A club-by-club guide to the new Premiership season, including transfers, key men and predictions.

ARSENAL
Manager: Arsene Wenger
Position last season: 3
Nickname: Gunners
Ground: Emirates Stadium
Capacity: 60,000.
Players in: Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff, £5m), Samir Nasri (Marseille, £11m), Carlos Vela (return from loan), Amaury Bischoff (Werder Bremen, undisclosed).
Players out: Mathieu Flamini (AC Milan, free), Jens Lehmann (Stuttgart, free), Alexander Hleb (Barcelona, £12m), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos, £1m), Kerrea Gilbert (Leicester, loan)
Key man: Cesc Fabregas
Chances: Wenger’s young Gunners came so close last season, but with no big-name signing to offset the departures, could be another year of frustration.
Prediction: 3

ASTON VILLA
Manager: Martin O’Neill
Position last season: 6
Nickname: Villans
Ground: Villa Park
Capacity: 42,584
Players in: Steve Sidwell (Chelsea, £5m), Curtis Davies (West Brom, undisclosed), Brad Friedel (Blackburn, undisclosed)
Players out: Olof Mellberg (Juventus, free), Luke Moore (West Brom, £3m), Thomas Sorensen (Stoke, free), Patrik Berger (Sparta Prague, free), Erik Lund (IFK Gothenburg, free), Damian Bellon (FC Vaduz, free)
Key man: Ashley Young
Chances: Villa continue in the right direction under Martin O’Neill. With or without Gareth Barry, expect them to challenge the big four.
Prediction: 5

BLACKBURN ROVERS
Manager: Paul Ince
Position last season: 7
Nickname: Rovers
Ground: Ewood Park
Capacity: 31,367
Players in: Paul Robinson (Tottenham, undisclosed), Carlos Villanueva (Audax Italiano, loan), Danny Simpson (Manchester United, loan) Players out: Brad Friedel (Aston Villa, undisclosed), David Bentley (Tottenham, initial £15m), Peter Enckelman (released), Stephane Henchoz (released), Bruno Berner (released), Raffaele de Vita (Livingston, free)
Key man: Roque Santa Cruz
Chances: All change with a new manager at the helm. If Rovers get a good replacement for David Bentley, Rovers could make the top 10 again, if not a tough season looks ahead of Ince’s men.
Prediction: 10

BOLTON WANDERERS
Manager: Gary Megson
Position last season: 16
Nickname: Trotters
Ground: Reebok Stadium
Capacity: 28,723
Players in: Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham, £5m), Johan Elmander (Toulouse, £11m), Riga Mustapha (Levante, undisclosed)
Players out: Ivan Campo (released), Stelios Giannakopoulos (released), Andranik Teymourian (Fulham, free), Daniel Braaten (exchange for Elmander, Toulouse), El-Hadji Diouf (Sunderland, undisclosed)
Key man: Kevin Davies
Chances: Bolton pulled clear under Megson last season, but despite big signings, a poor start this time around could see them struggle in a relegation dogfight once more.
Prediction: 18

CHELSEA
Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari
Position last season: 2
Nickname: Blues
Ground: Stamford Bridge
Capacity: 42,449
Players in: Jose Bosingwa (Porto, £16.2m), Deco (Barcelona, £7m)
Players out: Steve Sidwell (Aston Villa, £5m), Hernan Crespo (Inter Milan, free), Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart, undisclosed), Claude Makelele (Paris St Germain, free), Ben Sahar (Portsmouth, loan), Jimmy Smith (Sheffield Wednesday, loan), Ryan Bertrand (loan, Norwich), Tal Ben Haim (Manchester City, undisclosed), Harry Worley (Leicester, free)
Key man: John Terry
Chances: New man at the helm, but same remit from the man with the money. ‘Big Phil’ may find he comes up just short at his first attempt.
Prediction: 2

