Game-Changing Analysis: Premier League 2023/24 Season Preview Unveils Clubs' Statistical Dominance!

The 32nd season of the Premier League is here, and Manchester City is striving to make history by winning the title for the fourth consecutive season. Will the offseason signings by other teams dethrone the triple winners?

Luton has joined the Premier League as the 51st club, after last appearing in the top division in 1991-92 and being relegated before the inaugural Premier League season. Have they, along with newly promoted teams Burnley and Sheffield Utd, strengthened their squads enough to avoid the relegation battle or potentially compete for higher positions in the table?

We take a look at how all 20 clubs have, or haven't, addressed weaknesses from last season as the greatest league in the world prepares for kick-off.

Burnley

Manchester City

Friday 11th August 6:30pm

Kick off 8:00pm

There is little contention when it comes to Arsenal's failed title bid in the previous season, which undeniably suffered as a direct result of William Saliba's unfortunate back injury. This injury caused him to miss out on the final 11 league matches, after having started the first 27 Premier League games. The impact of his absence was clearly evident in Arsenal's decline during that period.

Arsenal's lack of squad depth had long been a point of concern as Manchester City pursued their fifth title in six seasons. However, they managed to endure a prolonged absence of Gabriel Jesus after the World Cup. Unfortunately, their defense faltered during this time, as Saliba's absence coincided with an injury to Takehiro Tomiyasu, exposing the weaknesses in their supporting cast.

While much attention has been given to Declan Rice's club-record £105m move this summer, the arrival of versatile Dutch international Jurrien Timber has offered Arsenal a much-needed boost in both quality and depth in defense. This is particularly beneficial considering that Ben White and Tomiyasu are capable of playing in multiple positions in the back-line. Moreover, with the impending arrival of David Raya to challenge Aaron Ramsdale, Mikel Arteta has ensured healthy competition for all defensive positions.

ARSENAL

Before Unai Emery's debut match against Manchester United in November 2022, Aston Villa found themselves in 17th place in the table with only 12 points from their first 13 games. However, they managed to avoid the relegation zone based on goal difference. After Emery took charge, Villa went on to win 15 out of their remaining 25 league games. This impressive performance not only earned them a spot in European competitions but also marked their best Premier League finish since the 2009-2010 season.

The away form was significantly different from their performances at Villa Park throughout the season, particularly in terms of attacking play. Unai Emery, the former head coach of Arsenal, only managed to secure four victories in his last 19 away league matches with the Gunners, so this is not an unfamiliar challenge for the accomplished manager who has won the Europa League four times.

The addition of Spanish international Pau Torres brings both experience and quality to the defense, which will be further strengthened by the return of Diego Carlos after a season plagued by injuries.

All four of Youri Tielemans' away goals last season surpassed any goals scored by Aston Villa midfielders on the road. Moussa Diaby, highly sought-after and acquired for a record-breaking fee of £52m from Bayer Leverkusen, notched 14 goals and provided 10 assists in the previous season. Additionally, he showcased his prowess by being the third swiftest player in the Bundesliga.

ASTON VILLA

Following a humiliating 9-0 loss to Liverpool, which ultimately led to Scott Parker's dismissal as the first Premier League manager to be sacked in August since 2004, last season's 15th-place finish is now perceived as a commendable achievement.

Their top division status was all but secured with a remarkable run of five wins in seven games in April. However, this accomplishment was not enough to prevent Gary O'Neil from losing his job as the club's manager. Andoni Iraola has taken over as the fifth permanent manager since August 2020. In order to maintain their Premier League status this season, the team will certainly need to make improvements in both their defensive and offensive play.

One notable summer signing for the team is Dutch winger Justin Kluivert. The club has made a significant investment of £58 million in total for this transfer window, which is a record for them. They had already spent nearly £45 million in the previous January transfer window. Under Iraola's leadership, the team is expected to change their playing style and make additions to their goalkeeper, defense, midfield, and attack positions.

