English Premier League Predictions for 2011-12 Season

The wait is finally over!

With no international tournament to busy ourselves with this past summer, football fans across the country have been counting down to this weekend—the start of the new Premier League season.

This season marks the 20th year of the best league in the world and, if it's anything like the previous 19, we're in for a treat.

Speaking of the number 19, last season culminated in Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United finally "knocking Liverpool of their perch" as they claimed a record 19th league title.

But it doesn't get any easier for the Red Devils. Neighbours Man City have been able to accompany their vast financial clout with the promise of Champions League football and have pulled off arguably the biggest signing of the summer in Sergio Aguero.

Chelsea secured one of the brightest young managers in the game and will be hoping that the man touted as the "next Mourinho" can bring them as much success as the Special One himself.

Liverpool have strengthened considerably as well, with "King" Kenny Dalglish splashing the cash on the likes of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson.

Meanwhile, at the bottom, newly promoted QPR, Norwich and Swansea will be hoping to avoid an immediate return to The Championship but will have to fight it out with the likes of Wolves, Wigan and Blackburn.

Who will win the title? Who will get relegated? Who will be the first manager sacked?

All of these questions will be answered over the next nine months and, in this slideshow, I will give my answers, predictions and previews for all of these and more!

Enjoy!

Arsenal

Manager: Arsene Wenger
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Last Season: 4th (68 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 4th

Players In: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Southampton, £11m), Gervinho (Lille £10.7m), Carl Jenkinson (Charlton, £1m).

Players Out: Gael Clichy (Manchester City, £7m), Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (Ipswich, undisclosed), Mark Randall (Chesterfield, free), Tom Cruise (released), Denilson (Sao Paulo, loan), Wellington (Levante, loan).

Key Man: Robin Van Persie

It seems like just a matter of time before Cesc Fabregas moves to Barcelona, but the emergence of Jack Wilshere and potential of Aaron Ramsey means that it will be less of a blow than it might have been in previous seasons.

However, losing Samir Nasri as well is a hit that could be too hard to take and, with another frustrating transfer window for Arsenal fans, it could leave a gap which Arsene Wenger is unable to fill.

Much depends on the fitness of Robin Van Persie for the Gunners this season. If he gets through the campaign injury free there could be a spot as high as third for them, but should he get a long-term injury then they could finish as low as sixth.

Verdict: 5th. The clubs around them have become stronger during the close season whereas Arsenal, with the expected losses of Fabregas and Nasri, have become weaker. I see them dropping out of the top four.

Cup Runs: The pressure is on Wenger to get a trophy for the big, empty cabinet that sits in the Emirates Stadium, so he might take the League and FA Cup a bit more seriously this year. I can see them reaching the final in one, probably going on to win it.

The Champions League may be a step too far, but they should reach the latter stages as usual.

Aston Villa

Manager: Alex McLeish
Stadium: Villa Park
Last Season: 9th (48 pts)

Last Season Prediction: 8th

Players In: Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan, £9.5m), Shay Given (Manchester City, £3.5m).

Players Out: Stewart Downing (Liverpool, £20m), Ashley Young (Manchester United, £16m), Brad Friedel (Tottenham, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Bolton, free), John Carew (West Ham, free), Robert Pires (released), Moustapha Salifou (released), Isaiah Osbourne (Hibernian, free).

Key Man: Darren Bent

Aston Villa need to be careful that they don't become a "selling club." Last summer they lost James Milner, and this year Stewart Downing and Ashley Young have both gone to bigger clubs, too. The signing of Charles N'Zogbia should go some way to filling the void those two have left, but he won't be able to do it alone.

The signing of Shay Given is an excellent one and, at just £3.5 million, it's a bargain, too. He'll have a point to prove after being benched last season, and at Villa he'll have a good opportunity to show why he was regarded by many as the best goalkeeper in the league for a number of years.

