I try to make a prediction on EPL this season team by team.
if my predictions are wrong please forgive me.Feel free to comment with your thoughts throughout.

Watford

One of the teams that have garnered a reputation for being a 21st century yo-yo club are once again back in the promised land after a short stint in the Championship. Head coach Xisco did well to guide the Hornets to a 2nd placed finish in the second tier of English football last season and there is hope amongst the Watford fans that maybe this time the club can stay in the top flight for more than one season.

Unfortunately, the high turnover of players and staff at the Hertfordshire club has continued. The squad last season was solid enough with the likes of Ben Foster, Jeremy Ngakia, Ismaila Sarr, and Joao Pedro providing the quality to get them up. However, the club has taken steps to bring in a wealth of new players including Danny Rose, Ashley Fletcher, and Joshua King. Are these really players that are strengthening this Watford squad?

I fear it could be a difficult season for Watford. I wasn't that impressed with them against Cardiff last season. We beat them 1-0 at their place and they scabbed a very controversial 2-1 win against us at our home ground. I'm not sold on Xisco as a head coach and I feel they still lack the quality throughout the squad to make a go of it this time.

My Prediction: 20th

Brentford

Undoubtedly, one of my favourite second teams of recent memory is this Brentford side. I have really respected the way the club is run and what they're about. The fact they are surrounded by bigger teams such as Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham yet continue to pull in the fans and be successful. I also love their attitude to youth development. They don't have their own youth academy. They take in those lads released by other clubs and give them a second chance because they felt their own academy was just creating too much heartbreak for young lads around the local area when they had to tell them they weren't good enough. This promotion to the Premier League feels deserved for a club that hadn't been in the top flight since 1947.

The Bees had the crux of an exciting team ready to take on the big boys of English football. Despite losing the likes of Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma, Neal Maupay, and Emiliano Marcondes over recent seasons, the club has re-invented itself. Ivan Toney is now the main man with Bryan Mbeumo, Mathias Jensen, and Sergi Canos among the other big performers. Head coach Thomas Frank has been keen to avoid adding too many new faces to this tightly-knit squad. Celtic's highly-rated centre back Kristoffer Ajer has come in with Frank Onyeka from FC Midtjylland also arriving. The exits of Henrik Dalsgaard and Marcondes are disappointing but not hugely detrimental.

As much as I want Brentford to make a success of this season I feel there are a number of factors that will hold them back this season. A lot rides on how well Toney can adapt to Premier League football. He's a potent finisher and looks ready after a previously doomed spell at Newcastle in his younger years. Can he get the service though? Is Frank a capable enough manager to adapt his highly intense game to this level? Marcelo Bielsa transitioned it successfully with Leeds but Frank isn't anywhere near Bielsa's calibre of manager. Is this squad good enough? To put it bluntly, no. I am expecting a brave campaign but one that will ultimately end in failure.

My Prediction: 19th

Norwich

The next team up on my list is one I wasn't particularly comfortable putting in the bottom three and not a side I want to see being relegated but I just think it's not going to end well for Norwich again this season. The Canaries have managed to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking as champions and this squad is arguably better than the last time they were in the top flight but have they got enough to stay up this time around?

You look at this Norwich squad and it's packed with quality. Daniel Farke has done well to hang on to the likes of Max Aarons, Todd Cantwell, and Teemu Pukki whilst also now bringing in Billy Gilmour on loan and Kosovan midfielder Milot Rashica. The loss of creative starlet Emiliano Buendia is massive though. He was such an influential character in the final third for Norwich and his departure is huge. How much will Rashica cover his exit? Is the arrival of Nice attacking midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou enough as well? Even if Rashica manages to fill Buendia's boots they're simply treading water and haven't actually strengthened their team that much. It feels like they're putting all the pressure on Pukki to get the goals again. He did score 26 goals last season but after an early purple patch his goals dried up quickly last time in the top flight.

If you don't have a prolific scorer in your team then you're not staying up. That's going to be the nail in the coffin for this Norwich team. I think the defence could've done with a bit more investment in the middle. I'm not convinced Grant Hanley and Ben Gibson will cope effectively against the faster attackers in the Premier League. Pukki will defy expectations if he scores double figures again. It'll be a courageous effort again but I can see them just falling short again.