BOURNEMOUTH

Brentford fans will undoubtedly feel the impact of Ivan Toney's absence in West London until mid-January 2024. As their top scorer in both Premier League seasons, he has outperformed any of his teammates, making his absence a source of concern. However, the team managed to perform well in the five league games he missed last season, securing an impressive 13 points out of a possible 15. Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa stepped up and assumed the responsibility of scoring for Thomas Frank's side.

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In June, The Bees made the decision to acquire Kevin Schade, the loan signing from January, on a permanent basis for a fee of £21m. However, despite making 19 appearances for the team, Schade is yet to find the back of the net.

With David Raya's impending move to Arsenal, the team will be bolstered by the arrival of Dutch international goalkeeper Mark Flekken and Nathan Collins, who was signed for a hefty sum of £23m. These additions will further strengthen an already formidable defensive unit that has proven to be difficult to penetrate.

Brentford

Tottenham Hotspur

Sunday 13th August 1:00pm

Kick off 2:00pm

BRENTFORD

Brighton's sixth place finish last season marked a historic achievement for the club, as it was their highest placement to date. This upcoming season, they will face the unique challenge of balancing both domestic and European football for the first time ever. The Seagulls' impressive style of play received well-deserved praise throughout the previous campaign, as they boasted the highest number of shots (613) and shots on target (228) among all teams.

Premier League 2022/23	Club	Home	Away
7th	Aston Villa	Lost 1-2	Lost 1-2
8th	Tottenham	Lost 0-1	Lost 1-2
9th	Brentford	Drew 3-3	Lost 0-2
10th	Fulham	Lost 0-1	Lost 1-2

They secured victories against three of the top five teams, achieving a 'double' over Manchester Utd, as well as triumphing with a 3-0 home win against Liverpool and Arsenal. However, they faced difficulties against teams in their vicinity, particularly those ranked seventh to tenth, resulting in seven out of twelve defeats.

During the summer transfer window, Alexis Mac Allister was the only notable departure, while their attacking options have been strengthened by the club-record signing of Joao Pedro (£30m from Watford). Additionally, they have acquired the experience of 37-year-old James Milner and have high hopes for 20-year-old Dutch U21 international goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who they believe is a promising talent.

Following their relegation in 2021-22, the team quickly made their way back to the Premier League with a noticeable change in their playing style, which has long been associated with Sean Dyche.

With Vincent Kompany at the helm, the team, who were consistently at the bottom in terms of possession and passing statistics in the top flight, transformed into arguably the most captivating and skilled side in the Championship.

BRIGHTON

Burnley's nine new recruits during the summer transfer window have positioned them as the side with the highest number of signings thus far. This extensive squad depth is a stark contrast to their club's tradition of rarely making personnel changes during their six-season tenure from 2016-2022.

Last season proved to be one of Burnley's toughest in their Premier League history, culminating in a 12th-place finish - their lowest ever. With only 44 points amassed, it also marked their lowest points tally in the division. Throughout the tumultuous campaign, Burnley underwent a staggering 139 changes to their starting XI - 22 more changes than any other team. They managed to secure just one victory out of their 20 league matches against top-half opposition, while settling for seven draws and enduring 12 defeats.

Furthermore, their performance last season was lacking, with only 38 league goals scored, marking the second-lowest in their history. In addition, they failed to find the back of the net in a staggering 14 games, which stands as their highest number of goalless matches in a single Premier League season. This put them in a precarious position, as they needed to find a balance between selling players and strengthening their forward line. It is worth noting that out of the 10 players who formed their attack last season, none were able to surpass Raheem Sterling in terms of goal-scoring, as he was the sole player to achieve more than one goal throughout the campaign.

