Premier League 2018/19: Top 6 preview, transfer rating and predictions

The transfer window has now closed and we can begin looking forward to some actual football over the next nine months. The Premier League's top six can all harbor expectations of a successful season ahead, but only one will finish at the top of the pile come May.

This season, fierce competition is expected at the summit of the Premier League table as teams look to close the huge 19-point gulf between themselves and Manchester City last time out. The Citizens look as strong as ever this year and will look to become the first team to retain the title since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, there is hope for the remaining top six teams. City is likely to put an emphasis on European success this year and it is very possible that complacency regarding domestic competition could creep in as the season progresses. It is up to the challengers to make an extra push and ensure that any lapse from the Manchester club is punished and capitalized upon.

An early start to the season this year adds extra intrigue for the title race. Many of the elite top-flight clubs are without star players for the opening weeks of the campaign due to the World Cup. With a fast start essential for building momentum, we could see some challengers drop out of the race for the title very early in the year.

Below, we look at each of the top six Premier League sides, how they fared during the transfer window, and predict where they might finish at the end of the 2018/19 season.

Arsenal

Last Season: 6th

Players In: Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria, €30 million), Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen, €25 million), Sokratis (Borussia Dortmund, €16 million), Mattéo Guendouzi (FC Lorient, €8 million), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus, free transfer)

Players Out: Lucas Pérez (West Ham, €4.4 million), Chuba Akpom (PAOK Saloniki, €1 million), Santi Cazorla (Villareal, free transfer), Jack Wilshere (West Ham, free transfer), Calum Chambers (Fulham, loan)

Transfer Rating: 6/10

Preview

Arsenal finished a disappointing sixth last season, seven points behind Chelsea. Arsene Wenger 's long career at the Emirates did not end with the glory he would have wished for, but his exit as Arsenal manager represents an opportunity for the Gunners.

The appointment of Unai Emery is an interesting one. The Spaniard has enjoyed great European success in the Europa League with Sevilla and his arrival immediately makes Arsenal one of the favorites for that competition this year.

However, it is in the Premier League that Arsenal will be judged this season. Too many seasons without a real title challenge has left the Gunners faithful frustrated and desperate for a change in fortunes. Perhaps the seismic shift in club culture resulting from Wenger's departure can provide it.

Their transfer market activity has been average with new arrivals such as Torreira, Sokratis, and Lichtsteiner showing that Emery's main focus is on improving the Arsenal defense. The 46-year-old should also place a huge emphasis on the mental fragility of this Arsenal team which has been exposed so often over the past few seasons.

All of this change can adversely affect a club - just look at Manchester United after Ferguson's retirement. For that reason, Arsenal could be in for a long and grueling season ahead.

Perhaps winning the Europa League will represent their best chance at returning to the Champions League for the 2019/20 season.

Prediction: 5th

Next up, Chelsea.

Chelsea

Last Season: 5th

Players In: Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao, €80 million), Jorginho (Napoli, €57 million), Robert Green (Huddersfield, free transfer), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid, loan)

Players Out: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, €35 million), Mario Pasalic (Atlanta, loan), Matej Delac (AC Horsens, free transfer), Lewis Baker (Leeds, loan)

Transfer Rating: 5/10

Preview

Chelsea suffered badly last season, falling from reigning champions to a lowly fifth place finish. The gap of five points to Liverpool and a top-four place doesn't feel like it is achievable for a team that struggled during the transfer window.

The big change this year for Chelsea was the late dismissal of Antonio Conte and subsequent appointment of Maurizio Sarri. The Italian manager comes off the back of a wonderful period with Napoli, almost grasping the Serie A title from Juventus on a couple of occasions.

However, Sarri has never managed outside of Italy before and may endure a baptism of fire in the Premier League. While challenging Juventus for the title is a great achievement, in England, he has five other very strong teams around him with the aim of claiming the top position in May.

The transfer window was a strange one for Chelsea. Key players such as Hazard and Willian were constantly linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge but none materialized. Then, movement on deadline day saw Courtois go to Real Madrid for only €35 million while a young, inexperienced, Kepa arrived for a world-record €80 million.

There is no doubt that the capture of Jorginho and Kovacic represents good business, but it feels like this Chelsea side is still missing the world-class quality to mount a serious title challenge. Morata and Giroud do not inspire confidence as first-choice strikers and the Blues may struggle for goals this season.

Regardless, Chelsea may benefit from the struggles of other top six teams and sneak into the Champions League places this year.

Prediction: 4th

Next up, Liverpool.

Liverpool

Last Season: 4th

Players In: Alisson (Roma, €62.5 million), Naby Keïta (RB Leipzig, €60 million), Fabinho (Monaco, €45 million), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City, €14.7 million)

Players Out: Danny Ward (Leicester City, €14 million), Jon Flanagan (Rangers, free transfer), Emre Can (Juventus, free transfer), Danny Ings (Southampton, loan), Ben Woodburn (Sheffield United, loan)

Transfer Rating: 8/10

Preview

Despite receiving huge praise for their style of play, Liverpool only managed a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season. They finished two points behind Spurs and a whopping 25 points behind champions, Manchester City.

If this is to finally be their year, Liverpool will need to vastly improve their consistency against the so-called lesser teams. The Reds dropped far too many points against bottom half opposition last time out and surprisingly won only two games against other top six sides.

Klopp's "rock and roll" football is extremely tiring for his players and Liverpool are in danger of fading badly when the fixture list becomes congested around Christmas. In addition, an injury to a key player such as Mo Salah or Virgil Van Dijk could leave Liverpool exposed and severely hamper their quality.