EVERTON
Manager: David Moyes
Position last season: 5
Nickname: Toffees
Ground: Goodison Park
Capacity: 40,569
Players in: None
Players out: Lee Carsley (Birmingham, free), Thomas Gravesen (Celtic, loan return), Manuel Fernandes (end of loan), Darren Dennehy (Cardiff, nominal fee), Jamie Jones (Leyton Orient, free)
Key man: Tim Cahill
Chances: Everton are now a formidable unit capable of upsetting any of the big four. However, will be pushed hard by Villa, among others, this season.
Prediction: 6

FULHAM
Manager: Roy Hodgson
Position last season: 17
Nickname: Cottagers
Ground: Craven Cottage
Capacity: 26,300
Players in: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, free), Bobby Zamora & John Pantsil (West Ham, £6.3m combined), Zoltan Gera (West Brom, free), Andranik Teymourian (Bolton, free), Toni Kallio (BSC Young Boys, free) David Stockdale (Darlington, undisclosed), Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg, £4m)
Players out: Carlos Bocanegra (released), Jari Litmanen (released), Philippe Christanval (released), Simon Elliott (released), Ian Pearce (released), Michael Timlin (released), Ismael Ehui (released), Bjorn Runstrom (released), Brian McBride (Chicago Fire, free), Tony Warner (Hull, free), Dejan Stefanovic (Norwich, undisclosed), Elliot Omozusi (Norwich, loan), Batista (Sporting Lisbon, £100,000)
Key man: Danny Murphy
Chances: Fulham performed the Great Escape under Hodgson on the final day last season and with heavy investment this summer, expect them to be safe enough before then this time around.
Prediction: 15

HULL CITY
Manager: Phil Brown
Position last season: promoted via play-offs
Nickname: Tigers
Ground: KC Stadium
Capacity: 25,504
Players in: Geovanni (Manchester City, free), Bernard Mendy (Paris St Germain, free), George Boateng (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Tony Warner (Fulham, free), Craig Fagan (Derby, £750,000), Anthony Gardner (Tottenham, loan)
Players out: Jay-Jay Okocha (released), David Livermore (released), Henrik Pedersen (Silkeborg, free)
Key man: Dean Windass
Chances: Tigers fans should enjoy taking on the big boys while they can, but the promotion party could soon turn sour. Just ask Derby.
Prediction: 20

LIVERPOOL
Manager: Rafael Benitez
Position last season: 4
Nickname: Reds
Ground: Anfield
Capacity: 45,362
Players in: Philipp Degen (Borussia Dortmund, free), Andrea Dossena (Udinese, undisclosed), Vincent Lucas Weijl (AZ Alkmaar, undisclosed) Diego Cavalieri (Palmeiras, undisclosed), David Ngog (Paris St Germain, undisclosed), Robbie Keane (Tottenham, £20.3m)
Players out: Peter Crouch (Portsmouth, £11m), Harry Kewell (Galatasary, free), John Arne Riise (Roma, £4m), Anthony Le Tallec (Le Mans, free), Scott Carson (West Brom, £3.25m)
Key man: Fernando Torres
Chances: More player changes again for Benitez as he again seeks a championship blend. However, could still come up short.
Prediction: 4

MANCHESTER CITY
Manager: Mark Hughes
Position last season: 9
Nickname: Blues
Ground: City of Manchester Stadium
Capacity: 48,000
Players in: Jo (CSKA Moscow, £19m), Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea, undisclosed)
Players out: Georgios Samaras (Celtic, undisclosed), Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven, undisclosed), Sun Jihai (Sheffield United, undisclosed), Geovanni (Hull, free), Emile Mpenza (released), Paul Dickov (released), Bernardo Corradi (Reggina, free), Ashley Grimes (Millwall, free), Matthew Mills (Doncaster, £300.000)
Key man: Jo
Chances: Hughes has a tough act to follow at Eastlands, but with the backing of the club’s eccentric owner Thaksin Shinawatra, should have enough for another top-10 finish.
Prediction: 9

