Premier League 2022-23: Who were on an upward curve and who were sleepwalking?

Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions for the 5th clip successful six years and each the final-day play was centred connected the combat to debar relegation.

Manchester City - 1st

An unstoppable unit attempting to emulate Manchester United's cleanable Treble of 1999 by winning the Premier League - a 5th successful sixth years - the FA Cup and the Champions League.

The extremity instrumentality that is Erling Haaland made Pep Guardiola's superb squad adjacent amended and the manager's accommodation of John Stones' relation to an amalgam of defender and midfield antheral made them virtually unbeatable aft mixed signifier earlier the World Cup successful Qatar.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 1st

What McNulty said successful August: "The signing of Erling Haaland solves the 1 main flaw successful a magnificent side, namely a inclination not to person truthful galore of the chances they create."

Arsenal - 2nd

Arsenal were magnificent for truthful overmuch of the season, emerging arsenic improbable but deserved rubric challengers until precocious successful the campaign, past stuttering truthful severely adjacent the finishing enactment erstwhile Manchester City applied relentless pressure.

Mikel Arteta's broadside showed immense betterment but determination has to beryllium immense disappointment that a rubric that looked wrong their grasp was allowed to gaffe away.

What is definite is that this Arsenal broadside is connected an upward curve, an outstanding premix of young endowment and experience, but the squad indispensable beryllium fleshed retired and a signing specified arsenic West Ham United skipper Declan Rice would marque them candidates for different fantabulous play adjacent clip around.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 5th

What McNulty said successful August: "I tin spot them challenging for the apical 4 again. I bash not spot them arsenic rubric contenders, though."

Manchester United - 3rd

Erik 10 Hag deserves large recognition for returning a Manchester United squad inactive successful request of superior enactment backmost into the Champions League successful his archetypal play portion besides winning the League Cup, the club's archetypal trophy since 2017, and reaching the FA Cup final.

There person been lows, particularly the 7-0 thrashing astatine Liverpool, but United person been overmuch much coagulated than successful the debacle of the second days of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick eras.

Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez brought prime and alloy but much needs to beryllium done - namely the acquisition of a consistent, prime striker.

This, however, tin beryllium regarded arsenic a occupation good done by Ten Hag.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 6th

What McNulty said successful August: "Top 4 situation and a cupful are the champion bet. Title contenders? No chance."

Newcastle United - 4th

What a play for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United.

Smart signings and a intelligibly identifiable style, backed by the magnificent Toon Army, person propelled Newcastle United into the promised onshore up of adjacent the ambitious docket of their Saudi Arabian owners.

It is present apt this sensation of glory and a spot successful the Champions League for the archetypal clip successful 20 years volition accelerate those levels of ambition.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 9th

What McNulty said successful August: "I spot a play of bully consolidation, which should fulfill the Toon Army arsenic this volition beryllium dependable rebuilding alternatively than a cash-crazy speedy fix."

Liverpool - 5th

Liverpool's precocious tally to revive hopes of a Champions League spot cannot disguise the information that this has been a existent play of underachievement for Jurgen Klopp's side.

Too galore desperately mediocre distant performances, particularly successful the mediate of the season, saw a Liverpool squad look truthful abbreviated of its accustomed fierce strength and they paid the terms by ending bare handed and dropping into the Europa League.

It has been, by Klopp and Liverpool's erstwhile standards and by Mohamed Salah's blunt description, a failure.

Klopp volition person Liverpool backmost astatine it adjacent play arsenic helium targets midfield reinforcements specified arsenic Alexis Mac Allister and Mason Mount. Cody Gakpo looks perfect to capable Roberto Firmino's role, though £85m summertime signing Darwin Nunez fell abbreviated of expectations. More volition beryllium expected of him adjacent season.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 2nd

What McNulty said successful August: "Expect them to combat connected each fronts again this word and situation City each the way, securing astatine slightest 1 trophy."

Brighton - 6th

Absolutely magnificent. One of the astir entertaining teams successful the Premier League and afloat meriting a spot successful the Europa League for the archetypal clip successful Brighton's history.

The stroke of losing Graham Potter to Chelsea did not spot Brighton miss a beat, successor Roberto de Zerbi making them adjacent much breathtaking to ticker with people acts specified arsenic Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister flourishing alongside superb young endowment including Evan Ferguson and the acquisition of Lewis Dunk.

A recognition to themselves and the Premier League.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 11th

What McNulty said successful August: "There is nary crushed to expect thing different than a precise decent season."

Aston Villa - 7th

Aston Villa person been transformed nether the superb guidance of Unai Emery, lone retired of the relegation portion connected goals scored erstwhile Steven Gerrard was sacked successful October, present backmost successful Europe nether 1 of that arena's top exponents.

Emery has built an instant transportation with Villa's fans and brought outstanding performances from the likes of Tyrone Mings and Ollie Watkins, who were ne'er astatine their champion nether Gerrard.

Tactically astute and 1 of the game's astir renowned coaches, Emery has revived this large aged nine and optimism volition beryllium entity precocious successful the build-up to adjacent season.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 8th

What McNulty said successful August: "They request to escaped themselves of the inconsistency that truthful frustrated Gerrard past season."

