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Features

Premier League prospects

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 14/08/2009

As English football fans wait excitedly ahead of the new Premier League season, much has been going on with the country's 20 elite clubs.

Holders Manchester United may have lost Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez but they will once more be the team to beat this season and Chelsea, buoyed from their Community Shield success against the champions, will only grow in confidence as Carlo Ancelotti prepares for his first season in English football.

Liverpool will need Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to maintain their fitness if they want to be title contenders and after Xabi Alonso left for Real Madrid, they moved swiftly and replaced him with Roma star Alberto Aquilani, who should impress.

Arsenal have sold Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor to big-spending Manchester City and they will look to the likes of Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott to keep them in the top-four reckoning.

Mark Hughes' Manchester City have spent big in pre-season bringing in the Arsenal duo, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers and Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.

They will be aiming to break into the Champions League places, with them being the online betting favourites to oust one of the established 'big four'.

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Everton will find it difficult to follow up their lofty fifth place finish and they will be hopeful of Joleon Lescott staying, as he is subject of intense transfer speculation as Manchester City look to swoop.

Aston Villa will be weakened by Barry's exit, but Martin O'Neill is a superb manager who will get performances out of his side.

Fulham, under Roy Hodgson, have been a revelation. They are in Europe this season and hopefully that will not prove too much of a distraction.

Tottenham will be striving for an improvement now they seem to be settled under the stewardship under Harry Redknapp and they have off-loaded Darren Bent to rivals Sunderland.

West Ham United will be looking to consolidate under Gianfranco Zola, but Wigan Athletic may struggle under new and inexperienced manager Roberto Martinez.

Tony Pulis will be hoping his shrewd Stoke City will maintain their direct approach with Rory Delap's throw-ins leading to more goals.

Bolton Wanderers boss Gary Megson will be seeking goals in his second season in England from record signing Johan Elmander to preserve their status in the top-flight.

Hull City manager Phil Brown has brought new faces to the club but it could take time for them to gel.

Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland and Portsmouth could be in a for a long tough campaign alongside newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Burnley.

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