Unveiling the Premier League 2023/24 Season: Who Has Mastered their Statistical Imperfections?

The Premier League's 32nd season is here, and Manchester City is setting its sights on an unprecedented fourth consecutive title. Can the other clubs' summer acquisitions dethrone the reigning champions, who recently secured a treble?

Joining the Premier League for the first time in decades, Luton becomes the 51st club to grace the top division. After their relegation in the 1991/92 season, they are determined to avoid another relegation battle. Alongside newly promoted Burnley and Sheffield Utd, have they strengthened their squads enough to compete higher up 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 dispute that Arsenal's unsuccessful bid for the title in the previous season was significantly hampered by William Saliba's back injury, which sidelined him for the final 11 league matches. Saliba's presence had been instrumental in the team's performance, as he had started in all 27 Premier League games at the time. The absence of his skills and contributions was evident in Arsenal's subsequent decline.

Arsenal's lack of squad depth raised concerns about their chances against Manchester City in their pursuit of their fifth title in six seasons. However, they managed to weather Gabriel Jesus' extended absence following the World Cup. Unfortunately, their defense showed vulnerability due to Saliba's absence and Tomiyasu's injury, which exposed the limitations of their supporting players.

While the spotlight has been on Declan Rice's record-breaking £105m transfer this summer, the addition of versatile Dutch international Jurrien Timber has provided Arsenal with much-needed strength and depth in defense. This is especially valuable as both Ben White and Tomiyasu are capable of playing in different positions along the back-line. With the imminent arrival of David Raya to compete with Aaron Ramsdale, Mikel Arteta has ensured healthy competition in all defensive positions.

ARSENAL

Following Unai Emery's debut match, a triumphant 3-1 victory against Manchester United in November 2022, Aston Villa found themselves positioned at the 17th spot on the table with an accumulation of 12 points from their initial 13 games. However, their goal difference saved them from the threats of relegation.

Subsequently, under Emery's astute guidance, Villa emerged victorious in 15 out of their 25 league matches, earning themselves a place in European football and achieving their most remarkable Premier League conclusion since the 2009/10 season.

Their performance in away matches was drastically different compared to their results at Villa Park throughout the season, particularly in terms of their ability to attack. Unai Emery, who had an unsuccessful reign as the head coach of Arsenal, only managed to secure four wins in his last 19 league away games with the team. Therefore, this is not a new challenge for the manager who has won the Europa League four times.

The defense will receive a boost with the addition of Spanish international Pau Torres, who brings both experience and quality. Additionally, Diego Carlos will make a return after a season in England plagued by injuries.

All four of Youri Tielemans' goals for Leicester last season came during their away games, surpassing the goal-scoring record of any Aston Villa midfielder on the road. The highly sought-after Moussa Diaby, who was secured for a club-record fee of £52m from Bayer Leverkusen, proved his prowess by netting 14 goals and providing 10 assists last season. Additionally, he showcased his remarkable speed, ranking third fastest player in the Bundesliga.

ASTON VILLA

It was considered a remarkable achievement to secure a 15th-place finish last season, especially considering the team started with a devastating 9-0 loss against Liverpool. This defeat resulted in Scott Parker's dismissal, making him the first Premier League manager in over a decade to be sacked in the month of August.

A string of five wins in seven games during April virtually secured their top division standing, but it wasn't enough to keep Gary O'Neil in his job. Andoni Iraola has taken over as the club's fifth permanent manager since August 2020. To maintain their Premier League status this season, defensive and offensive improvements are surely necessary.

The most noteworthy summer signing for the club is Dutch winger Justin Kluivert. Their total spending of £58m on transfers is a record for a single transfer window, having already spent close to £45m in January. With Iraola coming in, a change in playing style is likely, along with new additions in goal, defense, midfield, and attack during the summer.

BOURNEMOUTH

The impact of Ivan Toney's absence will be keenly felt in West London until mid-January 2024. As Brentford's top scorer in both Premier League seasons, with a significantly higher number of goals than any other teammate during that period, it is understandable that his absence will create unease among the Brentford fans. However, the team performed admirably in the five league games that Toney missed last season, securing an impressive 13 points out of a possible 15. Both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa stepped up and successfully filled the scoring void for Thomas Frank's side.

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January loan signing Kevin Schade was signed permanently by The Bees for £21m in June, however, he is yet to find the back of the net in 19 appearances. The defensive unit, which is already known for its solidity, will be further bolstered with the addition of Dutch international goalkeeper Mark Flekken and £23m signing Nathan Collins, as David Raya's move to Arsenal is imminent.

