Five star show kicks off

LiverpoolCoach Arne SlotCaptain Virgil van DijkMohamed SalahVerdict The defending champions will undoubtedly be the team to beat having finished last season 10 points ahead of runnersup Arsenal However theyrsquove had an emotionally draining preseason following the death of beloved forward Diogo Jota in a car crash in July Despite bolstering their team with key additions such as Florian Wirtz Hugo Ekitike Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez the Reds failed their first acid test against Crystal Palace in the FA Community Shield last weekend a 45 loss on penalties suggesting that there are chinks in their armour which the chasing pack can exploitStrengths The Reds have an experienced championshipwinning core in commanding centreback Virgil Van Dijk goalkeeper Alisson and ace forward Mohamed Salah which should hold them in good stead when the going gets toughWeaknesses As demonstrated in the Community Shield defeat Liverpool appear vulnerable on the counterattack due to their high defensive line and the absence of a topclass defensive midfielderChelseaCoach Enzo MarescaCaptain Reece JamesCole PalmerVerdict Enzo Maresca turned Chelsearsquos fortune around drastically last season taking them to the Conference League title mdash they beat Real Betis 41 mdash before announcing their intentions for the new season by walloping Champions League winners PSG 30 at the Club World Cup Attacking midfielder Cole Palmerrsquos form holds the key to their fortunes and while the club has continued to bring in a raft of players mdash Joao Pedro Jorrell Hato Liam Delap and Estevao to name a few mdash the jury is still out on whether they have the caliber to match Liverpool and ArsenalStrengths Chelsea have the youngest squad in the EPL this season average age is 27 and one can expect plenty of energy hunger and desire from themWeaknesses With youthfulness also comes inexperience it remains to be seen whether Chelsea can keep a cool and calm head especially during the business end of the highly competitive seasonArsenalCoach Mikel ArtetaCaptain Martin OdegaardBukayo SakaVerdict Mikel Artetarsquos gunners have been the EPL bridesmaids for three seasons on the trot but this season will be makeorbreak for the Spanish coach especially now that they have added the missing piece to their puzzle in the form of a proven striker ie Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal have also strengthened their midfield with the signings of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard whilst improving their bench strength by adding winger Noni Madueke and defender Cristhian Mosquera after a prolonged runin with injuries caused them to lose steam in last seasonrsquos title raceStrengths Arsenal boasted the meanest defence in the league last season 34 goals conceded while also displaying excellent setpiece prowess 22 goals from setpieces excluding penaltiesWeaknesses Having won just a solitary trophy FA Community Shield in 2023 in the last four years there are questions over the teamrsquos ability to hold its nerve under pressureManchester CityCoach Pep GuardiolaCaptain Bernardo SilvaErling HaalandVerdict For the first time since the start of the 202021 season Manchester City are not the favourites to win the EPL Pep Guardiolarsquos side are in transition with several pillars of their dominant era having moved on Kevin de Bruyne Kyle Walker Riyad Mahrez Raheem Sterling But write off the Sky Blues at your own peril City are poised to regain their swagger with plenty of exciting players brought in including midfielder Tijjani Reijnders winger Rayan Cherki and leftback Rayan AitNouri However the onus will still be on star striker Erling Haaland to do the bulk of the scoring while Guardiola will hope winger Phil Foden rediscovers his magical touch that deserted him for most of last seasonStrengths Few teams can dictate play the way Manchester City can and in Erling Haaland they possess the leaguersquos most prolific scorerWeaknesses There are question marks over Cityrsquos defence which was surprisingly porous last season without midfield maestro Rodri who is still out due to injury Their wingers have also flattered to deceive in the past 12 to 18 monthsManchester UnitedCoach Ruben AmorimCaptain Bruno FernandesBruno FernandesVerdict While it seems premature to suggest that a team that finished 15th last season can challenge for the crown Manchester United still appear best placed to be known as lsquounderdogsrsquo The biggest cause for optimism comes from their statement signings forwards Bryan Mbeumo Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha Only four teams scored lesser goals than the Red Devils 44 goals scored last season but this triumvirate ensures on paper at least that manager Ruben Amorimrsquos team can battle with the best Additionally in skipper Bruno Fernandes they also have arguably the leaguersquos best creative midfielderStrengths If Amorim plays his cards right Man United could boast one of the most lethal counterattacking units in the league with the right combination of speed and finishingWeaknesses Unitedrsquos defence leaves much to be desired and shaky custodian Andre Onana fails to inspire a great deal of confidence either