Player	Goals	Mins per goal	Conversion rate	Big chances missed
Kai Havertz	7	368	9.9%	14
Raheem Sterling	6	317	14.3%	8
Joao Felix	4	236	8.7%	5
Mason Mount	3	552	9.1%	0
Armando Broja	1	287	16.7%	3
Noni Madueke	1	646	8.3%	0
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	1	550	6.3%	3
Christian Pulisic	1	813	5.3%	2
Mykhailo Mudryk	0	n/a	0%	5
Hakim Ziyech	0	n/a	0%	0
Nicholas Jackson	12	133	29.3%	7
Christian Nkunku	16	119	21.6%	17

Leipzig's Christian Nkunku, who had a deal agreed upon last season, is anticipated to be sidelined for approximately four months due to a knee injury sustained during pre-season. The Frenchman has impressively netted a total of 58 goals in all competitions over the course of the past two seasons. Meanwhile, before joining Chelsea, Timo Werner, the team's previous signing from Leipzig, achieved a comparable record of 53 goals in the preceding two campaigns. However, his performance at Stamford Bridge over the subsequent erratic two seasons proved to be unpredictable.

Chelsea

Liverpool

Sunday 13th August 4:00pm

Kick off 4:30pm

BURNLEY

Nicholas Jackson is the latest addition to the high-profile forward lineup, replacing the departed Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Christian Pulisic. This Senegalese striker, who has three national team caps, showcased his talent by scoring an impressive 12 goals in 26 LaLiga matches for Villarreal last season. Notably, nine of these goals were netted during an exceptional eight-game period spanning from April to June.

BURNLEY

This season marks the first time since 2013-14 that the Eagles will kick off the league without the presence of Wilfried Zaha. Of all the previous seasons Crystal Palace have competed in the Premier League and managed to secure their top-flight status, this remains the sole exception.

Zaha leaves Selhurst Park after netting 90 goals in 458 matches across all competitions. Undoubtedly, he has been the most valuable player for Crystal Palace in the Premier League era, surpassing all others in the division by almost double the number of goals scored (68, with Benteke coming in second at 35).

Despite a slight decrease in goals and assists during the previous season, his importance cannot be overstated, as the team noticeably performs better when he is on the field.

CHELSEA

Crystal Palace's solitary summer acquisition has been the cost-free addition of Jefferson Lerma from Bournemouth. All attention will be directed towards Michael Olise as he endeavors to step into the formidable shoes left by Zaha in the forthcoming season.

Everton avoided relegation on the final day of the season in 2022-23 - the previous campaign their Premier League status was only confirmed following the penultimate game.

In the past four seasons, they have only managed to finish in the bottom half three times, a significant decline compared to their previous 13 campaigns where they consistently secured a top-eight position. Furthermore, in the last two seasons, they have failed to achieve more than 40 points, marking the first time this has happened since the 2003-04 season. To compound matters, they recorded their lowest number of league game victories last season, with just eight wins to their name. Disappointingly, their only summer addition so far has been 38-year-old Ashley Young, leaving a clear void in their attack as their two recognized strikers combined for a mere three goals in the Premier League last season.

The future of talented striker Aleksandar Mitrovic remains uncertain as a potential move to Saudi Arabia appears to have fallen through. Despite this, the recent arrival of Raul Jimenez from Wolves for £5.5m does not overshadow Mitrovic's impressive record of scoring more Premier League goals in the last three seasons combined than Jimenez. It is crucial for the club to retain Mitrovic in the coming three weeks. On the defensive end, Bernd Leno aims to avoid replicating his remarkable saves from last season at Craven Cottage, where he made 144 saves in the Premier League, second only to David Raya. The addition of Calvin Bassey from Ajax for £18.2m is expected to provide support for the former Arsenal goalkeeper and reduce his workload.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Fulham last season had the best defensive performance among all teams, conceding only 53 league goals from an expected goals against of 65.56. This achievement marked their first finish outside of the top four in any of Jurgen Klopp's seven full campaigns at Anfield.