Brentford

Tottenham Hotspur

Sunday 13th August 1:00pm

Kick off 2:00pm

BRENTFORD

Brighton achieved their highest-ever finish last season, securing sixth place. This will be the first time in their history that the Seagulls will be balancing domestic and European football. Their impressive style of play received well-deserved praise, as they led the league in both shots taken (613) and shots on target (228).

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 achieved victories against three of the top-ranked teams, including a double win against Manchester Utd, a 3-0 triumph at home against Liverpool, and a similar scoreline victory at Arsenal. However, they struggled against teams positioned below them in the table, particularly those between seventh and tenth place, resulting in seven of their 12 defeats.

During this summer, their notable departure has been Alexis Mac Allister, while they have strengthened their attacking options by making a club-record signing of Joao Pedro from Watford for £30 million. They have also gained experience through the addition of 37-year-old James Milner, and are hopeful of discovering another talented player in 20-year-old Dutch U21 international goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

After being relegated in 2021/22, the team under Sean Dyche has quickly regained their spot in the Premier League. Along with this successful return, there has been a notable transformation in their playing style.

Vincent Kompany, the newly appointed manager, took charge of a team that consistently ranked at the bottom in terms of possession and passing statistics in the top flight. However, he has managed to completely revolutionize their approach, turning them into arguably the most captivating and aesthetically pleasing side in the Championship.

BRIGHTON

Burnley's nine new recruits have made them the team with the most summer signings in the Premier League. This influx of talent should alleviate any concerns about squad depth for a club that rarely made personnel changes during their six-season stay between 2016 and 2022. Despite this, it remains to be seen whether the former Manchester City captain will attempt to adopt a similar philosophy in the Premier League.

BRIGHTON

Their 12th-place finish last season marked their lowest in Premier League history, accompanied by their lowest points tally in the division (44). It was a tumultuous campaign for Burnley, with 139 changes to their starting XI, the most among all teams. Moreover, they managed only one victory against top-half opposition in their 20 league games (alongside seven draws and 12 defeats).

In addition, their history witnessed their second-lowest number of league goals, with only 38 scored during the season. An alarming 14 games passed without their team being able to find the back of the net, setting a record for the most goalless matches in a single Premier League season. The challenge of simultaneously selling players and strengthening their forward line became their utmost priority. Out of the 10 individuals who formed their attacking lineup in the previous season, only Raheem Sterling remains as the sole player to have achieved more than a single goal.

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 agreed to a deal last season, but unfortunately, he is expected to be sidelined for up to four months due to a knee injury sustained during pre-season. The talented Frenchman has impressively scored 58 goals in all competitions over the past two seasons. Interestingly, a similar pattern emerges with Leipzig's previous signing for Chelsea, Timo Werner. Prior to joining Chelsea, Werner had recorded 53 goals in the preceding two campaigns before embarking on a somewhat unpredictable two-season journey at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea

Liverpool

Sunday 13th August 4:00pm

Kick off 4:30pm

Nicholas Jackson is the additional prominent forward who has been brought in to enhance the forward line, following the departure of players such as Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Christian Pulisic. In the previous season, the Senegalese striker, who has represented his country three times, managed to score 12 goals in 26 appearances in LaLiga for Villarreal. Notably, he netted nine of those goals within a remarkable eight-game period spanning from April to June.

BURNLEY

Crystal Palace will begin a league season without Wilfried Zaha for the first time since 2013/14. Interestingly, this is also the only previous Premier League season in which the Eagles successfully avoided relegation.

Zaha leaves Selhurst Park after netting 90 goals in 458 matches across all competitions. There is no denying that he has been Crystal Palace's most valuable player during the Premier League era. He has almost doubled the goal tally of any other player in the squad, with 68 goals in the league alone (Benteke is second with 35).

Although his goal and assist numbers dropped last season, it would be a mistake to underestimate his influence. The team noticeably improved whenever he was on the field.

Crystal Palace have acquired Jefferson Lerma as a free agent from Bournemouth and have made a notable investment of £26m in 19-year-old midfielder Matheus Franca from Flamengo. The focus is now shifting towards Michael Olise, who is expected to step up and fill the void left by Zaha this season.

CHELSEA

Everton narrowly escaped relegation on the last day of the 2022/23 season compared to the previous year when their Premier League status was secured in the second-to-last game. Before experiencing three consecutive finishes in the bottom half of the table in the past four seasons, they had achieved top-eight finishes in 11 out of the previous 13 campaigns. In the last two seasons, they have failed to reach 40 points, marking the first time since 2003/04. Their performance in their most recent season saw them win a record-low of only eight league games.

