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The 2018/19 Premier League season gets underway a lot earlier than usual with the first game kicking off on 10 August. But this season is unlike any other.
For the first time, English clubs agreed to close the transfer window before the season kicked off and the summer transfer window slams shut on 9 August at 17:00 BST. This will mean three fewer weeks to get players into the club.
It is a huge change when clubs made a mad deadline day dash on 31 August to bring in players on deals that usually saw inflated transfer fees.
The top six will again go head-to-head in a season-long battle for Champions League spots but are all clubs ready with their squads for the new season? Some can certainly improve - but where?
#6 Arsenal: Wide Forward / Winger
A new manager and a new team of professionals at the club taking over the reins after Arsene Wenger's 22-year reign has already seen a number of changes. One particular change is the speed at which transfers have been concluded so far.
Senior players such as Stephan Lichtsteiner, Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and Lucas Torreira have been signed while youngster Matteo Guendouzi has also secured a move.
Having already signed two strikers last season (Alexandre Lacazette last summer and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the winter), the squad looks nearly complete even after a number of departures such as Per Mertesacker, Jack Wilshere, and Santi Cazorla.
But the wide position is one place Emery must strengthen before the season begins. Danny Welbeck has failed to come good in recent seasons since his injury in 2016 (he has only 7 goals and 4 assists in the league in the last two seasons).
Meanwhile, Alex Iwobi has also failed to nail down a starting spot but he is only 22. A more seasoned player he could learn from is required to compete in numerous competitions.
Unless Emery deploys a diamond formation with two strikers, Henrikh Mkhitaryan will most likely start on the right. Aubameyang's partnership with Lacazette seems to be flourishing and the Gabon striker is useful on the left. But he is best used as a centre-forward rather than a left winger.
#5 Chelsea: Striker
With Antonio Conte gone and Maurizio Sarri coming in, Chelsea will most likely revert to a back-four. Sarri is a stickler for what works and Napoli played a 4-3-3 in every game in Serie A last season.
At the Naples club, he had Dries Mertens leading the line with Lorenzo Insigne on the left and Jose Callejon on his right. It was a system that worked with the trio sharing 36 goals and 27 assists among them, nearly toppling Juventus to win the Serie A title.
At Chelsea, Sarri will look to convince Eden Hazard to stay and play on the left rather than the more central role he played last season in a 3-5-2. And since the Blues rejected multiple bids for Willian, he will be expected to start on the right.
However, Morata may not be around to lead the line with reports linking him with a return to Serie A. AC Milan are looking to lure him with only a suitable price tag to be agreed upon.
Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud is the ideal player to play with his back to goal but not the first-choice player to lead Sarri's line. He is a preferred Plan B.
That is one position the new manager must address and the money from Morata's potential sale will have to be reinvested in another striker.
#4 Liverpool: Centre-Back
Since Jurgen Klopp has joined the club, the only players in the new-look starting lineup that were not signed by him are now Roberto Firmino and Dejan Lovren. From front to back, the Reds now have a squad capable of fighting for trophies.
While Firmino is in the 'undroppable' category after having flawlessly adapted to Klopp's tactics, Lovren is the only player now under severe scrutiny and in danger of losing his spot in the lineup.
A couple of gaffes last season saw his stock plummet despite a few good performances towards the end of the season. But he does not inspire confidence in big games and the only person who thinks Lovren is world-class is Lovren himself when he angrily said he took his teams to major finals.
“I took Liverpool to the final of the Champions League. Now with my national team (Croatia) we are in the final. I think people should recognise that I am also one of the best defenders in the world and not just talk nonsense.” - Dejan Lovren
It was quite a brave statement but also a very defensive one knowing he had committed a few blunders last season. After seeing Loris Karius cost them the Champions League title, Klopp will not want to make the same mistake again with another player susceptible to losing the ball in key areas.
Joel Matip also injured himself again in pre-season after missing the last two months of the season due to surgery, which makes their hunt for a quality centre-back to partner Virgil van Dijk all the more pressing.
#3 Tottenham Hotspur: Forward
Tottenham Hotspur are yet to make any real signings this summer (or see any departures for that matter). It seems like Mauricio Pochettino is quite happy with the squad that finished third last season.
Of course, there is also the added pressure of moving to a refurbished stadium that has taken a hit on the club's finances. But to not make any signings could be a big mistake waiting to happen for the north London club.
Spurs' over-reliance on Harry Kane is what has allowed them to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League in the past few seasons, with the odd appearance in the title race.
However, Kane is coming off a long World Cup campaign that saw England play seven games and the striker also seemed to be carrying an injury.
Pochettino's only backup at the moment is Fernando Llorente who played a grand total of 227 minutes last season (including 15 substitute appearances) and started just once in the league.
Son Heung-Min has started up front but only in a two-striker system and that was a plan that failed with Spurs winning none of those games. And the Korean forward cannot lead the line on his own.
What Spurs need is a quality backup to Kane or a forward who can play across the forward line. Otherwise, we will see the manager prioritise competitions again.
There is no point in trying to qualify for the Champions League if you end up treating it like a secondary competition just so you can finish in the top four in the Premier League again - unless they are only looking at the financial benefits of doing so.
#2 Manchester United: Centre-Back
The pressure is on Manchester United this season - especially Jose Mourinho. After taking over in 2016, he has won only two Tier 2 trophies - a League Cup and a Europa League. While the latter allowed them to return to the Champions League, it hasn't been plain sailing since.
They were upstaged by Manchester City in the Premier League last season while Chelsea beat them in the FA Cup final to leave the Red Devils trophyless. Tasked with bringing back the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson that ended five years ago, Mourinho is yet to find the right combination that clicks.
United had the second-best defensive side last season. But the reason they finished second was that they conceded goals in crucial moments. While David De Gea was at his supreme best yet again, it is his central defence that will concern Mourinho who has enough attacking players at his disposal to not worry about goals.
With Eric Bailly's injuries behind him, he needs a suitable partner beside him. Chris Smalling is on the decline (he didn't even make England's World Cup squad) while Phil Jones has been frustrating.
Victor Lindelof could get a few more chances, especially after impressing at the World Cup with Sweden but with Mourinho looking to sign either Toby Alderweireld or Harry Maguire, it seems certain that he wants a world-class, no-nonsense defender to partner Bailly in central defence.
And he needs one if he is to seriously compete for the title.
#1 Manchester City: Defensive Midfielder
The only big name to leave the Manchester City squad this summer so far is Yaya Toure. At 35, there is little he could have offered and probably stayed a year too long, making just the odd substitute appearance to leave the club with another winners medal.
But his departure has opened up a spot in midfield that needs to be filled. Pep Guardiola is well stocked in attack with Riyad Mahrez a new addition after they paid £60m for his services.
The only other signing so far is Claudio Gomes from PSG - an 18-year-old defensive midfielder. He will go into the U-23 squad first and Guardiola will be wary of a lack of real cover for Fernandinho in midfield.
Whether Guardiola plays four at the back or three, Ferandinho is his go-to man in central midfield while David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne play in advanced roles.
But the Brazilian is not getting any younger. At 33, does he have the legs to last a full season after a tiring World Cup campaign?
Guardiola has Ilkay Gundogan to call upon but he is a midfielder who needs a defensive midfielder alongside to complement him. He cannot play the role himself.
Guardiola's starting lineup is sorted. In a squad brimming with talent, this is his only weakness - a backup player for Fernandinho.