The club shared the desire for an upgrade in their midfield trio's energy, which played a crucial role in their battles against Manchester City for almost five years. In line with this, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita all departed this summer, with £115m invested in Alexis Mac Allister and Leipzig's Dominik Szoboszlai. Southampton's Romeo Lavia is strongly linked as an additional midfield acquisition.

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Despite going undefeated in their final 11 league matches last season, there was a belief that their midfield trio had lost the vital energy that played a crucial role in their 2019-20 title victory. In the previous five seasons, last season saw their most utilized three midfielders cover the greatest distance and engage in the most sprints per 90 minutes. However, their passing accuracy and success rate in duels had declined, and their contributions in terms of goals were significantly lower compared to both the 2021-22 season and their championship-winning year.

With aspirations to achieve similar results, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai both scored 10 goals across all competitions last season, a feat they aim to repeat on Merseyside.

EVERTON

Ten years ago this week, Luton began their league season on a losing note, suffering a 1-0 defeat against Southport in the National League. However, this setback did not deter them as they went on to become champions, marking the first of their four promotions within the span of ten years.

After their glorious victory in the Championship play-off final against Coventry at the end of May, the collective Premier League appearances of Luton's first-team squad amounted to a modest 26.

Top-flight experience will undoubtedly be a critical factor for a club that frequently defies expectations: they have significantly bolstered their squad with players who have previous Premier League exposure, such as Ross Barkley, a former academy prospect of Manchester United, Tahith Chong, and the permanent acquisition of Marvelous Nakamba. Additionally, Ryan Giles from Wolves and loanee Issa Kabore from Manchester City have joined their ranks, even though they have yet to make their debut in the competition.

FULHAM

Burnley

Player	Goals	Points
Erling Haaland	36	24
Julian Alvarez	9	6
Ilkay Gundogan	8	4
Riyad Mahrez	5	4
Phil Foden	11	3
Kevin De Bruyne	7	3
Bernardo Silva	4	2

The frontrunners for an unprecedented fourth consecutive league championship are nearly flawless. Despite a relatively uneventful transfer window, they managed to secure Mateo Kovacic and Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol for a hefty sum of over £100m.

Although Manchester City seemed unaffected by Erling Haaland's absence during the previous season, his goals were both frequent and crucial. With 36 league goals to his name, he single-handedly contributed an additional 24 points—more than any other player in the league and four times the total of any teammate.

LIVERPOOL

Erik ten Hag had a successful first season at Old Trafford, leading Manchester United to a three-place improvement in the Premier League and a total of 17 additional points. This secured their return to Champions League football. Moreover, they claimed the EFL Cup trophy, marking their first major silverware since 2017. Additionally, under ten Hag's guidance, the team achieved a record-breaking 42 wins in all competitions, the highest number for any debut season by a Manchester United manager.

However, despite these accomplishments, addressing their concerning away form becomes crucial for the team's continued progress. Notably, they only earned a single point from league matches against teams that finished ninth or higher, including a devastating 7-0 defeat by Liverpool, setting a club record.

Manchester United

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Monday 14th August 6:30pm

Kick off 8:00pm

Their activity in the transfer market is unlikely to be finished prior to the start of the first weekend. Nonetheless, a modification in strategy is expected with the addition of Andre Onana, who reached the Champions League final. Onana replaced David de Gea, who had been the club's primary choice for 12 years. In terms of their goalkeeping statistics in the league from 2022-23, there is minimal disparity between the two. However, when it comes to distribution statistics, Onana's performance far surpasses that of the Spanish goalkeeper.

LUTON

Newcastle will be balancing both domestic and European football this season, marking their return to the European stage after almost a decade. This season also marks their third participation in the prestigious Champions League, their first in more than two decades.

Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes have united under Eddie Howe's leadership in a £94m deal, bolstering the team's quest to establish themselves among the Premier League's top clubs. Notably, they showcased one of the division's most impressive defensive records last season, boasting an impressive 14 clean sheets and spending less than 500 minutes trailing behind their opponents.

