Some pressing questions ...

Will Conte avoid sophomore slump?

Just three months after lifting the Premier League trophy, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has described the new season as the most difficult test of his career.

In the past two seasons, Chelsea and Leicester City have both fired their managers less than a year after winning the title.

Conte has spent over $130 million on Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger to avoid becoming the third axed champion. Can Wenger salve old wounds?

Despite ending last season on a high thanks to its FA Cup triumph against Chelsea, divisions still run deep at Arsenal over Arsene Wenger’s lack of success in the Premier League and Europe over the last 13 years.

Out of the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, Arsenal must make a fast start to avoid its usual winter swoon and keep the natives from becoming even more restless. Has Guardiola learned English lessons?

Unable to replicate his dominance with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola said his trophyless first season with Manchester City was a learning experience.

Spending around $240 million on six new players, including Tottenham Hotspur’s Kyle Walker and Monaco duo Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva, puts Guardiola in position to mount a stronger challenge this time. Will Liverpool click for Klopp?

After a fourth-place finish last season, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp splashed out a club-record $52 million on Roma winger Mohamed Salah, boosting a squad already brimming with potential.

But with Barcelona chasing star Philippe Coutinho, winning Liverpool’s first title since 1990 would be a remarkable achievement for Klopp. Can Lukaku justify his price?

Spurning interest from his former club Chelsea, Lukaku opted to join Manchester United in a $88 million deal that was a record for a transfer between British clubs. Lukaku has scored 85 Premier League goals in the past five seasons and the 24-year-old Belgian’s ability to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be key to United’s title aspirations.

How high can Everton go?

Encouraged by Everton’s seventh-place finish last season, manager Ronald Koeman has gone for broke in a bid to crack the top four.

Using the money from Lukaku’s sale, he brought former Toffees star Wayne Rooney back home, while spending over $105 million on Davy Klaassen, Michael Keane and Jordan Pickford among others.

Can Lacazette carry Arsenal?

With the future of unsettled Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez still up in the air, France striker Alexandre Lacazette arrives as the long-term face of Arsenal’s attack after his club-record switch from Lyon.

Lacazette notched 37 goals in 45 games last season and Wenger desperately needs the 26-year-old to emulate that form.

What next for Leicester?

It seems a lot longer than 15 months since Leicester City’s fairytale title win in 2016.

A dismal title defense and the shock firing of Claudio Ranieri raised questions about the players’ character, but a run to the Champions League quarterfinals under Craig Shakespeare augured well.