They perhaps lack a little depth in central midfield and there are a few questions to be asked of them defensively over the weeks ahead but it’s hard to argue that the Scousers won’t be firmly in the hunt for a top four spot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool finished someway short of the top two; however, I’m giving Slot the benefit of the doubt for now.

4th Newcastle United

I’ve perhaps optimistically placed Newcastle in 4th given the failure to strengthen some of our key weaknesses in the summer transfer window. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if we finished 5th or 6th but I have to back Eddie Howe and the lads to finish as high as I think is possible.

Predicting 4th is working on the assumption that our key players stay fit and healthy for the majority of the season. I firmly believe that we have an excellent first 11 with just enough strength off the bench to keep things fresh when people have the off game.

I think we could finish as low as 8th if we pick up injuries akin to last season but that can’t happen two years in a row, can it?

5th Aston Villa

Villa fully deserved their top-four finish last season, as much as it pains me to say. Emery has continued to prove himself a top manager and has elevated several players at Villa in the same way Eddie Howe has at Newcastle.

There will be many people predicting the increased pressures of a Champions League campaign will wreak havoc on Villa’s form but on the whole, I think Villa have been smart with their recruitment. Losing the quality of Douglas Luiz in midfield will be a blow but they have replaced him with more depth in this position.

There are also legitimate questions about their reliance on Ollie Watkins over the past two years; however, Jhon Duran has made a strong start to the season and if he steps up his game, he could be vital in keeping Villa’s hopes alive. Looking at the fixtures for the Premier League teams in Europe this year, I think 5th has a very good chance of securing Champions League next season. I don’t think any Villa fan would turn down 5th and a run to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

6th Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs’ game against Newcastle pretty much sums up everything you need to know about them. They will try everything they can to pin teams back and create as many opportunities as possible. Unfortunately for them, if they are unable to convert these opportunities, they are extremely fragile at the back. If you can take your chances when they come, then victory is there for the taking.

It is this frailty and an apparent lack of a plan B from Postecoglou that I feel will likely cost them their chance at Champions League qualification. They could definitely be a team to watch out for in the cups this season, as when things do click, they are very capable of outscoring their opposition.

7th Chelsea

Chelsea have always been a bit of a circus but the latest owners have taken things to a whole new level. Their excellent academy has churned out a seemingly endless supply of youngsters sold for big money, which in turn has fuelled their unprecedented transfer spending. The result of this is an extremely bloated squad, albeit one stacked full of talented individuals.

New boss Enzo Maresca certainly has a challenge on his hands but with such an abundance of talent, he can surely find a group of players that will be good enough to win their fair share of games. Will Maresca win enough games to keep his job? How much will Chelsea spend on transfers in January? Which random bit of London will they sell to themselves to circumvent FFP this time? Only God knows the answers to these questions but it’ll be interesting viewing for the rest of us.

8th Manchester United

Any Manchester United fan lucky enough to take in this list of Premier League predictions will undoubtably be furious that I have the nerve to place them down in the 8th spot again. I can hear the whining now... Yoro, Ugarte, de Ligt, Zirkzee, Mazraoui, we won the transfer window!

Yes, I’ll admit it; on paper, it looks like a much stronger squad than the past two years. Hats off to Dan Ashworth; say what you want about him, but he can get transfers over the line. So why have I got Man U 8th when I hear everyone cry? Three words… Erik ten Hag. I honestly don’t get the amount of leeway he’s had from their fans. The bloke has as much tactical awareness as Steve Bruce and doesn’t even seem to get along with his players. If the odious Ratcliffe does pull the trigger on ten Hag, then they may well push for the top five, but, while the Dutchman is still there, I can rest easy that Man U will be average.

9th West Ham United

Hammers fans have been asking for a successor to David Moyes’ dour football in increasing numbers of the past few seasons, and with a failure to reach Europe last year, they finally have their wish. Enter Julen Lopetegui, a man known for his revolutionary possession-based football... Oh no, wrong ex-Barca player; that’s Pep Guardiola.

Lopetegui is a much more pragmatic manager and while his reputation is certainly more glamorous than Moyes's, his football style isn’t. However, the Hammers have recruited well over the summer and definitely look a stronger unit than last season. The prospect of a ban for Lucas Paqueta is significant and I don’t think there are enough goals in their squad to mount a push for Europe (Füllkrug will score less than 10) but they have enough talent to be a handful on their day.

10th Brighton and Hove Albion

Brighton have plenty of young talent and, as they have already shown this season, will be a handful for anyone on their day. That being said, they have appointed another young, unproven manager, which comes with an element of risk. Add to this the fact they have spent a lot of money this summer and it’s clear that the Brighton ownership have made some bold decisions over the summer.

Up till now, they have tended to get these decisions right and if they manage it again, then they could well exceed my 10th place prediction. Yankuba Minteh has certainly had his moments so far this season and he’ll be a player watched by many in the North East with a sense of what might have been.

11th Fulham

Fulham have a squad of decent Premier League players, coached by a decent Premier League manager. As such, a solid mid-table finish is the likely outcome for the Cottagers this season. They have made a couple of gambles in the transfer window, Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal being the main one.

If these pan out, then it may allow them to aspire to look higher in the table and flirt with European qualification; if not, then they should still have enough to avoid any of the shenanigans of a relegation scrap. Fulham should be a team that picks up enough points over the first part of the season to allow them a tilt at the FA Cup come January.

