2016-17 English Premier League Season Preview

The following is a team-by-team preview for the 2016-17 English Premier League season. This article will be updated continually to incorporate the latest news as we approach the start of the season on August 13.

As our article, The Gini Coefficient as a Measure of League Competitiveness and Title Uncertainty showed, due to the huge TV rights deals, the EPL title race has become more open in recent years. Leicester City won the 2015/16 title despite being 5001 odds outsiders with some bookmakers at the start of the season. This will no doubt motivate the likes of West Ham and Southampton. Will this season provide another surprise winner? Or will it be a return to business as usual for the traditionally dominant clubs?

Team-by-team Preview

The following previews provide transfer news, perceived positives & negatives, notable stats and table predictions for each team.

AFC Bournemouth

• Last season placing: 16th with 42 points and a 11-9-18 record (home: 5-5-9, away: 6-4-9)
• Last season offence: 45 goals scored (23 at home and 22 on the road) – league rank: 12
• Last season defence: 67 goals conceded (34 at home and 33 on the road) – league rank: 18
• Manager: Eddie Howe
• Key arrivals: Emerson Hyndman (Fulham), Nathan Ake (Chelsea – loan), Lys Mousset (Le Havre), Mikael Ndjoli (Millwall), Lewis Cook (Leeds), Jordon Ibe (Liverpool – £15m), Brad Smith (Liverpool)
• Key departures: Sylvain Distin (released), Stephane Zubar (released), Tommy Elphick (Aston Villa), Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United), Glenn Murray (Brighton & Hove Albion), Lee Tomlin (Bristol City), Harry Cornick (Leyton Orient)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): Bournemouth were one of only two clubs to accumulate more points on the road than at home last season. This was crucial to their survival because only Aston Villa accumulated fewer points at home. Last year both teams scored in 63% of Bournemouth’s away fixtures, which is significantly above the league average of 49%.
• What’s to like: Managed to stay up despite injuries to key players like Callum Wilson last season. The generous TV rights deal is a major equaliser financially. It means Bournemouth’s small stadium size isn’t nearly as big a drawback as it once would have been. Bournemouth have been active in the transfer market during the off-season.
• What’s not to like: Bournemouth were poor at home last season, where they only managed to win 5 games. They conceded 67 last season, which is 5 more than any other club that survived relegation. Many of last year’s signings were flops.
• Table predictions: 18¹, 13², 16³

 

Arsenal

• Last season placing: 2nd with 71 points and a 20-11-7 record (home: 12-4-3, away: 8-7-4)
• Last season offence: 65 goals scored (31 at home and 34 on the road) – league rank: 4
• Last season defence: 36 goals conceded (11 at home and 25 on the road) – league rank: 3
• Manager: Arsène Wenger
• Key arrivals: Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach – £35m), Takuma Asano (Hiroshima Sanfrecce), Rob Holding (Bolton Wanderers)
• Key departures: Mikel Arteta (released), Tomas Rosicky (released), Mathieu Flamini (released), Isaac Hayden (undisclosed), Wellington Silva (Fluminense), Dan Crowley (Oxford United), Jon Toral (Granada – loan), Wojciech Szczesny (Roma – loan)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): 60% of away fixtures have gone over 2.5 goals; have only trailed at halftime in 12% of home matches; frequently draw against top tier opposition at home
• What’s to like: Arsenal are consistently strong against sides in the bottom half of the table, both home and away. In Arsène Wenger they have a vastly experienced EPL manager. They enter a season where three of their biggest rivals are starting seasons under new managers. Last season’s 2nd placed finish was their best result in 11 years. Arsenal have strong cash reserves with which to sign new players.
• What’s not to like: Arsenal have a poor record against fellow title contendors, particularly on the road. They are often accused of insufficient investment in new players compared to other large clubs. They have been quiet in the transfer market compared to the other main title contenders.
• Table predictions: 5¹, 5², 4³

 

