The Premier League returns tomorrow and a lot has happened since the 2023-24 season drew to a close. Chelsea have continued collecting players like there is no tomorrow, while Liverpool await the first signing of the Arne Slot era. Manchester United seem to have caught fans off guard by taking a sensible approach to transfers, while Tottenham Hotspur have pivoted towards youth (and Dominic Solanke) and West Ham United towards experience (and Crysencio Summerville).
But new players (or the lack of them) are only part of the story. It’s what managers and head coaches do with their footballers that counts. So with that in mind, here’s a key tactical question for all 20 Premier League sides ahead of 2024-25.
Will their attacks now be more balanced?
It is tough to find too many holes in this Arsenal team given their depth across the pitch and achievements over the past two seasons.
Bukayo Saka’s growth and partnership with Martin Odegaard and Ben White has meant Arsenal have preferred to channel the ball down to his flank. Forty-one per cent of their attacking touches last season were on that side, up from 39 per cent in 2022-23.
However, if Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival helps Gabriel Martinelli rediscover his form and receive more one-on-one opportunities, they could also be potent from the left side, where they had 33 per cent of their attacking touches last season, down from 34 per cent in 2022-23. Mikel Arteta has also revisited the “Kai Havertz in midfield” experiment during their pre-season, which could factor into the equation, though probably not if Mikel Merino arrives from Real Sociedad.
Whether scoring by committee will work again is a question, but becoming a threat once again from the left might just be enough to alleviate that concern for the third season in a row.
Arsenal’s left flank has been upgraded this summer (Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
Can they sort their defensive issues at either post?
Villa’s attack should remain potent with Ollie Watkins and Co around, but as Brighton found out last year, defensive struggles can derail progress when a team participates in four competitions.
Unai Emery’s side had far too many vulnerabilities while dealing with crosses to either post last season. Their opponents enjoyed a 26 per cent crossing accuracy, similar to Crystal Palace and Burnley. They also allowed 10+ per cent accuracy on both grounded and chipped crosses; the only other team to do so in the division was Fulham (23 per cent overall accuracy).
Far too often, Villa’s ball-focused defending meant they failed to track runs to either post, as the montage below shows. Improving here might be crucial to their chances of building on the success of last season.
Can they hold onto the ball a bit more?
Andoni Iraola’s second season will begin with optimism and without 19-goal striker Solanke. The onus will be on Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo and Enes Unal to make up for it all.
Iraola’s style has always been to get the ball forward as quickly as possible and benefit from chaos caused by pace. It led to them recording their third-highest Premier League goal tally with 54. However, they also conceded 67, the joint third highest in their time in the top flight.
Bournemouth’s 152.9 turnovers and 56.9 losses in the middle third per match were both the highest in the league, while their 5.4 sequences with 10+ passes per game was fourth from bottom. They also struggled to win ground and aerial duels (47 per cent success, ranked 20th).
To take the next step, Iraola’s side might need to improve their ball retention just a bit.
Can they limit going behind and/or improve while a goal up?
Last season, Brentford trailed their opponents in the league on 26 occasions, the second highest outside of the three relegated teams. They picked up just 11 points from those situations, down from the 12 they collected in 2022-23 after falling behind on 17 occasions.
At the other end of the spectrum, they also led 22 times in matches, but won just 10 of those and lost six times. The Bees held 22 leads in 2022-23 as well but won 15 of those matches and lost just once.
A lot of this had to do with injuries and them giving the ball away cheaply. Brentford’s 36 per cent turnover rate was only behind Sheffield United, while they made a league-worst 10 errors leading to a goal.
Even a minor improvement on these numbers should see them fight for top 10 once again.
Brighton and Hove Albion
Will they do more with the ball?
Brighton struggled to cope with European football last term and its absence should help them improve. They will, however, need to find a way of doing more with the ball when they have it.
Last season, the Seagulls averaged 60 per cent possession per game, only behind City, Tottenham and Liverpool. However, they also averaged more passes in their own half than any other team, with 304.2 per game. They also had the second-highest volume of build-up plays at 19.8 per game, but a mere 23 per cent of these were attacking in nature.
It meant they struggled to break down low blocks. The return of Kaoru Mitoma should help, but Brighton need more. This could come in the form of more switches of play to spread defences out after attempting just 2.0 per game (fourth lowest) last season or simply finishing the chances they create (10 per cent conversion rate, also the fourth lowest).