Klopp did extremely well in the transfer window, completing his business quickly. While he spent the most of any Premier League manager, he acquired targets in weak positions that will certainly enhance the quality of his starting lineup.

However, it is beyond the first XI that should worry Liverpool fans. The squad lacks real depth and it feels like they are still far from being capable of maintaining consistency over a long season.

We will undoubtedly witness great football again at Anfield this season, but a sustained title challenge is unlikely for the Reds. Instead, good cup runs both domestically and again in Europe seems like the best opportunity for success on Merseyside this season.

Prediction: 3rd

Next up, Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham Hotspur

Last Season: 3rd

Players In: None

Players Out: None

Transfer Rating: 0/10

Preview

Spurs finished the transfer season as the only Premier League team without a new signing. This is extremely worrying for fans of the Lilywhites, because beyond the first XI, there are serious questions about the quality of squad players.

Last season, Tottenham finished in an excellent third position, four points off Man Utd and 23 points off Man City. Considering they had to play their home games at Wembley, this represents a very good achievement for the North London club.

This season, they will move into their brand new stadium, the revamped White Hart Lane, and may need some time to bed into their new surroundings. We have witnessed other London clubs, such as West Ham and Arsenal, struggle to adapt to new surroundings over the first couple of seasons.

As if a new stadium move wasn't difficult enough, Tottenham will begin the season without any new faces in their squad. While the likes of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, and Dele Alli are superb players, the Spurs squad looks stale and potentially very tired.

Of all clubs, Tottenham had the most players featuring in the World Cup semi-finals with nine in total. Due to extended holiday breaks after the summer tournament, Pochettino is looking at numerous very tired key players as the season begins.

This season may prove a little too much for Spurs. Without any new signings providing competition for the starting XI and with a busy schedule and tired players, this campaign will be long and tough for Pochettino's men.

The other top six sides have all strengthened this summer and this could lead to Spurs slipping out of the top four by the end of the season.

Prediction: 6th

Next up, Manchester United.

Manchester United

Last Season: 2nd

Players In: Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk, €59 million), Diogo Dalot (Porto, €22 million), Lee Grant (Stoke City, €1.7 million)

Players Out: Daley Blind (Ajax, €16 million), Sam Johnstone (West Brom, €7.35 million), Axel Tuanzebe (Aston Villa, Loan), Joel Pereria (Vitoria Setubal, Loan), Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Scunthorpe, Loan)

Transfer Rating: 6/10

Preview

Manchester United enter this season on the back of a very strange transfer window. Reports circulated the media about disputes between Jose Mourinho and Ed Woodward over the signing of a new central defender. In the end, nobody arrived.

The real question to ask here is do United need a new central defender? The Red Devils finished the last campaign with the second best defense in the country, conceding just one more goal than champions, Man City. Their total goals against were just 28, representing less than a goal a game throughout the season.

Many derided United's performances and style of play last time out, claiming it was slow, lethargic, and boring. However, Mourinho's men finished second, albeit a huge 19 points behind their neighbors, and were comfortably the best of the other top six teams.

The beginning of the transfer window looked very promising for United as they captured the signatures of Fred and Diogo Dalot. These signings provide competition for midfield and defensive positions where there were not many squad players who could come in should a first team player get injured or suspended.

The remainder of the window linked the Red Devils with almost every defender under the sun, but no further players arrived at Old Trafford. Now we know the squad for the first half of the season, there are many things for fans to be optimistic about.

The defensive line has already proved stingy, as shown last season. In midfield and attack, there are plenty of options for Mourinho with numerous world-class players at his disposal. The real key for this season is how Mourinho uses these players and if he speeds up the transition between defense and attack.

Despite the many media criticisms about Man Utd, there is huge potential in this squad. A tweak in attitude from Mourinho and the Red Devils could put a lot of pressure on their neighbors this season, pushing them all the way.

Prediction: 2nd

Next up, Manchester City.

Manchester City

Last Season: 1st

Players In: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester, €67.8 million), Philippe Sandler (PEC Zwolle, €2.5 million), Daniel Arzani (Melbourne City, free)

Players Out: Angus Gunn (Southampton, €11.3 million), Joe Hart (Burnley, €3.9 million), Olarenwaju Kayode (Shakhtar Donetsk, €3 million), Yaya Touré (released)

Transfer Rating: 6/10

Preview

Perhaps it says a lot about the incredible squad depth at Man City that their main signing of the summer is a player who is expected to start on the bench. Last seasons champions set all sorts of new records on their relentless march to the title and will look to carry that form into this season.

However, retaining the Premier League title is notoriously difficult and hasn't been achieved since Man United did it way back in 2009. Man City have all the quality to blow the competition out of the water again, but it is the unmeasurable quantity of their mental state that will determine whether they retain their title or not.

With the only major new face at the Ethiad being Riyad Mahrez, the entire Man City squad has already tasted Premier League success. Therefore, complacency is bound to become an issue throughout the long campaign ahead.

Another important side note is the relentless desire from both club and manager to win the Champions League. Guardiola hasn't tasted European success since his first job at Barcelona, while Man City are desperate for their heavy investments to produce a Champions League title. This is undoubtedly their primary focus this season.

While it is more of a hope than a guarantee for the other top six sides, any slip up by Man City could prove costly in May next year. However, the destination of the league title this season is totally in the hands of the Citizens.

With 19 points to spare from last season, they will need to really mess things up to surrender their championship.

Prediction: 1st