After a stunning finish to the 2015-16 season, the Premier League returns this weekend to kick off what could be one of the most highly-anticipated campaigns yet.
With a handful of the sport’s greatest coaching minds now in the Premier League, as well as a new batch of the game’s best players—including the world’s most expensive—and the most unlikely of defending champions, there’s plenty to catch up on ahead of Saturday’s action.
So to get you up to speed, here’s a look at some of the most important things you need to know about the 2016-17 Premier League season:
MANAGERS STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT
The Premier League has seen an influx of top player talent arrive from all over Europe (we’ll get to that soon), but it’s the star-studded lineup of managers who are likely to steal the spotlight in 2016-17.
Already boasting the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Arsene Wenger, Mauricio Pochettino and Claudio Ranieri, England’s top tier has welcomed sideline royalty into the mix this season with Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte all joining the fray.
And these new managers have some history. Mourinho returns to the Premier League after being sacked by Chelsea last December, and both matches against his former club—and its new boss Conte—are destined to be high-profile affairs with the first coming on Oct. 23 at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Mourinho and new Man City boss Guardiola go way back, starting in Barcelona from 1996-2000 where the former was coaching and the latter still playing. Since then, they’ve squared off 16 times as managers, with Pep holding a 7-3-6 advantage. Be sure to mark the Sept. 10 and Feb. 25 Manchester derbies in your calendar.
Add in a squabble here and there between Mourinho and Wenger, and Premier League fans are likely to be treated to almost as much theatrics off the pitch as tactical genius on it.
BIG MONEY ADDITIONS BY THE BIG FIVE
In the wake of Leicester City’s shock run to the Premier League title in 2015-16, the “Big Five” undoubtedly felt it missed out on a golden opportunity and wasted little time bringing in new talent from all around the continent— albeit some more (*cough* Manchester United *cough*) than others (*cough* Arsenal *cough*)—and money wasn’t an issue.
In case you missed the flurry of action from the handful of England’s biggest clubs, here’s a quick rundown of some of their summer signings thus far.
ARSENAL
Granit Xhaka, Midfielder
Acquired from: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Transfer fee: £38 million
CHELSEA
Michy Batshuayi, Striker
Acquired from: Olympique Marseille
Fee: £33 million
N’Golo Kante, Midfielder
Acquired from: Leicester City
Fee: £30 million
LIVERPOOL
Sadio Mane, Forward
Acquired from: Southampton
Fee: £35 million
Georginio Wijnaldum, Midfielder
Acquired from: Newcastle United
Fee: £23 million
MANCHESTER CITY
John Stones, Defender
Acquired from: Everton
Fee: £47.5 million
Leroy Sane, Midfielder
Acquired from: Schalke
Fee: £42 million
Ilkay Gundogan, Midfielder
Acquired from: Borussia Dortmund
Fee: £23 million
Nolito, Striker
Acquired from: Celta Vigo
Fee: £15.3 million
MANCHESTER UNITED
Paul Pogba, Midfielder
Acquired from: Juventus
Transfer fee: £89 million
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Striker
Acquired from: PSG
Transfer fee: Free
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Midfielder
Acquired from: Borussia Dortmund
Transfer fee: £36 million
Eric Bailly, Defender
Acquired from: Villarreal
Transfer fee: £32 million
DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE CHAMPS
Many of the bigger clubs stole the headlines throughout the summer, but what about the title holders? Well, while the teams that missed out on the trophy last season have run rampant, Leicester City have remained fairly quiet, the biggest move being the one that saw the Foxes lose their best player in N’Golo Kante.
But manager Claudio Ranieri has been active in an attempt to help Leicester answer to heightened expectations. Striker Ahmed Musa was brought in for a record fee to help relieve some of the pressure on top scorer Jamie Vardy, while a number of other notable moves have been made to improve Leicester’s depth (defensive midfielder Nampalys Mendy and Polish starlet Bartosz Kapustka among them) with a heavy schedule on the horizon and the spotlight now much brighter. And indications are manager Ranieri isn’t done yet.