In their only summer signing thus far, the team has brought in 38-year-old Ashley Young. However, it is evident that they require additional attacking options, as their two established strikers managed to score just three goals in the Premier League last season.

The fate of talented striker Aleksandar Mitrovic remains uncertain as a potential transfer to Saudi Arabia appears to have collapsed. In contrast, Raul Jimenez has joined the team for £5.5m after his tenure at Wolves, despite scoring fewer goals in the Premier League over the past three seasons combined compared to Mitrovic's impressive tally in 2022/23.

Retaining Mitrovic is crucial in the upcoming three weeks. In terms of defense, Bernd Leno aims to avoid his impressive performances from last season at Craven Cottage, where he made 144 saves in the Premier League, second only to David Raya. The club anticipates that the acquisition of Calvin Bassey from Ajax for £18.2m will help reduce the workload for the former Arsenal goalkeeper.

Fulham conceded 53 league goals last season, despite having an expected goals against of 65.56, making it the team with the highest overperformance in this regard.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Last season marked a significant departure from Jurgen Klopp's previous successes, as his Liverpool team failed to secure a top-four finish for the first time in his seven-year tenure at Anfield.

While the relentless energy of their midfield trio had been instrumental in competing with Manchester City over the past five years, the club acknowledged the need for an upgrade. Consequently, this summer saw the departures of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita, with a whopping £115m investment in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from Leipzig. Additionally, there are strong rumors linking Southampton's Romeo Lavia to join Liverpool's midfield ranks.

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Although they maintained an unbeaten streak in their last 11 league matches of the previous season, there was a widespread belief that their midfield trio had lost the crucial energy that played a vital role in their title victory in 2019/20. In comparison to the previous five seasons, last season witnessed the highest number of sprints and distance covered per 90 minutes by their three most frequently utilized midfielders. 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 campaign.

Both Mac Allister and Szoboszlai scored 10 goals in all competitions last season, figures they will be hoping to replicate on Merseyside.

EVERTON

Luton began their league season ten years ago this week by suffering a 1-0 away defeat against Southport in the National League. However, they eventually emerged as champions, marking the first of their four promotions within the span of a decade.

After their victory over Coventry in the Championship play-off final in May, the first-team squad had a collective total of 26 career Premier League appearances.

Having Premier League experience will undoubtedly play a crucial role for a club that frequently surpasses expectations. They have bolstered their squad with the addition of Ross Barkley, former Manchester Utd academy prospect Tahith Chong, and the permanent signing of Marvelous Nakamba. Furthermore, Ryan Giles (Wolves) and loanee Issa Kabore (Manchester City) have joined from Premier League rivals, despite not yet making 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 team widely expected to win a historic fourth consecutive league championship does not have many weaknesses. Despite a relatively uneventful transfer window thus far, they have managed to invest more than £100m on securing the talents of Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol, a Croatian defender.

LIVERPOOL

However, despite Erling Haaland's absence on a few occasions last season, Manchester City did not seem to be affected. Nevertheless, when he did play, his goal-scoring capabilities were not only frequent but also immensely significant. With 36 goals in the league, Haaland contributed an impressive additional 24 points to Manchester City's tally. This feat surpassed any other player's contribution in the division and was four times greater than that of any of his teammates.

Old Trafford witnessed the triumph of Erik ten Hag's inaugural season, marked by a remarkable ascent of three positions in the Premier League, bagging an additional 17 points. The glorious return to Champions League football was sealed. The season was further glorified by clinching the EFL Cup trophy, a precious accolade that had eluded them since 2017. Notably, under ten Hag's management, Manchester United celebrated an impressive tally of 42 victories in all competitions, the highest ever recorded by a debut-season manager.

Despite the positives, addressing their alarming away form will be crucial for maintaining progress and ensuring they maintain a position in the top four amidst fiercer competition. They only managed to secure a single point from league games against teams that finished ninth or higher, and suffered a record-breaking 7-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool.

Manchester United

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Monday 14th August 6:30pm

Kick off 8:00pm

Their activity in the transfer market is not over yet, even though a change in strategy is expected as they have brought in Andre Onana, a Champions League finalist. Onana has taken over from David de Gea after his 12-year stint as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. When comparing their goalkeeping statistics in the league since 2022/23, there is not much difference between the two. However, Onana's distribution numbers far surpass those of the Spanish goalkeeper.