Burnley

• Last season placing: 1st in the Championship with 93 points and a 26-15-5 record (home: 15-6-2, away: 11-9-3)
• Last season offence: 72 goals scored (38 at home and 34 on the road) – league rank: N/A
• Last season defence: 35 goals conceded (14 at home and 21 on the road) – league rank: N/A
• Manager: Sean Dyche
• Key arrivals: Jimmy Dunne (Man Utd -free), Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Charlton Athletic), Nick Pope (Charlton Athletic), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool – loan)
• Key departures: Joey Barton (Rangers -free), Matt Gilks (Rangers -free), Matt Taylor (released), Michael Duff (retired), Josh Ginnelly (Walsall – loan)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): Won promotion on the back of their away form, losing just 3 games on the road all season.
• What’s to like: Have recent EPL season experience, having last participated in the 2014/15 season and securing promotion back into the Premier League the following season. Since 2002, almost two-thirds of teams that won the Championship survived their first season in the EPL.
• What’s not to like: Have been quiet so far in the transfer window. Joey Barton has departed to play for the Rangers and there have been no big signings.
• Table predictions: 19¹, 19², 19³

 

Chelsea

• Last season placing: 10th with 50 points and a 12-14-12 record (home: 5-9-5, away: 7-5-7)
• Last season offence: 59 goals scored (32 at home and 27 on the road) – league rank: 7
• Last season defence: 53 goals conceded (30 at home and 23 on the road) – league rank: 13
• Manager: Antonio Conte (replaces Guus Hiddink)
• Key arrivals: Michy Batshuayi (Marseille – £33m), N’Golo Kante (Leicester City)
• Key departures: Lewis Baker (Vitesse Arnhem – loan) , Nathan Ake (AFC Bournemouth – loan), Jeremie Boga (Granada – loan), Tomas Kalas (Fulham – loan), Kasey Palmer (Huddersfield Town – loan), Alex Kiwomya (Crewe Alexandra), Mohamed Salah (Roma), Tammy Abraham (Bristol City – loan)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): Despite having a poor 2015/16 season, during which they lost 5 home games, over the past 3 seasons Chelsea have only trailed at halftime in 5% of home fixtures. Historically Chelsea have a strong home record against top tier opponents.
• What’s to like: Chelsea won’t have the distractions of European football this season. The were much better in the second half of last season than they were in the first. N’Golo Kante is an astute signing.
• What’s not to like: Chelsea have a nasty habit of turning over coaches quickly. How long will Antonio Conte last? Stamford Bridge has lost it’s reputation for being a fortress afther they went 5-9-5 at home last season.
• Table predictions: 2¹, 4², 3³

 

Crystal Palace

• Last season placing: 15th with 42 points and a 11-9-18 record (home: 6-3-10, away: 5-6-8)
• Last season offence: 39 goals scored (19 at home and 20 on the road) – league rank: 17
• Last season defence: 51 goals conceded (23 at home and 28 on the road) – league rank: 10
• Manager: Alan Pardew
• Key arrivals: Andros Townsend (Newcastle United – £13m), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), James Tomkins (West Ham United – £10m)
• Key departures: Emmanuel Adebayor (released), Marouane Chamakh (released), Brede Hangeland (released), Adrian Mariappa (released), Patrick McCarthy (released), Dwight Gayle (Newcastle United – £10m), Jake Gray (Luton Town -free), Alex McCarthy (Southampton), Jerome Binnom-Williams (Peterborough United)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): 50% of Palace’s goals came from set pieces last season, which is by far the highest ratio in the EPL (West Brom were second highest with 43%). Palace have been slow starters with only 36% of their goals coming in the 1st half.
• What’s to like: Following the arrivals and departures of Ian Holloway, Tony Pulis and Neil Warnock, Palace are enjoying a rare period of managerial stability, with Alan Pardew entering his third season at the helm of the club. Palace have more cash to spend after signing a deal with billionaire American investors in December 2015. Their drop in form when key players were injured has acted as a wake up call for the club’s owners, who have been proactive this transfer window in their attempt to add depth to the squad.
• What’s not to like: After finishing the 2014/15 season on a high, Crystal Palace started their 2015/16 campaign strongly but had a very poor 2016. All told, they won 9 of their first 17 games and just 2 of their last 21. A repeat of their Jan-May 2016 form would see them deep in relegation trouble. For this reason it’s arguably more important for them than most that they start the season well. After struggling for goals last season, Crystal Palace sold Dwight Gayle to Newcastle and released Emmanuel Adebayor & Marouane Chamakh with a view to replace them with Benteke or Berahino. At the time of writing they have failed to land either target. Crystal Palace were poor at home last season, where they picked up only 21 points. Only bottom placed Aston Villa managed fewer than that.
• Table predictions: 13¹, 12², 11³

