Will Manchester City break into the top four? Will Carlo Ancelotti make a triumphant start to life at Stamford Bridge? Will Michael Owen rediscover his form of old? Will Phil Brown and Rafa Benitez dispense with their questionable facial hair?

With the start of the 2009/10 Premier League season just a week away, the anticipation levels are fast approaching fever pitch. With the majority of teams diligently strengthening their squads over the summer, it looks as though this season could be one of the most competitive, tightly contested Premier League campaigns for a long while. Here’s our verdict on how the teams might fare between now and the 9th May.

This is part one of the 09/10 season preview - find part two of the 09/10 premier league season here.

Arsenal

Even before they have kicked a ball in a competitive match, Arsene Wenger’s side have seemingly been written off by large swathes of the media who seem to think that The Gunners will struggle even to make the top four this season. To dismiss Arsenal in such a fashion is pure folly, the North London outfit looking perhaps even stronger going into 2009/10 than they did at the beginning of the 2008/09 campaign.

Former Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen has been brought in to strengthen an already dynamic-looking back line and, in the shape of Arshavin, Van Persie, Rosicky, Walcott and Nasri, Arsenal possess some of the best wide players in Europe. The team’s main weakness still remains defensive midfield, but if Patrick Vieira is brought in and rediscovers his form of old then that particular problem will be solved. A lack of strength-in-depth has also been cited, but Arsenal’s youngsters are surely the best crop in the Premier League and are ready to step up to the first team when required. If injuries to key players can be avoided then there is absolutely no reason why Arsenal can’t be challenging for the title come the latter stages of the season.

Prediction: 4th

Aston Villa

An excellent 2008/09 season for Villa saw Martin O’Neill’s side finish sixth and secure Europa League football for the forthcoming campaign. However, the loss of Gareth Barry to Manchester City and the failure of O’Neill to bring in a suitable replacement combined with the extra games European football will bring could see Villa struggle to replicate their fine performances of last season.

O’Neill has made two major signings so far this summer, bringing Stewart Downing in from Middlesbrough for £12m and Habib Beye from Newcastle for £2.6m, although Downing will be out until December with a broken foot. The promising Fabian Delph has been signed from Leeds, but it could be a while before he establishes himself as a first team regular at Villa Park. More players will need to be signed to provide cover if Villa are to make a success of their season in both the Premiership and in the newly-formed Europa League. If O’Neill does not act then The Villains could struggle to finish in the top-six for a third consecutive season.

Prediction: 9th

Birmingham City

Alex McLeish has spent wisely over the summer and Birmingham go into the new season as perhaps the best prepared of all the promoted sides. Barry Ferguson, Roger Johnson, Lee Bowyer, Scott Dann, Joe Hart (on loan) and Christian Benitez have all been signed to give the team both added strength and quality.

As most promoted teams do, The Blues will doubtless struggle for consistency at times during their return to the top-flight, but they look well-equipped to survive and play some good football along the way. They might just surprise a few people this season.

Prediction: 15th

Blackburn Rovers

The recent departures of Roque Santa Cruz and Matt Derbyshire to Manchester City and Olympiakos respectively will doubtless hurt Blackburn, but the money to two transfers have brought in (£20m in total) gives Sam Allardyce the freedom to make some key signings before the season gets underway.

Lars Jacobsen and Gael Givet have been signed, the pair coming in to shore up what was a fairly leaky defence last season, with Allardyce surely looking to construct a far more consistent side than that of last season. Franco Di Santo, Chelsea’s prodigious Argentine striker, has also been brought in on loan and could, if he begins to fulfill his great promise, become a short-term replacement for Santa Cruz.

One potential worry is that Blackburn’s squad looks a little short on true quality, and although the team might not have the ability to challenge for European football, it is, however, full of battle-hardened players with plenty of Premiership experience which should see the club through to a relatively comfortable mid-table finish.

Prediction: 12th

Bolton Wanderers

Despite a degree of hostility from some fans towards the manager, Gary Megson, Bolton enjoyed a relatively comfortable season in 2008/09 which eventually saw them finish 13th, well clear of the relegation scrap which had at one time looked as if it might engulf them.