How much will Fabian Hurzeler tweak Brighton’s build-up? (Masashi Hara/Getty Images)
Chelsea
Can Enzo Maresca’s side improve discipline off the ball?
Last season, Chelsea averaged 2.8 yellow cards per game, the highest in the league. This was down to a lack of collective discipline, with multiple cautions incurred for dissent, while others were because they were forced to make last-ditch tackles after being exposed in transition.
As the graph below shows, Chelsea ranked well in passes per defensive action (PPDA) with 10.7 and won the sixth-most possessions in the attacking third (5.7 per game), but struggled to convert these into shots. Maresca’s Leicester, meanwhile, had a lower PPDA of 11.1 but won more possessions in the final third (6.1 per game) and were effective at turning these into shots and goals.
Maresca’s job at Stamford Bridge is not easy, not least with the sheer size of the squad, but teaching discipline might be a solid first step.
Crystal Palace
How does Oliver Glasner replace Michael Olise?
Last season, Olise played in only half of Palace’s 38 Premier League games but still contributed to 28 per cent of their total goals. His involvement extended well beyond his 10 goals and six assists, though.
Among Palace’s attackers, he had the second-highest shot conversion rate (18 per cent) and touches in the penalty box (6.1 per 90). Olise also averaged more passes into and within the final third (4.8 and 17.8 respectively), chances created (2.5), and involvements in sequences leading to a goal (1.3) per 90.
He leaves behind a massive gap and Glasner will need to get creative to plug it.
Will their attackers find a clinical touch in front of goal?
Everton’s 2023-24 campaign was built on resilience and defensive resistance and that should continue, with key members of the back line remaining at the club (so far). However, should the defence falter at any point, Sean Dyche’s men will desperately need their attack to click.
Everton created the 10th-most big chances in the league last season at 2.4 per game. However, they converted a mere 30 per cent of those, only better than Burnley’s 28 per cent, underperforming their xG by a massive 15.2 across the season. Everton’s eight per cent conversion rate was the worst in the league as well.
They will need to avoid misses like the ones below to make life easier for themselves in what is expected to be a more competitive relegation battle this season.
Fulham
Can they find a spark of creativity?
Joao Palhinha’s departure is the more obvious story from Fulham’s summer. Fluminense midfielder Andre has been mooted as a target, though they will initially hope Sasa Lukic, Tom Cairney and Harrison Reed, with a little help from Andreas Pereira and Alex Iwobi, can help recreate Palhinha in the aggregate.
An equally telling issue Marco Silva will need to solve has to do with Fulham’s creativity. The Cottagers’ 1.4 big chances created per 90 was the fewest outside the relegated teams. While they did convert most of those chances, their 0.103 xG per shot (third lowest) suggests they should be trying to get into better positions.
Tellingly, they recorded just 10 key passes following a dribble across the entire season. Fulham will hope Emile Smith Rowe’s arrival changes that.
Will Smith Rowe boost Fulham’s creativity in 2024-25? (Helge Prang/Getty Images)
Will their pressing intensity be replicable in the Premier League?
Ipswich’s press became the catalyst for their exciting style and promotion push last season. They won more possessions in the middle third (25.4 per 90) than any other team, which in turn helped them create chances up the pitch.
However, Kieran McKenna’s side struggled when teams played over the press. Fourteen per cent of the total passes against them were long balls, with teams completing 39 per cent of those attempts, while they allowed more passes into the final third (51.0 per game) than Leeds United, Leicester and Southampton.
McKenna may have to make some minor tweaks to ensure his methods do not leave Ipswich too exposed at the back against higher-quality opposition.
McKenna was also excellent with his substitutes, who were involved in 35 goals while scoring 23 (both highest in the league). In contrast, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle ranked the highest in the Premier League, scoring 14 goals off the bench, while Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool substitutes were involved in 24 goals.
That indicates Ipswich may struggle to replicate the same off-the-bench exploits from last season.
Leicester City
Can their wingers make an impact at this level?
Much of the focus will be on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s departure to Chelsea and rightly so given he contributed to 26 of Leicester’s 89 Championship goals last season. However, wingers Abdul Fatawu (six goals, 13 assists in the league) and Stephy Mavididi (12 goals, six assists) were equally vital.
