The Premier League season is upon us with every side in the league beginning with a clean slate, so what can we expect in 2022/2023?
Most sides have tried to be proactive in the transfer market, with some world class talent arriving in the Premier League. Below are five players you should watch out for this season according to the main betting sites, with some new faces joining those that we already expect great things from.
Mohamed Salah
Getting Mohamed Salah to sign a new deal at Liverpool is like a new signing it itself. The Egyptian forward is one of the best players on the planet right now, and he just scores goals. His ability to pop up in the right place at the right time to tap home or rifle in an effort following a stunning run is something that fans of Liverpool and all other sides now expect to see – such is the ability of the forward.
A lot of attention will fall on whether Salah can score his usual haul of goals whilst trying to make up for the loss of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich. Jurgen Klopp has a lot of firepowers to support Salah, but Liverpool’s hopes of winning the Premier League and Champions League this season will likely hinge on the Egyptian.
Erling Haaland
It was far from the perfect start to life with Manchester City that many expected for Erling Haaland as he missed a handful of good chances against Liverpool in their 3-1 Community Shield loss, including one from a few yards out when one-on-one.
Despite this, the former Borussia Dortmund striker will not be overly worried by his inability to score against Liverpool in a match that has no bearing on the main season itself. Last year, City scored 99 goals without a truly recognised striker. If they continue to create the chances they did last season, then Haaland will have a number of chances to score, and City will likely break the 100-goal mark, and then some.
Raheem Sterling
Chelsea lost Romelu Lukaku after an awful 2021/22 campaign in which the Belgian was anonymous. Coming with such a hefty price tag will always make it tough to play as he was constantly trying to prove he was worth it, something he failed to do.
Now, with Raheem Sterling coming in as Lukaku left, the English forward will likely get a lot of game time as he looks to fill the goal-scoring void that Lukaku was unable to fill. Sterling was an integral part of a City side that often looked to pass the ball into the net, but this did not really work itself into his own style. For Chelsea, there will be a lot more counter-attacking and balls played over the top, something Sterling’s pace and finishing will help him thrive on.
Chelsea finished some way short of Manchester City and Liverpool last season, but could Sterling’s arrival see the Blues cut this gap?
Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal has needed a striker for far, far too long. Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shone at different stages for the Gunners, but both have now left, which saw a major hole at the top for Mikel Arteta’s men.
However, Gabriel Jesus was brought in from Manchester City, and he has not looked back. Goals have followed Jesus in pre-season, and he looks like the piece of the puzzle that may help Arsenal to bridge the gap between themselves and the top-four. With the top places in the league tighter than ever, Jesus potentially scoring 20+ goals could prove to be the difference between Arsenal securing a place in the Champions League, or missing out again.
Ivan Perisic
Tottenham’s purchase of Ivan Perisic raised a few eyebrows when it was announced, but it is a transfer that really makes sense. Perisic has had successful stints at Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, while he has excelled with Croatia on the international stage.
Tottenham has clearly brought him in for a number of reasons. At 33, he has been around for a long time and has played in the biggest matches. That sort of big game pressure is something that Spurs have little real experience of, while his trophy-winning ways are something Tottenham will want to share in.
Finally, the Harry Kane – Heung-Min Son partnership has seen a lot of goals scored. Throw in a winger that is brilliant at picking the right pass or cross, and suddenly the two forwards have yet another player that can feed them. Could Perisic be the man to take Tottenham to the next level?