Metro’s Premier League hot takes: Man City empire to crumble? Misery for Man Utd and Liverpool?

The Premier League is back and to mark the grand day, Metro has complied a list of our most daring predictions for the campaign ahead.

Can Manchester City hold off Arsenal for a third season in a row? Can Liverpool challenge without Jurgen Klopp at the helm? Have Manchester United made the right decision in sticking with Erik ten Hag?

The race for European spots will intensify further this season with West Ham United among the sides spending wisely in recent months. Other clubs across the country meanwhile could pay the price for standing still in the summer transfer market.

Get ready for Metro’s searing hot takes and predictions.

Thomas Frank first to be sacked as Brentford go down

After two impressive seasons in the Premier League, last campaign saw Brentford stutter to a disappointing 16th-place finish as they struggled with injuries and the long-term gambling ban handed out to star striker Ivan Toney.

While Toney returned towards the end of last season, he still faces an uncertain future at the club with just one year remaining on his contract. Igor Thiago has been brought in as his potential replacement but has already picked up a major injury in pre-season and may have to hit the ground running upon his return to fill Toney’s void if the Englishman does leave in the closing weeks of the summer window.

Fabio Carvalho, the club’s only other signing, impressed on loan at Hull in the Championship last season, but £27.5m feels a steep outlay for a youngster who has not yet delivered in the top flight.

The failure to use the window more assertively to address the squad’s deficiencies may see the Bees unable to stop their slide down the table and leave the club with no other option than to roll the dice in the dugout to try and escape another battle with the drop. Ben Fleming

Arsenal to end title hoodoo, top four misery for Man Utd and Liverpool

Manchester City have managed to hold off Arsenal the last two seasons – but their grip on the title could loosen this term. The furore over the 115 charges levelled at the champions, not to mention the uncertainty surrounding Pep Guardiola’s future, casts a shadow heading into a new campaign where key players in Kevin de Bruyne and Kyle Walker will be that little bit older.

While City will be confident they have young and eager options in the squad, Julian Alvarez’s departure could also present a big problem when Erling Haaland is not available. Arsenal proved last term they can last the course and pounce on any slip-ups.

Arne Slot has huge shoes to fill at Liverpool and with no major additions to the aging squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp, keeping a top four place this term will be a big ask.

Over at Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag has been backed by Manchester United’s new hierarchy but concerns over his tactical set-up and some of those wretched capitulations on the road last season will still linger. With teams around them improving, it will be another desperate battle for top four. Tony Mogan

West Ham to enjoy an Aston Villa-like season under Lopetegui

The Hammers have raised a few eyebrows with several savvy pieces of transfer business this summer, with Niclas Fullkrug, Jean-Clair Todibo, Crysencio Summerville and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all arriving through the door for seemingly bargain prices.

And in Julen Lopetegui they have a manager with a point to prove and a pedigree for success after steering Sevilla and Spain’s youth teams to major silverware.

Lopetegui left England with his tail between his legs following an underwhelming nine-month spell with Wolves, but the Spaniard follows a similar path to Unai Emery and should look no further than his fellow countryman for inspiration.

Emery’s reputation was in the gutter when he was dismissed by Arsenal in 2019 and the 52-year-old returned from La Liga to lead Aston Villa to an unlikely fourth-placed finish and Champions League football.

While the Irons may struggle to reach those heady heights this term, they boast a squad more than capable of challenging for European qualification, following on from their Europa League triumph in 2023.

First up for West Ham? You guessed it: Villa. Lopetegui will be desperate to kick-start his reign with a statement victory over the fellow claret-and-blue club – and don’t be surprised if this comes to fruition. Tom Olver

Bournemouth fine without Solanke  – and could even push for top 10

Tottenham fans were quick to goad AFC Bournemouth supporters for signing their ‘best player’ this summer. Those who watch Bournemouth regularly, though, were quick to point out that Dominic Solanke was not their No.1 star. That status belongs to centre-back Illia Zabarnyi.

Solanke’s exit was a blow, given his 19 Premier League goals last term, but the Cherries were delighted to secure £65m for him. Bournemouth’s ambitious owners were well prepared for a Solanke sale, and have agreed a club-record £40.2m deal for his replacement, Evanilson, while goals will also be provided by the likes of Antoine Semenyo.

The American billionaires in charge of the Cherries know what they’re doing in the recruitment department with a number of top signings, including Milos Kerkez, who is already attracting interest from bigger clubs after his superb debut season. Bournemouth have a clear style of play under impressive boss Andoni Iraola and they could be a real force this season. Liam Grace

Tottenham to win the league after City points deduction

Manchester City may be the finest team in the land but the Sword of Damocles hangs over them with as many as 115 skeletons possibly lurking in their closet.

The champions are as low as 6/1 to be relegated with some bookmakers given the punishment that could come their way for various irregularities, so a bottom half finish isn’t out of the question.

Arsenal would be hot favourites to claim the crown in their stead, but it would just be funnier if Big Ange’s swashbuckling Spurs ascended the throne ahead of their great rivals. Tottenham for glory! Phil Haigh

A record-breaking scoreline awaits one unlucky side

Given the only three clubs to lose a Premier League match 9-0 are all back in the big time, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before we breach double figures.

Bournemouth have been back for a while, to be fair, and have certainly improved since being thrashed 9-0 by Liverpool two years ago, a humbling defeat in front of the Kop costing Scott Parker his job.

Championship play-off winners Southampton have bizarrely made a habit of conceding nine, doing so against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United in 2021, less than two years after losing by the same margin at home to Leicester.

Fergie’s United came close to hitting double digits in the 90s thanks to Andy Cole’s five-fer against an embarrassed Ipswich Town, who are now back in the Premier League for the first time since 2002.

Regrettably the gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to grow, leading to more uneven contests and wider scorelines. The likelihood of more injury-time in this VAR-era also helps clubs seeking to hand out punishing, and potentially unprecedented, results.

A team will concede 10 goals in a Premier League match. It’s only a matter of time. The only question is will it be this season? And who will be the unfortunate victims? Louis Sealey

Julen Lopetegui to flop with West Ham re-hiring David Moyes

Many have tipped West Ham for big things this season and no wonder. David Moyes has been replaced by Julen Lopetegui and the former Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla boss has been busy splashing the cash – £124million on eight signings including Max Kilman, Niclas Fullkrug and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Roll back the clock six years ago, the Irons found themselves in a very similar situation: Moyes was dismissed, Manuel Pellegrini was hired and they spent big in pursuit of European football. This plan back-fired spectacularly as the new signings flopped, Pellegrini was sacked 18 months later and Moyes returned to steer the club away from relegation.

Bringing ‘the chosen one’ back for a third spell might seem far-fetched but Lopetegui could well be setting himself up for disaster. Expectations will be sky high and the Spanish manager has been sacked from four of his last five jobs after things didn’t go to plan. The exception, his brief stint at Wolves, also ended acrimoniously.

West Ham fans couldn’t wait to see the back of Moyes, who it should be noted has won the same number of major trophies as his successor. Will they be wishing for his return in a few months? Unlikely, but they certainly could be calling for Lopetegui’s head. Callum McAvoy

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