Goals shouldn't be too hard to come by with Darren Bent up front, but a lot will depend on whether he gets the same service that Downing and Young provided him with.

Verdict: 7th. The fact that they have a great keeper and a good goalscorer in Darren Bent should be enough for them to have a decent season, but they will once again fall some way short of the top six.

Cup Runs: Perhaps a semifinal appearance in the Carling Cup if they're lucky, but I can't see any silverware for Villa.

Blackburn Rovers

Manager: Steve Kean
Stadium: Ewood Park
Last Season: 15th (43pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 15th

Players In: David Goodwillie (Dundee United, £2m), Myles Anderson (Aberdeen, undisclosed), Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade, undisclosed), Bruno Ribiero (Gremio Prudente, free)

Players Out: Phil Jones (Manchester United, £16.5m), Frank Fielding (Derby, undisclosed), Jason Brown (Aberdeen, free), Aaron Doran (Inverness, free), Zurab Khizanishvili (Kayserispor, free), Benjani (released), Maceo Rigters (released), Nikola Kalinic (Dnipro, undisclosed), Keith Andrews (Ipswich, loan)

Key Man: Ryan Nelson

Losing Phil Jones was a big, albeit perhaps inevitable, blow and the re-investments haven't inspired much optimism thus far. They managed to beat Rangers in the race to sign Goodwillie, but it remains to be seen how he will cope in the Premier League.

This will be an important factor as Blackburn's attack is very weak, so they may struggle to score goals. Their defence is actually quite strong, but they are likely to be bombarded and could find it tough this season.

Steve Kean is yet to prove his Premier League pedigree as a manager, and this year will be very much sink or swim for him.

Verdict: 19th. Ultimately, in a very competitive relegation battle, their lack of firepower will be the difference. Steve Kean to be the first manager sacked.

Cup Runs: Nothing of note. Should get past the first few rounds comfortably enough depending on the draw, but they won't be serious challengers.

Bolton Wanderers

Manager: Owen Coyle
Stadium: Reebok Stadium
Last Season: 14th (46pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 14th

Players In: Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears (Burnley, joint £3m), Darren Pratley (Swansea, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa, free), Tuncay (Wolfsburg, loan)

Players Out: Ali Al Habsi (Wigan, £4m), Matt Taylor (West Ham, £2.2m), Danny Ward (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Johan Elmander (Galatasaray, free), Tamir Cohen (Maccabi Haifa, free), Joey O'Brien (West Ham, free), Jlloyd Samuel (released), Gavin McCann (retired).

Key Man: Kevin Davies

Once again a lot rests on the broad shoulders of captain Kevin Davies this season. He impressed everyone with his performances last year, and a repeat of this could result in a knock on the door from Fabio Capello.

Johan Elmander's departure puts more pressure on Davies' goals, but Tuncay's arrival on loan could help share the workload.

Owen Coyle could be another difference maker as the bright, young and exciting Scot looks to lead Bolton to another season successfully staying in the top-flight.

Verdict: 13th. Another mediocre finish for the Trotters. Will be flirting with the idea of a relegation dogfight throughout the season but should be safe with a few games to spare.

Cup Runs: I can't see Bolton picking up any silverware this season. Perhaps a prolonged run in the Carling Cup is all they can look forward to.

Chelsea

Manager: Andre Villas-Boas
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Last Season: 2nd (71 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 1st

Players In: Thibaud Courtois (Genk, £5m). Oriol Romeu (Barcelona, £4.4m), Lucas Piazon (Sao Paulo, undisclosed).

Players Out: Michael Mancienne (Hamburg, £3m), Yury Zhirkov (Anzhi, undisclosed), Nemanja Matic (Benfica, undisclosed), Fabio Borini (Parma, undisclosed), Michael Woods (released), Thibaud Courtois (Atletico Madrid, loan), Jeffrey Bruma (Hamburg, loan).