The goals of Kevin Davies and an improved season from Johan Elmander will be crucial if The Trotters are again to steer clear of the threat of relegation. New signing Sean Davis, brought in on a free from Portsmouth, may well prove to be instrumental in the midfield alongside Fabrice Muamba, and the brilliance of Jussi Jaaskelainen in goal will again be crucial to the team’s fortunes. If the fans can be patient with Megson and give him time to find the ideal system for his team then Bolton should again be able to bypass the traditional end-of-season relegation dogfight.

Prediction: 14th

Burnley

Without deliberately sounding patronising, Burnley should be congratulated in their feat of reaching the Premier League. For a club with very limited financial resources from such a small town to make it into the top flight in this day and age is incredible and their achievement should be widely applauded.

Now they are in the top division, however, things may well prove difficult for Owen Coyle’s men. Without the resources with which to greatly strengthen the squad - the £3m signing of Hibernian’s Steven Fletcher broke the club’s transfer record - Burnley will surely struggle to pick up regular points against the majority of clubs in the league. Add into the equation the fact that there are very few players in the squad with substantial Premier League experience, and the campaign could well prove to be a painful, if extremely valuable, learning curve.

Prediction: 20th (Relegated)

Chelsea

Chelsea’s team for the coming season looks, on paper at least, to be one of the most well-balanced in the entire league. With several players entering their thirties, this could be the season which defines this particular group of players, a last chance for the surviving talismen of the Mourinho era to stamp their authority on the Premier League before changes begin to be made and the future of the club, the next generation, begins to take shape.

All areas of the team look strong and powerful, with Bosingwa, Terry, Carvalho and Cole constituting what is probably the best back four in the league. Yuri Zhirkov has been signed from CSKA Moscow over the summer and should add an extra threat down the left side of midfield, combining with Mikel, Lampard, Essien et al as part of a midfield which is, as we have seen in recent years, as creative as it is strong. If Anelka and Drogba can find their shooting boots then Carlo Ancelotti’s first season in charge could well prove to be a very successful one.

Whether or not this team has the ability to win the league we will have to wait and see, but they will surely be one of the major challengers for the title by the time May comes around and I have a sneaking suspicion that they might just pull it off.

Prediction: 1st (Champions)

Everton

To say that David Moyes has “worked wonders” during his time at Everton has become something of a cliché over recent seasons, but the Scotsman truly has turned the Blue half of Merseyside into a consistently competitive outfit at the top end of the Premier League.

Moyes’ side, made up of highly effective, often underrated players such as Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka, has consistently played to its full potential and secured European football on a regular basis in recent times. The signing of Marouane Fellaini last season gave the team an added attacking dimension, as did Brazilian striker Jo who’s had his loan from Manchester City has renewed for the 2009/10 campaign. With Moyes set to remain at the helm for the foreseeable future, expect to see more of the same from The Toffees this season.

Prediction: 6th

Fulham

Last season saw Fulham exceed everyone’s expectations and finish a highly impressive campaign in seventh place, bringing Europa League football to Craven Cottage for the 2009/10 season. Although the prospect of the Europa League is a thrilling one for all involved with the club, Roy Hodgson’s side could be in danger of serious burnout towards the end of the season if their inscrutable manager doesn’t reinforce the squad before the end of the transfer window. Having said that, Fulham do not need to make wholesale changes. A few shrewd signings and keeping hold of the likes of Brede Hangeland and Clint Dempsey should be all the club needs to maintain its position in the top-half of the league.

For Fulham to repeat last season’s heroics would be an incredible achievement, but with a relatively small squad and (potentially) a lot more games of football that may prove difficult for The Cottagers this time around.

Prediction: 11th

Hull City

After initially stunning the league with a series of unexpected results at the start of their first season in the Premiership, Phil Brown’s side endured a wretched second half to their campaign. Only winning two out of their last twenty-nine games, Hull looked vulnerable in all departments and their fans will be hoping that the form with which they finished last season will not carry over into the start of 2009/10.

