ARSENAL

Last season: 5th

Title odds: 11/1

Ins: Sead Kolasinac (Schalke 04, free), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, £46.5m)

Outs: Yaya Sanogo (Toulouse, free), Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus, £10m), Glen Kamara (Dundee, £500k), Daniel Crowley (Willem II, free), Kaylen Hinds (Wolfsburg, £2.5m), Chris Willock (Benfica, free), Kristopher da Graca (released), Kostas Pileas (released), Stefan O’connor (released), Takuma Asano (Stuttgart, loan), Emiliano Martinez (Getafe, loan), Marc Bola (Bristol Rovers, loan)

What will be the tactics?

Arsene Wenger intends to stick with the 3-4-2-1 system that coincided with a strong end to last season. It effectively means replacing a creative player with a centre-back and so represents an acceptance that the team was defensively too frail. Wenger is likely to begin with a fluid attacking three that will be spearheaded by Alexandre Lacazette (far right) but he has a definite Plan B in Olivier Giroud, as long as he can persuade the Frenchman to stay this summer. Arsenal should also be able to switch seamlessly to 4-2-3-1 if they need goals and should be more tactically flexible than last season.

Who looks the most exciting signing?

Sead Kolasinac (right, centre) has prompted genuine excitement after such a positive pre-season. It is not just his technical contribution that is impacting on both fans and team-mates, but his sheer physical presence. Arsenal have long faced accusations that they are softcentred but they have now added an authentic hard-man.

Which unknown could make a name for themselves?

Reiss Nelson. Just as Hector Bellerin and Alex Iwobi have emerged in recent seasons, Arsenal have high hopes for Nelson and Wenger will look to involve him this season. He can play either at wing-back or in one of the more attacking positions although the League Cup and Europa League are likely to be where he gets most opportunity.

Who’s the one player they cannot do without?

Laurent Koscielny (near right). The new system places quite a significant extra strain on the centreback positions and it is one area where injuries could cause Wenger real problems. Koscielny has developed into one of the most consistent of all Premier League defenders and, while he still must manage a persistent Achilles tendon problem, his regular presence will be crucial, as shown by Arsenal’s performances when he was missing last season.

How safe is the manager?

Arsenal will hope that the new, two-year contract and last season’s FA Cup triumph will put an end to the uncertainty over Wenger that so dominated the 2016-17 campaign. The truth, though, is that the Wenger debate will rage among the fan base until he wins the Premier League, Champions League or departs once and for all. Supporter discontent will be certain to again bubble up if the season starts badly but the board have already shown that they will not react to pockets of protest, however vociferous they become. In truth, this should be a calmer season but Wenger still needs to mount a credible title challenge.

Who would be the most appropriate celebrity fan?

Frank Spencer: start off full of hope, optimism and good intentions, only to suffer the same slightly sad fate every single time.