My predicted finishes for a unique campaign

1 Manchester City

They never went away – just beaten by a more consistent team. Scored 102 goals last season, and conceded just two more than than Liverpool (35). Such a balanced, competitive squad.

2 Liverpool

A close call between them and City – both so far ahead of the pack last season. Two remarkable seasons and the challenge of defending a title – as it stands – with the same starting XI.

3 Chelsea

Investment has given Lampard an elite player jigsaw to solve. Start season with injuries and a concern over Arrizabalaga. A deficit of 33 points behind Liverpool is a lot to make up.

4 Manchester United

Strong end to last season and so far a low-key transfer window. This is where Solskjaer comes under scrutiny. Can he develop a style that builds a platform to challenge for the league?

5 Arsenal

Such a promising start for Arteta, who has no doubts over his preferred style of play. Refusal to deviate from his plan brought rewards in the FA Cup. Squad depth is still a problem.

6 Tottenham Hotspur

A question of whether Mourinho’s players are prepared to submit to his approach and be the b------- that he wants them to be. The old question over the reliance on Kane and Son.

7 Leicester City

A tough act for Rodgers to follow after a season when they were Champions League contenders and now face the demands of Europa League Thursdays. Losing Chilwell was understandable.

8 Wolverhampton Wanderers

They have Nuno, one of the league’s best managers, and the signings have started. Much of the budget has gone on Fabio Silva but they have already shown the quality they have.

9 Everton

So many players – but are they the right ones? Ancelotti’s experience is reassuring, but it is hard to find much else to hang your hat on. Is Rodriguez the man to inspire this side?

10 Southampton

Hasenhuttl has proven himself as a manager with a clear idea of where he is going – can the club back him? They have lost Hojbjerg and they may yet have offers for goalscorer Ings.

11 Brighton & Hove Albion

A wild card for a top-12 finish which would be higher than they have ever achieved in their three Premier League seasons. Potter has a way of playing and new signings Lallana and Veltman offer experience.

12 Crystal Palace

Poor after the restart and perhaps feeling the effects of an older squad. The signings of Ferguson and Eze have brought the average age down. Feels like experience, Hodgson and players, should count for a lot.

13 Leeds United

Equipped with enough first-season-back energy to stay out of the bottom three and perhaps beat some bigger names at Elland Road if or when fans return. A clear playing identity will help them.

14 Burnley

Dyche’s criticism of the club at the end of last season is the key reason for concern. That relationship had been rock-steady. Much will depend on Dyche’s ability to make them greater than the sum of their parts.

15 Sheffield United

That difficult second season for Wilder’s players. Their energy and tactical ingenuity carried them last time around and they were still capable of it at home after the restart. Solid investment in goalkeeper Ramsdale.

16 Aston Villa

Owners who want to invest and have spent a club-record fee on striker Watkins. As for the rest of the squad, the director of football who assembled it has already gone. But it looks like Grealish will stay.

17 Newcastle United

Continued strife off the pitch, and now at odds with the Premier League. As ever, the club feels on a knife-edge under Ashley’s ownership. Wilson, Lewis and Fraser have added some depth.

18 West Ham United

The outcry from players, led by captain Noble, over the sale of Diangana suggested a deeper crisis of confidence in the owners than realised. Criticism has never before come so publicly from the dressing room.

19 Fulham

Held their nerve in the restart and through the play-offs to win promotion in extra-time, but it has not left them with much time to transform from a Championship side. The mistakes of their last relegation loom large.

20 West Bromwich Albion

Another club having to gamble on financing survival or return to the Championship. The signings of loanees Pereira and Diangana are a start. The rest? It feels like the club do not want to risk too much.