Newcastle United

Aston Villa

Saturday 12th August 5:00pm

Kick off 5:30pm

The team needs to focus on converting draws into victories. Although they lost the same number of games as champions Manchester City (five), they also had the same number of draws as Brentford (14), with seven of them resulting in goalless matches, making them the Premier League team with the most such draws.

MAN CITY

With a total of 30 players added to their team last season - a remarkable 23 of which were signed during the summer transfer window, setting a record in the Premier League - it was expected that this summer would be relatively quiet in terms of new arrivals. Goalkeeper Matt Turner, defender Ola Aina, and winger Anthony Elanga are the only additions thus far, alongside Chris Wood, whose loan move was made permanent. This decision by Steve Cooper's team reflects their priority of reducing the size of their squad, which had become excessively large.

The substantial number of new signings last season contributed to their impressive 16th-place finish, particularly noteworthy due to only five defeats suffered at home throughout the entire season. However, their performance away from home was less commendable, as they managed just a single victory - their lowest number in any division since 1961-62.

MAN UTD

The Blades will definitely be looking to sign a new striker before the transfer window shuts, as they sold Iliman Ndiaye to Marseille for £20m in early August.

Ndiaye was the leading goal scorer for the club in the Championship last season, netting 14 goals. Interestingly, they managed to win all nine games in which he scored, with an impressive four of them ending in a 1-0 victory.

Sheffiled United boasts three highly skilled strikers who were all part of the squad that suffered relegation from the top tier during the 2020-21 season. Optimism surrounds the potential of 20-year-old Ivorian winger, Benie Traore, as he aims to replicate his exceptional performance in the Swedish top division during the upcoming 2023 season. Before joining our team, Traore impressively scored 12 goals in 14 league appearances for Hacken.

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Tottenham welcomes Ange Postecoglou as their new manager for the fifth consecutive season opener, following Mauricio Pochettino in 2019-20, Jose Mourinho in 2020-21, Nuno Espirito Santo in 2021-22, and Antonio Conte in the previous year.

The Australian has been given the responsibility of stabilizing a team that has faced significant challenges in recent seasons. The additions of James Maddison and Manor Solomon have bolstered their attacking options, while the future of Harry Kane is expected to be resolved before Sunday's opening match against Brentford. However, the potential need to find a replacement for their top goal scorer is not the only concern in North London. Defensive statistics have experienced a worrying decline since their second-place finish in the 2016-17 season.

In an effort to address their defensive weaknesses, Tottenham has acquired Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli after failing to reach an agreement with Brentford for David Raya. Last season, Spurs conceded a total of 63 goals in the league, placing them among the five clubs with the highest number of goals conceded. Additionally, their save ratio stood at 64 percent, which was lower than five other clubs. This marked the highest number of goals conceded by Tottenham in the Premier League since the 1992-93 season.

NEWCASTLE

David Moyes is set to make James Ward-Prowse and Harry Maguire his first summer signings, as he looks to strengthen his squad after several players have left following their victory in the Europa Conference League. The departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m is the biggest loss, with Manuel Lanzini, Gianluca Scamacca, and Nikola Vlasic also leaving East London. Replacing Rice's qualities will be a difficult task as he has been one of the top performers in the Premier League for the past five seasons.

He was West Ham's stand-out player in the league again in 2022-23, with more than double the possession won and successful passes of any teammate.

Molineux experienced a challenging summer marked by Julen Lopetegui's abrupt departure on Tuesday. Additionally, this summer saw the departure of the club's five players who had the highest number of Premier League appearances.

Wolves finished last in the Premier League last season in terms of goals, expected goals, and shot conversion. Although Raul Jimenez scored 17 Premier League goals in the 2019-20 season, no other Wolves player has been able to surpass six league goals in a single season since then. This transfer window, the major signing is the comeback of Matt Doherty, along with the permanent moves of loan players Matheus Cunha and Boubacar Traore.