BPL keys to the season

There are five clubs with legitimate designs on winning the English title in the upcoming Barclays Premier League season. Each of them approaches the kickoff with either a major worry or a newfound hope, from Arsenal’s fresh riches to Liverpool’s lost goal machine. Here we break down the factors that will make or break the 2014–15 BPL campaign for each of the league’s biggest teams. —JAMIE DOYLE

Arsenal: in the money

For years, Arsenal was the poor man of England’s soccer elite. Saddled with huge stadium debt and lowball sponsorship deals, Arsenal relied on player sales for income. These days, with fat new deals in place and debt on the way out, Arsenal are buying stars rather than selling them. Could a BPL title follow?

liverpool: losing luis

Liverpool will miss Luis Suarez less than frustrated fans may think. Sure, he scored a ton of goals in his four years—31 last season alone—but mostly against weak teams and often in single-game blowout bunches (as Norwich City fans can attest). Daniel Sturridge, however, is great and getting better, and he scores a greater percentage of his goals in key games against the Reds’ top-tier competitors.

Manchester city’s home sweet home

Last season, City lost just once at home, managing 52 points at the Etihad. In 2011–12, they didn’t lose at all there and got 55 points. In each of those seasons, they won the title. In the other three seasons of City’s big-money era, they lost two or more at home, earning fewer than 50 points and fell short of top spot. Target set.

Manchester united: meet the new boss

Alex Ferguson set a bar for every Manchester United manager: a career 2.02 points-per-game average. David Moyes (1.73) fell short and got axed. Now Louis van Gaal will try to get the 77 points he’ll need to match it. The good news: In his recent campaigns with a new club, he’s cleared the bar.

Chelsea’s re-armed strike force

Last year, Chelsea’s strikers netted 22 goals—good enough for one frontman, not three. Things have changed. If you swap the new strikers’ (Didier Drogba and Diego Costa) goal tallies for the departed ones (Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba), Chelsea would have topped the BPL in goal difference. Problem solved?