Hull are a club desperately in need of new signings, but Phil Brown has struggled thus far to attract the calibre of player required to bolster his fragile squad and help his side more firmly establish themselves in the Premier League. Jozy Altidore, the talented young American striker who impressed at the Confederations Cup, has been brought in on loan from Villarreal, but Brown will need to strengthen more fully if Hull are to remain a competitive Premier League outfit.  It could be a long, hard season for the Humberside club.

Prediction: 19th (Relegated)

Liverpool

After pushing Manchester United all the way, Liverpool ultimately finished second best in the race for the title last season. This season, as we seem to say every season, “could be Liverpool’s year”, and Rafa Benitez’s side will be desperate to take the honours after coming so close last time around.

Despite selling both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa to Real Madrid, Benitez has quickly added both Glen Johnson and Roma’s Alberto Aquilani to his talented squad as direct replacements for the departed Spaniards. If the new arrivals can settle quickly and Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard can display the world-class form they are capable of, then The Reds could come very close to winning their first league title since 1990.

Prediction: 3rd

Manchester City

No team in the Premier League has undergone a more dramatic transformation in recent months than Manchester City. Basking in the wealth of the Abu Dhabi United Group, Mark Hughes has used the almost limitless resources at his fingertips to build a squad of the highest caliber over the summer. The arrivals of Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz should see City vastly improve on their league performances of recent years.

With so many new faces in their squad, it is unlikely that City’s new-look team will gel sufficiently well to see the side mount a sustained push for the title, but it is possible that the blue half of Manchester could get very close to breaking up the monopoly of the hallowed “top four”. What is for certain is that all eyes will be on City this season to see if money really can buy instant success. Watch this space.

Prediction: 5th

Manchester United

With Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez having departed Old Trafford this summer, this season’s Manchester United side will have a very different feel to it. Having lost two of the team’s most influential players it was vital that Sir Alex replaced them with players of a similar quality. Opinion as to whether or not he has done that is very much split down the middle.

Wigan’s Luis Antonio Valencia has been signed for £15.25m as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo but, despite being a very good player, it is unlikely that he will be able to completely fill the sizeable shoes of the Portuguese. Similarly, a semi-fit Michael Owen may struggle to find his best form, leaving The Red Devils lacking strength in depth up front. Conversely, such is Fergie’s eye for a transfer it would surprise few if the new arrivals stepped up and made themselves key members of the defending league champions’ team.

Despite the potential problems that the losses of Tevez and Ronaldo may cause, such is the depth of United’s squad that Ferguson’s team is more than capable of adapting and being one of the forerunners for the title yet again. This may be a transitional season at Old Trafford, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a successful one.

Prediction: 2nd

Portsmouth

After beginning last season struggling under the leadership of Tony Adams in the wake of Harry Redknapp’s departure, Pompey’s season was turned around by Paul Hart who oversaw an upturn in the club’s fortunes and steered the south coast outfit away from the relegation scrap towards the end of the campaign, eventually finishing fourteenth.

The Fratton Park faithful will be hoping that their team continues to show improvement under Hart but, with the departures of key players such as Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson, Pompey might just find the going a little tougher in 2009/10. With a proposed takeover still incomplete, Hart has little in the way of the funds required to bring fresh faces into his squad and is desperately short of strikers capable of scoring with regularity in the top flight. The arrival of Steve Finnan from Espanyol represents a shrewd bit of business, but if Hart is unable to bring in reliable goal scorers then Pompey could find themselves struggling for consistency as the season progresses. They’re unlikely to go down, but this might just be a difficult season down by the seaside.

Prediction: 16th

Stoke City

Tony Pulis should be congratulated for keeping his Stoke side in the Premiership last season with an impressive twelfth place finish, but the 2009/10 campaign is crucial if The Potters want to go on to establish themselves as a regular feature in the top division.

The signing of Dean Whitehead should add extra bite to the midfield, and the mammoth throw-ins of Rory Delap combined with the goals of Ricardo Fuller will likely again prove to be crucial elements of Stoke’s game. As was the case last season, it will be vital that Stoke win the majority of their home games in the cauldron-like atmosphere of the Britannia Stadium. If they can do that then they have an excellent chance of extending their stay in the Premier League for yet another season, but it might be touch and go.

