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The Premier League returns this week. After all the rumors, signings and appointments, competitive football takes over. There is no doubt that there are teams more prepared for the hurdles. There are also teams that could surprise fans this season.
Based on what we know about each team — their signings, pre-season games and coaching — what can we expect? A better question is, what might we not expect? Who could surprise us and who could disappoint us? Let's take a look at the likely Premier League overachievers and underachievers for the upcoming season.
Premier League overachievers
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs are coming into this season victors from last season's Champions League qualification race. We all know how competent Antonio Conte is as a manager. He won the league with Chelsea, who did not have the best team in the country at the time.
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He's been backed by Daniel Levi with signings like Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Clement Lenglet and Ivan Perisic. Of course, Tottenham are still far from world-class but perhaps Conte could change that.
Newcastle United
The Newcastle project has begun. A new era for the club has commensed. Fans had a taste of positivity from their new owners in January. Despite their struggles under Steve Bruce in the first half of last season, signings like Bruno Guimaraes helped them comfortably secure survival and finish 11th in the Premier League.
They go into the Premier League this season with new defensive players. Sven Botman and Nick Pope will provide solidity at the back. They are rumored to be interested in Leicester City's James Maddison, who scored 12 goals and provided 8 assists in 35 Premier League games for the Foxes last season. Such a signing, coupled with the improvement seen under manager Eddie Howe in the second half of the 2021-22 season, could see the Magpies overperform.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham are the busiest team in the transfer window. Since the loss of several first-team players, the club has gone into shopping spree mode. They've employed the services of players like Omar Richards, Jesse Lingard, Orel Mangala, Neco Williams, Dean Henderson, and Taiwo Awoniyi.
These players have arguably placed the newly-promoted side in pole position to fight off relegation threats. It is also argued that they might pose a threat for a 15th place finish. That would be considered impressive as they're tipped as second favorites to be relegated.
Premier League underachievers
Manchester United
The Red Devils had an anticlimactic end to their pre-season but hope to be ready for the new season under new manager Erik ten Hag. They have made three good signings (Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez) but that might not be enough for their season's ambitions. They lack depth in their squad and an injury to Jadon Sancho or Diogo Dalot could see a massive drop in form.
Cristiano Ronaldo's future is also uncertain with multiple contradictory reports. If United manage to sign Frenkie de Jong, a right-winger and a right-back, that might change.
Chelsea
The Blues concluded their pre-season with a 3-1 win against Udinese. However, many fans will not forget the eye-opening 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in pre-season. Most of what went wrong then is exactly Chelsea's worries for next season.
The team lacked fitness and cohesion. The problems of going into a season with an unfit squad can never be understated. The team has also failed in the recruitment department. The signings of Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly are positives for the squad.
However, the Blues missed out on Jules Kounde, Matthijs de Ligt and Raphinha. Chelsea are rumored to be working on a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella. They, however, need a lot more in order to achieve their ambitions for next season.
Everton
Everton v Dynamo Kyiv - Pre-Season Friendly
Everton survived a relegation battle last term that saw them finish 16th with a couple of points away from the drop. The side have, however, not looked proactive in the summer to make additions to the squad. Everton have let a lot of deadwood go but they've not brought in players who could make a massive impact.
They also lost Richarlison, their star man, to Tottenham. The signings of Dwight McNeil, Ruben Vinagre and James Tarkowski are all positives, but they need a striker as Dominic Calvert-Lewin is susceptible to injury and his back-up is Salomon Rondon.