Maresca encouraged one-on-one situations for his wingers out wide using inverted full-backs, a tactic Steve Cooper has not used much in pre-season. Both Fatawu and Mavididi will likely play and be expected to create from wider areas than last season against better defences.
During his Premier League run with Forest, Cooper managed to get decent production from Brennan Johnson (eight goals and three assists in 40 matches) and Anthony Elanga (three goals and three assists in 17 matches), while Andre Ayew and Callum Hudson-Odoi (one goal in 21 combined matches) struggled.
Liverpool
Will they continue to struggle with slow starts?
Last season, Liverpool conceded 19 goals in the opening 45 minutes, four more than City and nine more than Arsenal. They faced 18 deficits and dropped points in 11 of those games (seven draws, four defeats), ultimately falling nine points short of champions City.
They won just 49 per cent of their duels last season, ranking fifth-from-bottom in the metric while losing a league-worst 11.2 challenges per game. Teams also dribbled past Liverpool players on 39 per cent of occasions (the worst in the league).
All of this meant they conceded substantially more chances (7.9) and shots (8.0) per game than Arsenal (6.0 and 5.7 respectively) and City (5.8 and 5.7) as well as their 2022-23 iteration (7.4 and 7.8).
Arne Slot’s possession-centric system should remedy some of these issues, but the key will be keeping his side switched on from the start.
Alisson was left exposed too often in 2023-24 (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
How do they structure themselves around Erling Haaland this time?
Erling Haaland has racked up 90 goals and 15 assists in 99 appearances for City since arriving two years ago, helping the club win a treble and another Premier League title. Pep Guardiola has taken multiple approaches to simultaneously get the best out of both him and his team, but the question seems to linger on.
In the first few matches after Haaland’s arrival in 2022, City used inverted full-backs on both sides. Last season, John Stones or Manuel Akanji joined the midfield with Rodri, while Kyle Walker dropped inside to defend and Josko Gvardiol pushed high up the pitch.
In pre-season this summer, Guardiola has used two conventional defensive midfielders (in Rodri’s absence), with Gvardiol pushing high again. Savinho’s arrival means City could also field two pacy wingers on either side of Haaland and return to the inverted full-back ploy, giving them yet another option.
What will Guardiola do?
Manchester United
Can they prioritise quality over quantity in front of goal?
Much of the talk around United last season was about the sheer volume of shots they allowed opponents to take. As the graph below shows, they allowed 17.4 shots per 90, only fewer than Luton Town and Sheffield United.
However, it is important to note that their opponents’ xG per shot was the fourth lowest at 0.105, while Andre Onana had a solid save rate of 72 per cent. Moving away from the transitional chaos of last season and the arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro should hopefully allay the concerns on that end.
Where Erik ten Hag’s side must improve is with respect to the type of shots they take after scoring just 57 league goals in 2022-23. United averaged 14.5 shots per game last season, but the average distance of these shots was 16.1 yards from goal, the joint second highest. Only 64 per cent of their shots were from inside the box, the third-lowest mark in the league.
Prioritising quality over quantity and feeding better passes to Rasmus Hojlund should be United’s focus in attack this season.
Newcastle United
How do they reintegrate Sandro Tonali?
When Newcastle signed Tonali ahead of numerous other reported suitors, it was rightly viewed as an ambitious move. A year on, the Italian has made just five Premier League starts after a 10-month man for breaching betting rules while in Italy.
Newcastle have not added bodies to midfield in this window but will have Tonali back. When available, the 24-year-old’s best moments came on the right side of a midfield three, as seen below.
However, Eddie Howe was malleable with his formations last season and the returning Joe Willock, who worked well alongside Anthony Gordon, could take the left No 8 spot, making the right No 8 a toss-up between Tonali and Joelinton. If Tonali does make the XI, his partnership with Bruno Guimaraes will be fascinating to watch. Can they interchange between the No 8 and No 6 to allow Guimaraes to cause damage from the half-spaces? Or does it stifle Newcastle’s creativity from midfield?
There is also the question of what Newcastle do with their goalkeeper. Nick Pope seems to have benefited from being out due to injury and has returned as the first-choice option, but Newcastle’s pursuit of James Trafford, who is more composed on the ball, earlier in the window suggests they were open to change.
Can Nuno Espirito Santo reduce Forest’s woes from corners?
Forest have taken a no-nonsense approach to their set-piece woes from last season. They scored a league-worst three goals from corners last season while conceding 15 from those situations, the highest. Forest let in 6.1 goals per 100 corners from an xG of just 3.5, suggesting they had serious issues defending crowded boxes.