Key Man: Didier Drogba

I expected Chelsea to bring in more players during the transfer window than they have done, but they are still an interesting prospect this year. New manager Villas-Boas is touted as the next Mourinho and it will be good to see how he gets on in England.

The long-term injury to Michael Essien is a blow, but they have enough depth to make up for it, and their attack is perhaps the strongest in the league. £50m flop Fernando Torres had a torrid time last season, but after a summer of rest for the first time in three years, I predict a better goalscoring return for Spaniard.

They still have quality throughout and will definitely be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

Verdict: 3rd. The title race will be very close and there won't be much separating the top three, but I think the fact that others around them have significantly strengthened will be the key.

Cup Runs: I can see the FA Cup returning to Stamford Bridge this season, and they should reach the latter stages of the Carling Cup, too. The search for a Champions League win, however, will go on as the gap between Chelsea and Barcelona is too big.

Everton

Manager: David Moyes
Stadium: Goodison Park
Last Season: 7th (54 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 7th

Players In: Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon, loan).

Players Out: James Vaughan (Norwich, £2.5m), Iain Turner (Preston, free), Kieran Agard (Yeovil, free), Hope Akpan (Crawley, free), Nathan Craig (released).

Key Man: Tim Cahill

Everton rarely make too many waves in the transfer window under David Moyes, but this summer they've been even quieter than usual, bringing in just one player on loan.

Last season began terribly for the Toffees but they were able to claw themselves back up the table, finishing in a respectable seventh place. Again, it will be down to Cahill and Arteta to pull the strings in midfield alongside Fellaini, and if these three hit a creative purple patch, then it could be a very good season for Everton.

It is important that they resist any advances on Phil Jagielka, however, as losing a top defender like that would severely weaken the back-line.

Verdict: 8th. Much like previous seasons, they'll spend most of their time between seventh and tenth, but their days of challenging for the Champions League look to be over.

Cup Runs: Perhaps a semifinal appearance in the FA Cup, but I don't see any silverware coming to the blue half of Merseyside this season.

Fulham

Manager: Martin Jol
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Last Season: 8th (49 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 11th

Players In: Pajtim Kasami (Palermo, £4m), John Arne Riise (Roma, £2.4m), Marcel Gecov (Slovan Liberec, undisclosed), Dan Burn (Darlington, undisclosed), Csaba Somogyi (Rakospalotai, free).

Players Out: Jonathan Greening (Nottingham Forest, £670,000), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Crystal Palace, undisclosed), Zoltan Gera (West Brom, free), Diomansy Kamara (Eskisehirspor, free), John Paintsil (Leicester, free), Eddie Johnson (released), Pascal Zuberbuhler (released). David Stockdale (Ipswich, loan).

Key Man: Bobby Zamora

Martin Jol's return to English soil has brought with it hopes that Fulham can once again challenge for European football, and with the likes of Danny Murphy pulling the strings for Bobby Zamora, they could be in store for a decent season.

The signing of John Arne Riise is a good one, and it will be nice to see his thunderous left foot back in the Premier League, while the likes of Hangeland and Schwarzer provide a very solid spine for the team.

It is vital that Zamora stays fit, however, as without him their attacking options are very limited.

Verdict: 10th. Mid-table mediocrity for Fulham. No real challenge for the Europa League and no chance of relegation.

Cup Runs: Perhaps a quarter-final in one of the domestic competitions, but they won't get too far in the Europa League.

Liverpool

Manager: Kenny Dalglish
Stadium: Anfield
Last Season: 6th (58 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 5th

Players In: Jose Enrique (Newcastle, £6m), Stewart Downing (Liverpool, £20m), Jordan Henderson (Sunderland, £16m), Charlie Adam (£9m), Alexander Doni (Roma, free).

Players Out: Paul Konchesky (Leicester, £1.5m), Milan Jovanovic (Anderlecht, free), Tom Ince (Blackpool, free), Stephen Darby (Rochdale, loan).