 

Everton

• Last season placing: 11th with 47 points and a 11-14-13 record (home: 6-5-8, away: 5-9-5)
• Last season offence: 59 goals scored (35 at home and 24 on the road) – league rank: 7
• Last season defence: 55 goals conceded (30 at home and 25 on the road) – league rank: 14
• Manager: Ronald Koeman (replaces Roberto Martínez)
• Key arrivals: Bassala Sambou (Coventry City), Chris Renshaw (Oldham Athletic), Maarten Stekelenburg (Fulham), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Aston Villa – £7.1m), Ashley Williams (Swansea – £12m)
• Key departures: Steven Pienaar (released), Leon Osman (released), Tony Hibbert (released), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), John Stones (Man City – £47.5m)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): Everton drew 9 of their 19 away games last season, which is the highest in the league.
• What’s to like: Poached Southampton manager Ronald Koeman during the off-season.
• What’s not to like: Everton’s home form was poor last season. They only won 6 games at Goodison Park while losing 8. With the depatures of Osman, Pienaar and Howard, they lost a lot of experienced heads during the off-season.
• Table predictions: 9¹, 8², 9³

 

Hull

• Last season placing: 4th in the Championship with 83 points and a 24-11-11 record (home: 15-7-1, away: 9-4-10)
• Last season offence: 69 goals scored (47 at home and 22 on the road) – league rank: N/A
• Last season defence: 35 goals conceded (12 at home and 23 on the road) – league rank: N/A
• Manager: Mike Phelan (caretaker boss – replaces Steve Bruce)
• Key arrivals: Will Mannion (AFC Wimbledon)
• Key departures: Sone Aluko (released), Ryan Taylor (released), Mohamed Diamé (Newcastle)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): Hull were much stronger at home than on the road in the Championship last season, losing 1 home game and 10 away games.
• What’s to like: Have recent EPL season experience, having last participated in the 2014/15 season.
• What’s not to like: Where do I start? Steve Bruce stepped down as manager just weeks before the season start. A group of Hull City fans plan to protest against the club’s owners, starting at the Premier League opener against Leicester City. Since 2002, 57% of the teams who earned promotion to the EPL via the playoffs were immediately relegated the following season. Midfielder Mohamed Diamé has departed for Newcastle. Hull have been quiet in the transfer market, with just one signing who is destined for their under-21 squad. Hull City have also been hit with injury woes. Captain Michael Dawson has been ruled out for three months, while Moses Odubajo, Allan McGregor and Alex Bruce are each out for six months. The combination of departing players, injuries and lack of signings mean Hull City have a small available squad. At one stage Steve Bruce said they needed six signings to be competitive, so they have a lot of work to do before the transfer window closes.
• Table predictions: 20¹, 20², 20³

 