On the transfers side, the arrival of centre-back Nikola Milenkovic and goalkeeper Carlos Miguel should help. However, a lot will also depend on Nuno.
Nuno’s 2019-20 Wolves, who finished seventh in the league with 59 points, were unspectacular but solid from corners. They conceded 4.1 goals per 100 corners, the 12th-best in the league, while their six goals conceded across the season was the fourth-best. They also scored six goals from corners, which was joint sixth-best.
Opposition corners were frequently dangerous for Forest last season (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)
Southampton
How do they deal with their goalkeeper situation?
Gavin Bazunu struggled on numerous occasions during Southampton’s relegation season in 2022-23. However, he was crucial to the team securing promotion before rupturing an Achilles tendon in April, with the injury expected to keep him out until January 2025 at least.
Alex McCarthy stepped in admirably to ensure they progressed through the playoffs, but there are clear limitations to his passing game, as the table below shows.
Southampton boss Russell Martin has already mulled over a style change; a valid concern given Burnley’s struggles under Vincent Kompany last season. McCarthy might also benefit from a more pragmatic style of play.
The alternative is Mateusz Lis, signed back in 2022. Lis has spent each of the last two seasons on loan and impressed while with Troyes in 2022-23, though the club suffered relegation from Ligue 1.
Tottenham Hotspur
Will their wing play improve with Dominic Solanke now in the mix?
Last season, Spurs attempted 13.4 open-play crosses per game, the sixth-highest figure in the league. However, only 18 per cent of these were successful, ranking them only above Burnley and Manchester United.
They enjoyed reasonable success from grounded crosses and cutbacks, as the graph below shows. However, their 19 per cent accuracy from 8.5 chipped crosses per game ranked second from bottom.
In Dominic Solanke, Spurs have a centre-forward who gets into the areas Ange Postecoglou wants from his striker and is a good header of the ball. Postecoglou is unlikely to compromise on his system, which allows wingers space to cross thanks to inverted full-backs, and the expectation from Solanke will be to get on the end of deliveries from out wide more often than Richarlison.
West Ham United
Can they move on from last season’s midfield woes?
West Ham’s 74 goals conceded last season was only beaten by Burnley, Luton, and Sheffield, all of whom were relegated. Much of their struggles were concentrated in the middle third of the pitch. They won just 50 per cent of their duels in the middle third (sixth lowest) and averaged only 19.8 possessions won in the middle third (fifth lowest).
The midfield struggles extended to the other end of the pitch as well. West Ham created the second-fewest chances (8.1 per game) and their numbers would look worse if they had not overperformed their overall expected assist tally of 30.8 by nearly 10 (40 assists across the season). Their 10.5 passes into the penalty box per 90 was the second lowest as well.
Their response has been to dip into the market on either side of the pitch, with Maximilian Kilman, Jean-Claire Todibo (on loan), Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Guilherme and Niclas Fullkrug all joining the club this summer. Guido Rodriguez is the only new midfielder in their ranks.
For a team that also made a league-low 2.9 subs per game, having more options should hopefully lead to improvement on the pitch and increased in-game adaptability.
Guido Rodriguez has been brought into West Ham’s midfield (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Will Jorgen Strand Larsen improve their numbers in the attacking third?
Wolves have longed for a goalscorer since pre-injury Raul Jimenez. Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha have performed admirably over the past two seasons, but the numbers suggest Wolves could do with an out-and-out centre-forward.
Last season, Gary O’Neil’s men averaged the second-fewest touches in the penalty box with 20.9 per game despite having the 11th-most average possession (49 per cent). They also had the fewest sequences ending in the attacking third at 51.2 and passes into the final third at 43.4 per game, a significant drop-off from the 54.8 and 48.2 they managed in 2022-23.
A lot of Wolves’ possessions seemed to end with them going backwards due to the lack of striker-specific movements in the box.
O’Neil has experimented with a new system in pre-season, playing Strand Larsen as a regulation No 9 in a 4-2-3-1. Wolves could start the season with that formation, deploying Pablo Sarabia, Cunha and summer arrival Rodrigo Gomes behind him.
If Strand Larsen can find his feet in the Premier League, he could elevate his team-mates’ play and Wolves’ prospects.
(Top photo: James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
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