Prediction: 17th

Sunderland

With a new manager and plenty of new signings having been installed over the summer, Sunderland will be looking to begin a new era at The Stadium of Light this season. After much success with Wigan, Steve Bruce has made the move north and has already begun to strengthen his squad in the hope of improving on The Black Cat’s disappointing sixteenth place finish last season.

Albanian defensive midfielder Lorik Cana, who had been a target for both Liverpool and Arsenal, has been signed from Marseille (where he was captain) for £5m and should add a resilient, tenacious edge to Sunderland’s midfield. Darren Bent and Frazier Campbell have also been brought in to strengthen the forward line and, should they find their best form, should provide their new team with plenty of firepower.

Steve Bruce’s squad is taking a very positive shape and, if he can find a system to accommodate his new signings, Sunderland should be able to look forward to one of their more successful Premiership seasons of recent years. Things are on the up on Wearside.

Prediction: 10th

Tottenham Hotspur

Following a disastrous start to last season under Juande Ramos, Spurs were rescued by the appointment of Harry Redknapp who substantially improved the club’s fortunes and guided the North London club to a respectable eighth place finish. Now that Redknapp has the opportunity to oversee a full season, Lilywhites fans will be hoping for better things during the 2009/10 campaign.

Players such as Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Defoe and Luka Modric, the creative spine of the team, will again be crucial to Spurs’ fortunes this season, with Peter Crouch returning to White Hart Lane to reinforce Redknapp’s attacking options. Newcastle’s Sebastien Bassong has also joined the club and should provide consistency in the centre of defence during Ledley King’s inevitable absences through injury.

If Spurs’ form during the latter part of last season is anything to go by, this could be a much-improved season at White Hart Lane in terms of consistency, with a Europa League place being a key ambition for a club with lofty aspirations.

Prediction: 7th

The Spurs beat Liverpool at White Hart Lane (twice) last season, and are a 11/5 bet to repeat the feat again in their season opener against the Reds.

West Ham United

The mediocrity of the players Gianfranco Zola has brought in during the transfer window thus far suggests that more worrying times might be ahead for the Upton Park side. Davide Di Michele and Radoslav Kovac, loan signings who made such a difference last season, have now returned to their clubs and have yet to be replaced. Indeed, such is the pitiful state of the West Ham accounts, it is fairly unlikely that any big-name players will be arriving in East London anytime soon.

Despite being unable to significantly add to the squad, Zola has an able group of players at his disposal and, even if improving on last year’s performance looks to be a step too far, should be able to attain a mid-table finish with relative ease.

Prediction: 13th

Wigan Athletic

With the club now under the stewardship of talented young manager Roberto Martinez, the coming season feels like it could be one of real progress for Wigan Athletic. Despite having lost Antonio Valencia, Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey in recent times, Wigan’s progress has continued unchecked, the club finishing last season very respectably in eleventh place.

This summer has seen the arrivals of Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland to the JJB Stadium, two of Martinez’s former charges who have the ability to make a positive impact on The Latics. If the club can also keep hold of and get the best from important players such as Lee Cattermole and Charles N’Zogbia, then Wigan fans might just be able to look forward to their side performing to an even higher level than last season.

Prediction: 8th

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves were promoted from the Championship last season playing a vibrant, vivacious form of football which Mick McCarthy will be hoping serves his side equally as well in the top flight. A lot of responsibility will rest upon the shoulders of young players such as Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, David Jones and Michael Kightly during the coming campaign, with McCarthy looking to retain the spine of the team which marched to the Championship title.

McCarthy has also shown a tendency to look to the Championship for players with which to strengthen his young squad. Kevin Doyle, Marcus Hahnemann and Andrew Surman have all joined from Football League clubs, whilst Ronald Zubar has signed from Marseille for £2.7m in an effort to shore up the defence.

Wolves may play some pretty football, but it is a lack of Premiership experience within the squad as a whole which could prove to be the side’s undoing. As with West Brom last season, expect thrilling football but perhaps little in the way of consistency and top flight savvy from The Wanderers over the next nine months.

Prediction: 18th (Relegated)

Written by CHRIS MANN © by muaz