Leicester City

• Last season placing: 1st with 81 points and a 23-12-3 record (home: 12-6-1, away: 11-6-2)
• Last season offence: 68 goals scored (35 at home and 33 on the road) – league rank: 3
• Last season defence: 36 goals conceded (18 at home and 18 on the road) – league rank: 3
• Manager: Claudio Ranieri
• Key arrivals: Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover 96), Luis Hernandez (Sporting Gijon), Raul Uche Rubio (Valencia), Nampalys Mendy (Nice), Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow – £16m), Bartosz Kapustka (KS Cracovia)
• Key departures: Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Mark Schwarzer (released), Paul Konchesky (released), Ryan Watson (released), Dean Hammond (released), Harry Panayiotou (released), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Joe Dodoo (Rangers), Michael Cain (Blackpool – loan), Hamza Choudhury (Burton Albion – loan)
• What’s to like: With the likes of Jamie Vardy choosing to stay put, Leicester City retain the majority of their key players along with their manager this season. They were equally impressive at home and away last season, losing just one fixture at home and two on the road. Ahmed Musa looks to be an exciting signing.
• What’s not to like: Must now juggle UEFA Champions League commitments with the EPL. N’Golo Kante has departed for Chelsea and Leicester City will be under pressure to perform well again this season to avoid key players like Vardy and Mahrez being lured away to “bigger” clubs too. Assistant manager Steve Walsh has departed for Everton.
• Table predictions: 8¹, 9², 8³

 

Liverpool

• Last season placing: 8th with 60 points and a 16-12-10 record (home: 8-8-3, away: 8-4-7)
• Last season offence: 63 goals scored (33 at home and 30 on the road) – league rank: 6
• Last season defence: 50 goals conceded (22 at home and 28 on the road) – league rank: 8
• Manager: Jürgen Klopp
• Key arrivals: Joel Matip (Schalke), Loris Karius (FSV Mainz 05), Sadio Mane (Southampton), Ragnar Klavan (Augsburg), Alex Manninger (Augsburg), Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle)
• Key departures: Joao Carlos Teixeira (Porto), Jerome Sinclair (Watford), Kolo Toure, Lawrence Vigouroux (Swindon Town), Jordan Rossiter (Rangers), Danny Ward (Huddersfield Town), Jose Enrique (released), Samed Yesil (released), Sergi Canos (Norwich City), Martin Skrtel (Fenerbahce), Jordon Ibe (AFC Bournemouth), Adam Bogdan (Wigan Athletic), Joe Allen (Stoke City – up to £13m), Brad Smith (AFC Bournemouth), Jon Flanagan (Burnley – loan)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): 61% of Liverpool’s games went over 2.5 goals over the past 3 seasons, which is well above the league average of 51%
• What’s to like: Have been active in the transfer market, with Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum arriving for a combined £55 million. Won’t have the distraction of European football this season.
• What’s not to like: Anfield isn’t the fortress it used to be. Liverpool only won eight home games last season. Last season’s 8th placed finish was their joint worst result in 52 years.
• Table predictions: 4¹, 6², 6³

 

Manchester City

• Last season placing: 4th with 66 points and a 19-9-10 record (home: 12-2-5, away: 7-7-5)
• Last season offence: 71 goals scored (47 at home and 24 on the road) – league rank: 1
• Last season defence: 41 goals conceded (21 at home and 20 on the road) – league rank: 5
• Manager: Pep Guardiola (replaces Manuel Pellegrini)
• Key arrivals: Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund), Nolito (Celta Vigo), Oleksandr Zinchenko (FC Ufa), Gabriel Jesus (Palmeiras – £27m – he will join the team in January 2017), Marlos Moreno (Atletico Nacional – £4.75m – will be loaned to Deportivo La Coruna for the 2016-17 season), John Stones (Everton – £47.5m)
• Key departures: Martin Demichelis (released), Seko Fofana (Udinese), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town – loan), Marlos Moreno (Deportivo La Coruna – loan)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): 70% of Man City’s home games went over 2.5 goals, which is well above the league average of 51%. A whopping 21% of Man City’s home games were won by 3+ goals, which is drastically higher than the league average of 4%. Over the last 3 seasons Man City has only drawn just 11% of its home fixtures, which is far below the league average of 24%.
• What’s to like: Man City scored more goals (71) than any other team in the EPL last season. They have one of the most accomplished managers in world football and an incredibly strong squad. If Sergio Aguero can stay fit they will be tough to beat.
• What’s not to like: Have been pretty average on the road in recent seasons.
• Table predictions: 1¹, 2², 1³

 

Manchester United

• Last season placing: 5th with 66 points and a 19-9-10 record (home: 12-5-2, away: 7-4-8)
• Last season offence: 49 goals scored (27 at home and 22 on the road) – league rank: 10
• Last season defence: 35 goals conceded (9 at home and 26 on the road) – league rank: 1
• Manager: José Mourinho (replaces Louis van Gaal)
• Key arrivals: Eric Bailly (Villarreal), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund), Paul Pogba (Juventus – £89m)
• Key departures: Tyler Reid (Swansea City), Victor Valdes (Middlesbrough), Jimmy Dunne (Burnley), Nick Powell (Wigan Athletic), Joe Rothwell (Oxford United), Ashley Fletcher (West Ham United), Guillermo Varela (Eintracht Frankfurt), Paddy McNair & Donald Love (Sunderland – combined £5.5m)
• What’s to like: No EPL side conceded fewer goals than Man Utd last season. They were particularly tight at home, where they conceded just 9 goals. New manager José Mourinho has a reputation for turning the home stadium into a fortress. Between February 2002 and April 2011, Mourinho went 150 home league matches unbeaten (38 with Porto, 60 with Chelsea, 38 with Inter Milan and 14 with Real Madrid). He has also enjoyed 45-game unbeaten streak at home (31 with Real Madrid and 14 with Chelsea), leading up to April 2014 (source: Wikipedia).
• What’s not to like: Man Utd have become trigger-happy in replacing managers following the departure of long-term manager Sir Alex Ferguson. They have not had a top three finish in the three years since his depature.
• Table predictions: 3¹, 1², 2³

 

Middlesbrough

• Last season placing: 2nd in the Championship with 89 points and a 26-11-9 record (home: 16-5-2, away: 10-6-7)
• Last season offence: 63 goals scored (34 at home and 29 on the road) – league rank: N/A
• Last season defence: 31 goals conceded (8 at home and 23 on the road) – league rank: N/A
• Manager: Aitor Karanka
• Key arrivals: Viktor Fischer (Ajax), Bernardo Espinosa (Sporting Gijon), Marten De Roon (Atalanta – £12m), Jordan McGhee (Heart of Midlothian), Victor Valdes (Manchester United), Antonio Barragan (Valencia), Alvaro Negredo (Valencia – loan), Gaston Ramirez (Southampton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
• Key departures: Jonathan Woodgate (released), Damia Abella (released), Rhys Williams (Perth Glory), Connor Ripley (Oldham – loan)
• What’s to like: Since 2002, almost two-thirds of teams that finished 2nd in the Championship survived their first season in the EPL. Middlesbrough have been the most proactive of the three promoted sides in the transfer market. Their most notable signing is arguably striker Alvaro Negredo on loan from Valencia.
• What’s not to like: It may take some time for all of the new signings to settle in. With so many new faces it may also take time for Middlesbrough to establish who their best starting XI is.
• Table predictions: 12¹, 17², 17³

 

Southampton

• Last season placing: 6th with 63 points and a 18-9-11 record (home: 11-3-5, away: 7-6-6)
• Last season offence: 59 goals scored (39 at home and 20 on the road) – league rank: 7
• Last season defence: 41 goals conceded (22 at home and 19 on the road) – league rank: 5
• Manager: Claude Puel (replaces Ronald Koeman)
• Key arrivals: Nathan Redmond (Norwich City), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Bayern Munich), Alex McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Jeremy Pied (Nice)
• Key departures: Gaston Ramirez (released), Kelvin Davis (retired), Juanmi (Real Sociedad), Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Jason McCarthy (Walsall – loan), Graziano Pelle (Shandong Luneng), Paulo Gazzaniga (Rayo Vallecano)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): Have won 25% of their home games by exactly 2 goals, which is significantly higher than the league average of 14%.
• What’s to like: In each of the last four seasons Southampton have finished higher in the league than they did the season before (16th, then 8th, then 7th, then 6th). They continue to prosper despite the departure of big name players in recent off-seasons.
• What’s not to like: There is uncertainty whether they can replicate last year’s form following the departure of Ronald Koeman to Everton. With more players departing during the offseason plus their Europa League commitments, Southampton will find it difficult to replicate their 6th placed finish from last season.
• Table predictions: 10¹, 11², 12³

