ARSENAL

Manager: Arsene Wenger

Position last season: 4th

Nickname: The Gunners

Ground: Emirates Stadium

Capacity: 60,355

Players in: Carl Jenkinson (Charlton, undisclosed), Gervinho (Lille, undisclosed)

Players out: Gael Clichy (Manchester City, undisclosed), Denilson (Sao Paulo, season loan), Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (Ipswich, undisclosed)

Key man: Robin van Persie

Chances: With or without wantaway captain Cesc Fabregas, big questions remain about the backbone of Wenger's young Gunners, who imploded last season after a shock defeat to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final. Expect more tests in the campaign ahead, with cups again the best chance of ending a seven-year trophy itch, and a real battle to hold onto their top-four status.

Predicted finish: 4th

ASTON VILLA

Manager: Alex McLeish

Position last season: 9th

Nickname: The Villans

Ground: Villa Park

Capacity: 42,640

Players in: Shay Given (Manchester City, undisclosed)

Players out: Nigel Reo-Coker, John Carew, Robert Pires, Moustapha Salifou, Isaiah Osbourne (all released), Brad Friedel (Tottenham, free), Ashley Young (Manchester United, undisclosed), Stewart Downing (Liverpool, undisclosed)

Key Man: Darren Bent

Chances: McLeish's toughest task will be to win over the Villa Park faithful after his switch from bitter rivals Birmingham, but the former Rangers boss has the knowhow to steady the ship, helped by the goals of England striker Darren Bent.

Predicted finish: 11th

BLACKBURN

Manager: Steve Kean

Position last season: 15th

Nickname: Rovers

Ground: Ewood Park

Capacity: 31,154

Players in:

Players out: Jason Brown, Benjani Mwaruwari, Zurab Khizanishvili, Maceo Rigters (all released), Phil Jones (Manchester United, £16.5million), Frank Fielding (Derby, £300,000)

Key man: Morten Gamst Pedersen

Chances: Rovers rallied to beat the drop last season after changes under new ownership and the departure of Sam Allardyce. Kean, though, faces more battles ahead - and could fight to keep his own job if things go pear-shaped again.

Predicted finish: 20th

BOLTON

Manager: Owen Coyle

Position last season: 14th

Nickname: The Trotters

Ground: Reebok Stadium

Capacity: 28,101

Players in: Darren Pratley (Swansea, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (unattached)

Players out: Johan Elmander, Jlloyd Samuel, Joey O'Brien, Tamir Cohen, Ricardo Gardner (all released), Ali Al Habsi (Wigan, undisclosed), Matt Taylor (West Ham, undisclosed)

Key man: Kevin Davies

Chances: For a while it looked like Coyle had Bolton set for Europe, only to fade after a run to the FA Cup semi-finals. Should flirt with a top-10 finish again.

Predicted finish: 13th

CHELSEA

Manager: Andre Villas-Boas

Position last season: Runners-up

Nickname: The Blues

Ground: Stamford Bridge

Capacity: 42,055

Players in: Thibaut Courtois (Genk, undisclosed)

Players out: Michael Mancienne (Hamburg, undisclosed), Gokhan Tore (Hamburg, undisclosed), Jeffrey Bruma (Hamburg, season loan), Jack Cork (Southampton, undisclosed)

Key man: Fernando Torres

Chances: Villas-Boas will be expected to hit the ground running in his first season at the helm, and get the best out of Torres in a talented squad. Europe, though, is probably the main focus for Roman Abramovich's latest managerial appointment.

Predicted finish: 3rd

EVERTON

Manager: David Moyes

Position last season: 7th

Nickname: The Toffees

Ground: Goodison Park

Capacity: 40,216

Players in:

Players out: James Vaughan (Norwich, undisclosed), Iain Turner (released)

Key man: Tim Cahill

Chances: Moyes continues to get his well-drilled outfit punching well above their weight and expect the Toffees to again be pressing for a top-six finish.

Predicted finish: 7th

FULHAM

Manager: Martin Jol

Position last season: 8th

Nickname: The Cottagers

Ground: Craven Cottage

Capacity: 24,525

Players in: Csaba Somogyi (unattached), John Arne Riise (Roma, undisclosed), Marcel Gecov (Slovan Liberec, undisclosed), Pajtim Kasami (Palermo, undisclosed)

Players out: Kagisho Dikgacoi (Crystal Palace, undisclosed), Diomansy Kamara (Eskisehirspor, free), Jonathan Greening (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), John Pantsil, Eddie Johnson, Matthew Saunders, Pascal Zuberbuhler, Zoltan Gera (all released), David Stockdale (Ipswich, season loan)

Key man: Bobby Zamora

Chances: Jol has already got his squad shaping up after an early return for Europa League qualifiers. With a good start, there is no reason why the Cottagers should not steer well clear of the bottom half this season.

