Chelsea to miss the top four while Everton face another relegation dogfight: GOAL predicts the 2023-24 Premier League table

The Etihad Stadium has seen more departures than arrivals so far this summer, with Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol the only confirmed new signings for City so far. Despite that, this feels like a new era for Guardiola's team.

Talismanic midfielder Ilkay Gundogan left at the end of his contract to join Barcelona, while Riyad Mahrez accepted a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, and the likes of Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Walker are also looking likely to move on before the transfer window closes.

But once the dust settles, City will still boast the best squad in Europe. And even if they have another customary slow start to the new season, the champions will go on and win a record-breaking fourth straight title.

Erling Haaland isn't going to stop scoring goals, Rodri is still the best holding midfielder in business and adding Gvardiol to a defensive contingent already made up of Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake is a frightening prospect.

City are quite simply, too good. Guardiola's dynasty won't be ending anytime soon, and everyone knows it.

Arsenal spent more days at the top of the Premier League (248) without winning the trophy than any side in history. The Gunners collapsed in the final stretch, winning only three of their last nine games, with a shocking 4-1 loss to City included in that sequence.

But that experience should fuel them to bounce back stronger. And the Gunners will have no excuses if they fall short again after spending over £200m ($253m) on Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, with perhaps more to come.

Mikel Arteta's squad is brimming with quality in every position and Arsenal are capable of blowing teams away in full flow. It will just be a question of whether they can control their nerves when it really matters this time around.

After a superhuman quadruple chase in 2021-22, Liverpool suffered a major hangover last season and fell behind their main Premier League rivals. But the general consensus among fans and pundits is that they will be back with a vengeance.

Jurgen Klopp's side got their rhythm back towards the back end of the campaign, winning seven of their final nine games, and impressive wins over City and United showed that on their day they can still beat anyone.

The Reds have freshened up their midfield by signing Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister while letting Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita depart - and they have also been boosted by Luis Diaz' return to full fitness.

On paper, Liverpool have arguably the strongest attack in the division, with Mohamed Salah still setting a gold standard, and they will fancy their chances of another tilt at the title.

United finally ended their six-year trophy drought last season by winning the Carabao Cup, and also reached the FA Cup final while rising to third in the Premier League. Erik ten Hag raised the collective standards in his debut year at Old Trafford and got the fans believing again.

But the Dutchman has put himself under pressure with his transfer moves ahead of the new campaign. Chelsea contract rebel Mason Mount, former Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana and talented but unproven striker Rasmus Hojlund were all handpicked by Ten Hag, and he can't afford for any of them to fail.

Nothing less than a serious title challenge will be accepted for United, who will be expected to add more silverware to a cabinet that has gathered far too much dust since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. But there are three teams in England that currently look stronger...

The only way is up for Chelsea after a nightmare 2022-23 campaign that saw them post their worst-ever Premier League points tally and go through three different managers. Pochettino has now taken reins at Stamford Bridge, some four years after his departure from Tottenham, and has already stamped his mark on the squad.

The Blues have sold nine senior players, including Havertz and Mount, while Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson have arrived to boost their forward line. France defender Axel Disasi has also joined from Monaco, and Chelsea are currently the favourites to prise Moises Caicedo away from Brighton.

Pochettino still has to gel the group together and work out his best starting XI, but the Blues should be a formidable force again in 2023-24 and put themselves right in the mix for the Champions League places. And remember, even if they finish fifth, the new qualification rules could still see them qualify for Europe's elite competition.

Newcastle are back in the Champions League after a 20-year absence, and they have Eddie Howe to thank for making it happen. The former Bournemouth coach has implemented fast-paced, transition-focused tactics to great effect while bringing the best out of players that had previously struggled at St James' Park - most notably Joelinton and Miguel Almiron.

Crucially, Howe has also used the sizeable transfer pot provided by the Magpies' Saudi-backed owners wisely. Newcastle have continued to back their manager by forking out a club record £60m ($76m) fee on Sandro Tonali and another £35m ($44m) on Harvey Barnes this summer, with both men set to slot straight into the starting XI.