 

Stoke City

• Last season placing: 9th with 51 points and a 14-9-15 record (home: 8-4-7, away: 6-5-8)
• Last season offence: 41 goals scored (22 at home and 19 on the road) – league rank: 15
• Last season defence: 55 goals conceded (24 at home and 31 on the road) – league rank: 14
• Manager: Mark Hughes
• Key arrivals: Ramadan Sobhi (Al Ahly – up to €6m), Joe Allen (Liverpool – up to £13m), Ryan Sweeney (AFC Wimbledon)
• Key departures: Peter Odemwingie (released), Steve Sidwell (Brighton & Hove Albion)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): Have a particularly strong home win record against the top sides in the league (their away record against those same sides is terrible).
• What’s to like: Since being promoted in 2008, Stoke City have maintained their EPL status since, avoiding the yo-yo seasons of other clubs. They have consistently finished in the top half of the table in recent years, finishing 9th in each of the 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. Stoke City managed to sign Joe Allen from Liverpool, who was also sought after by Swansea City.
• What’s not to like: Struggled for goals at times last campaign, finishing 15th in the goal scoring charts.
• Table predictions: 11¹, 10², 10³

 

Sunderland

• Last season placing: 17th with 39 points and a 9-12-17 record (home: 6-6-7, away: 3-6-10)
• Last season offence: 48 goals scored (23 at home and 25 on the road) – league rank: 11
• Last season defence: 62 goals conceded (20 at home and 42 on the road) – league rank: 16
• Manager: David Moyes (replaces Sam Allardyce)
• Key arrivals: Papy Djilobodji (Chelsea – £8m), Paddy McNair & Donald Love (Man Utd – combined £5.5m)
• Key departures: Danny Graham (Blackburn Rovers), Steven Fletcher (Sheffield Wednesday), Wes Brown (released), Mikael Mandron (Eastleigh), Emanuele Giaccherini (Napoli), Santiago Vergini (Boca Juniors), Adam Matthews (Bristol City), Will Buckley (Sheffield Wednesday – loan)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): Drew 30% of their home games and 35% of their away games, which is signficantly higher than the 24% league average.
• What’s to like: David Moyes is a vastly experienced manager.
• What’s not to like: Lost manager Sam Allardyce shortly before the season start after he accepted the England manager job in July. Have flirted with relegation in each of their last four seasons, finishing with 39, 38, 38 and 39 points in those campaigns. Sunderland won only 3 times away from home last season, which is the lowest of any club that survived relegation. Have only brought in one new player in the transfer window thus far and their squad is currently small.
• Table predictions: 16¹, 16², 13³

 

Swansea City

• Last season placing: 12th with 47 points and a 12-11-15 record (home: 8-6-5, away: 4-5-10)
• Last season offence: 42 goals scored (20 at home and 22 on the road) – league rank: 14
• Last season defence: 52 goals conceded (20 at home and 32 on the road) – league rank: 12
• Manager: Francesco Guidolin
• Key arrivals: Leroy Fer (Queens Park Rangers), Mike van der Hoorn (Ajax), Tyler Reid (Manchester United), George Byers (Watford), Mark Birighetti (Newcaste Jets), Fernando Llorente (Sevilla), Borja Baston (Atletico Madrid – £15m)
• Key departures: Matt Grimes (Leeds United – loan), Eder (Lille) , Alberto Paloschi (Atalanta), Kyle Bartley (Leeds United – loan), Liam Shephard (Yeovil Town – loan), Ryan Hedges (Yeovil Town – loan), Bafetimbi Gomis (Marseille), Andre Ayew (West Ham – £20.5m), Ashley Williams (Everton – £12m)
• What’s to like: Swansea should have extra cash to splash following a 68% takeover by an American consortium. They have been consistent over the past four years, finishing between 8th and 12th in the table.
• What’s not to like: Travel was an issue for Swansea last season, who had a big disparity between their home and away form. Only the three relegated sides had a bigger drop in away form compared to home form. Four strikers left the club during the off-season, including last year’s top goal scorer Andre Ayew, with just replacement signed thus far. Defender Ashley Williams has also departed.
• Table predictions: 15¹, 15², 15³