Tottenham Hotspur - 8th

A dreadful run of mediocre shot allied to discontent connected and disconnected the field. It started with optimism nether Antonio Conte but descended into rancour ending with his final outburst astatine Southampton.

Spurs person lacked direction, request a caller manager and the unit is greater than ever connected president Daniel Levy to beryllium helium tin really get these large decisions right.

And wherever volition Harry Kane beryllium adjacent play aft different superb idiosyncratic campaign? How overmuch longer volition helium judge the mediocrity helium has been surrounded by?

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 3rd

What McNulty said successful August: "Out connected a limb here. Top 4 and a trophy for Spurs arsenic agelong arsenic they support Mr Conte happy."

Brentford - 9th

The large Brentford communicative continues with a cleanable extremity to the play and triumph implicit Manchester City completing a treble implicit the champions. The Bees are westbound London's highest-placed nine and deservedly truthful aft different outstanding play nether manager Thomas Frank.

Brentford are a agreed unit connected and disconnected the tract and produced truthful galore precocious points specified arsenic winning astatine Manchester City, sweeping past Manchester United and Liverpool astatine location portion besides picking up 3 points astatine Chelsea and Spurs.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, and they volition beryllium deed by striker Ivan Toney's eight-month ban for breaking FA betting rules, Brentford are successful the Premier League to stay.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 15th

What McNulty said successful August: "Thomas Frank showed himself to beryllium a shrewd relation and I fancy the Bees to enactment up again, though they volition request to marque different bully start."

Fulham - 10th

It's been an outstanding play nether Marco Silva aft galore - including myself - expected relegation.

Fulham started arsenic they meant to spell connected erstwhile they gave Liverpool each sorts of occupation connected the opening time of the season, and they maintained precocious standards playing precise bully shot nether Silva, who has done a superb occupation astatine Craven Cottage.

Willian was a revelation fixed grounds suggested helium was washed up aft Arsenal, portion Joao Palhinha was apical people successful midfield. Aleksandar Mitrovic showed his Premier League pedigree with goals though his eight-match prohibition for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh was damaging.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 19th

What McNulty said successful August: "It's inactive hard to spot thing different than a combat for survival."

Crystal Palace - 11th

Palace ended the play successful a presumption of comfortableness aft the omniscient aged caput Roy Hodgson returned pursuing the sacking of Patrick Vieira connected the backmost of a 12-match winless run.

Vieira's 2nd play was a disappointment but Hodgson lifted the temper and got the champion retired of breathtaking Palace attackers specified arsenic Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, assuring information with games to spare.

It present remains to beryllium seen whether Hodgson stays successful complaint adjacent word and whether talisman Wilfried Zaha signs a caller deal, but the play surely ended with optimism astatine Selhurst Park.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 13th

What McNulty said successful August: "It volition beryllium intriguing to spot whether Vieira tin get an betterment retired of Palace but I surely bash not expect to spot them struggling."

Chelsea - 12th

Where bash you adjacent commencement with Chelsea? What an perfectly wretched and dysfunctional archetypal play nether the co-ownership of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali aft succeeding Roman Abramovich.

Thomas Tuchel sacked, successor Graham Potter suffering the aforesaid destiny aft lone 31 matches, Frank Lampard making a bizarre instrumentality to nary effect aft helium was shown the doorway by Everton and £600m spent successful a scattergun transportation argumentation to marque the squad worse and assemble a ridiculously ample and unwieldy squad.

Chelsea volition request a implicit reset nether incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino, who indispensable slim down the squad and really springiness the squad identity. Boehly and Eghbali indispensable besides larn immoderate precise costly lessons.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 4th

What McNulty said successful August: "It's ne'er dull astatine Chelsea."

Wolverhampton Wanderers - 13th

Wolverhampton Wanderers were rewarded by appointing the experienced Spanish manager Julen Lopetegui to regenerate sacked Bruno Lage successful November, utilizing the mid-season interruption offered by the World Cup successful Qatar to reboot and crippled a way to safety.

The occupation is that the noises coming retired of Wolves already hint astatine an uncertain aboriginal for Lopetegui arsenic helium wants a large amusement of ambition from the Wolves committee successful the summer. It could beryllium an absorbing one.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 12th

What McNulty said successful August: "If Wolves tin support clasp of the coveted Ruben Neves past there's nary crushed astatine each wherefore they cannot person different decent play and possibly different ace astatine the apical 10."

West Ham United - 14th

An unusual play - a large disappointment successful the Premier League considering erstwhile European qualifications - but present the accidental for occurrence and West Ham's archetypal silverware since 1980 successful the Europa Conference League final.

David Moyes was warring for his aboriginal astatine assorted stages this play but determination was betterment towards the end, with skipper Declan Rice proving outstanding and nine record-signing Lucas Paqueta coming into his own.

Moyes' semipermanent aboriginal whitethorn beryllium shaped by what happens against Fiorentina and Rice is expected to depart, astir apt to Arsenal, but this play could extremity with a European trophy and glory for the Hammers.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 7th

What McNulty said successful August: "Can spot different bully play for the Hammers and a imaginable cupful challenge."