However, adjusting to a more demanding fixture list could prove difficult for Howe's side, and Newcastle might just run out of steam in their bid to seal back-to-back top-four finishes.

Spurs are still recovering from their worst top-flight campaign in over a decade, and new manager Ange Postecoglou has a daunting task to turn them back into top-four contenders.

They are also sweating on the future of Harry Kane, who has reportedly agreed a transfer in principle to Bayern Munich. The England international hit 30 Premier League goals last season despite Tottenham dropping to eighth in the table, and they don't have anyone capable of filling his boots.

James Maddison will add greater creativity after his move from Leicester, but even if he has Kane to aim for and Son Heung-min rediscovers his best form, Spurs look too weak at the back to make any big strides forward under Postecoglou.

When Steven Gerrard was sacked last October, Villa were only sitting above the relegation zone on goals scored, having lost six of their opening 11 games. Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery was brought in to succeed Gerrard after a hugely impressive spell at Villarreal, and he was instantly able to transform the Villans' fortunes.

Villa picked up 1.96 points per game after Emery's arrival and ended up in seventh with 61 points - their best tally since 2009-10. The summer additions of Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres will help Emery's side to juggle domestic and European commitments in the new campaign, with optimism higher than ever at Villa Park.

Household names such as Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez have also snubbed potential transfers away from the club, with Villa now poised to stake a claim for a regular place in the top six.

Guardiola called Brighton "the best team in the world in making the build-up" in April, and later described Roberto De Zerbi as "one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years".

It's difficult to argue with either of those claims, as the Seagulls fully deserved the sixth-place Premier League berth that saw them qualify for the Europa League for the first time ever in 2022-23.

Brighton have since lost Mac Allister to Liverpool, and Caicedo could follow him through the exits, but they've added Joao Pedro, Mahmoud Dahoud and James Milner to their ranks while holding on to star winger Kaoru Mitoma - which leaves them well stocked to challenge the big boys once again.

Brentford's top-half finish in 2022-23 was remarkable, and underlined just how far the come has club under Thomas Frank in recent years. Ivan Toney's goals were once again the driving force behind their success as he bagged 20 in 33 Premier League games, but he won't be available again until January as he continues to serve an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules.

The Bees should still be floating around mid-table by then, though, as Bryan Mbeumo, Yoanee Wissa and Mathias Jensen will all be on hand to deliver the goods in front of goal in Toney's absence.

Fulham had developed an unwanted reputation as a yo-yo club before the arrival of Marco Silva, who masterminded their Championship title success in 2021-22. The Portuguese led the Cottagers to 10th place in their first season back in the big time, while continuing to favouring a fluid, attack-minded style of play, and they might have even been in the European picture had Aleksander Mitrovic not got himself suspended for eight games.

Mitrovic was Fulham's top scorer last season and there are fears he could leave the club amid interest from Saudi Arabia. If the Serbian stays, Silva's side could surprise everyone again, but they are unlikely to keep climbing up the table if he departs.

Expectations weren't very high when Vincent Kompany took over at Burnley last summer, but the former Manchester City defender transformed the Clarets into one of the best footballing sides in the country overnight.

Kompany's Guardiola-inspired approach helped Burnley storm to the Championship trophy as they passed their opponents to death, and they should be able to hold their own in the Premier League after convincing the Belgian to sign a new contract.

Burnley have been busy in the transfer market, most notably signing Swiss international striker Zeki Amdouni and England Under-21s hero James Trafford, and it will be interesting to see him link up with Anass Zaoury and Co in the final third.

West Ham clinched their first major trophy in 43 years by beating Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final, which essentially saved David Moyes' job. European success masked a disappointing 14th-place finish in the Premier League, and the jubilant mood around the club has since been dampened by the departure of club captain Rice.

If they are unable to bring in reinforcements before the September 1 transfer deadline, West Ham will be in for another mediocre domestic season, and Moyes' time at the helm will run out.

Roy Hodgson worked wonders at Selhurst Park after returning to the hot seat in March, and Palace should finish comfortably clear of the drop zone again after tying him to a new one-year contract.

But the Eagles have little chance of pushing for the top 10 after seeing talismanic forward Wilfried Zaha depart, while Chelsea are reportedly closing in on a deal for French starlet Michael Olise.

Palace will continue to be tough to beat under Hodgson, but a lack of attacking firepower looks set to prevent them from reaching the next level.

Forest exceeded expectations by finishing 16th in their first season back in the top flight after a major squad overhaul. Steve Cooper was rightly backed after a difficult start and his team now know exactly what it takes to compete at the highest level.

After clearing out some more deadwood, Forest are in a strong position to keep progressing, though much could depend on whether Anthony Elanga can provide the goals upfront after his £15 million ($19m) move from Manchester United.

At the moment, Julen Lopetegui is still sitting in the dugout at Molineux, but Wolves are in grave danger of losing their manager due to ongoing Financial Fair Play concerns.

The Wanderers have already sanctioned the departures of Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez, Nathan Collins and Conor Coady while Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho didn't have their expiring contracts renewed, but they will still need to sell a few more first-team players in order to bring in new signings.

Matt Doherty has returned to the club on a free transfer, but Wolves are currently lacking quality in every position and will have a huge task on their hands to beat the drop unless the situation changes quickly.

Sean Dyche brought much-needed stability to Everton after replacing Frank Lampard in January, but they remained in the relegation dogfight right up until the final day of the season, and it could be a similar story this term.

Despite being linked with a whole host of big names, the Toffees have only signed veteran full-back Ashley Young and Arnaut Danjuma - who came crawling back after choosing Tottenham over the Merseyside club in the winter transfer window.

Everton will probably just about have enough to maintain their Premier League status again, but only if they avoid a potential points deduction for an alleged breach of financial rules.

Bournemouth took a huge gamble by ditching Gary O'Neil after he masterminded a great escape last term, with former Rayo Vallecano boss Adoni Iraola drafted in for his first taste of management in English football.

Iraola does favour a very progressive style of play, though, and the Cherries have signed some excellent young players in Justin Kluivert, Hamed Traore and Milos Kerkez. It's safe to say that supporters will get their money's worth in entertainment at the Vitality Stadium in 2023-24.

But that won't be enough to deliver consistent results, and a lack of defensive depth will ultimately lead to Bournemouth's demise.

Paul Heckingbottom deserves great credit for guiding Sheffield United back into the Premier League at the second time of asking, and no one will enjoy coming up against his well-drilled side at Bramall Lane in 2023-24.

However, Iliman Ndiaye's transfer to Marseille has left Ollie McBurnie shouldering the main scoring burden for the Blades, who are still waiting on visa clearance for their new striker Benie Traore.

Their squad looks extremely thin on paper, and a tumultuous takeover saga continues to serve as an unwelcome distraction behind the scenes - with all the signs pointing towards a very difficult campaign.

For the first time in over 30 years, Luton Town are a top-flight team - and they fully deserve that status. The Hatters looked down and out when they were relegated to the National League amid financial turmoil in 2009, but fought their way back admirably before finally sealing their return to the promised land with a dramatic Championship play-off final win over Coventry City.

The challenge now for Rob Edwards' side, is to prove that they belong in the Premier League. Luton have been working to upgrade their historic Kenilworth Road Stadium, which had a modest capacity of 10,356, and they will need their fans to once again create a pressure-cooker atmosphere that away teams dread.

The Hatters' home form will be crucial to their chances of survival, and they need new additions such as former Manchester United winger Tahith Chong and Mads Andersen to hit the ground running. But realistically, it will take another miracle for Luton to finish any higher than 18th on their shoestring budget.