 

Tottenham Hotspur

• Last season placing: 3rd with 70 points and a 19-13-6 record (home: 10-6-3, away: 9-7-3)
• Last season offence: 69 goals scored (35 at home and 34 on the road) – league rank: 2
• Last season defence: 35 goals conceded (15 at home and 20 on the road) – league rank: 1
• Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
• Key arrivals: Victor Wanyama (Southampton), Vincent Janssen (AZ Alkmaar)
• Key departures: Filip Lesniak (Slovan Liberec – loan), Grant Ward (Ipswich Town), Federico Fazio (Roma – loan), Alex Pritchard (Norwich City)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): 59% of games have gone over 2.5 goals (58% at home, 60% away), which is significantly higher than the league average of 51%.
• What’s to like: Finished 3rd last season, which is their best result since the 1989-90 season. Tottenham scored the 2nd most goals in the EPL last season while being tied for the fewest conceded. Have signed Vincent Janssen, which will only add to their attacking prowess.
• What’s not to like: Have a poor record over the last few seasons against fellow title contenders, particularly on the road.
• Table predictions: 6¹, 3², 5³

 

Watford

• Last season placing: 13th with 45 points and a 12-9-17 record (home: 6-6-7, away: 6-3-10)
• Last season offence: 40 goals scored (20 at home and 20 on the road) – league rank: 16
• Last season defence: 50 goals conceded (19 at home and 31 on the road) – league rank: 8
• Manager: Walter Mazzarri (replaces Quique Sánchez Flores)
• Key arrivals: Jerome Sinclair (Liverpool), Christian Kabasele (Genk), Isaac Success (Granada), Juan Camilo Zuniga (Napoli), Brice Dja Djedje (Marseille)
• Key departures: Joel Ekstrand (released), Gabriele Angella (Udinese), George Byers (Swansea City), Jose Manuel Jurado (Espanyol), Almen Abdi (Sheffield Wednesday), Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday), Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord – loan)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): In home fixtures last season the scores were level at halftime 68% of the time, which is significantly higher than the league average of 43%.
• What’s to like: Finished 8 points above the drop in their first EPL season since promotion.
• What’s not to like: Finished last season poorly, which prompted a change in management.
• Table predictions: 17¹, 18², 18³

 

West Brom Albion

• Last season placing: 14th with 43 points and a 10-13-15 record (home: 6-5-8, away: 4-8-7)
• Last season offence: 34 goals scored (20 at home and 14 on the road) – league rank: 19
• Last season defence: 48 goals conceded (26 at home and 22 on the road) – league rank: 7
• Manager: Tony Pulis
• Key arrivals: Matt Phillips (Queens Park Rangers)
• Key departures: Victor Anichebe (released), Stephane Sessegnon (released), Anders Lindegaard (released), James Chester (Aston Villa)
• Notable stats (source: ValueSportsBetting.com EPL Season guide): West Brom drew 31% of home fixtures and 37% of away fixtures over the last 3 seasons, which is significantly above the league average of 24%. Almost two-thirds of their away games went under 2.5 goals, compared to the league average of 49%.
• What’s to like: Have Tony Pulis at the helm, who is the master of avoiding relegation. Only conceded 48 goals last season, which was the 7th best defensive record in the league.
• What’s not to like: Only scored 34 goals last season, with only Aston Villa scoring fewer. This was the 3rd consecutive time that West Brom scored fewer points than the season before. At the time of writing there is speculation that unhappy striker Saido Berahino will depart for Crystal Palace or Stoke City.
• Table predictions: 14¹, 14², 14³

 