My Prediction: 18th

Newcastle

Every season we talk about the potential relegation candidates in the Premier League and it seems that every season we're discussing Newcastle. This season is no exception. The Magpies ended up finishing last season strongly with just 2 defeats from their last 9 league games including winning 3 of their final 4 league matches. Did that late run offer a deceiving evaluation of their season as a whole? I mean, even heading into the final couple of months of the season there was still a feeling that Newcastle's final league game of the season away to Fulham could be a survival decider.

Steve Bruce remains at the helm of the Toon Army and the takeover talks continue with rumours of Mike Ashley's departure still circulating. The London Mafia remains in charge at the club though and until that changes there will remain this uneasy feeling of discontent amongst the fans. No new signings have been made by the club this summer and that's a red flag in my opinion. There is no doubt that the likes of Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin, and Jamaal Lascelles can help to keep the team up but last season showed that if one, two, or all three of those players get injured then they really struggle.

I'm expecting yet another underwhelming campaign for Newcastle. I've not really seen anything to make me think they'll improve on last season and, if anything, I think we'll see them fall off the 12th placed finish of last year. Bruce has surprised me at how well he's done but I still don't think he'll keep his job if new owners come in. For the time being, he's Newcastle manager and he'll do enough to keep them up but until the Ashley-related toxicity disappears I don't think we can expect much from Newcastle.

My Prediction: 17th

Brighton

If there is one team who will have been disappointed with their league position last season in the Premier League then you can argue it's Brighton. The Seagulls were, statistically, far better than their results and 16th placed finish suggest. The only problem was that they just couldn't put the ball in the back of the opposition team's net. Graham Potter needed to add that clinical striker to his ranks during this off-season and ensure that his team didn't lose any big name players if he wanted to see them evolve as a club.

Unfortunately, neither of those things have happened over the summer. Brighton have seen their superb centre back Ben White depart to Arsenal for a reported £50 million. Other departures from the club include Davy Propper, Bernardo, Mathew Ryan, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh. There have been additions but that much sought after striker remains elusive and no players coming in will really be strengthening the current first XI. It's a disappointing transfer window for the south coast club and it's also disconcerting if we're being brutally honest.

I felt that Potter was building something positive at Brighton but this season has been a huge missed opportunity. I understand that covid has undoubtedly impacted on a club like Brighton's finances but the sale of White should have allowed them to go out and not only get a replacement for him but also the much-wanted striker. It could still happen with just under a month left until transfer deadline day but as every minute ticks by the prices of players increase. I'm worried that Brighton won't get the players they want in and it could severely hamper their season. I've put them 16th because they could still bring in the players they need but it's not looking good. Another relegation battle could be heading their way.

My Prediction: 16th

Burnley

Another Premier League season arrives and we once again have to make a decision on what we think Burnley will do this year. Sean Dyche repeatedly seems to perform miracles with his Clarets team. Their dreadfully slow start last season looked like he might cost them their place in the top flight but, as usual, the former Watford manager turned things around and kept his team up. Can he do the same again this year?

Burnley have done something they rarely do this summer and that was spend big money on a single after the £12 million signing of Stoke centre back Nathan Collins. It could be a shrewd move. The team conceded 55 goals in 38 games last season which isn't terrible for a team down the bottom but it shows Dyche is still keen to bolster his defensive options. Striker Chris Wood scored 12 goals in the league so you'd think he'd look to strengthen his attacking options too but no striker has arrived yet. The departure of Robbie Brady after the Irishman rejected the club's contract offer is a blow and he's a player that's yet to be replaced.

There is still time for more players to come in but it's already feeling like we could see a typical Burnley season in the top flight. There is enough quality still within this squad with Wood, Nick Pope, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, and Dwight McNeil so I can't see them going down. They are settled, well-organised, and tough to beat. It won't always be plain sailing but I'd be surprised if they finish inside the bottom three. One or two additions could also propel them even further up the table.

My Prediction: 15th

Southampton

OK, let's ask the big question for this season. Against which team will Southampton concede 9 goals this year? Ralph Hasenhuttl has clearly had some positive impact on this Saints team but he's also not quite getting it right all the time. A lack of consistency plagued the team last season and restricted them to a 15th placed finish. Has enough work and preparation been done over the summer to resolve that problem?

