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ESPN.com writer- Ryan O'Hanlon is a staff writer for ESPN.com. He's also the author of "Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game's Analytics Revolution."
The 2023-24 Premier League season was, well, kind of a weird one.
While there was a three-team title race for most of the season, it ended the same way it always does: with Manchester City on top of the table. City won for the fourth year running and sixth in the past seven.
The relegation battle was almost nonexistent, as the three most recently promoted teams combined to win 14 matches, lose 76 and sink back to the second division.
And on weekdays, the league underachieved in UEFA competitions, failing to secure an extra spot in the newly expanded Champions League. Not a single English club reached the semifinals of either the Champions League or the Europa League. The hyper-capitalist Premier League is supposed to be the most competitive league in the world, but it wasn't -- at home or abroad.
As always, there was plenty of off-field drama, though. Much of the day-to-day yelling was saved for issues such as point deductions (Everton lost eight points, Nottingham Forest six), profit and sustainability rules, Manchester City's looming legal fight over 115 allegations of financial breaches and, of course, efforts to get rid of VAR.
But that was last season. Every season takes on its own set of vibes, and 2024-25 should produce something completely different. The season begins on Friday, so it's time for Bill Connelly and Ryan O'Hanlon to fill you in on what you need to know. They've once again teamed up to preview all 20 teams and predict the finishing positions of every club, 1 through 20 (as much as it is possible to do so in a universe with point deductions). The rankings are the averages of Bill and Ryan's combined predictions.
(Note: All transfer values come from Transfermarkt.)
1T. Arsenal
- Last season's finish: 2nd (89 points, plus-62 goal differential)
- Key ins: CB Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna, €45m), GK David Raya (Brentford, €31.9m)
- Key outs: AM Emile Smith Rowe (Fulham, €31.8m)
Key stat
Only two teams in the Premier League were younger than Arsenal last season. Weighted by minutes played, the average age of Mikel Arteta's team was 25.0 -- just a bit older than Burnley (24.5) and Chelsea (24.2). Most title-contending teams, filled with prime-age players and established 30-something stars, sit closer to 27.
What does it all mean? While top-of-the-table sides usually need outside reinforcements just to ensure they won't experience an age-related decline, the Gunners could simply improve because their players improve.