When it comes to the Premier League, you can pretty much divide your predictions into four categories - title challengers (two), clubs challenging for the Champions' League places (four), those set to finish around midway (about four or five) and those facing a relegation scrap (pretty much everybody else).
So let's start with the big question - Liverpool or Manchester City for the title this season? Well, City have got to slip up some time and Liverpool were desperately unlucky last season (only losing once all season and still finishing second is taking the rip frankly) so I'm gonna say that this time it'll be City who hit a fleeting patch of bad form somewhere that ultimately costs them by a point or two. But realistically, I think we all know this one could go either way.
Of the pack behind them, Tottenham should clinch third place without too much worry as they look the most stable out of this group of clubs by some distance. Chelsea did well to recover and snatch third place last time around but with Maurizio Sarri leaving over the summer and Frank Lampard coming in, I think they're unlikely to repeat the feat this time out. Lampard will doubtless be given time by the board but this season may be a learning curve for him which could open the door for Arsenal, fresh off a season of transition under Unai Emery, to sneak back into the top four if they can find the consistency that was their main downfall last time out.
Only at Manchester United could you get a manager winning his first nine games in charge only to have the pundits calling for his head five defeats later. I still think if the Reds show some persistence with Ole Gunnar Soljskaer then they should start rising up the table again but with chaos reigning behind the scenes at the moment (not least surrounding Paul Pogba's future), a sixth-place finish looks likely again.
Among the mid-table pack, Wolves did brilliantly to finish 7th last time out but with an added UEFA Cup campaign to worry about this season, you could forgive them for casting a nervous eye at what happened to Burnley last season. They should still manage a top half finish but there are likely to be a few clubs with less games to worry about poised to nudge past them, chiefly Everton whose "steady as she goes" approach under Marco Silva means they're usually there or thereabouts. Leicester were a club revitalised under Brendan Rodgers last time out and should comfortably grab a top half finish while West Ham could improve as well with Manuel Pellegrini now having a full season under his belt in East London despite the departure of Marko Arnautovic.
Watford finally seem to have achieved the stability that's been lacking at Vicarage Road recently and should manage a comfortable mid-table finish this time out while Burnley, facing a quieter season than last time without a European campaign to worry about, should be breathing a bit easier this season as well. From thereon downwards, the remaining eight clubs are the ones who are likely to be most worried about a relegation dogfight and as always in these situations, the first clubs you find yourselves looking at are the three promoted ones.
However, I'm going to stick my neck out and say that I think Norwich, Sheffield United and Aston Villa will all survive. The key is looking at how much low-hanging fruit (ie established Prem teams who look likely to struggle) there is and make sure that you pick up the maximum points from these games and this season there looks to be a few teams who fall into this category.
Looking at the three new boys, both the Blades and Villans come up having done a full overhaul of their squads and with managers (Chris Wilder and Dean Smith) getting their first taste of Premiership life. They'll be keen to avoid repeating what happened to Fulham last time out but Smith and Wilder are both good at getting their teams playing with a suitably blood-and-thunder approach and, as Huddersfield did a couple of years ago, might be in with a good shout of bludgeoning their way to safety. Norwich, with a side playing good football under Daniel Farke, could do even better although they've been comparatively quiet in the transfer market over the summer.
Southampton and Bournemouth could be forgiven for looking nervously over their shoulders at this situation. The Saints have been sailing perilously close to the bottom three in recent years but the appointment of Ralf Hasenhuttl last season did seem to stabilise them a bit and with a few new signings this season they may face less of a nail-biting experience this time around. Bournemouth, meanwhile, have been drifting backwards for a while and could be in trouble but I think they should just scrape home.
My tips for the bottom three then - Brighton had an atrocious end to last season winning just four games after the New Year and have changed managers with Graham Potter joining from Swansea in place of the departing Chris Hughton. Potter did well to transform a club in chaos into a solid young side at the Liberty Stadium but he's now facing a far bigger challenge at the Withdean Stadium and will need all his wits about him to guide the Seagulls to safety this time out.
Crystal Palace have managed mid-table safety over the last couple of seasons mainly through Roy Hodgson's ability to play the loan market well but with Aaron Wan-Bissaka gone to Manchester United and Wilfred Zaha likely to join him on the way out of Selhurst Park before the end of the transfer window, this season looks like being a much harder slog for the Eagles. If Hodgson can somehow persuade Zaha to stay then they've got a fighting chance of beating the drop but if, as looks likely, he moves on then it could be a long hard winter at Selhurst Park.
Finally, where do you even start with Newcastle? With Rafael Benitez's patience finally running out and the appointment of Steve Bruce (a man who's spent most of the last few years managing in the Championship) to replace him as manager going down like a cup of cold sick among the St James Park faithful not to mention three key players leaving and the continuing presence of the odious Mike Ashley as chairman, these are worrying times indeed on Tyneside. The Geordies' best bet for survival probably hinges on a takeover happening some time soon but given Ashley's reluctance to surrender control of the club, I wouldn't bet on it. Either way, a turbulent season and yet another sojourn in the Championship looks to be in store for them...
FINAL TABLE PREDICTION
1. Liverpool
2. Manchester City
3. Tottenham Hotspur
4. Arsenal
5. Chelsea
6. Manchester United
7. Everton
8. Leicester City
9. West Ham United
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers
11. Watford
12. Burnley
13. Southampton
14. Norwich City
15. Bournemouth
16. Aston Villa
17. Sheffield United
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18. Brighton & Hove Albion
19. Crystal Palace
20. Newcastle United
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