Predicted finish: 9th

LIVERPOOL

Manager: Kenny Dalglish

Position last season: 6th

Nickname: The Reds

Ground: Anfield

Capacity: 45,276

Players in: Jordan Henderson (Sunderland, undisclosed), Charlie Adam (Blackpool, £6.75million), Alexander Doni (Roma, free), Stewart Downing (Aston Villa, undisclosed)

Players out: Paul Konchesky (Leicester, undisclosed), Peter Gulacsi (Hull, season loan)

Key man: Steven Gerrard

Chances: Dalglish brought the feel-good factor back to Anfield midway through last season and while the Reds may be just short of the Champions League places, expect more signs of progress.

Predicted finish: 5th

MANCHESTER CITY

Manager: Roberto Mancini

Position last season: 3rd

Nickname: The Blues

Ground: Etihad Stadium

Capacity: 47,715

Players in: Gael Clichy (Arsenal, undisclosed), Stefan Savic (Partizan Belgrade, undisclosed)

Players out: Patrick Vieira (retired), Javier Garrido (released), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich, undisclosed), Ben Mee (Burnley, season loan), Shay Given (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Jo (Internacional, undisclosed), Kieran Trippier (Burnley, season loan), Michael Johnson (Leicester, season loan)

Key man: Yaya Toure

Chances: City's wealthy owners will view anything other than a sustained assault on the Premier League title as a failure. With or without Carlos Tevez, expect the Blues to be the team to beat.

Predicted finish: Champions

MANCHESTER UNITED

Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson

Position last season: Champions

Nickname: The Red Devils

Ground: Old Trafford

Capacity: 76,180

Players in: Phil Jones (Blackburn, £16.5million), Ashley Young (Aston Villa, undisclosed), David De Gea (Atletico Madrid, undisclosed)

Players out: Edwin van der Sar (retired), Paul Scholes (retired), Owen Hargreaves (released), Bebe (Besiktas, season loan) Ritchie de Laet (Norwich, season loan), Nicky Ajose (Peterborough, undisclosed), Wes Brown (Sunderland, undisclosed), John O'Shea (Sunderland, undisclosed), Corry Evans (Hull, £500,000)

Key man: Wayne Rooney

Chances: United dug in last season when all around them faltered, and will be the leading contenders once again - but their wealthy 'noisy neighbours' could just have the final word come May.

Predicted finish: Runners-up

NEWCASTLE

Manager: Alan Pardew

Position last season: 12th

Nickname: The Magpies

Ground: St James' Park

Capacity: 52,387

Players in: Yohan Cabaye (Lille, undisclosed), Demba Ba (West Ham, undisclosed), Sylvain Marveaux (Rennes, undisclosed), Mehdi Abeid (Lens, undisclosed)

Players out: Sol Campbell, Shefki Kuqi (both released), Kevin Nolan (West Ham, undisclosed), Kazenga LuaLua (Brighton, loan until January)

Key man: Joey Barton

Chances: Pardew produced some consistent results to win over his doubters, but will need more of the same to keep the Toon Army onside and stay well clear of a relegation scrap.

Predicted finish: 12th

NORWICH

Manager: Paul Lambert

Position last season: Second in the Championship

Nickname: The Canaries

Ground: Carrow Road

Capacity: 27,033

Players in: James Vaughan (Everton, undisclosed), Steve Morison (Millwall, £2.5million), Elliott Bennett (Brighton, £1.5million), Ritchie de Laet (Manchester United, season loan), Bradley Johnson (Leeds, free), Anthony Pilkington (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Kyle Naughton (Tottenham, season loan)

Players out: Luke Daley (Plymouth, undisclosed)

Key man: Wes Hoolahan

Chances: Lambert has taken the Norfolk club a long way in a short space of time, and following some decent summer additions the Canaries have every chance of extending their stay in the top flight.

Predicted finish: 17th

QPR

Manager: Neil Warnock

Position last season: Championship winners

Nickname: The Rs

Ground: Loftus Road

Capacity: 19,100

Players in: Jay Bothroyd (Cardiff, free), Kieron Dyer (unattached), Danny Gabbidon (unattached)

Players out: Mikele Leigertwood (Reading, undisclosed)

Key man: Adel Taarabt

Chances: It has been some 15 years since QPR were last in the top flight, and so far the wealth of their major shareholders - Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and former Renault F1 team principal Flavio Briatore - has not been reflected in Rangers' summer spending.

Predicted finish: 15th

STOKE

Manager: Tony Pulis

Position last season: 13th

Nickname: The Potters

Ground: Britannia Stadium

Capacity: 28,376

Players in: Jonathan Woodgate (unattached)

Players out: Abdoulaye Faye, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Ibrahima Sonko (all released)

Key man: Kenwyne Jones

Chances: Once again Pulis' squad proved there is more to them than just the long throws of Rory Delap as they reached the FA Cup final. What Europe will make of the Potters is anyone's guess, but expect them to compete again and ruffle a few more feathers with good old-fashioned hard work.