LUTON

Newcastle is set to balance domestic and European football this season, a feat they haven't accomplished since 2012/13. Moreover, they are embarking on their third-ever Champions League campaign after a hiatus of more than two decades.

In their pursuit to establish themselves as one of the Premier League's top teams, Eddie Howe's squad has acquired the talents of Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes for a combined fee of £94m. Notably, Newcastle possessed one of the strongest defensive records in the league last season, boasting the second-highest number of clean sheets (14) and spending less than 500 minutes trailing in matches.

Newcastle United

Aston Villa

Saturday 12th August 5:00pm

Kick off 5:30pm

A focus will surely be on turning draws into wins - despite losing the same amount of games as champions Manchester City (five), they also drew a joint-high 14 games (same as Brentford), and were involved in more goalless draws (seven) than any other Premier League team.

MAN CITY

Therefore, the team will need to prioritize converting those draws into victories. Despite losing only five matches, they ended up with a total of 14 draws, which is the same number as Brentford. Additionally, they were involved in a notable seven goalless draws, more than any other team in the Premier League.

With an impressive 30 new players acquired in the previous season, including an astounding 23 during the summer transfer window, it was anticipated that this summer would be relatively calmer. However, in addition to converting Chris Wood's loan move into a permanent one, Steve Cooper's team has approached the transfer window with a focus on streamlining their excessively large squad. As a result, goalkeeper Matt Turner, defender Ola Aina, and winger Anthony Elanga have joined the club, marking the limited activity for this season.

MAN UTD

Despite finishing in 16th place last season, the team's remarkable achievement was underscored by the substantial number of new signings they made. Their dominance in their home matches was evident with only five league defeats throughout the entire season. Interestingly, they struggled on away grounds as they managed to secure just one victory throughout the season, marking their lowest number of away wins in any division since 1961/62.

The Blades will surely be in the market for a striker before the transfer window closes, having sold Iliman Ndiaye to Marseille for £20m at the start of August.

Ndiaye, who scored 14 goals last season, was the top scorer in the Championship for the club. During his time on the scoresheet, the team won all nine of their final games, four of which ended in a 1-0 victory.

The squad currently has three recognized strikers, all of whom were part of Sheffield Utd's relegation from the top tier in the 2020/21 season. There is optimism that 20-year-old Ivorian winger Benie Traore, who showcased his impressive skills in the Swedish top division by scoring 12 goals in 14 league appearances for Hacken, will continue his form in the 2023 season.

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Tottenham welcomes Ange Postecoglou as their new manager for the opening weekend, continuing a streak of new managers for the fifth year in a row. The team has faced challenges in recent seasons and now looks to Postecoglou to bring stability. They have strengthened their attack with the acquisitions of James Maddison and Manor Solomon, but the future of Harry Kane remains uncertain before their first match against Brentford on Sunday. Besides the potential need to find a replacement for their top scorer, Tottenham also faces concerns about their declining defensive performance since their second-place finish in 2016/17.

NEWCASTLE

Tottenham's unsuccessful attempt to secure David Raya from Brentford has led them to sign Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli. Last season, Spurs conceded a total of 63 goals in the league, which was higher than the figures of five other clubs, while their save ratio stood at 64 percent, lower than that of five other clubs. These statistics marked the highest number of goals conceded by Tottenham in the Premier League since the 1992/93 season.

David Moyes, the manager of the Europa Conference League-winning squad, is set to make his first signings of the summer with James Ward-Prowse and Harry Maguire. However, the team still needs to fill the void left by multiple departures. The outgoing players include Declan Rice, who moved to Arsenal for a staggering £105m, as well as Manuel Lanzini, Gianluca Scamacca, and Nikola Vlasic, who have also left East London.

Rewriting:

Replacing Rice's attributes will be incredibly challenging as he has consistently proven himself as one of the top performers in the Premier League for the past five seasons. Once again, in the 2022/23 season, he stood out as West Ham's best player, dominating possession and successfully completing more than double the number of passes compared to any of his teammates.

The sudden departure of Julen Lopetegui on Tuesday exemplified the challenging summer at Molineux. Additionally, the club has seen the departure of its top five players with the most Premier League appearances. Wolves struggled last season, ranking at the bottom of the Premier League in goals, expected goals, and shot conversion. Since Raul Jimenez's impressive performance of 17 Premier League goals in the 2019/20 season, no Wolves player has surpassed six league goals in a single season. Despite reinforcements in the form of Matt Doherty's return and the permanent signings of Matheus Cunha and Boubacar Traore, the club's signings have been relatively low profile this window.