AFC Bournemouth - 15th

I had the Cherries down for the driblet and felt adjacent much convinced erstwhile manager Scott Parker was sacked soon aft the humiliating 9-0 nonaccomplishment astatine Liverpool.

Step guardant Gary O'Neil, archetypal arsenic caretaker past successful afloat charge, to bash a top-class occupation of steadying the vessel with a calm demeanour earlier guiding Bournemouth towards information and different play successful the Premier League.

Bournemouth person defied the likelihood and those grim aboriginal play predictions, and they merit large credit.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 20th

What McNulty said successful August: "Survival would beryllium viewed arsenic occurrence but I cannot accidental I americium assured that volition happen."

Nottingham Forest - 16th

I feared for Nottingham Forest purely due to the fact that of the astonishing churn of players and caller signings arriving, which manager Steve Cooper had to signifier into a coherent team.

Cooper achieved it and some helium and his players deserved the acclaim they received erstwhile information was assured with triumph against Arsenal astatine the City Ground, wherever a magnificent ambiance played specified a portion successful their survival.

Forest proprietor Evangelos Marinakis was rewarded for holding his nervus and keeping Cooper, a manager adored by supporters. Now the readying volition commencement for adjacent season.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 18th

What McNulty said successful August: "I americium saying Forest volition spell down but deliberation they could gully others into that peculiar combat and enactment up."

Everton - 17th

An implicit messiness of a nine paying the terms for years of catastrophic decisions led by proprietor Farhad Moshiri, president Bill Kenwright and main enforcement serviceman Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Everton scrambled to information connected the last time of the season.

Such is the breakdown successful the narration betwixt the committee and fans that Everton's hierarchy person not attended a crippled since January, citing information issues. It is hard to spot however they volition be again. Change is successful the aerial astatine Everton and it is intolerable to spot however Kenwright and Barrett-Baxendale, successful particular, volition look from it with their roles intact.

On the transportation Everton, arsenic is their yearly custom, sacked different manager successful Frank Lampard, leaving his successor Sean Dyche to pb the conflict to debar the drop, undermined by an inexplicable nonaccomplishment to decently regenerate Richarlison aft his £60m determination to Spurs.

Will it beryllium immoderate antithetic for Everton adjacent season? Not with the existent committee inactive successful place.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 14th

What McNulty said successful August: "It was much done the efforts of Everton's fans than players that they someway stayed up past season. They volition beryllium needed again."

Leicester City - 18th

What a decision to unforgettable years astatine Leicester City involving a singular rubric triumph successful 2016, Champions League shot and a archetypal FA Cup triumph successful 2021.

This seemed similar an avoidable relegation but the Foxes appeared gripped by a complacency connected and disconnected the tract that allowed them to sleepwalk towards the Championship until it was excessively precocious to halt the descent.

Brendan Rodgers - who doubly missed retired connected Champions League shot connected the season's last time - was powerless to halt the descent and the exigency assignment of Dean Smith did not work.

Leicester present look an uncertain aboriginal with the likes of James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans looking definite to permission portion nine icon Jamie Vardy is moving to the extremity of his career.

Tough task for the adjacent manager and bigger names connected immoderate database whitethorn not fancy the 2nd tier.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 10th

What McNulty said successful August: "Must get players in."

Leeds United - 19th

The imagination built by Marcelo Bielsa is over. Those who worship Bielsa volition ever reason his sacking was the commencement of the Leeds diminution but it had already begun nether the Argentine. It was the flawed appointments of Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia that accelerated it.

Sam Allardyce's accomplishment was a hopeless measurement and impervious the Leeds ownership nether Andrea Radrizzani had mislaid immoderate consciousness of absorption oregon identity. The Allardyce effect was non-existent and it is intolerable to spot him staying immoderate longer.

The young Leeds squad whitethorn yet thrive nether a caller manager successful the Championship, but with doubts implicit ownership and who volition beryllium successful that squad these are unhappy and uncertain times.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 16th

What McNulty said successful August: "Leeds are different squad needing a bully commencement oregon times could beryllium precise tough."

Southampton - 20th

Southampton went for a argumentation of pursuing young endowment for the aboriginal - idealistic but ever risky if results commencement to spell successful the incorrect direction. And truthful it proved.

Ralph Hasenhuttl was sacked successful November aft 4 years, the determination to regenerate him with Nathan Jones proving to beryllium a dreadful one. He lasted conscionable 95 days and contempt a large triumph astatine Chelsea and astir beating Arsenal astatine Emirates Stadium, Ruben Selles fared nary better.

Swansea City caput manager Russell Martin volition instrumentality complaint successful the Championship but Saints skipper James Ward-Prowse volition surely leave. There is immoderate precise bully young endowment that whitethorn flourish successful the Championship but the squad volition besides request experience.

This has been a timid, desperately disappointing departure from the Premier League.

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 17th

What McNulty said successful August: "I bash not foretell their information with immense confidence."