12th Bournemouth

Bournemouth enjoyed their best season in terms of points in the Premier League last year, although they couldn’t match the 9th place Eddie Howe achieved in 2016/17.

How much of their success was down to Dominic Solanke’s newfound eye for goal or Andoni Iraola’s aggressive pressing tactics will likely be revealed this year. Nonetheless, they are a tricky side to play against and have some quality scattered through the squad (I’m a big fan of Antoine Semenyo), so they should be comfortably safe this year.

13th Wolverhampton Wanderers

For two seasons running, Gary O’Neil has taken teams tipped by many for relegation and delivered survival with relative ease. The man loves a whinge at anything he can but you can’t argue with his results.

The loss of Pedro Neto will be a blow to their attacking output, as Wolves always looked better when he was in the side last year, but given his recent record, I can’t go against O’Neil delivering another season where he enhances his growing reputation. As always, the biggest concern for Wolves is their efficiency in front of goal and I’m still not blown away by their attacking options, but I think they will be fine this year.

14th Crystal Palace

I imagine a lot of people will have Palace finishing higher than 14th after the run of form they went on last season under Oliver Glasner. Personally, I’m not sure that run of form was truly representative of the quality of their side. They do have some exciting young English players like Guehi, Wharton, and Eze, but the form of players such as Mateta and Hughes at the end of last year doesn’t feel sustainable. We’ve seen these guys play for years and a few good months isn’t enough to change my mind that they are average Premier League players at best.

If we are sitting here in January and Mateta has scored 14 goals and Will Hughes is being talked about as the second coming of Paul Scholes, then I’ll see about changing my mind, but for now I think another year avoiding relegation should be the target for Palace.

15th Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest are the first of the teams that I think will stay up but that I have no great confidence in.

Forest have some really good attacking players in their squad, such as Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, and Elanga, but I’m not sure you can rely on their strikers to bag enough goals to counteract the cheap goals they give away at the back. I do think they will win enough games to stay up, but they’ve been in the relegation mix for the past couple of seasons (they also had a points deduction to contend with last year) and I don’t see them being too far away this year. Safe, but not by much.

16th Brentford

I’d like to have Brentford higher up; Thomas Frank seems like a nice guy (and a good manager); they have a nice (but little) stadium; they have some nice players; and the fans I’ve met when we’ve played them are also very nice. Here lies the problem: are they a little too... nice? Maybe.

They’ve lost a couple of their more fiery players over the summer in Toney and Maupay, which is a blow before you even factor in Toney’s goals. New signing Igor Thiago is unproven in the Premier League and he’s injured until nearly Christmas, so they will look to Wissa and Mbeumo to carry the load again. I think Frank will be able to coach them to enough points, but it could be uncomfortable close.

17th Everton

Everton feel a bit like Sunderland from 2016/17; they seem to have been circling the relegation drain for several years and this could be the year their luck runs out. That analogy may be a little bit unfair, as without their points deduction last season, they would have been much higher up the table. However, they do seem to have lurched from crisis to crisis for a while now.

A very poor start to the season will need turning around sooner rather than later if they are to take residence of their new stadium as a Premier League team. If they do manage to maintain their Premier League status, I feel the move to their new home, coupled with the prospect of finally sealing new owners, could be the turning point for the Toffees.

18th Ipswich Town

I don’t know if it’s the links with Sir Bobby or the fact that I grew up in East Anglia with a few of my friends being on Ipswich’s books as kids, but I’ve always had a soft spot for the Tractor Boys. It could be this bias speaking, but I think Ipswich have given themselves the best chance of staying up out of the three promoted teams. They have recruited some promising young talent and have one of the most sought-after young managers in the league.

They will need to gel and adapt to the rigours of the top flight quickly but I think they at least have the ingredients to grow and get themselves out of trouble come the end of the season. They’ll likely fall short but if anyone above them slips up, they will be waiting.

19th Leicester City

Leicester’s ability to circumnavigate any potential FFP charges through a legal loophole certainly hasn’t won them fans at any level of football. I would have had them finishing last place had it not been for the news that they are now likely to avoid sanction. Steve Cooper was a popular guy among Nottingham Forest fans but he would have seen them relegated had he stayed.

The fact they are still relying on the ageing Jamie Vardy upfront should also set alarm bells ringing, despite his antics often being enjoyable to watch. The biggest question regarding Leicester for me is, will they be able to dodge a points deduction again next season when they get relegated?

20th Southampton

Southampton set themselves up well on the opening day at St James’ Park and their cause was helped by the theatrics of Ben Brereton getting Fabian Schar dismissed. Despite this helping hand, they came away with nothing, with Nick Pope not really having any meaningful pressure applied to his goal.

Two games later and they still have zero points and questions are rightly being asked about their naïve play from the back, which has cost them multiple points already. The addition of Aaron Ramsdale won’t help with this aspect of their play either, as he was ultimately usurped at Arsenal because of his weakness with the ball at his feet.

So that’s my Premier League 1-20 and I’ll be delighted if I even get a quarter of these right!

For what it’s worth, I’d have a lot more confidence in my predictions by splitting the league up into five groups and popping teams into these. I’ve had a go at this below and feel a lot more confident that teams will finish in these ranges (alphabetically arranged).

Title Contenders (1-3): Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City

Europe Contention (4-8): Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur

Good but not Great (9-11) Brighton, Fulham, West Ham

Safe (12-14) Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Wolves

Relegation Scrap (15-20) Brentford, Everton, Ipswich, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton