An upcoming Premier League season is always expected to be the most exciting of all time. Although as we stand on the brink of another nine months of frenetic action from English football’s top flight, anticipation is huge.

Not only will last season’s surprise champions, Leicester City, be defending the crown they won with such a swagger, those who tune in for the competition can feast their eyes on the most expensive footballer of all time, as well the finest collection of managers ever assembled in a competition.

Indeed, while Claudio Ranieri was the standout coach in the previous term, he’ll face stiff competition for that accolade this season. Manchester City’s appointment of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho’s move to Manchester United and Antonio Conte’s switch to Chelsea will boost all three clubs, who underperformed in pursuit of glory in 2015-16.

Given the needle that bristled between Guardiola and Mourinho during their time in Spain, the spotlight will be trained on Manchester, anticipating the inevitable sparks flying. On the field, both sides will make significant strides too.

United’s £93 million capture of Paul Pogba is just one of four impressive signings made, with Eric Bailly, Henrik Mkhitaryan and the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic also set to give the first XI a major upgrade.

City have moved for young stars such as John Stones, Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane, although Guardiola will feel confident of getting more from a squad that faltered under predecessor Manuel Pellegrini; expect a big season from Kevin de Bruyne, in particular.

They’ll be the favorites for title glory, although the capital clubs will feel they have a fair chance too. Indeed, with the vibrant Conte at the helm and no European commitments this term, many are tipping the Blues to shine. N’Golo Kante, who propelled the Foxes to glory last term, is tailor made for the Italian’s ethos and is surely one of the captures of the summer in an inflated market.

North of the Thames, rivalry will resume in north London. On the cusp of the campaign Arsenal’s search for a striker remains ongoing, although manager Arsene Wenger has at least added some vital steel to his intricate outfit with Granit Xhaka’s acquisition. A spate of injuries at centre-back is a huge concern, though.

Tottenham Hotspur, having challenged for so long last term, will be expected to improve again under Mauricio Pochettino. Their summer business has been understated, capturing Vincent Janssen and Victor Wanyama, although they will each add depth to areas of the squad that were understaffed last term.

Additionally, in the east a new dawn is breaking at West Ham United, who will begin life at the Olympic Stadium emboldened. That Dimitri Payet remains at the club following a stellar showing at the UEFA European Championship and in last season’s Premier League will delight exuberant head coach Slaven Bilic.

There’s a football pulse back on Merseyside as well. Jurgen Klopp reinvigorated a dormant Liverpool team last term and his side have looked in tremendous shape in pre-season after conducted some savvy moves in the transfer market. Meanwhile, Everton pulled off a major coup in landing Ronald Koeman, who will be hopeful of drawing more from a talented group of players that faltered spectacularly under Roberto Martinez.

Koeman’s departure will be a blow to Southampton, yet Claude Puel has he pedigree needed to continue pushing the club in the right direction. In Wanyama and Sadio Mane they’ve lost key men once again, but Saints’ infrastructure, academy and eye for a bargain should see them flourish again.

Stoke City will be on the hunt for European spots this term, having consolidated their spot in midtable under Mark Hughes last season. Given the way teams around them have strengthened, it’ll be tough for them to improve on last year’s ninth place finish, although the signing of Joe Allen will improve the Potters in the middle of the park.

Another set of supporters who will want to see their team push on will be those who frequent the Hawthorns to watch West Bromwich Albion. Tony Pulis’ side have yet to spend big, though, and with no end in sight to the Saido Berahino saga a tough season could be on the cards.

Similarly downbeat predictions are being made about Swansea City, who, despite their recent takeover by an American consortium, have lost some key men in the window; last season’s top scorer Andre Ayew and inspirational captain Ashley Williams have left for West Ham United and Everton, respectively. Landing striker Fernando Llorente could be a masterstroke, but manager Francesco Guidolin has a tough job on his hands.

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As does David Moyes at Sunderland. After Sam Allardyce departed to take over England, the former Everton boss is in charge of a squad with a reputation for starting the season sluggishly; Moyes, having failed at Manchester United and then Real Sociedad, needs to restore some pride to his battered reputation.

Crystal Palace find themselves in a similar position on the cusp of the campaign, having finished last season with a whimper. Alan Pardew will be delighted with the capture of goalkeeper Steve Mandanda on a free transfer, although there are still major holes in the squad, most notably at the point of the attack,

Having stayed up in relatively comfortable fashion in 2015-16, all eyes will be on AFC Bournemouth and Watford to see if they can preserve their Premier League safety for the second season running.

Eddie Howe’s Cherries have made some intriguing summer captures, especially the Liverpool duo of Jordon Ibe and Brad Smith. Bournemouth will play captivating football and with some key players back from injury, especially Callum Wilson, will feel confident of improving on last season’s 16th place finish.

Despite overseeing a solid campaign, Watford decided to part ways with Quique Sanchez Flores, with Walter Mazzarri now in the hot seat at Vicarage Road. Keeping Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo is a big boost for the Hornets; £12.75 million winger Isaac Success is a player that’ll excite plenty in the top flight.

Of the teams that have been promoted Middlesbrough have made the most eye catching purchases, with Viktor Fischer, Alvaro Negredo and Victor Valdes moving to the Riverside. Aitor Karanka is a manager that’s been impressive in the second tier too, while Jordan Rhodes, signed for big money by Boro in January, finally gets a chance to show he’s Premier League class.

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Burnley will have their second crack at the top flight in three seasons under the watchful eye of Sean Dyche. Recruitment has been in short supply at Turf Moor, though; it’ll be up to a squad that’s been together for a while to show they’ve learned plenty from their previous unsuccessful attempt at avoiding a relegation.

And despite going up in the best possible way with a playoff win, it’s Hull City that look in the worst shape on the cusp of a new campaign. Mike Phelan has stepped into to take over from the recently departed Steve Bruce and while he’s a coach with plenty of experience, the club have stalled in preparation for the Premier League kickoff, with no major incomings and Mohamed Diame sold to Newcastle United.

Verdict

Champions: Manchester City – Guardiola’s recruitment may not have been as spectacular as the club across town, although the youthful exuberance of players such as Stones and Sane, not to mention the manager’s brilliant methods, will help reinvigorate the Etihad Stadium outfit.

Top Four: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal – Mourinho will fall just short of glory in his first season at Old Trafford; the Red Devils have the star quality to beat any side, although a couple of injuries or suspensions could leave them short in key areas.

Conte will kick the Blues into gear, with the lack of European football ideal in seeking to implement his meticulous methods. Meanwhile, the quality in Arsenal’s squad will propel them into the top four spots, although without a high class sharpshooter, they’ll fall short in their title charge.

Relegation: Watford, Burnley, Hull City – Flores did brilliantly to integrate so many new players into the Watford setup last term and while Mazzarri has a decent track record, the class needed to create chances in the division is lacking in the Hornets squad.

Burnley suffer from the same issue. Dyche’s men will be dogged and in Andre Gray, have a striker worth watching, but it’s easy to see them being overwhelmed frequently away from home. Hull, meanwhile, look in a state of disarray and will have to make some quality signings if they’re to avoid the drop.