Well, let's start by saying that the sale of Danny Ings to Aston Villa probably hasn't helped one bit. Ings scored 12 league goals last season which accounted for nearly a quarter of Southampton's league goals scored. Mario Lemina's exit to Nice will only have weakened the squad depth as well. The arrivals haven't quite filled the Saints faithful with optimism. Theo Walcott's loan from Everton has been made permanent. Left back Romain Perraud from Stade Brest has been brought in to replace the outgoing Ryan Bertrand. Other than that, it's very uninspiring.

This isn't rocket science. Southampton need to replace the loss of Ings. His goals were key in keeping Southampton away from the relegation zone last season. Pre-season matches against Fulham, Cardiff, Swansea, and Levante showed that the attacking midfielders can still be a threat for the club this season but the 3-1 loss at home to Athletic Bilbao on the weekend was evidence that if a team can expose the flaws of this Southampton side then they'll get picked apart. The simple addition of a prolific striker could entirely change this. That's easier said than done though because those players don't go on trees. Without one, Southampton might end up seeing my prediction has very optimistic. I do trust in Hasenhuttl to get the right man in though but it might take time.

My Prediction: 14th

Wolves

A number of managerial changes have happened throughout British football this summer but certainly the one that will raise the most eyebrows was the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo from Wolves. The decision was "mutually agreed" apparently but Santo has now moved on to Tottenham and the new man at the helm at Molineux is the little known Portuguese manager Bruno Lage. The 45-year old was formerly Benfica gaffer and has also been assistant manager to Carlos Carvalhal at Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday. It's a big risk from the Wanderers board.

There have been a number of interesting arrivals at the Black Country club. Barcelona winger Francisco Trincao has arrived on loan and he's joined by Yerson Mosquera from Atletico Nacional, Jose Sa from Olympiakos, and Bendeguz Bolla from Fehervar. Are these additions enough to compensate for the loss of Rui Patricio and the loan signings from last season that have returned to their parent clubs such as Willian Jose and Vitinha. Personally, I think the loss of Patricio is the biggest one. Keepers play such a key role in the foundation of a team that can unsettle a team to the core if the replacement doesn't fit.

I have lingering doubts over the appointment of Lage. Yes, he won the Primeira Liga when at Benfica but he's generally got very little experience at managing at this high a level. He has big boots to fill following on from Santo. Can he do it? The good news is that he has a solid squad to use. Raul Jimenez is back from his fractured skull injury and that's a huge boost for the club. Quality players such as Adama Traore, Conor Coady, Willy Boly, and Daniel Podence are all still involved so he has the resources. I'm just not sure Wolves have the right man in Lage.

My Prediction: 13th

Crystal Palace

Apologies, I got side-tracked by the return of the English Football League this weekend but I'm back on the previews here! The next team I'm looking at are one who are more of the interesting teams this season in the Premier League. Crystal Palace have taken the bold decision of appointing former New York City FC and Nice manager Patrick Vieira as their replacement for the outgoing Roy Hodgson. The last time they took such a risky decision was when they made Frank de Boer their manager and that didn't go particularly well did it?!

There is an argument to say that Palace over-performed under Hodgson. The former England manager made the most of his limited squad but there was still a feeling that with the right additions this Eagles team could go a step further. Vieira has emphasised the need to get their best players into the game more but that's easier said than done. You look at this Palace team and it has its fair share of quality players including Wilfried Zaha, Luka Milivojevic, and Eberechi Eze but it lacks depth. Vieira has looked to address this by bringing in Michael Olise from Reading, Marc Guehi from Chelsea, and Joachim Andersen from Lyon. There is a feeling he's also not done yet with his transfer activity. He's dispensed with a lot of the dead wood in the team such as Wayne Hennessey, Stephen Henderson, Scott Dann, and Connor Wickham but the departures of Mamadou Sakho, Gary Cahill, James McCarthy, Andros Townsend, and Patrick van Aanholt will raise eyebrows given this lack of depth the squad possesses.

This is an appointment that I really want to work for Palace. I have a soft spot for Vieira and I think he has all the attributes to become a fine manager. He's not really made any real impact as a manager so far but with the right resources and if he can get his best players playing to their full potential then you feel he could do a decent job at Palace. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and back a solid campaign.

My Prediction: 12th

Aston Villa

Now, one of the teams that will be very difficult to judge ahead of this season is Aston Villa. Dean Smith's side have been the selling team in the biggest Premier League transfer of the summer with Jack Grealish leaving for Manchester City for £100 million. The evidence was clear to see of how important Grealish was to Villa's form. When he played they had a win ratio of 56%. When he wasn't playing they had a win ratio of just 23.5%. So how can they expect to maintain their standards of last season with their talisman now gone?