MANCHESTER UNITED
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Position last season: Champions
Nickname: Red Devils
Ground: Old Trafford
Capacity: 76,100
Players in: Davide Petrucci (Roma, £200,000)
Players out: Gerard Pique (Barcelona, £6m), Kieran Lee (Oldham, free), Chris Eagles (Burnley, £1.25m), Conor McCormack (Triestina, free), Ritchie Jones (Hartlepool, free)
Key man: Cristiano Ronaldo
Chances: Even if Ronaldo does eventually leave, United remain the side to beat. Expect Fergie to be smiling again come May.
Prediction: Champions

MIDDLESBROUGH
Manager: Gareth Southgate
Position last season: 13
Nickname: Boro
Ground: Riverside Stadium
Capacity: 35,100
Players in: Didier Digard (Paris St Germain, £4m), Marvin Emnes (Sparta Rotterdam, £3.2m)
Players out: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham, free), Fabio Rochemback (released), Gaizka Mendieta (released), Dong-Gook Lee (released), George Boateng (Hull, undisclosed), Steve Thompson (Port Vale, free), Lee Cattermole (Wigan, £3.5m)
Key man: Stewart Downing
Chances: Boro eventually came good last season after looking like getting dragged into a dogfight. Should be well clear this time.
Prediction: 13

NEWCASTLE UNITED
Manager: Kevin Keegan
Position last season: 12
Nickname: Magpies
Ground: St James Park
Capacity: 52,387
Players in: Jonas Gutierrez (Real Mallorca, undisclosed), Danny Guthrie (Liverpool, undisclosed)
Players out: David Rozenhal (Lazio, £2.9m), Peter Ramage (QPR, free), Stephen Carr (released), Emre (Fenerbahce, undisclosed)
Key man: Michael Owen
Chances: The return of ‘King Kev’ did not produce a fairytale ending to last season and expect it to be a rough ride again.
Prediction: 11

PORTSMOUTH
Manager: Harry Redknapp
Position last season: 8
Nickname: Pompey
Ground: Fratton Park
Capacity: 20,288
Players in: Peter Crouch (Liverpool, £11m), Glen Little (Reading, free), Ben Sahar (Chelsea, season loan)
Players out: Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan, undisclosed)
Key man: Peter Crouch
Chances: Harry’s boys performed superbly last season to win the FA Cup and finish in the top 10. More of the same this time around, and with a European adventure to boot.
Prediction: 8

STOKE CITY
Manager: Tony Pulis
Position last season: Promoted
Nickname: Potters
Ground: Britannia Stadium
Capacity: 28,383
Players in: Dave Kitson (Reading, £5.5m), Seyi Olofinjana (Wolves, £3m), Thomas Sorensen (Aston Villa, free)
Players out: Dominic Matteo (released), Russell Hoult (released), Marlon Broomes (released), Adam Garrett (released)
Key man: Dave Kitson
Chances: Will be tough for Stoke to beat the drop straight back down, but expect Pulis’ men to give it a good go.
Prediction: 19

SUNDERLAND
Manager: Roy Keane
Position last season: 15
Nickname: Black Cats
Ground: Stadium of Light
Capacity: 49,000
Players in: Teemu Tainio & Pascal Chimbonda (Tottenham, undisclosed), El-Hadji Diouf (Bolton, undisclosed), Steed Malbranque (Tottenham, undisclosed), Nick Colgan (Ipswich, free), David Meyler (Cork, undisclosed)
Players out: Andy Cole (Nottingham Forest, free), Ian Harte (released), Stanislav Varga (released), Stephen Wright (released), Greg Halford (Sheffield United, loan), Ross Wallace (Sunderland, loan)
Key man: Kenwyne Jones
Chances: Sunderland looked to strengthen on their decent showing last season and should have enough about them to start building for a long stay in the top flight.
Prediction: 14

