After Aston Villa crashed the top four last season, which team is best placed to perform above expectations in the coming months?
Given the amount of sport that has dominated the summer months, you would have been forgiven for not realising that the new Premier League season kicks-off this week. And so while teams are still finessing their transfer business and making final tactical tweaks, everything is pretty much in place for the 2024-25 campaign to begin.
That means its predictions season, and here at GOAL we're no different. Over the next week our writers will be giving their takes on all the biggest issues, from the teams who are likely to be scrapping for survival to those who will be fighting for top-four finishes and the title, and everything in between.
Today we've taken a look at potential surprise packages, and which teams are most likely to upset the established order over the coming nine months:
(C)Getty Images'Glasner's collective more important than individuals'
Richard Martin: Crystal Palace must have wished last season could have kept going as they staged a breath-taking finish, winning six of their last seven games while annihilating Manchester United and Aston Villa. In a matter of weeks, Oliver Glasner transformed the team's tactics from Roy Hodgson's reactive ways and built a team that was frighteningly good at transitions and in beating the press. Michael Olise joining Bayern Munich is a big loss, but Glasner has already shown that a collective plan is more important than individuals. Expect a top-10 finish, at least.
AdvertisementGetty/GOAL'West Ham have made exciting signings'
Mark Doyle: Crystal Palace should benefit enormously from a full pre-season under Oliver Glasner, who oversaw a dramatic improvement after taking over in February. However, the loss of Michael Olise is a big blow and the French winger could soon be followed out of the exit door by star centre-back Marc Guehi, while Jean-Philippe Mateta is going to require an extended break following his Olympic exploits. As a result, Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham look better placed for a stronger season overall, as they’ve made some exciting signings, including Germany’s Niclas Fullkrug, Brazilian teenage sensation Luis Gulherme and former Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville.
Getty Images'Expect Palace to kick on'
Amee Ruszkai: I really liked what I saw from Crystal Palace in the first few months of Oliver Glasner's tenure last season and I can see them building on that after a first full pre-season under the Austrian. Michael Olise's sale is a hit, sure, but they've kept hold of Eberechi Eze and made some interesting, exciting signings. Keeping hold of players like Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi amid rumours in the latter stages of this transfer window will also be important, though I do expect to see Palace kick on regardless and make real progress under Glasner.
Getty'Todibo the cherry on West Ham's cake'
Tom Maston: With most of the 'top' teams having had pretty quiet transfer windows thus far, it's West Ham who have had the most eye-catching summer. Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug should add another dimension to their forward line, while Guido Rodriguez was a Barcelona target at the start of the window. Beating Juventus to the signing of Jean-Clair Todibo is the cherry on the cake of what has been a wonderful first few months in charge for Julen Lopetegui, and with no European distractions for the first time in three seasons, the Irons can be fully-focused on pushing for a top-six finish.