League Focus: Premier League Season Preview

It's finally upon us. The new Premier League season kicks off this weekend and we at WhoScored cannot wait. Here we will take a look at the sides who could be fighting at either end of the table come May, and a couple of surprise packages along the way.

Tighter at the Top

We start at the top, and we're predicting a tighter title race this season, with Chelsea and Arsenal applying more pressure to the Manchester clubs. Starting with reigning champions City, much has been made of what has been a quiet summer at The Etihad, with no real transfer movement of note. This, however, will of course mean that the squad is extremely familiar with one another, which many flagged as an issue at the start of last season.

In turn, we're tipping City to be quick out of the blocks having tweaked their formation to adopt a 3-man backline. Zabaleta's inclusion on the right side of that defence allows him to shift over and sees the left wing-back, be it Kolarov or Clichy, drop back to form a back 4 when necessary. The tactic appears to suit the Serbian, who has more of a licence to bomb on, having completed 1.3 crosses per game and mustered a hefty average of 2.1 shots per game from the back last season.

Manchester United haven't been particularly busy in the window, but the signings of Kagawa and more surprisingly Robin van Persie undoubtedly add to a cutting edge in attack. It will be interesting to see whether the Japanese international sits in behind a likely strikeforce of Rooney and van Persie, who had a combined goal tally of 57 last season, having pulled the strings for Bundesliga champions Dortmund with 1.8 key passes per game and 8 assists last season.

The Red Devils still seem lightweight in central midfield though, with Carrick, Cleverley and Scholes all excellent passers of the ball without really possessing that defensive steel. However, when referring to defensive steel you can almost count captain Nemanja Vidic as a new signing having returned to fitness, so United may well have made tracks on City having only finished second on goal difference last term.

Chelsea and Arsenal have also bolstered their attacking ranks significantly, with the Blues capture of Eden Hazard still standing as the summer's most expensive deal. The Belgian showed early glimpses of what he can do in the Community Shield and you can be sure that he will grow into the league having amassed outstanding tallies of 20 goals and 16 assists for Lille last season.

The signing of Brazilian Oscar is an intriguing one, and though the playmaker will need to work on his physical strength to fit in, his technical ability will ensure that Torres has plenty of chances next season. The Spaniard's ability to take said chances will be key.

Arsenal have undoubtedly had the most attention this summer in terms of transfer targets and scalps, bringing in three top recruits in the attacking third but seemingly settling with what remains a questionable backline. Santi Cazorla stands out as the pick of the bunch for the Gunners, possessing exceptional stats across the board last season, while Giroud and Podolski's goals (23 and 18 respectively last season) should help cover the loss of van Persie.

While Koscielny had a standout season last time around and new skipper Vermaelen returned to somewhere near his former best, a lack of depth at full-back could be an issue. With no real senior reserve for the increasingly injury prone Sagna, Arsenal are set to start the season with a young hopeful at right-back once again, while neither Gibbs or Santos have really cemented the left-back berth. Arsenal will score goals; of that there is no doubt, but there ability to stop conceding them will decide whether they can challenge for the title.

Relegation Ruck & Surprise Packages

The fight against relegation could also be an extremely tight one, with almost every club improving on their squads from the previous campaign. In terms of the newcomers, many tipped a West Ham side with more Premier League experience than the likes of Southampton and Reading to be safest, though the Saints have made some eye-catching signings, not least with the potential arrival of Gaston Ramirez.

The 21-year old completed the third most dribbles in Serie A last season (81) and proved in this summer's Olympics what a threat he is from distance. Meanwhile, in terms of homegrown talent, deals for Nathaniel Clyne and Jay Rodriguez could also be seen as coups for the club. In comparison, The Hammers have added experience and strength to their midfield, with Alou Diarra's signature a real surprise and Mohamed Diame representing an excellent free transfer.

They, however, still look short at the back despite the return of James Collins and may need to add, while Reading look in the most ominous position of the three despite decent signings such as Pogrebnyak and Mariappa.

The likes of Sunderland and Stoke have struggled to strengthen so far, and could be dragged back into the mire at the bottom of the table along with Wigan, while judgement on Villa's new recruits will be reserved for a while. The Villans' best signing so far may well be Paul Lambert who, having replaced Alex McLeish, instantly became the most popular man in the claret and blue side of Birmingham.

Perhaps the busiest side this summer, however, and the team who could perhaps represent this season's surprise package, are QPR. Adding experience in the likes of Rob Green, Ryan Nelsen and Park Ji-Sung, perhaps the most exciting signing for the Hoops comes in the form of Junior Hoilett, with only Victor Moses completing more dribbles last season (84). United's Fabio has also joined on loan, while a free transfer for Jose Bosingwa completes their backline.

The issue for Mark Hughes will perhaps be how to keep some big egos happy, with Taarabt and Cisse springing to mind, while the return of Alejandro Faurlin should not be underestimated. It seems unlikely that the Londoners would go down, but if they did they could be in all kinds of trouble having really splashed the cash on wages in particular. Their side, however, could be capable of a mid-table, if not top half, finish.