Biggest threat to northern powerhouses

The Gunners possess plenty of firepower going forward and should still score lots of goals.

It’s a first full season in England for Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang, and there were plenty of signs last season that he could be a prolific scorer for Arsenal.

It is asking too much for Emery to turn them into title contenders. But if he can make them a proper team again, a return to the top four is a realistic target.

Having been unveiled in May, Emery is virtually an old hand compared to the new manager at Chelsea, Maurizio Sarri.

He was only announced in his post three weeks ago after the long drawn-out process of dismissing Antonio Conte.

It all means there is a feeling of catch-up at Stamford Bridge, with midfielder Jorginho the only new arrival so far.

Sarri built a great reputation at his former club, Napoli, where his team was known for playing excellent football. But they couldn’t break Juventus’ dominance of Serie A.

The Italian was also involved in some controversial incidents, involving alleged sexism and homophobia, which he must avoid at all costs in England.

One other issue is his lack of English, and while he has Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola as his assistant, it will be interesting to see if that proves to be a barrier with his players.

While the transfer window slams shuts here on Thursday, it’s open in Europe until the end of August. So it will be an anxious time to see if star players Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois are still at Chelsea come September.

Only then will the Blues’ prospects under Sarri become much clearer.

At Tottenham, the focus is on the return to the bigger and much- improved White Hart Lane. Capacity has increased from 36,000 to 61,000 and it will be one of the best stadiums in world football.

The first match is scheduled for September 15 when Liverpool will be the visitors, and it will be fascinating to see if Spurs are inspired by their new home.

The stadium provides the excitement because it has been all quiet on the transfer front. There have been no arrivals as of yet, although star man Harry Kane has signed a new contract during the summer.

Spurs have not lost any of their key players, either. But questions remain about the overall depth of the squad.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino hinted after April’s FA Cup semi- final defeat to Manchester United that the club was at a crossroads and it seems to have put all its eggs into the stadium basket.

But if Kane keeps scoring lots of goals, then Tottenham will continue to threaten the Northern powerhouses.