost a City player, and that will help with the midfield issues. Sneijder is the other name in the frame, but City being City, we may well get both.

I just pray that we dont fill the striking void with Eto’o, as he is not young or hungry enough.

Greg (MNU): If you had asked me before today, the Community Shield match, I would have stated emphatically CENTRE MIDFIELD, and then repeated it a few times until you got the message.

Now, after watching Anderson and in particular, Tom Cleverley’s highly impressive performance against Manchester City, I’m not too sure we need anyone.

Then again, Wesley Sneijder would be nice if you're going to twist my arm up my back.

Thomas (TOT): As mentioned before, we could do with a striker who is going to guarantee at least 15 goals. But that is easier said than done.

Matthew (ASN): Of course, Arsenal need a strong, reliable centre back, one who can accompany Thomas Vermaelen to bolster the defense. Although Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny have shown tons of improvement, Arsenal still needs a centre back that they can rely on, one that is guaranteed to not make mistakes in cup finals or crucial league matches. They have come very close to signing Christopher Samba, Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka (not all at the same time), but the obstacle that has kept pen from hitting paper was the prices of these players.

Since the departure of Clichy to Manchester City, we also need a left back as well. Although Arsenal do have Kieran Gibbs and Armand Traore, the two have only impressed while attacking, and their defending abilities definitely won’t be enough for a 40-plus game season.

Rather than seeking a new left back in Jose Enrique or Leighton Baines, Arsenal could buy two centre backs and move Thomas Vermaelen to left back, a position that the Belgian is comfortable playing.

If any of these changes were made, Arsenal’s squad would be very strong with a secure defense, and side would certainly be ready to provide a strong title challenge for the coming season.

Will (CHE): I still think we need another midfielder, as Romeu cannot be expected to completely fill the void of Essien at his tender age, and Benayoun has shown time and again that he is injury prone.

If the Modric deal does not take place, then there are other options, with Joao Moutinho, Daniele De Rossi, Samir Nasri and Scott Parker potential targets.

Karl (LVP): Definitely a left back, who is looking more and more likely to be Jose Enrique judging by the papers, which isn't saying much to be fair. Gary Cahill or Scott Dann as a third choice centre back would be fine by me. Not Ryan Shawcross.

Still, several who need to be shipped off sharpish, though, including Philipp Degen, Brad Jones, Christian Poulsen, Nabil El Zhar....the list goes on.

I'm one of the seemingly few who, while not being happy, would understand it if Raul Meireles was sold on. I also expect Ngog and Maxi Rodriguez could leave too without hurting us too much.

Hopes and Aspirations for the New Season Ahead

What are your hopes for the new season and how high do you think your club can realistically aim?

Greg (MNU): Such is the stature of United that a realistic aim coming in to every season is to win the league.

A more pie in the sky aim, considering Barcelona’s seemingly impenetrable hold over European affairs, would be Champions League victory.

Premiership is, and should stay as, the primary aim, however.

Thomas (TOT): I’d really like to see Spurs win a cup competition this year, I think that is achievable. I also believe we can make it into the top four again as long as we take our chances more often. Saying that, it won’t be easy, as the competition is getting tougher.

Matthew (ASN): As always, Arsenal will be in the hunt for the title, and this year could be the most exciting title race yet. Many people say the Gunners won’t make the top four, but really, those assumptions are ridiculous. Arsenal have been a top four club for the last 15 years, and that’s not about to change.

My realistic hopes for the season are simply that Arsenal end their trophy drought. I don’t care if it’s the FA Cup or the Carling Cup, as long as people can no longer say “you haven’t won a trophy in six years.” Once they do get that monkey off their back, there’ll be a lot less pressure on the players, and they’ll be able to play a lot more comfortably. More trophies will surely come once the Gunners end their drought.

Along with winning any sort of silverware, a top three finish would be ideal for Arsenal, ensuring automatic Champions League football for the 2012-13 season. Sure, people talk about how many other clubs are challenging for the top spots, but all Liverpool’s multimillion dollar signings have brought are conceding three goals in every preseason match but one, while Chelsea’s squad is aging rapidly. The real contenders are the two Manchester clubs, while Arsenal will surely challenge for first place with fire in their bellies.