West Ham United

• Last season placing: 7th with 62 points and a 16-14-8 record (home: 9-7-3, away: 7-7-5)
• Last season offence: 65 goals scored (34 at home and 31 on the road) – league rank: 4
• Last season defence: 51 goals conceded (26 at home and 25 on the road) – league rank: 10
• Manager: Slaven Bilić
• Key arrivals: Toni Martinez (Valencia), Havard Nordtveit (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Domingos Quina (unattached), Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia), Gokhan Tore (Besiktas), Ashley Fletcher (Manchester United), Arthur Masuaku (Olympiakos), Andre Ayew (Swansea – £20.5m), Jonathan Calleri (Deportivo Maldonado – loan)
• Key departures: Joey O’Brien (released), Elliot Lee (released), James Tomkins (Crystal Palace – £10m)
• What’s to like: After three fnishes between 10th and 13th, West Ham took the next step by finishing 7th last season. They will be playing at their new Olympic Stadium venue, which has a capacity of 60,000, compared to Upton Park, which had a capacity of 35,000.
• What’s not to like: May struggle to match the lofty expectations for this seasion. Have started their Europa League campaign with a defeat to Slovenian club NK Domzale, who’s stadium capacity is less than 3,000. Have lost Aaron Cresswell for up to four months with a knee injury.
• Table predictions: 7¹, 7², 7³

 

Third Party Predictions

Additional third party predictions will be added as they become available.

TheNational.ae

Champions: Manchester City
Top four: Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal
Relegated: Hull City, Sunderland, Burnley
Surprise team: Middlesbrough
Underachievers: West Ham
Player of the year: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Player to watch: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)
Top scorer: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

The Guardian

The Guardian published a reader poll with the following results:

Which team will win the league? (10975 votes in total)
Man Utd – 34%
Man City – 31%
Liverpool – 9%
Chelsea – 8%
Arsenal – 8%
Tottenham – 7%
Leicester City – 2%
West Ham – 1%

Which team will finish last? (10200 votes in total – top 6 answers shown)
Hull City – 68%
Burnley – 10%
Watford – 4%
AFC Bournemouth – 3%
Sunderland – 3%
Middlesbrough – 3%

Who will finish top scorer? (10155 votes in total – top 8 answers shown)
Sergio Agüero – 45%
Harry Kane – 20%
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 17%
Jamie Vardy – 4%
Daniel Sturridge – 4%
Romelu Lukaku – 3%
Diego Costa – 2%
Alexis Sánchez -2%

Survey of BBC Pundits

The BBC surveyed 32 TV and radio pundits, presenters, journalists and commentators, plus one super-computer for their one-two-three-four selections. The overall predicted ranking, using a system of 4 points for a 1st place selection, 3 points for 2nd, 2 points for 3rd and 1 point for 4th, is:

1. Man City (113)
2. Man Utd (88)
3. Chelsea (56)
4. Arsenal (32)
5. Tottenham (20)
6. Liverpool (18)
7. Leicester (3)

Only one pundit out of the 33 predicts that reigning champions Leicester will finish in the top four, however all 33 predict that Leicester City will finish in the top 10.

Only four of the 33 pundits predicts a winner other than Man City or Man Utd (3 picked Chelsea, 1 picked Tottenham).

 

Futures Markets

Below are the key futures odds at the time of writing. Compare the latest English Premier League odds.

The appointment of manager Pep Guardiola is playing heavily on bookmakers’ minds, who have installed Manchester City as the title favourites, ahead of Manchester United, who replaced manager Louis van Gaal with José Mourinho.

At the other end of the spectrum, bookmakers are pessimistic about Hull City, who are currently without a manager after a turbulent off-season.

 

Futures Betting Tips

(please not that that the following content will be updated as new information comes to light)

Back Hull City to be relegated at 1.72 (Luxbet)

Back Leicester City for a top 10 finish at 1.49 (Betfair)

 

EPL Betting Resources

View our line-up of English Premier League betting resources

 

Table Prediction Sources

• ¹ – http://www.thenational.ae/sport/english-premier-league/premier-league-201617-season-preview-richard-jollys-predictions-and-analysis
• ² – https://www.theguardian.com/football/series/premier-league-2016-17-previews
• ³ – http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36962933