Key Man: Luis Suarez

Optimism is high in the red half of Merseyside at the moment as Liverpool look like having a bright future. The priority in the transfer window this summer was to get a winger and a left-back, and both boxes have been ticked.

The back-log of midfielders on Liverpool's books is more of a blessing than a curse and the likes of Henderson, Adam, Meireles, Aquilani, Spearing, Lucas and Gerrard will have to play consistently well if they want to stay in the side.

Suarez was a revelation last season, and with Downing whipping crosses in to the head of Andy Carroll, Liverpool's attack look formidable. When you factor Dalglish into the equation as well you have exciting times ahead for the Reds.

Verdict: 4th. With a good manager and a good side with depth, Liverpool should be able to reclaim their Champions League spot. If key players stay fit all season they could even mount a title challenge.

Cup Runs: Their main focus will, as ever, be the league, but with no domestic trophy since 2006, Dalglish will be hungry for some silverware. Missing out on the Europa League, though, could prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Manchester City

Manager: Roberto Mancini
Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium
Last Season: 3rd (71 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 3rd

Players In: Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, £38m), Gael Clichy (Arsenal, £7m), Stefan Savic (Partizan Belgrade, £6m), Costel Pantilimon (Poli Timisoara, undisclosed).

Players Out: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich, £10m), Shay Given (Aston Villa, £3.5m), Felipe Caicedo (Levante, £880,000), Jo (Internacional, undisclosed), Shaleum Logan (Brentford, free), Javan Vidal (released), Patrick Vieira (retired), Abdisalam Ibrahim (NEC Nijmegen, loan), Michael Johnson (Leicester, loan), Ben Mee (Burnley, loan), Ryan McGivern (Crystal Palace, loan).

Key Man: Carlos Tevez

Man City have splashed the cash yet again this summer, bringing Argentinian star Sergio Aguero to Eastlands, and the steady improvement of their squad is clear to see.

Despite Carlos Tevez claiming he'd never return to Manchester, the collapse of his proposed move to Corinthians could mean that he'll stay at City, at least until January, and the attacking duo of him and Aguero is as good as anything in Europe.

With a very strong midfield and defence behind that attack, too, City should be regarded as favourites on paper. Whatever happens, they'll push the other challengers all the way.

Verdict: 2nd. It'll be very close, perhaps going down to the last day, but I think, ultimately, they'll miss out to their neighbours.

Cup Runs: With the strength and depth City's squad has they should be regarded as very real contenders for both domestic trophies. The Champions League may be a step too far but quite a few of their players have experience in the competition, so they should comfortably reach the latter stages.

Manchester United

Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Stadium: Old Trafford
Last Season: 1st (80 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 2nd

Players In: David De Gea (Atletico Madrid, £17.8m), Phil Jones (Blackburn, £16.5m), Ashley Young (Aston Villa, £16m).

Players Out: Gabriel Obertan (Newcastle, £3.25m), Wes Brown (Sunderland, £1m), John O'Shea (Sunderland, undisclosed), Owen Hargreaves (released), Paul Scholes (retired), Edwin van der Sar (retired), Bebe (Besiktas, loan), Ritchie de Laet (Norwich, loan).

Key Man: Wayne Rooney

United have spent big and bought well this summer. De Gea should be a capable replacement for the retired Edwin van der Sar, while Ashley Young's crosses will provide even more ammunition for the likes of Rooney, Hernandez and Berbatov.

It's hard to see any weak spot for United and perhaps the only option, central midfield, could be getting strengthened by Wesley Sneijder, although those rumours are unfounded thus far.

It will be the first season in 17 years that they have been without Paul Scholes, but the core of the side remains the same and they'll definitely be in the top three.

Verdict: 1st. They know how to win titles, and with the improvements made to their side this summer I can see them edging out their rivals, albeit narrowly.

Cup Runs: United are always dangerous in the cups, so silverware domestically is a very real possibility. The Champions League could see another good campaign from the Red Devils but they are still some way behind Barcelona.

