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[V] V Arsenal – Tipped by many to be the one to make way for Man City in the top four this season and Arsene Wenger is yet to spend a dime of the money he received for Adebayor and Toure. Reluctant to spend, his side showed us in the Emirates Cup that it might not be as necessary as we all think. Fabregas is still there and if he stays fit them the sky is the limit. Plus points: Young players who just keep improving and Arshavin… need I say anymore about him? Doubts: Lacking muscle and have lost their longest serving player. He has to spend, doesn’t he?
Everton – Another frustrating summer for Toffees fans but they’ve held on to what they’ve got, so far anyway. When Arteta and Yakubu return in September they’ll be like brand new signings and with Jo, Vaughan and Saha bolstering their forward options, Everton will always have a goalscoring threat. David Moyes will hope to add to his squad though with a full fixture list on the horizon – but money is sparse. Plus Points: Arguably the best manager in the league who seems to love proving his team’s critics wrong. They boast a togetherness that is second to none. Doubts: A threadbare squad with a few injury-prone players may struggle to keep in touch this season.
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Chelsea – Having retained Drogba and Terry, The Blues should be fairly comfortable in terms of preparation here and retain pride in the fact that they’re the only one of the top four not to lose a key player. New signings were few and far between but regardless of whether Zhirkov is fit or not, a newly reborn Malouda will more than suffice. I fully expect Chelsea to win this one by at least two goals thus laying foundations for a serious title challenge. Plus points: Strong squad with quality and depth, Terry’s stay should boost fan morale. Doubts: Ancelotti’s willingness to learn from Scolari’s mistakes, Petr Cech’s form.