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/763060510065586176
But with rumours persisting that Riyad Mahrez could be the next of Leicester’s title-winning core on the move, last year’s David may be hard pressed in their defence in the shadow of the league’s Goliath clubs, especially with a gruelling Champions League campaign and a pair of domestic cups added into the mix.
THE PROMOTED
BURNLEY
The Clarets clinched top spot in the Championship with a week to spare in the season, moving back into the Premier League after just one year out of the top tier. But manager Sean Dyche may have to depend on his creativity to ensure Burnley avoids relegation as there won’t be much room to maneuver in the transfer market due to financial constraints. With a solid back line and a potentially dangerous striking duo in Sam Vokes and Andre Gray—who led the Championship last season with 25 goals—Burnley may be able to do enough to survive.
MIDDLESBROUGH
Of the trio of promoted teams, Middlesbrough has the best shot of maintaining a place in England’s top tier. Boro has made a series of intriguing moves in the transfer market after securing promotion following a seven-year Premier League absence thanks to a second-place finish in the Championship, including the additions of former Manchester United keeper Victor Valdes, Dutch midfielder Marten de Roon and Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo.
HULL CITY
The Championship playoff winners could have a rough go of it in 2016-17. The Tigers enter the Premier League season without a manager after Steve Bruce resigned last month reportedly due to frustration over the club’s inactivity in the transfer market. In that vein, Hull has made just a single addition in the transfer market and has very little reason for optimism as an opening matchday clash with the defending champs looms.
PRIMED TO BREAKOUT?
Alex Iwobi
Forward, Arsenal
The 20-year-old started in just eight games for the Gunners last season, but it didn’t take long for the Nigerian to prove his worth to Arsene Wenger. A dangerous offensive weapon who can play in a couple different positions, Iwobi chipped in with a pair of goals with as many assists and will look to carry the momentum into this season.
Demarai Gray
Midfielder, Leicester City
As Leicester’s starting 11 remained mostly intact after Gray’s move to the Foxes from Birmingham in January, the 20-year-old appeared in just 11 games for the eventual champs. But Gray is likely to see much more time on the pitch, and with his pace, skill and versatility on the wing he could have a significant impact at the King Power Stadium.
Divock Origi
Forward, Liverpool
The Belgian striker was beginning to make a real difference up front for the Reds until an ankle injury brought his Premier League season to a premature end in mid-April. With some uncertainty at forward for Liverpool, more goal-scoring opportunities from Origi could see the 21-year-old feature more prominently at Anfield.
Giannelli Imbula
Midfielder, Stoke City
In just a half season with the Potters, the 23-year-old quickly became one of Mark Hughes’ most important players. Technically sound and extremely hard-working, the Frenchman is already highly regarded but another solid season at Stoke alongside newly-acquired Euro 2016 standout Joe Allen could solidify Imbula has one of the Premier League’s up-and-coming midfielders.
Lewis Cook
Midfielder, Bournemouth
Much like Dele Alli ahead of his breakout season with Tottenham, Cook is coming off a stellar year in the Championship that culminated with a Young Player of the Year award. Now with surprising top-tier survivors Bournemouth, the 19-year-old Englishman could take the next step and help keep the Cherries afloat in the Premier League for a third straight year.
WIDE OPEN TITLE RACE
It’s basically impossible that a team will do the same type of damage to the sportsbooks that Leicester did last season, but that doesn’t mean there’s not good value.
With any of six or maybe seven teams all considered legitimate contenders to lift the trophy at season’s end, a smart bet now could still pay off big later.
Here are the 2016-17 Premier League title odds, provided by Odds Shark.
Manchester City +250
Manchester United +300
Chelsea +550
Arsenal +650
Liverpool +800
Tottenham Hotspur +800
Leicester City +3000
West Ham Utd +6600
Everton +8000
Southampton +15000
Stoke City +25000
Swansea City +50000
Crystal Palace +50000
West Bromwich Albion +75000
Bournemouth +100000
Burnley +100000
Hull City +100000
Middlesbrough +100000
Sunderland +100000
Watford FC +100000
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