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Manager: Juande Ramos
Position last season: 11
Nickname: Spurs
Ground: White Hart Lane
Capacity: 36,214
Players in: Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb, £16.5m), Giovani dos Santos (Barcelona, £8.6m), Paul-Jose Mpoku (Standard Liege, undisclosed), Mirko Ranieri (Perugia, undisclosed), John Bostock (Crystal Palace, £700,000), Heurelho Gomes (PSV Eindhoven, £7.8m), David Bentley (Blackburn, initial £15m)
Players out: Robbie Keane (Liverpool, £20.3m), Paul Robinson (Blackburn, undisclosed), Teemu Tainio & Pascal Chimbonda (Tottenham, undisclosed), Radek Cerny (QPR, free), Leigh Mills (Brentford, loan), Simon Dawkins (Leyton Orient, loan), Anthony Gardner (Hull, loan), Joe Martin (Blackpool, nominal fee), Tommy Forecast (Southampton, undisclosed), Steed Malbranque (Sunderland, undisclosed)
Key man: Dimitar Berbatov
Chances: Ramos’ revolution is well under way and expect last season’s Carling Cup winners to make more progress into the top 10.
Prediction: 7

WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Manager: Tony Mowbray
Position last season: Promoted, as champions
Nickname: Baggies
Ground: The Hawthorns
Capacity: 28,003
Players In: Luke Moore (Aston Villa, £3m), Scott Carson (Liverpool, £3.25m), Do-heon Kim (Seongnam Ilhwa Shunma, £500,000), Roman Bednar (Hearts, £2,5m), Gianni Zuiverloon (Heerenveen, £2.3m), Marek Cech (Porto, £1.4m), Graham Dorrans (Livingston, £100,000)
Players Out: Luke Steele (free, Barnsley), Zoltan Gera (free, Fulham), Martin Albrechtsen (free, Derby), Curtis Davies (undisclosed, Aston Villa), Kevin Phillips (Birmingham, free), Stefan Morrison (Swansea, free)
Key man: Scott Carson
Chances: The Baggies have invested heavily to avoid another boing-boing season, and could well have done enough to beat the drop come May.
Prediction: 17

WEST HAM UNITED
Manager: Alan Curbishley
Position last season: 10
Nickname: Hammers
Ground: Upton Park
Capacity: 35,146
Players in: Valon Behrami (Lazio, £5m), Orn Eyjolfsson (HK Kopavogur, undisclosed), Balint Bajner (Liberty Oradea, undisclosed)
Players out: Bobby Zamora & John Pantsil (Fulham, £6.3m), Nolberto Solano (released)
Key man: Dean Ashton
Chances: Manager Alan Curbishley is already top of the sack race and should the Hammers have a tough start, the Icelandic owners may wield the axe.
Prediction: 12

WIGAN ATHLETIC
Manager: Steve Bruce
Position last season: 15
Nickname: Latics
Ground: JJB Stadium
Capacity: 25,023
Players in: Daniel de Ridder (Birmingham, free), Olivier Kapo (Birmingham, £2.5m), Maynor Figueroa (Deportivo Olimpia, loan), Lee Cattermole (Middlesbrough, £3.5m), Amr Zaki (Zamalek, loan)
Players out: Josip Skoko (released), Salomon Olembe (released), Julius Aghahowa (Wigan to Kayserispor, undisclosed), David Cotterill (Sheffield United, undisclosed)
Key man: Henri Camara
Chances: Steve Bruce proved a point when he moved the Latics to safety as Birmingham slipped into relegation. Sensible acquisitions should bring more comfortable ride.
Prediction: 16

Predicted league table

1 Manchester United
2 Chelsea
3 Arsenal
4 Liverpool
5 Aston Villa
6 Everton
7 Tottenham Hotspur
8 Portsmouth
9 Manchester City
10 Blackburn Rovers
11 Newcastle United
12 West Ham United
13 Middlesbrough
14 Sunderland
15 Fulham
16 Wigan Athletic
17 West Bromwich Albion
18 Bolton Wanderers
19 Stoke City
20 Hull City

What's your predictions for the season? Add your comments below.