Newcastle United

Manager: Alan Pardew
Stadium: St. James' Park
Last Season: 12th (46 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 16th

Players In: Yohan Cabaye (Lille, £4.3m), Gabriel Obertan (Manchester United, £3.25m), Sylvain Marveaux (Rennes, free), Mehdi Abeid (Lens, free), Demba Ba (West Ham, free).

Players Out: Jose Enrique (Liverpool, £6m), Kevin Nolan (West Ham, £4m), Wayne Routledge (Swansea, undisclosed), Ben Tozer (Northampton, free), Sol Campbell (released), Shefki Kuqi (released), Kazenga Lua Lua (Brighton, loan), Xisco (Deportivo La Coruna, loan).

Key Man: Joey Barton

Losing Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan are two blows that Newcastle will need to recover from quickly if they don't want to get off to a poor start this season, and the potential loss of Joey Barton would only exacerbate these problems.

Newcastle's strikers will need to step up to the plate this year as they don't have anyone on their books with a proven goalscoring record at this level, which could prove problematic should they get dragged into a relegation dogfight.

But they've showed that the Premier League is where they belong, and although they may have a slightly worse season this year than last, especially if they lose Barton, I don't see them being threatened by a return to The Championship.

Verdict: 12th. The quality of their squad won't be enough to get them into the top half, but it should be good enough to make sure they avoid a relegation battle.

Cup Runs: Nothing of note really, perhaps a decent run in the Carling Cup but no danger of silverware.

Norwich City

Manager: Paul Lambert
Stadium: Carrow Road
Last Season: 2nd in The Championship (84 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: N/A

Players In: Steve Morison (Millwall, £2.8m), James Vaughan (Everton, £2.5m), Anthony Pilkington (Huddersfield, £2m), Elliott Bennett (Brighton, undisclosed), Bradley Johnson (Leeds, free), Ritchie De Laet (Manchester United, loan), Kyle Naughton (Tottenham, loan).

Players Out: Owain Tudur Jones (Inverness, undisclosed), Luke Daley, (Plymouth, free), Matt Gill (Bristol Rovers, free), Sam Habergham (Tamworth, free), Jens Berthel Askou (released).

Key Man: Grant Holt

As expected, Norwich have been busy in the transfer window, bringing in seven players so far, but the player most likely to have the biggest impact on their season is captain Grant Holt. Holt has been the club's top scorer every year since joining The Canaries, and a lot will depend on how well he handles the step up to the Premier League.

In manager Paul Lambert they have a man who can seemingly do no wrong. He arrived at Carrow Road two years ago with Norwich lingering in League One and immediately masterminded back-to-back promotions to return The Canaries to the top-flight.

The past five years or so have been a roller-coaster ride for the club, and they could be in for another eventful season this year.

Verdict: 18th. The step-up from lower league football to Premier League football is a massive one, and I don't think Norwich will be able to handle it. They should push it all the way though.

Cup Runs: Nothing of note, perhaps a run in one competition if they get a good draw but no silverware in store for the Norwich fans.

Queens Park Rangers

Manager: Neil Warnock

Stadium: Loftus Road
Last Season: 1st in The Championship (88 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: N/A

Players In: DJ Campbell (Blackpool, £1.2m), Danny Gabbidon (West Ham, free), Kieron Dyer (West Ham, free), Jay Bothroyd (Cardiff, free), Brian Murphy (Ipswich, free), Bruno Perone (Tombense, free)

Players Out: Mikele Leigertwood, (Reading, undisclosed), Georgias Tofas (Anagennisi Dherynia, free), Josh Parker (Oldham, free), Joe Oastler (Torquay, free), Lee Brown (Bristol Rovers, free), Pascal Chimbonda (released), Gavin Mahon (released), Romone Rose (released), Peter Ramage (Crystal Palace, loan), Angelo Balanta (MK Dons, loan).