As one of Europe’s most elite clubs, Arsenal will never set their sights on anything but the top, and this season is no exception. The Gunners will hit the ground running, and given their squad continues to improve and mature, they’ll look to finally end their trophy drought.

Will (CHE): To aim any lower than the title would be impossible for Villas-Boas, who must be feeling the pressure after stepping into the hottest seat in English football.

Unfortunately, unless Torres can find his goal scoring form, I cannot see this squad of players overhauling Manchester United over the course of 38 games.

The Red Devils were electric in the Community Shield, and Ferguson is spoilt for choice in attack with the likes of Rooney, Young, Welbeck, Valencia, Nani, Hernandez and Berbatov at his disposal.

The Champions League is also a target, and with Villas-Boas’ winning mentality and brand of attacking football, anything could be possible.

Karl (LVP): First and foremost, Liverpool have to get back into the Champions League spots. I don't want to confuse an aim and a target here; our aim is to win the league, and it always must be. But our minimum target for this season has to be a top four finish.

For what it's worth, I think we are capable of doing it, and I believe the squad has more or less enough depth to do that, especially as we don't have any European football this season. We could theoretically only have 40 matches this season to play.

Any kind of trophy would be great too; I still love the domestic cups and always. Liverpool have some great memories of both FA and League Cups, so winning either of them would be great.

But a top four spot (or even top three if possible) is the be-all and end-all as far as Liverpool are concerned this season.

Andy (MNC): The coming season has me truly expecting a title push, and I don’t see any team more capable of winning the league than City. Now that doesn't mean we will win it, but a top two finish would be the least I expect.

A decent run in the Champions League is a must, and with Mancini expecting a couple more players joining the squad will likely mean we have the squad capable of the challenge, unlike Spurs last season. So perhaps a minimum of quarter finals in the CL is the benchmark.

And I wouldn’t say no to a successful defense of the FA Cup this year, either.

Do I sound greedy? Well, that's perhaps because I am. But I think all of those goals are very attainable, and with a bit of good fortune, we might win more than one.

Prediction Time: Forecast the Final Standings of the Premier League Top Six

Finally, give us your prediction for the final top six of the Premier League, in order.

Thomas (TOT):  

1. Manchester City
2. Manchester United
3. Chelsea
4. Tottenham
5. Arsenal
6. Liverpool

Matthew (ASN):

1. Manchester United
2. Arsenal
3. Manchester City
4. Chelsea
5. Liverpool
6. Tottenham

Will (CHE):

1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester City
4. Liverpool
5.  Arsenal
6. Tottenham

Karl (LVP):

1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City
3. Liverpool
4. Chelsea
5, Arsenal
6. Tottenham

Andy (MNC):

1. Manchester City
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester United
4. Arsenal
5. Spurs
6. Liverpool

Greg (MNU):

1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Arsenal
6. Tottenham

Conculsions and Thanks

Well, the fans have spoken with their collective voices, and very few things appear to be agreed upon!

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool will all be aiming to improve on last season's showing, while more of the same is in order for the red half of Manchester.

A mixture of preseason results seems to have given confidence to various teams, even because of the results of their rivals. Whether preseason really will play a large part on how the season pans out remains to be seen.

Signings aplenty have been seen by almost all the top six sides, but fans—as always—are still hopeful of more new faces before the window closes at the end of August.

Every teams' fans think their side capable of at least challenging for one trophy or another this season, though of course not all of them can win one, while every fan believes their own side is, obviously, capable of making the Champions League placings come the end of the season.

In terms of the predictions of the final league standings, if the fans are to be believed, the title is definitely staying in Manchester, though a slight split sees United as favourites over City. Liverpool are just about the team fans back to pip the final Champions League spot ahead of Arsenal and Tottenham, though that particular race is set to be one which goes all the way to the end of the season no doubt.

And finally, a big thanks to all the contributors for their time and answers. Very enlightening; I'm sure you'll all agree!

Now let's open up the floor—tell us who you agree with and who you think is barking mad!