Premier League table predicted 2023/24: Every team ranked 20th-1st

From 20-1, you could make a positive and negative case for every team in the land to hit or miss their objectives, but when May rolls around, the table never lies.

RadioTimes.com brings you our Premier League predicted table for 2023/24 – to be rendered entirely useless after the first weekend, of course.

Premier League predicted table 2023/24

20. Sheffield United

The Blades were launched into the Premier League by the firepower of top scorer Iliman Ndiaye and creative spark of James McAtee anchored by Sander Berge in midfield. They have prepared for their Premier League return by selling Ndiaye to Marseille, waving goodbye to loanee McAtee and allowing Sander Berge to leave for rivals Burnley. Bleak.

19. Everton

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. It's also the name of Everton's overall strategy. Sean Dyche is an undervalued manager but he has been given shoddy instruments to work with. Everton minus Conor Coady, Andros Townsend, Tom Davies, Ellis Simms and Yerry Mina with 38-year-old Ashley Young the only permanent incoming transfer is laughably poor. Rotten.

18. Wolves

A massive cull of players, mostly replaced by an ageing right-back? Wolves have been drinking in the same bar as Everton. Wolves hit their ceiling and have entered a doom spiral they seemingly can't pull up from. Rúben Neves is an enormous departure, while they also peeled away Nathan Collins, Conor Coady, Raúl Jiménez, João Moutinho and Adama Traore to ensure no traces of a spine remain.

Even the manager, Julen Lopetegui - arguably Wolves' final hope - has bailed two days before the new season. But hey, Matt Doherty, right? Depleted.

17. Luton

Any result between 20th and 1st is a victory for Luton this season. The money flooding through the back gardens of Kenilworth Road will form a protective moat around the club whatever happens this term, providing they don't go for broke and go broke.

Transfers have been rock solid upper-Championship acquisitions including the impressive Ryan Giles and Tahith Chong for their flanks. The Hatters are a physical, punishing team who will shock the haters and could exploit messy situations elsewhere to survive. Hope.

16. Bournemouth

The Cherries are among the greatest unknowns of the season to come. Few will have seen their four big-money signings, including Justin Kluivert, in regular action, and the shock replacement of Gary O'Neil with Andoni Iraola, another unfamiliar face. Goals are hard to come by at the Vitality and Dominic Solanke needs a big season for his team. Unknown.

15. Burnley

It's lazy to say Vincent Kompany's Burnley were the Manchester City of the Championship last season... but it's not incorrect. The Clarets dominated the division, casting off the shackles of Dyche-ball with innovative, flowing, attacking football. Kompany is a talismanic boss, able to galvanise the town behind his team, afforded unwavering support from his players.

Burnley's biggest danger this season is losing their boss up the food chain, but for now, they should have enough to perform on the grand stage. Exciting.

14. Fulham

Fulham remain in a state of relative paralysis on the eve of the new season. There has been an atypical lack of transfer wheeling and dealing at Craven Cottage. So far. Unfortunately for them, head coach Marco Silva and star men Aleksandar Mitrović and Willian have all been targeted by head-swivelling Saudi Arabian cash in recent weeks. Silva is the most likely to remain in place – and most important figure to retain – but it's not an ideal situation and could rumble all the way to deadline day. Tense.

13. Brentford

In Ivan Toney's absence, Brentford appear keen to batten down the hatches and ride out the storm. He is out until January 2024 after being charged with breaches of The FA's gambling rules, yet Brentford have not signed a direct replacement. Nathan Collins is an astute defensive pick-up, especially as his signature further depletes potential rivals Wolves, and could be a signal that Brentford are aiming to tighten up and eke out victories rather than open up to blow teams away. Tight.

12. West Ham United

All the cash, nowhere to splash. The Hammers' effective negotiators extracted £100 million from Arsenal for Declan Rice – and a further £35m for Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Vlašić combined – but the lengthy negotiations have hampered their ability to sign replacements.

Finally, it seems Edson Álvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Harry Maguire are on the way to fill the void and beef up the spine of the team. Lucas Paquetá could enjoy a massive season as West Ham's key playmaker, but their hopes of doing more than 'making up the numbers' depends on Michail Antonio hitting a purple patch. Functional.

11. Nottingham Forest

Steve Cooper handled himself immensely during Nottingham Forest's crazy return to the top flight. The squad remains unwieldy but some of the fat has been trimmed and the waters feel much more calm heading into 2023/24. Cooper is a top boss capable of drilling his men into an effective unit. Taiwo Awoniyi bagged 10 in 27 games (including 10 sub appearances) and Morgan Gibbs-White is developing into an accomplished winger, Chris Wood is a reliable signing and Anthony Elanga could add an extra spark. Settled.

10. Crystal Palace

You've just got to stand back and admire the Roy-volution 2.0 at Crystal Palace. Nobody expected his return to - well, to be frank, actually work. Yet here we are, on the verge of the first season sans Wilf Zaha in over a decade, and there's a positive buzz around Palace.

Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise are creative superstars in the making, Marc Guéhi is a growing star at the back and Jefferson Lerma will offer steel in the middle. Though still short of a prolific striker to really make a mark in 2023/24, Palace look like top-half material. Developing.

9. Chelsea

The Blues finished all the way down in 12th last term and though Mauricio Pochettino has come in, is he really enough to carefully navigate the club through such turbulence? Chelsea have sold eight players for over £200m combined this summer and released a bunch more, including seven regular starters from last season.

They are severely lacking numbers in central midfielder after sending Mateo Kovačić and Mason Mount to direct Premier League rivals, while their top signing, Christopher Nkunku, is now injured until December at the earliest. Pochettino is not a miracle worker. Volatile.

8. Brighton

Brighton have enjoyed a terribly sensible summer so far. No giddiness following their marvellous 2022/23 adventure, just deeply reasonable dealings in and out of the club. They extracted solid money for Alexis Mac Allister and ousted keeper Robert Sánchez to pave the way for more exciting young talents... and James Milner. Mahmoud Dahoud is a fine free signing from Dortmund, while £30m man João Pedro represents their best shot at a reliable centre-forward in several seasons. Established.

7. Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs sat proudly third in the first draft of this predicted table, but Harry Kane's imminent departure would instantly, inevitably dampen ambitions in north London. It's not all gloom: James Maddison is a terrific signing and Ange Postecoglou seems a terrific fit to breathe new life into a stagnant club.

Kane's absence will be a net negative, though not without a dusting of positives. Without him, Spurs' key men will be forced to step up and bear the load. Expect lots of wins and lots of defeats as Spurs transition to the new era. Reset.

6. Aston Villa

Villa have been fancied to level up for a while now, and Unai Emery finally looks set to be the boss who cashes in with a top squad at his disposal. Ollie Watkins has threatened to become a top tier striker in flashes and can be expected to go big in 2023/24, while centre-back Pau Torres – a favourite of Emery at Villarreal – and the free signature of Youri Tielemans will add quality and depth to the spine of the team. Villa are primed and ready to explode. Prepared.

5. Newcastle

The Magpies stole the show in 2022/23 as they clambered into fourth place and held their nerve. It would take a remarkable effort to replicate that achievement given the added pressure of their spoils, Champions League football and expectations to venture deep into cup competitions.

However, their summer business has been orderly and effective so far. Sandro Tonali will anchor the midfield and Harvey Barnes offers plenty of sharpness in attack. Expect Alexander Isak to blast beyond 20 goals this term, though they may fall just short of the top four. Busy.

4. Manchester United

If United fail to deliver this term, a huge portion of blame must be placed on the never-outgoing Glazer family over their protracted sale of the club. The state of paralysis means Erik ten Hag won't start the campaign with the squad of his dreams, but there have been plenty of signs to suggest he can coach raw materials into a strong team.

Mason Mount is an underrated pick-up, while much depends on Rasmus Højlund hitting his stride early. United will do well this term, but their success has a ceiling so long as the takeover talks are active. Limited.

3. Liverpool

It's the start of a new era for Liverpool, heading into 2023/24 without Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keïta, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – essentially without every central midfield player on their books last term, especially given Thiago's injury. Oh, and there's no Roberto Firmino.

That said, business has been solid. Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have swelled the attacking ranks further, with the returning Luis Díaz, improving Cody Gakpo and high-potential Darwin Núñez already in there alongside Mohamed Salah. The Reds need a high-profile central midfielder or two and will hope Trent Alexander-Arnold settles into his new role, but the potential is there to blow teams away with a refreshed squad. Tantalising.

2. Manchester City

A long way ahead of the pack, it's shaping up to be another two-horse title race. It really is a coin-flip between the elite pair, but Manchester City are coming into this season 'less strengthened' than Arsenal. The effects of Riyad Mahrez and particularly İlkay Gündoğan's departures have not been fully felt yet but over the course of the season, their absence will be noted.

Erling Haaland will soar again, Mateo Kovačić is an inspired, low-key signing for the middle of the park, while Joško Gvardiol will be a stalwart for the team (once he retrieves his soul from Lionel Messi following that World Cup semi-final). Phil Foden needs a consistent season to prove his worth, while young James McAtee could be set for a breakout year, but they do boast fewer match-winners in games that could swing either way. Uncertain.

1. Arsenal

We're going for it. Arsenal had the title in their hands but silly defensive leaks in the run-in saw them throw it all away. In 2023/24, expect Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli to continue developing and performing, while Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz provide superb options for Mikel Arteta to work into his team. Declan Rice is an immense upgrade for the midfield with power, steel, even a bit of pace and drive to boost Arsenal from box to box.

The Gunners looks improved on last year, with a young squad growing in experience and talent. They have what it takes to be champions. Reinforced.

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