Key Man: Adel Taarabt

Queens Park Rangers have finally made their return to the Premier League, and they did so in style by winning The Championship last season. Their signings have been interesting, with the club bagging players with Premier League experience without really splashing the cash.

The best business they could do, though, is keeping Adel Taarabt at Loftus Road. The former Tottenham man was exceptional last season, and losing him could be the difference between the club staying up or going down.

There is also a return to the top flight for controversial manager Neil Warnock, a man who also boasts Premier League experience that could prove vital.

Verdict: 14th. QPR should have enough about them to stay up this season, but much depends on the future of Taarabt.

Cup Runs: Their sole focus will be on staying in the league, so don't expect any major assault on the domestic trophies.

Stoke City

Manager: Tony Pulis

Stadium: Brittania Stadium
Last Season: 13th (46 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 10th

Players In: Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham, free), Matthew Upson (West Ham, free).

Players Out: Carl Dickinson (Watford, undisclosed), Eidur Gudjohnsen (AEK Athens, free), Abdoulaye Faye (West Ham, free), Ibrahima Sonko (released), Andrew Davies (Crystal Palace, loan).

Key Man: Kenwyne Jones

Stoke are always a strong, resolute team who are hard to beat, and the additions of Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson will only improve these attributes, particulary if the former can stay fit.

Teams seem to have got wiser when it comes to defending Stoke's set-pieces, but they are still a very potent weapon in The Potters' arsenal. The overall size and strength of their squad should continue to cause problems for every team in the league.

The fitness and consistency of Kenwyne Jones is important to Stoke's chances this season, but after constant improvements recently they should be looking up the table rather than down it.

Verdict: 11th. No danger of relegation and perhaps a challenge for the Europa League, but they'll fall short towards the end of the season.

Cup Runs: Their FA Cup final appearance last season wasn't expected, but they'll be hard pressed to repeat it, particularly with the distraction of the Europa League. It'll be interesting to see how European teams deal with Stoke's abrasive style. Being an unknown quantity could prove to be a valuable quality.

Sunderland

Manager: Steve Bruce
Stadium: Stadium of Light
Last Season: 10th (47 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 13th

Players In: Connor Wickham (Ipswich, £13m), Craig Gardner (Birmingham, £5m), Ahmed Elmohamady (ENPPI, £2m), Ji Dong-won (Chunnam Dragons, £2m), Wes Brown (Man United, £1m), James McClean (Derry City, £350,000), John O'Shea (Man United, undisclosed), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham, free), David Vaughan (Blackpool, free), Keiren Westwood (Coventry, free).

Players Out: Jordan Henderson (Liverpool, £16m), Steed Malbranque (St Etienne, undisclosed), Nathan Luscombe (Hartlepool, free), Michael Kay (Tranmere, free), Bolo Zenden (released), Cristian Riveros (Kayserispor, loan), George McCartney (West Ham, loan)

Key Man: Wes Brown

Once again, Sunderland have been very active during the transfer window and have brought in some excellent signings. The likes of Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson and John O'Shea have improved the squad considerably.

Wes Brown has joined O'Shea in moving from Old Trafford, and he brings valuable experience to the Black Cats' back-line. Big-money signing Connor Wickham is one for the future, but he could begin to fulfill his potential this season if he gets a good run of games.

The incoming players have been of sufficient quality to make sure the club doesn't feel the loss of Jordan Henderson too much and, overall, Sunderland have a more balanced squad this year.

Verdict: 9th. They'll be pushing for Europa League football all season and will only narrowly miss out.

Cup Runs: Sunderland could surprise a few people this year and get to the latter stages of one of the domestic trophies. Perhaps winning silverware is a step too far, but a semifinal appearance is a possibility.

