How the Premier League clubs stack up

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LONDON: Club-by-club guide to prospects for the 20 Premier League clubs in the 2008-09 season:
(Last season’s finishing position in parentheses)
ARSENAL (3rd)
Arsenal have spent another close season rebuilding after the departures of midfielders Aleksandr Hleb (Barcelona), Mathieu Flamini (AC Milan) and Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos).
France international Samir Nasri has been the most high profile acquisition joining from Olympique Marseille.
ASTON VILLA (6th)
It has been a productive close season for Martin O’Neill’s team, having fended off Liverpool’s advances for captain Gareth Barry and qualifying for the UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup.
O’Neill has also brought in American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, midfielder Steve Sidwell and fullbacks Nicky Shorey and Luke Young. Although the Champions League looks beyond them, qualifying for the UEFA Cup is a realistic target.
BLACKBURN ROVERS (7th)
The departure of manager Mark Hughes, replaced by the Premier League’s first British black manager Paul Ince, has coincided with a number of players leaving Ewood Park.
David Bentley was the most high-profile departure, joining Tottenham Hotspur for £15mil (US$28.92mil), and, while Ince has brought in England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, he may struggle to match Hughes’ achievements on a tight budget.
BOLTON WANDERERS (16th)
Manager Gary Megson begins his first full season in charge of Bolton after helping the club survive with a 1-1 draw at Chelsea on the last day of the season.
England Under-21 midfielder Fabrice Muamba has arrived from relegated Birmingham City to offset the departures of experienced international trio El-Hadji Diouf (Sunderland), Ivan Campo (Ipswich Town) and Stelios Giannakopoulos (released).
CHELSEA (2nd)
After sacking Jose Mourinho and then Avram Grant last season, Chelsea will expect new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari to push rivals Manchester United for domestic and European silverware.
Chelsea have fended off Inter Milan’s interest in Frank Lampard and brought in £8mil signing Deco from Barcelona and fullback Jose Bosingwa from Porto, who both played for Portugal when Scolari was their national team manager.
EVERTON (5th)
The headlines regarding Everton during the close-season have not so been so much about players but whether manager David Moyes would sign a new contract and whether the club would get the go-ahead for planning permission for a new stadium.
Neither has happened yet, no new players have arrived but Andy Johnson has moved to Fulham and Lee Carsley has gone to Birmingham City.
FULHAM (17th)
Roy Hodgson begins his first full campaign in charge, having escaped relegation on the final day of last season, following four wins in their last five games. They will be unrecognisable following Hodgson’s movements in the transfer-window as they look to avoid flirting with relegation again.
Striker Andrew Johnson (from Everton) leads a host of new players including Bobby Zamora and John Pantsil (both ex-West Ham United), Sweden defender Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg Trondheim), Teymourian Andranik (Bolton), goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough) and Hungary’s Zoltan Gera (West Bromwich Albion).
HULL CITY (promoted)
Relegation favourites Hull City have been busy in the transfer market as they look forward to their first season in England’s top division.
Brazilian Geovanni, signed on a free from Manchester City, and French defender Bernard Mendy (Paris St Germain) are among seven new signings but relegation still looms.
LIVERPOOL (4th)
Manager Rafa Benitez has re-jigged his squad in the close season with Ireland captain Robbie Keane the most expensive arrival from Tottenham Hotspur in a £20mil deal.
Supporters are hopeful of finally challenging for the title but the squad may lack the depth required after the sale of internationals Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion), John Arne Riise (AS Roma) and Harry Kewell (Galatasaray).
MANCHESTER CITY (9th)
Despite a ninth place finish last season and a first double victory over rivals Manchester United in the Premier League, manager Sven-Goran Eriksson left the club in June with former United striker Mark Hughes taking over after leaving Blackburn.
Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra has continued his investment in the team with Brazilian striker Jo arriving from CSKA Moscow and defender Tel Ben Haim joining from Chelsea.
MANCHESTER UNITED (1st)
Winning the Champions League and Premier League last season required a number of battling performances from United but perhaps their toughest challenge has been fending off Real Madrid’s courting of Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bulgaria and Tottenham Hotspur striker Dimitar Berbatov has been heavily linked with a transfer to Old Trafford but even without him United remain the team to beat.
MIDDLESBROUGH (13th)
Manager Gareth Southgate has brought in France Under-21 midfielder Didier Digard from Paris St Germain and Dutch striker Marvin Emnes from Sparta Rotterdam after another mid-table finish last season.
However, without the creativity of the departed Fabio Rochemback (Sporting Lisbon) and the safe hands of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), it is hard to see Middlesbrough doing anything more than making up the numbers again.
NEWCASTLE UNITED (12th)
Kevin Keegan’s return in January sparked jubilation among Newcastle fans but after a two-month wait for a first victory and little sign of the attacking football employed in his first spell another season of mediocrity looks likely.
Keegan has agreed to give midfielder Joey Barton a second chance following his release from prison for attacking a teenager but few signings and a consistently underachieving squad does not offer much hope for the new season.
PORTSMOUTH (8th)
A first venture into European competition awaits Portsmouth after their FA Cup triumph over Cardiff City in May gave them a place in the first round of the UEFA Cup.
Striker Peter Crouch has joined from Liverpool and will start his second spell with the club in a potential England strike force alongside Jermain Defoe.
Despite the loss of Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan) qualifying for the UEFA Cup is likely.
STOKE CITY (promoted)
Stoke have returned to the top-flight after a 23-year absence but will likely struggle to survive.
A robust side, they have added Dave Kitson, who scored 10 Premier League goals last season for relegated Reading, and Danish international goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.
SUNDERLAND (15th)
Manager Roy Keane has been busy spending money as his side look to build on a solid first season back in the top flight.
Steed Malbranque, Pascal Chimbonda and Teemu Tainio have all joined from Tottenham Hotspur, but a new striker is still needed to avoid a season battling relegation.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (11th)
The departure of Robbie Keane to Liverpool and possible loss of Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United) has left the fans of the League Cup holders frustrated after manager Juande Ramos had been praised for a number of high profile signings.
Croatia midfielder Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), England winger David Bentley (Blackburn), creative Mexican Giovani dos Santos (Barcelona) and goalkeeper Gomes (PSV Eindhoven) have all joined but Champions League qualification looks beyond them.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (promoted)
FA Cup semi-finalists last season, West Bromwich Albion look the most likely of the promoted sides to avoid relegation back to the Second Division.
England goalkeeper Scott Carson has joined from Liverpool but the loss of Hungarian winger Zoltan Gera (Fulham) and experienced striker Kevin Phillips (Birmingham City) could be costly.
WEST HAM UNITED (10th)
After a campaign plagued by injuries last year it has been a quiet close season for West Ham United.
Swiss utility player Valon Behrami has joined from Lazio but another mid-table finish is likely unless than can keep their squad away from the treatment room.
WIGAN ATHLETIC (14th)
Manager Steve Bruce has raided former club Birmingham City for Frenchman Olivier Kapo and Dutch striker Daniel de Ridder as Wigan look to build on a strong finish last season, which saved them from relegation.
Egypt striker Amr Zaki has signed on loan, which should give Wigan enough attacking options to avoid a relegation battle.