Well, the club haven't wasted any time investing the Grealish sale money in the playing squad. Norwich attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia has been identified as the immediate successor to Grealish in that creative role. It's a shrewd purchase and having seen him in both the top flight and Championship I think they have done well to bring the Argentine in. Right winger Leon Bailey has also been signed from Bayer Leverkusen. Any FIFA or Football Manager player will be buzzing with that one. Then there's the shock arrival of Southampton striker Danny Ings. Where did that come from?! Talk about a bolt out of the blue. The return of Ashley Young also adds some experience to the ranks. Manchester United centre back Axel Tuanzebe on loan is also a wise move. Not a bad set of signings for the Villa. There have been no other major departures asides from Grealish that the Villa fans will be worried about. Bjorn Engels, Ahmed Elmohamady, and Neil Taylor are all players the team can manage without.

I think this will obviously be a huge season of transition for Aston Villa. You can't really replace a player of the quality of Grealish but you can evolve without him. Smith has moved well to bring in quality signings. I genuinely don't think Buendia's potential is that far off Grealish's ability. Bailey and Ings are also two brilliant signings. If this new look Villa team can gel and even bring in one or two more arrivals then even this mid-table finish I've predicted could prove to be a harsh judgement.

My Prediction: 11th

West Ham United

It's the top half of the table now for these Premier League predictions and the first team in the upper echelons of the top flight are West Ham. David Moyes did an incredible job last season to get his Hammers team to finish in 6th place and qualify for the Europa League. The performances of players such as Vladimir Coufal, Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen, and Jesse Lingard helped to put the club on the brink of qualification for the Champions League. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that the club has taken steps to build on last season's achievements.

Fans that had hoped the club would look to make Lingard's loan move from Manchester United permanent have been left disappointed with the attacking midfielder returning to his parent club. Other loan signings Craig Dawson and Said Benrahma have made their loan moves permanent as expected. However, the only other arrival is the loan signing of PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The departures of Fabian Balbuena and Felipe Anderson will certainly have a feeling of what could have been about them. This summer transfer activity just screams of a club that is resting on its laurels and if I was a West Ham fan that would concern me.

A couple of things have left me thinking West Ham could drop down a few places compared to last season. Firstly, I think the team benefited from not having fans in the stadium last season. Nothing against the Hammers fans but there was certainly a more nervous and, dare I say, toxic atmosphere when the fans were at games and chanting against the ownership of the club. Secondly, the squad is certainly weaker right now than it was last season. Yes, they still boast the likes of Coufal, Soucek, Bowen, Declan Rice, Pablo Fornals, and Michail Antonio but Lingard was so key for them last season. Not only have they lost him but they've not replaced him. Mid-table at best for the Hammers I fear when they really should have been looking to build on the foundations of the last campaign.

My Prediction: 10th

Leeds United

There has already been a lot of talk about Leeds suffering from second season syndrome this campaign but I think this is unlikely. Why? One reason. Marcelo Bielsa. The Whites have arguably one of the most innovative and clinical managers of his generation in the Argentine and last season's 8th placed finish wasn't a fluke or a one-off. Can the Yorkshire side improve on last season's showing?

It's been an interesting summer for Leeds in the transfer market. Bielsa has lost a few of the old heads in Pablo Hernandez, Gaetano Berardi, and Ezgjan Alioski but he's been shrewd with his dealings to bring exciting prospects in. The signing of Manchester City starlet Jack Harrison on a permanent deal was the one that every fan wanted to see. I feel the arrival of Barcelona attacking full back Junior Firpo is also a superb addition. Birmingham's Amari Miller and Valerenga's Kristoffer Klaesson will add a bit more depth to the squad as well. It does look like the Leeds squad is just as strong this season as it was last season except with a season of top flight experience under their belt.

OK, so I do think we can expect another solid campaign from Leeds. I do wonder if Patrick Bamford can keep scoring as he did last year. That combined with the fact other teams in the top third of the table will be looking to make a real push for Europe this season means I'm putting them slightly lower than I possible feel comfortable doing but I still think this Leeds team under Bielsa will be flirting with Europe again. Another 2-3 first team additions and there's no reason Leeds can't challenge for European football.

My Prediction: 9th