Swansea City

Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Stadium: Liberty Stadium
Last Season: 3rd in The Championship (80 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: N/A

Players In: Michel Vorm (Utrecht, £1.5M), Danny Graham (Watford, £3.5m), Leroy Lita (Middlesbrough, £1.75m), Wayne Routledge (Newcastle, undisclosed), Jose Moreira (Benfica, undisclosed), Steven Caulker (Totteham, loan).

Players Out: Dorus de Vries (Wolves, free), Darren Pratley (Bolton, free), Albert Serran (AEK Larnaca, free), Kerry Morgan (Neath, free), Cedric van der Gun (released), Gorka Pintado (released), Yves Ma-Makalamby (released), Scott Donnelly (Wycombe, loan).

Key Man: Scott Sinclair

As many people's favourites to go down this season, Swansea face a tough task to stay in the division. They are a bit of an unknown quantity with the vast majority of their squad, in addition to their manager and the club itself, lacking Premier League experience.

However, the honeymoon period of initially reaching the top flight has helped out a lot of teams over the 20 years the Premier League has been in existence, and Swansea could be another of these.

A lot rests on the young shoulders of playoff hero Scott Sinclair, as he looks to prove he can be as big a hit in the Premier League as he was in The Championship, but he should get some help on the goal-scoring front from Leroy Lita, a shrewd signing from manager Brendan Rodgers.

Verdict: 17th. They'll start off well, riding on a wave of emotion having got into the top flight but could face a tough 2012. In the end, they should just avoid relegation.

Cup Runs: Their one and only goal will be to stay in the Premier League. Any success in cup competitions will be a very welcome but unexpected bonus.

Tottenham Hotspur

Manager: Harry Redknapp
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Last Season: 5th (62 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 6th

Players In: Brad Friedel (Aston Villa, free), Cristian Ceballos (Barcelona, free), Souleymane Coulibaly (Siena, undisclosed).

Players Out: Jamie O'Hara (Wolves, £5m), Jonathan Woodgate (Stoke, free), Kyle Naughton (Norwich, loan), Steven Caulker (Swansea, loan), Bongani Khumalo (Reading, loan), Ryan Mason (Doncaster, loan), Jonathan Obika (Yeovil, loan).

Key Man: Gareth Bale

Tottenham's squad is a very strong one with depth in almost every position. Perhaps their weakest link—the consistency of Heurelho Gomes—has been sorted with the signing of Mr. Consistent Brad Friedel.

Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Luka Modric will provide as many goalscoring opportunities as any other midfield in the league, and with Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko up front, they have enough quality to make sure the majority of these get put away.

Spurs have done well to keep Modric at the club so far, and if they can keep that up then they'll have one of the strongest starting line-ups in the league.

Verdict: 6th. In previous years this Tottenham squad could have been challenging for the top three, but the improvement of those around them has ensured this won't be the case. There should still be a push for Champions League football, though.

Cup Runs: They have the depth to deal with the three competitions they're in this season, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a cup final appearance in one of the domestic trophies. Their success in the Champions League last season showed they can cope with European football, and winning the Europa League should be regarded as a very realistic possibility.

West Bromwich Albion

Manager: Roy Hodgson
Stadium: The Hawthorns
Last Season: 11th (47 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 19th

Players In: Shane Long (Reading, £6.5m), Zoltan Gera (Fulham, free), Marton Fulop (Ipswich, free), Gareth McAuley (Ipswich, free), Billy Jones (Preston, free), Ben Foster (Birmingham, loan).

Players Out: Scott Carson (Bursaspor, £2.1m), Borja Valero (Villarreal, undisclosed), Abdoulaye Meite (Dijon, free), Gianni Zuiverloon (Real Mallorca, free), Giles Barnes (Doncaster, free), Dean Kiely (retired), Boaz Myhill (Birmingham, loan), Chris Wood (Birmingham, loan).

Key Man: Roy Hodgson

After such a torrid spell as manager of Liverpool at the start of last season, Roy Hodgson performed a minor miracle with West Brom after his appointment at the Hawthorns. Whether he can do this again remains to be seen.

