Manchester City

The City juggernaut continues to evolve, any signs of players not staying at the required level are quickly put under pressure to perform. Jack Grealish has come under the hammer with Guardiola signing Jeremy Doku to side line Grealish, temporary or not the warning signs are there. The Croatian centre back Gvardiol has been drafted in to keep the defence on their guard. The injuries to Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland had no negative impact on results, to replace one player with another of equal statue is the badged ‘Total Football’ philosophy and Guardiola implements it perfectly, City to be champions?

Sheffield United

From one sphere to another with the Blades having no Premiership game plan to survive, lack lustre club investment has led to championship standard players playing their trade in the previous manager Paul Heckingbottom and the current incumbent Chris Wilder have worked diligently with the players and likewise, commitment alone is not enough, the club’s owners have failed the supporters, all bets off, relegation.

Burnley

Vincent Kompany’s management of a continuous cycled passing game endeavouring to mimic Manchester City will not abate with the Kompany philosophy, the need for the manager to remove his stubbornness. Burnley will be relegated with the strategy to come to fruition next season in the Championship and a quick return to the Premiership. That’s the Burnley formula, but does it come with a guarantee? Not in football.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

The appointment of Gary O’Neil as the Wolves manager came as a surprise. O’Neil is a pragmatic manager who does toe the theory line to a degree. The want to have his players playing outside of their comfort pocket zone, an expedient of all resources. O’Neil prefers the 3-4-3 formation as the main base, with the emphasis on the Wolves midfield players exploiting the opposition when they have less holding midfield players than the Wolves four man midfield with the two wide men coming inside, they also have the option to stretch wide particularly on the right side with Pedro Neto’s whip lace pace. Wolves are fragile to the counterattack due to this tactic with the team raking in fifty four yellow cards at the last count, ranked at number four in the Prem’s card fest. The club to prosper in mid-table, free from relegation, job done.

Everton

The constant turbulent flow at Everton to border on madness came with Sean Dyche calming the turbulence on the background noise to keep the blue ship ahoy on the pitch. Dyche has been utilizing various formations to trash the sceptics view of Dyche as being negative.

The manager’s favoured 4-4-1-1 tactic when with ball retention functions to a high degree of success with Doucoure blindsiding into the penalty box lines to supplement Calvert-Lewin with Doucoure’s goals proving to be match winning on many occasions. The Toffees are ranked at number three for kilometres covered during matches is testament to the work ethic and the continued toughness to prevail, a remarkable club DNA. The Toffees ratioed out at a 22% rating of survival above the clubs below being ratioed at 7%. Even with the handcuffs, the Merseysider’s can break free to remain in the Premiership.

Nottingham Forest

The appointment of Espirito Santo came with the task of reducing an over inflated squad. Twenty eight players have been selected for Forest this season with many new signings having not cut the mustard at their previous clubs. The previous incumbent Steve Cooper badged to the motto, if player number nine doesn’t perform well I will sign up another number nine and so on to do the same again. No position was safe from being replaced by the replaced, it’s signposted follow, the gist road. The Santos way is to set the team up as a compact unit and to counterattack with width, Espirito’s recent tactic has been the 4-2-3-1 system but to suggest the Nuno will revert to a 4-4-2 system in similar mode to Nuno’s Wolves tenure with the eyes view to push the odds in the favour zone on the survival route.

Arsenal

The puzzling non-signing of a twenty goals a season striker. Alongside the signing of goalkeeper David Raya to replace the more imposing Aaron Ramsdale. The general consensus is that Raya’s distribution skills are of a greater need but is that the cake, the stats say no. Arsenal have the tools to win the title race but without the hammer man the striker to download the final nails then Manchester City will not be punctured. Manager Mikel Areta is an articulated, intelligent individual but seems to be frazzled with the blinkers to limit the scope of Arsenal’s ‘Mr Strange’, Ben White is muddying the waters. Arteta needs to rid oneself of his imposter, ‘Mr Bunky’.

Chelsea

The Chelsea project needs to see some light at the end of the tunnel with a raft of players trying to adjust to the demands of the Premiership alongside the wearing of the Chelsea shirt which can be profound Pochettino needs to deliver before he runs out of road.

Luton Town

The Championship play-offs routed Luton Town into the Premiership on a wing and a prayer, no hopers. But the Hatters are defying all logic. The rise of forward Elijah Adebayo with a string physicality and running power to add to Adebayo’s striking to double figures on goals scored. The rejuvenated Ross Barkley rekindling lost form of years gone by with the work ethic of Alfie Doughty on the left providing a good balance to the team. From managing in the depths of the pyramid system with Forest Green Rovers Rob Edwards has guided the club to a chance of Premiership survival to give credibility to a ratio of managers having the skills to manage in the Premiership, Luton town to survive? Now that would be as mad as a Hatter.