Predicted finish: 14th

SUNDERLAND

Manager: Steve Bruce

Position last season: 10th

Nickname: The Black Cats

Ground: Stadium of Light

Capacity: 49,000

Players in: Ahmed Elmohamady (ENPPI, undisclosed), Keiren Westwood (Coventry, free), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham, free), Connor Wickham (Ipswich, £8million), Ji Dong-won (Chunnam Dragons, undisclosed), Craig Gardner (Birmingham, undisclosed), Wes Brown (Manchester United, undisclosed), John O'Shea (Manchester United, undisclosed), David Vaughan (unattached)

Players out: Jordan Henderson (Liverpool, undisclosed), Boudewijn Zenden (released), Cristian Riveros (Kayserispor, season loan), David Healy (Rangers, free)

Key man: Asamoah Gyan

Chances: With plenty of fresh faces in the squad, Sunderland should have enough options to last the distance next season, but might just fall short of a European place.

Predicted finish: 8th

SWANSEA

Manager: Brendan Rodgers

Position last season: Third in the Championship (promoted via the play-offs)

Nickname: The Swans

Ground: Liberty Stadium

Capacity: 20,500

Players in: Danny Graham (Watford, £3.5million), Steven Caulker (Tottenham, season loan), Jose Moreira (Benfica, undisclosed)

Players out: Darren Pratley (Bolton, free), Dorus de Vries (Wolves, free)

Key man: Garry Monk

Chances: The first Welsh club to play among England's elite will provide a stern test for many sides at the Liberty Stadium, where form will hold the key to survival hopes. Consistent troubles on the road, though, and the Swans will face a tough battle to stay up.

Predicted finish: 19th

TOTTENHAM

Manager: Harry Redknapp

Position last season: 5th

Nickname: Spurs

Ground: White Hart Lane

Capacity: 36,237

Players in: Brad Friedel (Aston Villa, free), Cristian Ceballos (unattached)

Players out: Jonathan Woodgate (released), Jamie O'Hara (Wolves, £5million), Steven Caulker (Swansea, season loan), Paul-Jose M'Poku (Standard Liege, undisclosed), Kyle Naughton (Norwich, season loan), Bongani Khumalo (Reading, season loan), Nathan Byrne (Bournemouth, season loan)

Key man: Rafael van der Vaart

Chances: Competition for the top four places looks tougher than ever, and Redknapp's men could find themselves squeezed out.

Predicted finish: 6th

WEST BROM

Manager: Roy Hodgson

Position last season: 11th

Nickname: The Baggies

Ground: The Hawthorns

Capacity: 28,003

Players in: Gareth McAuley (Ipswich, free), Billy Jones (Preston, free)

Players out: Abdoulaye Meite (Dijon, free), Giles Barnes, Dean Kiely (both released), Borja Valero (Villarreal, undisclosed) Scott Carson (Bursaspor, undisclosed), Gianni Zuiverloon (Real Mallorca, undisclosed)

Key man: Peter Odemwingie

Chances: Hodgson steadied the ship after his mid-season appointment and following some summer additions, the Baggies should again be comfortable in mid-table, with a decent shot at cup success.

Predicted finish: 10th

WIGAN

Manager: Roberto Martinez

Position last season: 16th

Nickname: The Latics

Ground: DW Stadium

Capacity: 25,135

Players in: Ali Al Habsi (Bolton, undisclosed)

Players out: Steven Caldwell, Daniel de Ridder, Jason Koumas, Mike Pollitt (all released), Antonio Amaya (Real Betis, undisclosed)

Key man: James McCarthy

Chances: Martinez produced the 'Great Escape' in May, and then spurned Aston Villa to stay with the Latics, but looks set to face another testing campaign, which could end in bitter disappointment.

Predicted finish: 18th

WOLVES

Manager: Mick McCarthy

Position last season: 17th

Nickname: Wolves

Ground: Molineux

Capacity: 24,000 (temporary)

Players in: Dorus de Vries (Swansea, free), Jamie O'Hara (Tottenham, £5million), Roger Johnson (Birmingham, undisclosed)

Players out: Marcus Hahnemann, David Jones (both released), Steven Mouyokolo (Sochaux, season loan), Danny Batth (Sheffield Wednesday, loan until January)

Key man: Kevin Doyle

Chances: Wolves had looked a solid unit, only to struggle and eventually only stayed up by the skin of their teeth as results went their way on the final day. Do not expect McCarthy's men to make the same mistakes again.

Predicted finish: 16th