His record with Fulham was superb, and it is possible West Brom might follow a similar path. The signing of Shane Long is a good one, and Ben Foster should comfortably fill the gap left by Scott Carson.

They might find it difficult defensively this season, however, and this could be their main downfall. Expect more attacking entertainment from the Baggies, but this will be accompanied by calamities at the back.

Verdict: 15th. They'll be hard enough to beat to avoid relegation, and the added Hodgson factor could lead to an even higher finish.

Cup Runs: I don't see any waves being made by West Brom in this department. Relatively early exits from both competitions.

Wigan Athletic

Manager: Roberto Martinez
Stadium: DW Stadium
Last Season: 16th (42 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 18th

Players In: Ali Al Habsi (Bolton, £4m), David Jones (Wolves, free), Nouha Dicko (released, free).

Players Out: Charles N'Zogbia (Aston Villa, £9.5m), Antonio Amaya (Real Betis, undisclosed), Daniel de Ridder (Grasshopper Zurich, free), Mauro Boselli (Estudiantes, loan), Steven Caldwell (Birmingham, free), Jason Koumas (released).

Key Man: Hugo Rodallega

The future looks bleak for Wigan Athletic. Having narrowly survived last season, their squad has got weaker during the summer with perhaps their best player, Charles N'Zogbia, joining Aston Villa and no player of similar quality arriving to replace him.

Their squad is flimsy at best, and a bad spell of injuries could cripple Roberto Martinez's side. However, the likes of Hugo Rodallega provide hope that they can pull off another escape and remain in the top-flight.

This season could be the perfect time for youngster Victor Moses to step up to the plate and give Wigan a bigger threat going forward.

Verdict: 20th. Their squad is too thin, and the players they do have lack the quality required to stay in the division again.

Cup Runs: With such a small squad, an early exit out of these competitions could prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manager: Mick McCarthy
Stadium: Molineux
Last Season: 17th (40 pts)

Last Season's Prediction: 17th

Players In: Roger Johnson (Birmingham, £7m), Jamie O'Hara (Tottenham, £5m), Dorus De Vries (Swansea, free).

Players Out: Greg Halford (Portsmouth, undisclosed), David Jones (Wigan, free), Marcus Hahnemann (released), Steven Mouyokolo (Sochaux, loan), Danny Batth (Sheffield Wednesday, loan), Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Sheffield United, loan).

Key Man: Steven Fletcher

Last season Wolves survived by the narrowest of margins, and they'll be in for another relegation battle this year. The signings of Roger Johnson and Jamie O'Hara have improved the squad, which could be an important factor as the season goes on.

Once again, they'll be looking to likes to Steven Fletcher, the club's top scorer last season, Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle to provide the goals and it could be this firepower that keeps them in the league.

Mick McCarthy has done a good job to save Wolves two seasons in a row, and he'll fancy his chances of making it three.

Verdict: 16th. It'll be a close run thing yet again, but there are worse teams than Wolves in the league this season, so they should be safe once more.

Cup Runs: As with other relegation candidates, cup competitions will be side project as they focus on staying in the Premier League.

Your Thoughts

So, there are my predictions for the upcoming season. No doubt most of you skipped all the slides and only read your team's and your immediate rivals, so here is a complete table of my picks:

1. Manchester United (C)

2. Manchester City

3. Chelsea

4. Liverpool

5. Arsenal

6. Tottenham Hotspur

7. Aston Villa

8. Everton

9. Sunderland

10. Fulham

11. Stoke City

12. Newcastle United

13. Bolton Wanderers

14. Queens Park Rangers

15. West Bromwich Albion

16. Wolverhampton Wanderers

17. Swansea City

18. Norwich City (R)

19. Blackburn Rovers (R)

20. Wigan Athletic (R)

Where do you think your team will finish? Who will get relegated? Who will be champions? Who will be in the top four?

Give your views in the comments section!